Intelligent Octopus Go: Smarter EV Tariffs & Energy Savings

Got an electric car? First off, great, you’re actively reducing the amount of carbon emissions going into the atmosphere.

Secondly, you’re probably aware that charging an electric vehicle uses a lot of electricity. And with electricity prices as high as they currently are, any way to reduce this is welcome.

Introducing Intelligent Octopus Go, a smart import tariff that could help you save hundreds of pounds a year by letting you charge your car at any time of the day, at a consistently low price.

In this guide, we’ll explain exactly what Intelligent Octopus Go is, how much you can save with it, what you need to be eligible for the tariff, and also how it compares to other similar tariffs. We’ll also include practical tips on getting the most out of Intelligent Octopus Go.

If you’re ready to get started with Intelligent Octopus Go, head over to the Octopus Energy website for more information.

🔑 Key Points:

• Intelligent Octopus Go is a tariff designed for EV charging

• You can charge your EV for just 7p per kilowatt hour (kWh)

• You get this rate for all electricity between 11:30pm and 5:30am

• This tariff could save you around £418 per year

• Not all EVs and EV chargers are compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go

Intelligent Octopus Go Explained

Octopus Energy created Intelligent Octopus Go as a smart import tariff that allows electric vehicle (EV) owners to charge their EVs at a cheap rate throughout the day.

Normally, EV owners would look to charge their vehicle at night or during off-peak hours.

With this tariff, you also get access to cheaper, off-peak electricity prices between 11:30pm and 5:30am (so you can power other appliances at lower prices than during the day).

So you’re getting cheap all-day EV charging and generous access to off-peak electricity prices – what’s not to love?

How Does Intelligent Octopus Go Offer Cheap EV Charging?

Intelligent Octopus Go is a virtual power plant, which means homes using this tariff are connected via their smart EV chargers.

The electricity fed back into the grid forms part of the virtual power plant, which Octopus can tap into and use to supply customers on Intelligent Octopus Go with cheap electricity to charge their EVs with. Pretty smart ay?

Read more:

• Best EV Chargers in the UK (2025)

What are the Benefits of Intelligent Octopus Go?

This is, in our opinion, one of the best tariffs for EV owners on the market. Here are the main benefits of switching to Intelligent Octopus Go:

• You get access to some of the cheapest EV charging around, at just 7p per kWh (it’s gone down from 7.5p per kWh in 2022).

• As more low-cost EVs enter the market, the cost of charging your EV is more likely to go down than up with Intelligent Octopus Go*.

• This tariff comes with advanced charging, meaning your vehicle will charge when costs are lowest.

• You’ll save around £400 a year, based on current electricity prices and the average annual miles driven by EV owners in the UK (roughly 7,000 miles)

*Ofgem’s price cap changes could affect rates, so keep that in mind.

What Do I Need To Be Eligible for Intelligent Octopus Go?

To be eligible for Intelligent Octopus Go, you must meet the following requirements:

• You currently receive your electricity from Octopus. This one is actually pretty easy to fix if you don’t – simply switch to Octopus from your current provider! Simples.

• You’ll need a smart meter too. To get one installed for free, contact your energy supplier and they’ll send a professional round to sort it out.

• Your home will need a compatible electric vehicle and EV charger. This requirement seems pretty open, as there’s no defined list of compatible vehicles and chargers. Most EVs and EV chargers will likely be compatible.

• Finally, you’ll need an Apple or Android device to sign up and set up the charging schedule for your EV via the Octopus app.

How To Set Up Intelligent Octopus Go

Once you’ve figured out if you’re eligible, you’ll need to switch tariffs, which you can easily do within the Octopus app (if you’re already getting your electricity from Octopus).

If you’re currently with a different supplier, the process is still simple – just sign up for a different import tariff on the Octopus Energy website, then make the switch to Intelligent Octopus Go. This’ll only take around three weeks tops to go through, so sit tight!

With the Octopus app, you’ll then connect your EV and EV charger to Octopus, and complete an initial test charge. You’ll then be fully up and running with Intelligent Octopus Go.

How Does the Octopus App Work?

After getting yourself set up on Intelligent Octopus Go, using the Octopus app to charge your EV at optimal times is easy.

All you need to do is choose how much charge you want for your EV, and when you need your EV to be ready to go – Octopus will sort out the details and charge your car when electricity is cheapest for them to buy.

Regardless of when this happens and what Octopus pays for the electricity, you’ll always pay 7p per kWh.

Is Intelligent Octopus Go Better than Octopus Go?

Intelligent Octopus Go is better than Octopus Go if you have a compatible EV and EV charger.

Octopus Go might have less favourable rates (it’ll cost you 8.5p per kWh to charge your EV, versus 7p per kWh for Intelligent Octopus Go), but it’s accessible to everyone.

You’ll be saving 17% more on charging your EV with Intelligent Octopus Go, which over a year can be a difference of nearly a hundred pounds (potentially more if you use your EV a lot).

Off-peak hours are more generous for Intelligent Octopus Go as well. You’ll get cheaper off-peak electricity from 11:30 till 5:30, versus 12:30 till 5:30 for the standard Octopus Go tariff.

Both tariffs can be paired with Octopus Energy’s Outgoing Fixed tariff, which offers 15p per kWh of exported electricity.

Check out our article on the best tariffs for battery storage.

How Does Intelligent Octopus Go Differ from Intelligent Octopus Flux?

The main difference between the two tariffs is that Intelligent Octopus Go targets EV users, whereas Intelligent Octopus Flux is focused on cheaper battery charging and more generous export rates.

Like the standard Octopus Flux, Intelligent Octopus Flux is designed for homes with solar panels and battery storage.

It helps homes make the most out of cheaper import rates, so they can charge batteries when electricity costs are lower. And, its generous export rates mean homes can sell excess electricity generated by their solar panels back to the grid when electricity rates are higher.

If you’re on Intelligent Octopus Flux, but regularly charge an EV, consider switching to Intelligent Octopus Go because you’ll get much better rates.

Taking Advantage of Off-Peak Electricity with Intelligent Octopus Go

Being on Intelligent Octopus Go means more than just getting access to cheaper EV charging – you get off-peak hours where electricity is much cheaper to use. Between 11:30pm and 5:30am, all of the electricity you use will cost 7p per kWh.

So if you can shift using your most demanding appliances to this window, you’ll see substantial savings on your energy costs.

It might sound like a hassle to get up at that time to do your washing, but many modern washing machines and tumble driers have timers that let you choose exactly when you want them to come on.

The downside to being on Intelligent Octopus Go is that for the rest of the time outside of off-peak hours, you’ll pay slightly more for your electricity than you would on a standard tariff.

For more information, take a look at our article on the cheapest time to use electricity in the UK.

Final Verdict

Intelligent Octopus Go is comfortably one of the best tariffs for EV owners in the UK, with its incredibly low costs to charge your EV a huge selling point.

This, plus the fact you can benefit from low electricity costs during off-peak hours, makes switching to Intelligent Octopus Go a pretty smart choice.

Pairing this tariff with the Outgoing Fixed tariff by Octopus could see you making a decent amount per year from the export rates too.

If you’re ready to start saving money on charging your car, visit Octopus Energy's website to check your eligibility and current rates in your area.

Next Steps For Your EV Charger Journey:

When planning to install an EV charger for your home, there are several important factors to consider. Make sure to refer to the following guides to help you make informed decisions:

• Ultimate guide to electric car charging.

• How many kWhs does it take to charge a car?

• OZEV grant for EV car chargers.

• How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

• EV Charge Range

• Best EV chargers

• Tax on electric cars

To dive deeper into these topics, head over to our advice section or check out our YouTube channel for informative videos.

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