If you’ve just discovered your car or charger isn’t compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go, Octopus Go is the obvious alternative. It works with any EV and any home charger.
Octopus Go still gives you a cheap five-hour off-peak window every night from 00:30 to 05:30, applied to your whole home, in exchange for a slightly higher peak rate the rest of the time. The current off-peak rate sits around 6.99p/kWh in many regions following the April 2026 reductions, though peak rates and standing charges vary by region.
Unlike its smarter sibling Intelligent Octopus Go, the standard Octopus Go tariff works with any electric vehicle and any home charger. There’s no app-based smart scheduling, no Octopus control over when your car charges, and no compatibility list to worry about. You plug in, your car charges during the off-peak window (either via the car’s own schedule or the charger’s), and you pay the cheap rate for everything the house uses in that window.
This page covers how the Octopus Go tariff works in 2026, current rates, who it suits, and how it compares to Intelligent Octopus Go.
A quick note before going further. “Octopus Go” as a search term sometimes pulls people who actually mean Intelligent Octopus Go, the smart-charging version. This page covers Octopus Go. If you’re looking for the smart-charging version with Octopus-managed scheduling, see Intelligent Octopus Go.
What is Octopus Go?
Octopus Go is a time-of-use electricity import tariff aimed at EV households. The deal is straightforward. You get a fixed five-hour off-peak window every day from 00:30 to 05:30, where the whole home (not just the car) pays the low unit rate. Outside that window, you pay the peak rate, which is usually a bit higher than a standard variable tariff.
It was the UK’s first dedicated EV tariff when it launched in 2018, and it’s the simplest of Octopus Energy’s EV options. No app required for scheduling. No compatible kit list. No smart control. The car charges when you tell it to, and as long as that’s between 00:30 and 05:30, you pay the off-peak rate.
To be on Octopus Go you need an Octopus electricity supply, a smart meter capable of half-hourly readings, and an electric vehicle. Any EV and any home charger will work, including a three-pin granny charger if that’s all you’ve got (though a dedicated home charger is the practical norm).
How does Octopus Go work?
The mechanics are simple, and that’s most of the appeal.
The off-peak window. From 00:30 to 05:30 every day, all electricity used in the property is billed at the off-peak rate. Five hours, fixed, no variation. The car, the dishwasher, the washing machine, hot water heating, home battery charging — anything running in that window pays the cheap rate.
Scheduling charging is on you. Octopus doesn’t control when your car charges. You set the schedule via the car’s own app or settings, or via your home charger’s app or timer. Most EVs and most smart chargers can be told to start charging at 00:30 and stop at 05:30. Some let you set a target percentage and a deadline, and figure out the timing themselves. Either approach works.
Peak rates apply at all other times. Outside the 00:30–05:30 window, electricity is billed at the peak rate. The peak rate is usually slightly higher than what you’d pay on a standard variable tariff or the Ofgem price cap, and that’s the trade-off. You save substantially overnight in exchange for paying a bit more during the day.
There’s no bump charging mechanism, no smart scheduling outside the fixed window, no six-hour cap. If your car needs more than five hours to charge in a single night, the extra time will be billed at the peak rate. For most drivers doing a daily top-up rather than a full 0-to-100 charge, five hours at a 7kW home charger (around 35kWh) is plenty.
Current Octopus Go rates
Following the April 2026 policy cost reductions, off-peak rates on Octopus Go fell substantially, with the night rate dropping from 10.5p to 6.99p per kWh in Hampshire (a 33% reduction), and the daytime rate falling by 3.51p per kWh . The reduction reflects the government’s removal of around £150 of green levy costs from household energy bills in the November 2025 Budget.
Around 6.99p/kWh is a useful headline figure, but the actual rate on your bill will depend on your distribution network operator (DNO) region. Octopus prices according to the 14 UK DNO regions, and both peak rates and standing charges vary. Don’t take a quoted rate from a generic article and assume it applies to your postcode.
As of 2026, Octopus is offering Octopus Go on a 12-month fixed basis with no exit fees, locking the rate in for the duration of the fix. The variable version may return depending on wholesale market conditions. Check the official Octopus rate-checker for your postcode for current figures.
Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus Go vs standard variable
| Feature | Octopus Go | Intelligent Octopus Go | Standard variable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off-peak rate (typical) | ~6.99p/kWh | ~8p/kWh advertised, lower in many regions post-April 2026 | No off-peak rate |
| Off-peak window | 00:30–05:30 (5 hours, fixed) | 23:30–05:30 (6 hours) plus smart-scheduled slots | N/A |
| Smart control of charging | No | Yes (Octopus schedules via the app) | No |
| Compatible car or charger required | No (any EV, any charger) | Yes | No |
| Daily cheap-charging cap | None | 6 hours of smart-controlled cheap charging per 24 hours | N/A |
| Peak rate vs price cap | Usually slightly higher | Usually slightly higher | Tracks the price cap |
| Exit fees | None (current 12m fix) | None (current 12m fix) | N/A |
| Best for | Any EV household wanting a simple cheap overnight window | EV homes with compatible kit, willing to give Octopus charging control | Households without an EV, or unable to shift usage overnight |
Rates accurate as a guide for 2026. Confirm current figures via the official Octopus rate-checker for your postcode.
Who is Octopus Go good for?
The honest answer: EV households who want a simple cheap overnight window without any of the smart-scheduling complexity.
In practice that means:
- EV owners whose car or charger isn’t on the Intelligent Octopus Go compatibility list. Octopus Go is the obvious fallback, and a perfectly good tariff in its own right.
- Drivers who want predictability. A fixed window from 00:30 to 05:30 is easy to plan around, and there’s no algorithm deciding when your car charges.
- Households that can plug in overnight and let the car charge during the fixed window without app-based scheduling. Most EV settings or charger timers handle this in two minutes of setup.
- Solar households who want a cheap overnight slot to top up a home battery when generation is low.
- Anyone running dishwashers, washing machines, tumble dryers, or hot water heating on a delay timer overnight. The whole-home off-peak rate applies to all of it.
Who should avoid Octopus Go?
Not everyone benefits from a five-hour overnight window, and the marketing tends to gloss over this.
Avoid Octopus Go if:
- You charge mostly during the day, at work, or away from home. You’d pay the higher peak rate at home and get little benefit from the cheap window.
- Your daytime electricity use is high and inflexible (multiple people working from home, electric heating during the day, no ability to time-shift). The slightly higher peak rate may outweigh the off-peak savings.
- You have a large-battery EV or a slower charger and routinely need more than five hours to complete a charge. Any time beyond 05:30 bills at the peak rate.
- Your car and charger are both Intelligent Octopus Go compatible. You’d get a longer cheap window and a lower headline rate on Intelligent Go.
- You’re comfortable managing half-hourly variable pricing and want to chase plunge-pricing events. Octopus Agile may suit you better.
Eligibility and how to switch
To qualify for Octopus Go you need:
- An Octopus electricity supply at the property.
- A smart meter capable of half-hourly readings (SMETS2 or compatible SMETS1).
- An electric vehicle. Octopus doesn’t currently require proof of car ownership at sign-up, but the tariff is designed for EV households and the peak rate is structured accordingly.
That’s it. No compatibility check, no charger list, no vehicle list. Any home charging arrangement works, from a basic three-pin plug to a fully smart 7kW unit.
Switching process. If you’re already with Octopus on a standard tariff, signing up to Go takes a few minutes online. New customers switching in from another supplier are typically placed on Octopus Flexible (the standard variable tariff) first while the supply transfer and smart meter setup complete, then can move to Octopus Go once that’s done. The whole process usually takes around three weeks.
Exit fees. The current 12-month fixed deal has no exit fees, so you can switch tariff (or supplier) if a better deal appears. This structure has shifted a couple of times in 2026 already (an earlier 6-month fix carried a £25 exit fee), so check the current terms before signing up.
If you sell your EV. There’s no formal compatibility requirement to break, but if your driving pattern changes substantially you may want to move off Go. Without an EV doing most of its charging overnight, the slightly higher peak rate often outweighs the off-peak savings.
Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus Go
Both are EV tariffs from the same supplier, and they’re easy to mix up. Here’s the practical difference.
Octopus Go. Fixed five-hour window from 00:30 to 05:30. Works with any EV and any home charger. No app scheduling, no compatible kit list, no smart control. Slightly higher headline off-peak rate than Intelligent Go, but simpler and more accessible.
Intelligent Octopus Go. Six-hour whole-home window from 23:30 to 05:30, plus up to six more hours of smart-scheduled charging per 24 hours (with a daily cap, as of 2026). Requires a compatible EV or compatible home charger. Octopus controls when your car charges via the app, optimising for grid conditions and renewable supply. Lower headline rate.
Intelligent Go usually wins on raw cost and total cheap-window length, but only if your kit is compatible and you’re comfortable giving up scheduling control. Octopus Go wins on simplicity, universal compatibility, and predictability.
If you’re not sure which suits you, the honest test is: can your car and charger pass the Intelligent Octopus Go compatibility check? If yes, Intelligent Go is usually the better deal. If no (or you don’t want Octopus controlling charging), Octopus Go is a strong alternative.
FAQ
Do I need an electric car for Octopus Go?
Yes. Octopus Go is designed for EV households, and the peak rate is structured on the assumption that overnight EV charging is your main use of the cheap window. Without an EV, you’d usually be better off on a standard variable tariff or, depending on your usage, Octopus Agile or Cosy.
Does Octopus Go work with any EV and any charger?
Yes. Unlike Intelligent Octopus Go, there’s no compatibility list. Any electric vehicle and any home charging setup works, including a three-pin granny charger. You just need to be able to schedule the car to charge between 00:30 and 05:30, which most cars and chargers can do natively.
What are the off-peak hours on Octopus Go?
The off-peak window is 00:30 to 05:30 every day. Five hours, fixed. Whatever the house uses in that window bills at the off-peak rate.
Is the whole house on the cheap rate during off-peak hours, or just the car?
The whole house. Anything you run between 00:30 and 05:30 pays the off-peak rate, not only the EV. Dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, hot water, home battery charging — all of it.
Can I charge two electric cars on Octopus Go?
Yes. There’s no per-vehicle limit on Octopus Go because there’s no smart scheduling to nominate a car to. As long as both cars are scheduled to charge during the 00:30–05:30 window (via their own settings or your charger’s timer), both will get the off-peak rate. The practical limit is your home charger’s power output and how much charge each car needs.
Do I need a smart charger for Octopus Go?
No. A basic untimed home charger will work, provided you can schedule the car itself to start and stop charging during the off-peak window. Most modern EVs have built-in charge scheduling. A smart charger with its own timer just gives you a second way to handle it.
Is Octopus Go cheaper than Intelligent Octopus Go?
Usually not. Intelligent Octopus Go typically has a lower off-peak rate and a longer cheap window, but it requires a compatible EV or compatible charger and gives Octopus control over when the car charges. If your kit is compatible, Intelligent Go is usually the cheaper option overall. If it isn’t, Octopus Go is the obvious fallback.
Can I switch from Octopus Go to Intelligent Octopus Go later?
Yes. If your car or charger becomes compatible (or you upgrade to compatible kit), you can switch from Octopus Go to Intelligent Octopus Go via your Octopus account. The switch itself is quick, though there may be a short period while the new tariff takes effect.
Are there exit fees on Octopus Go?
Not currently. The 12-month fixed version of Octopus Go has no exit fees, so you can switch away if a better deal comes along. This structure has changed a couple of times in 2026 (an earlier 6-month fix carried a £25 exit fee), so check the current terms before signing up.
Does Octopus Go work with solar panels?
It pairs reasonably well. The cheap overnight window is useful for topping up a home battery when solar generation is low, and you can combine Octopus Go with an Octopus export tariff like Outgoing Octopus to get paid for the solar electricity you send to the grid. Worth checking the current export rate separately, since that has moved in 2026 too.