If you’ve just had a heat pump fitted, or you’re close to pulling the trigger on one, the electricity tariff you sign up to will do more to shape your annual running costs than almost anything else you tinker with. A heat pump is efficient by design. Stick it on a standard variable tariff paying 24-odd pence for every unit it draws, and you’ll watch that efficiency get chewed up by the unit rate.
That’s the bit nobody warns you about at the quote stage.
This guide walks through the best heat pump tariff options on the UK market for 2026, what the rates actually look like, which suppliers will take you on, and how the maths changes once you add solar, batteries or an EV into the mix.
What the best heat pump tariff actually looks like in 2026
The market has matured. Most of the major suppliers now offer a dedicated heat pump tariff of some kind, and the gap between the cheapest off-peak rates and the Ofgem price cap is big. We’re talking cheap-window rates in the 14-17p per kWh range when the April 2026 price cap electricity unit rate sits around 24.5p.
That gap is the whole game. Shift enough of your heat pump’s consumption into the cheap window and you can knock hundreds of pounds off your annual electricity bill versus sitting on a standard variable tariff. Don’t shift anything, and the savings shrink fast. In some cases they vanish entirely.
By the end of this guide you’ll know which heat pump tariff suits your setup: heat-pump-only, heat-pump-plus-solar, heat-pump-plus-EV, or the awkward middle ground of a poorly insulated home that can’t shift load easily. You’ll also know what the eligibility traps look like before you try to switch.
What a heat pump tariff actually is
A heat pump tariff is a specialist electricity tariff built around the consumption profile of a heat pump. Heat pumps draw a large, steady, all-winter electrical load, which is different from a gas-heated household and different again from an EV household that spikes its draw for a few hours overnight.
Suppliers use one of two approaches to match that profile. Either they offer a flat-rate reduction across your whole bill (a simple discount model), or they build in cheap windows during hours when wholesale electricity is typically cheaper, and you shift as much of your heat pump’s consumption as you can into those windows.
A heat pump tariff is not the same thing as an EV tariff, even though some households end up owning both. EV tariffs are built around cheaper overnight charging windows, usually a single block from around 11:30pm to 5:30am. A heat pump doesn’t necessarily need to be running at full speed during that window in the same way. Instead, it wants multiple cheap windows spread across the whole day, or a flatter discount that doesn’t punish you for running the pump when the house is cold.
Flat-rate vs time-of-use heat pump tariffs
Heat pump tariffs come in two flavours.
Time-of-use tariffs give you one or more cheap windows each day and charge more at other times. Cosy Octopus is the clearest example: three cheap windows totalling eight hours, and a punishing peak rate from 4pm to 7pm. You save money by shifting your heating and hot water into the cheap windows. If you can do that, the savings are big.
Wide-window tariffs spread a smaller discount across more hours. EDF’s Heat Pump Tracker knocks 10p off the standard rate for six hours a day with no peak penalty. British Gas Heat Power discounts ten hours at half price. E.ON Next Pumped gives you 21 cheaper hours out of 24. You don’t need to shift load as aggressively because the cheap rate is on for most of the day.
Which shape suits you comes down to one question: can you shift when your heat pump runs?
If yes (well-insulated home, smart controls, flexible household), go time-of-use for the bigger savings. If no (poor insulation, rigid schedule, older heat pump running steadily), go wide-window and avoid the tariffs with sharp peak rates, which will punish you every evening between 4pm and 7pm.
Do you have to switch your whole account to get a heat pump tariff?
Yes, almost always. This is the bit that surprises people.
Every dedicated heat pump tariff currently on the UK market requires you to be a full import customer of that supplier. You can’t just bolt a heat pump tariff onto your existing electricity account with another supplier and leave the rest alone. Cosy Octopus requires you to be with Octopus Energy. Heat Pump Tracker requires EDF. Heat Power requires British Gas. And so on.
Most also require a SMETS2 smart meter (or certain SMETS1 meters) set to half-hourly readings. That’s non-negotiable. Without half-hourly data, the supplier can’t bill you for the time-of-use rates.
MCS certification for your heat pump install is the other variable. Some suppliers ask for it explicitly. Others don’t mind as long as you have a heat pump, an electric boiler, or electric heating of some kind installed. Cosy Octopus, for instance, will accept customers with electric boilers or electric radiators too. But a non-MCS install can still block you from some tariffs.
This matters for switching. If you already get great service from your current supplier and the tariff savings are modest, you’re giving something up to move. If you’re paying standard variable and getting nothing for it, there’s nothing to lose. [How to Switch Energy Supplier] covers the mechanics.
Summary comparison of UK heat pump tariffs in 2026
Rates below are approximate and change with the price cap. Always check your postcode before switching.
| Supplier | Tariff | Rate type | Cheap-window rate | Window timings | Standard/peak rate | Key eligibility | Standout note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Energy | Cosy Octopus | Time-of-use (3 cheap windows) | ~14.5p/kWh | 04:00-07:00, 13:00-16:00, 22:00-00:00 (8 hrs total) | ~33p day rate / ~51p peak (16:00-19:00) | Heat pump, electric boiler or electric radiators. SMETS2 smart meter. | Best for flexible households that can shift load into three windows and avoid peak hour. £50 referral credit available |
| EDF | Heat Pump Tracker | Tracker discount (2 cheap windows) | Standard rate minus 10p/kWh | 04:00-07:00, 13:00-16:00 (6 hrs total) | Matches EDF standard variable | Any heat pump technology. SMETS2 smart meter. | No peak penalty rate. Off-peak discount also applies to the rest of your household’s electricity |
| E.ON Next | Next Pumped | Time-of-use (super off-peak + wide off-peak) | ~16.9p super off-peak / ~21.3p off-peak | 22:00-06:00 super off-peak, 06:00-16:00 + 19:00-22:00 off-peak | Peak 16:00-19:00 | Heat pump or electric boiler. Smart meter. | 21 cheaper hours out of 24. Suits poorly insulated homes that can’t concentrate load |
| British Gas | Heat Power | Half-price discount applied as bill credit | 50% off peak rate | 00:00-07:00, 13:00-16:00 (10 hrs total) | Standard tariff rate outside windows | Works with any make of heat pump or electric heating. Smart meter. Direct Debit only. | Widest cheap-window total of any tariff. Peak rate is on the higher side |
| ScottishPower | Heat Pump Saver | Time-of-use (1 daytime window) | ~14-15p/kWh | 11:00-16:00 (5 hrs total) | Standard variable rate outside window | Any heat pump. Smart meter with half-hourly reads. Direct Debit. | Only daytime window on the market. Suits households heating hot water during warmer afternoon hours |
| Good Energy | Heat Pump | Time-of-use | ~14p/kWh | 05:00-09:00, 13:00-16:00 (7 hrs total) | Single peak rate | Smart meter required (heat pump itself not strictly required). | Covers UK morning heating peak. £75 exit fee, the highest on the market |
| OVO | Heat Pump Plus | Discontinued | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | Withdrawn from 1 February 2026 |
A note on OVO: the Heat Pump Plus add-on was one of the most interesting products in the market, giving you a fixed 15p rebate on heat-pump-only consumption. OVO pulled it from 1 February 2026, leaving existing customers shopping around. Worth mentioning because older guides still reference it.
How solar and batteries change the maths
Layer a battery on top of a time-of-use heat pump tariff and the savings geometry changes completely. The cheap windows become charging windows for the battery, and the battery then runs your heat pump and the rest of your house through the expensive periods. Cosy Octopus with its three daily cheap windows and punishing peak rate is almost tailor-made for this. The battery charges cheaply during the 4-7am slot, discharges through the 4-7pm peak, tops up again between 10pm-midnight if needed.
Solar complicates things. In summer, a solar PV system will cover a chunk of your heat pump’s hot water load during daylight hours, and you might be exporting surplus. In winter, when the heat pump is running hardest, solar generation is a fraction of summer output and you’re mostly importing. The heat pump tariff you pick needs to make sense for winter consumption, where it matters most.
The other thing to watch is that not every heat pump import tariff plays nicely with every solar export tariff. Some suppliers require you to pick one special tariff or the other, not both. Cosy Octopus pairs with Outgoing Octopus, which pays a flat 12p per kWh for exported electricity. That’s a good combination. But if you’re on British Gas Heat Power and also want their Export & Earn Flex, check whether they’ll do both at once.
If you’ve got panels on the roof already, our guide to the [Best Solar Export Tariff UK] covers the export side in detail.
What to check before signing up
Heat pump tariffs come with small print. The headline off-peak rate is only part of the picture.
- Smart meter requirement. SMETS2 is standard. Some SMETS1 meters work, many don’t. If you don’t have a working smart meter, most suppliers will install one, but that can delay your switch by weeks.
- MCS certificate. Some tariffs require MCS-certified installs. Others don’t care. If your heat pump was installed outside the MCS scheme, check eligibility before applying.
- Heat pump brand and model restrictions. Most current heat pump tariffs are open to any brand, but a handful of promotional tariffs (like EDF’s discontinued Heat Pump & Power Tracker) were tied to specific heat pump manufacturers. Read the eligibility criteria, don’t assume.
- Minimum or maximum system output. Rare, but some suppliers have quietly added sizing rules. Worth asking.
- Rate guarantee. Almost all current heat pump tariffs are variable, meaning the rates track the price cap or the supplier’s standard variable tariff. Your cheap-window discount is usually locked in, but the underlying rate isn’t. Suppliers typically give 30 days’ notice of changes.
- Standing charges. This one catches people out. Some heat pump tariffs carry a slightly higher standing charge than the supplier’s standard tariff. If your consumption isn’t enormous, a higher standing charge can eat into the off-peak savings.
- Exit fees. Most heat pump tariffs don’t charge them. Good Energy’s £75 exit fee is the outlier to flag.
- Payment method. Monthly Direct Debit is standard. Prepayment meter customers are usually locked out.
Step-by-step: how to actually get onto a better heat pump tariff
- Check what tariff you’re currently on. Log into your current supplier’s app or portal. If you’re on a standard variable tariff (SVT), you’re paying the price cap unit rate, and almost any dedicated heat pump tariff will beat it. Work out your rough annual heat pump consumption by checking winter bills, or assume 3,000-5,000 kWh for a typical air source heat pump in an average UK home.
- Gather your paperwork. MCS certificate for your heat pump install, make and model of the heat pump itself, smart meter type (should be on a recent bill or in your app), and your current annual electricity consumption. Having these to hand speeds up applications by days.
- Compare dedicated heat pump tariffs on a proper basis. Don’t just look at the headline cheap-window rate. Model your annual cost including standing charges, peak rates, and a realistic estimate of how much consumption you’ll actually shift into the cheap windows. For most households, 40-60% shifting is realistic. A spreadsheet helps. A rough estimate is better than being lured by a low off-peak rate on a tariff where you can’t use it.
- Apply to switch. If the tariff is with your current supplier, this can usually be done online in minutes. If you need to switch suppliers, you’ll typically join the new supplier’s standard variable tariff first, have your smart meter set up or verified, then apply to move onto the heat pump tariff. Total timeline is usually 2-4 weeks. If you want to chase a referral bonus (Octopus currently gives £50 in credit to new customers joining via a referral link), use the link before you sign up and not after.
- Check your first full bill. Make sure the unit rates match what you signed up for, that peak and off-peak periods are being billed correctly, and that any promised credits have landed. Smart meter teething problems are common. If something looks wrong, flag it early.
- Reassess annually. Heat pump tariffs move faster than standard ones. New entrants launch, existing tariffs get withdrawn (see OVO, see EDF’s Heat Pump & Save Tracker), and rates shift with the price cap. What was the best tariff this winter might not be next winter.
Common pitfalls
Staying on a standard variable tariff after installing a heat pump. Happens more than it should. Your installer finishes the job, you start using more electricity, and no one flags that your tariff is wrong for the new setup. The first winter on the wrong tariff can cost you hundreds.
Assuming Cosy Octopus is automatically the winner. It’s an excellent tariff for flexible households with three daily windows to work with. For a house that can’t shift load, the 4-7pm peak rate (around 51p per kWh at the April 2026 price cap) can undo the savings from the cheap windows entirely. Run the numbers before assuming.
Time-of-use tariffs punishing households with older heat pumps. Older or simpler heat pumps that just run steadily through the day don’t benefit from cheap-window tariffs the way a modern system with weather compensation and smart scheduling does. If your heat pump is basic, a flatter-rate tariff may save you more.
Higher standing charges quietly eating the savings. Always model total annual cost, not headline unit rate.
MCS paperwork delays stalling applications. If your installer hasn’t issued your MCS certificate yet, some suppliers won’t process the tariff application.
Suppliers tightening eligibility or changing rates after sign-up. All current heat pump tariffs are variable. Discounts are usually locked in, but underlying rates can change with 30 days’ notice. Budget for some variability.
Special cases
Heat pump plus solar. Check whether your chosen supplier will let you combine their heat pump import tariff with a sensible export tariff. Octopus does this well (Cosy Octopus plus Outgoing Octopus). Some suppliers force you to pick. If you have solar and need an export tariff that pays, read [Best Solar Export Tariff UK] before committing.
Heat pump plus EV. You’ve got a choice. Either pick a single tariff that suits both (Cosy Octopus works reasonably well for EV charging during its cheap windows, though the EV-specific Intelligent Octopus Go gives a cheaper overnight rate of around 7.5p per kWh if EV use is heavy), or run a separate charger with its own metering profile. Most households find that Cosy Octopus’s overlap with EV needs is close enough. For dedicated EV setups or heavy charging, see [Best EV Tariffs UK].
Poorly insulated homes. If your heat pump runs near-constantly through the winter to keep up with heat loss, a time-of-use tariff with a sharp peak rate can punish you. A flat-rate or wide-window tariff (EDF Heat Pump Tracker, British Gas Heat Power, E.ON Next Pumped) is usually the safer choice. The real fix is insulation, but that’s a different conversation.
Non-MCS installs. Fewer tariffs available. Cosy Octopus doesn’t require an MCS certificate, which makes it the default for DIY or non-MCS setups. Some suppliers will ask. Others won’t.
Hybrid heat pump systems. Gas boiler plus heat pump in the same system. Eligibility varies. Some heat pump tariffs won’t accept hybrid setups. Always check.
FAQ
What’s the best heat pump tariff in the UK right now?
There isn’t one universal answer. For flexible households that can shift load, Cosy Octopus gives the cheapest cheap-window rates and the most cheap-window hours. For households that can’t shift load easily, E.ON Next Pumped, EDF Heat Pump Tracker, or British Gas Heat Power tend to work out better because they apply a discount across a wider chunk of the day without a sharp peak rate.
Do I have to switch supplier to get a heat pump tariff?
Usually yes. Every major heat pump tariff requires you to be a full electricity customer of that supplier. A few larger suppliers offer heat pump tariffs within their existing product range, so if you’re already with them, you might not need to change company.
How much can I realistically save by switching to a dedicated heat pump tariff?
Suppliers typically quote annual savings of £150-£360 versus the price cap for a typical heat pump household, depending on how much load you can shift. Households that genuinely shift 40-60% of their consumption into cheap windows tend to land in the middle of that range. Households that don’t shift much save less.
Can I have a heat pump tariff and a solar export tariff at the same time?
Sometimes. Octopus lets you combine Cosy Octopus with Outgoing Octopus. Some other suppliers require you to pick one. Always check before signing up.
Do I need a smart meter?
Yes, a SMETS2 meter (or certain SMETS1 meters) set to half-hourly readings. Without one, time-of-use billing isn’t possible.
What if my heat pump isn’t MCS-certified?
Your options narrow. Cosy Octopus and a handful of others don’t require MCS certification. Some tariffs do. Check eligibility before applying.
Will my heat pump tariff rate change during the contract?
Almost all current heat pump tariffs are variable. The cheap-window discount (the gap between off-peak and peak) is usually locked in. The underlying rates move with the price cap and can change with 30 days’ notice.
Conclusion
The best heat pump tariff depends on your home and your flexibility.
If you’ve got a well-insulated home with a smart heat pump controller and you can shift load, Cosy Octopus is probably the pick. Eight hours of cheap electricity a day, the sharpest off-peak rates on the market, and Octopus throws in a £50 referral credit if you join via a referral link.
If you’ve got solar and a battery, Cosy Octopus plus Outgoing Octopus stacks well and is hard to beat on total annual cost for most households.
If you’ve also got an EV and charge heavily overnight, think about whether Cosy Octopus covers you or whether you’d be better splitting into a dedicated EV tariff. See [Best EV Tariffs UK] for that comparison.
If your home is poorly insulated and your heat pump runs steadily all winter, EDF Heat Pump Tracker or E.ON Next Pumped will probably save you more because neither has a sharp peak rate that punishes steady use.
Either way, if you’ve got a heat pump and you’re still on a standard variable tariff, you’re leaving money on the table. The gap between the price cap unit rate and the best cheap-window rates is big enough that switching is usually worth the admin. Don’t assume your installer or supplier will flag it for you. They often don’t.
