Octopus Agile is an import smart electricity tariff with unit rates that change every half hour based on wholesale energy prices. It can reward households that shift their electricity use away from expensive peak periods, but it also exposes you to higher rates when demand increases. This page explains how Octopus Agile works, who it tends to suit and what to consider before switching.
Octopus Agile tariff rates
Octopus Agile prices change every half hour, so any fixed rate shown here would quickly become outdated.
Use our Octopus Agile pricing dashboard to view live prices in your area and explore historical pricing trends.
What is Octopus Agile?
Octopus Agile is an electricity tariff from Octopus Energy, with unit rates that change every half hour based on wholesale market conditions. Instead of paying one rate throughout the day, you are charged a different price for each of the 48 half-hour periods.
Prices are usually higher during busy evening periods and lower when demand is weaker or renewable generation is plentiful. This means households that can move flexible electricity use into cheaper periods may benefit, while those using most of their energy at peak times could pay more.
Agile is an electricity-only tariff, so your gas remains on a separate Octopus gas tariff.
How does Octopus Agile work?
Each afternoon, Octopus publishes the 48 unit rates that will apply the following day, one for every half-hour period. Prices are normally available from around 4pm, although the exact publication time can vary. Once they are released, you can see exactly what electricity will cost throughout the next day.
Agile rates are based on the day-ahead wholesale electricity market and vary by region. Octopus then applies the relevant network costs and tariff adjustments, including an additional uplift during the busy 4pm to 7pm period. This is why the same half-hour can cost slightly more in one part of the country than another.
You can view upcoming rates in the Octopus app or use our Octopus Agile pricing dashboard to see live prices in your area and explore historical trends. Octopus also provides a public API, allowing compatible batteries, EV chargers and smart-home systems to respond to changing prices automatically.
The price cap on Octopus Agile
Octopus Agile is not protected by the Ofgem standard variable tariff price cap. Instead, Octopus applies its own upper limit, known as Price Cap Protect, which caps the unit rate at 100p per kWh including VAT.
This means you will not pay more than 100p per kWh for any half-hour period, even if wholesale prices rise above that level. The ceiling is much higher than typical electricity rates and is designed to protect customers during exceptional market spikes rather than act as an everyday price limit.
Plunge pricing and negative rates
When the grid has more electricity than it needs, usually during periods of high renewable generation and low demand, wholesale prices can fall below zero. Octopus Agile can pass these negative prices on to customers, creating half-hour periods where you are effectively paid to use electricity.
These events are often called plunge pricing. They are not available every day, but they can create useful opportunities for households able to shift flexible use, such as charging an EV, heating water or running appliances, into those periods.
Who is Octopus Agile best for?
Octopus Agile is most likely to suit households that can move a meaningful amount of electricity use away from the expensive 4pm to 7pm period and into cheaper half-hour slots.
It may work particularly well for:
- Households able to run flexible appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, outside peak periods.
- Households with a home battery that can charge when prices are low and discharge during more expensive periods.
- Homes with solar panels and a battery, especially where charging and exporting can be scheduled around import and export prices.
- Households that want to combine Agile import pricing with a wholesale-linked export tariff such as Agile Outgoing Octopus.
- Smart-home users who can automate devices using Agile price data.
- EV owners who can schedule charging for the cheapest overnight periods. However, a dedicated EV tariff such as Intelligent Octopus Go may be better if you want a fixed cheap charging window and automated scheduling.
- Heat pump users who can pre-heat their home or hot water outside the evening peak. A dedicated heat pump tariff such as Octopus Cosy may be easier to manage for some households.
The more electricity you can shift into cheaper slots, the greater the potential benefit. Households that use most of their electricity during the early evening may find Agile less competitive.
Who should avoid Octopus Agile?
Octopus Agile is unlikely to suit households that:
- Use a large amount of electricity between 4pm and 7pm and have little realistic scope to move that usage
- Need predictable unit rates and greater certainty over monthly bills
- Would find half-hourly price changes or occasional high-price periods stressful
- Prefer a tariff they can largely ignore without checking prices or automating their usage
- Have high evening electricity demand, particularly in an all-electric home, without a battery or another practical way to reduce peak-time imports
If you cannot move a meaningful amount of electricity use away from expensive periods, Flexible Octopus or Octopus Tracker may offer a simpler and more predictable alternative.
Eligibility
To be eligible for Octopus Agile, you will need:
- To be an Octopus Energy electricity customer, or switch to Octopus first
- A compatible smart meter that Octopus can communicate with
- Half-hourly meter readings enabled for billing
- A SMETS2 smart meter, or a compatible SMETS1 meter
- To agree to Octopus using your half-hourly consumption data
You do not need an electric vehicle, solar panels, a home battery or any other specific technology to join Agile. However, the tariff is generally best suited to households that can move a meaningful amount of electricity use into cheaper half-hour periods.
How to switch to Octopus Agile
If you’re already with Octopus
You can switch to Agile through your online account or the Octopus app once your smart meter is communicating correctly and sending half-hourly readings. If Agile does not appear as an available option, you may need to contact Octopus directly.
If you’re switching to Octopus
New customers are normally moved onto Flexible Octopus first while the supply transfer and smart meter setup are completed. Once your account is active and your meter is sending half-hourly readings correctly, you can apply to move onto Agile.
Find out more about switching to Octopus Energy and receiving £50 credit.
Leaving and rejoining Octopus Agile
Agile has no exit fees, so you can move to another available tariff at any time. Before leaving, check the current tariff terms to see whether any temporary restriction applies to rejoining Agile.
Octopus Agile FAQs
Is Octopus Agile cheaper than the price cap?
It can be, but it is not guaranteed. Your costs depend on Agile’s half-hourly rates and, importantly, when you use electricity.
Households that move a meaningful amount of usage away from expensive periods may pay less than they would on a standard variable tariff. Those that use most of their electricity during higher-priced periods could pay more.
Agile is not covered by the Ofgem standard variable tariff price cap. Instead, it has its own upper limit on individual half-hourly unit rates.
Do I need a smart meter for Octopus Agile?
Yes. Agile requires a compatible smart meter that Octopus can communicate with and use to collect half-hourly readings.
This will usually be a SMETS2 meter, although some SMETS1 meters may also be compatible.
Is Octopus Agile available for gas?
No. Agile is an electricity-only tariff. Your gas must remain on a separate Octopus tariff, such as Flexible Octopus or Octopus Tracker.
When are Octopus Agile prices usually cheapest?
There is no guaranteed cheap period because Agile prices change every day. Lower rates are often available overnight or during periods of low demand and high renewable generation, including some windy or sunny afternoons.
Prices are commonly more expensive between 4pm and 7pm, when demand on the electricity network is usually higher.
Does Octopus Agile have negative prices?
Yes. Agile rates can fall below zero when there is more electricity available than the grid needs. During these half-hour periods, customers are effectively paid for the electricity they use.
These plunge-pricing events are occasional and cannot be relied upon as part of everyday tariff savings.
Are there exit fees on Octopus Agile?
No. You can leave Agile without paying an exit fee.
However, Octopus’s smart-tariff terms may prevent you from returning to a smart import tariff for 30 days if you move from Agile onto a standard tariff. Check the current tariff terms before switching if you may want to return quickly.
Is Octopus Agile the same as Octopus Tracker?
No. Tracker sets one electricity rate and one gas rate for each day. Agile is an electricity-only tariff with a different unit rate for every half-hour period.
Tracker is simpler because you do not need to shift usage between different times of the same day. Agile gives households more opportunity to benefit from cheap periods, but it also exposes them to greater variation.
When are the next day’s Agile prices published?
Octopus normally publishes the following day’s 48 half-hourly rates between 4pm and 10pm, although they are often available closer to 4pm.
Once published, you can check what electricity will cost during every half-hour period of the following day.
Octopus Agile is only one of several Octopus smart tariffs. You can also compare Octopus Energy tariffs to see which options suit different household setups.