Changing tariffs within Octopus

One of the genuinely good things about being an Octopus customer is how easy it is to change tariffs. No phone calls to retentions teams, no waiting weeks for paperwork. You browse the options in the app, tap the one you want, and the switch usually completes within a day or two.

How to switch tariffs

Open the Octopus app and head to Account, then Tariff. You’ll see your current tariff details and a button to browse alternatives. The app shows you which tariffs you’re eligible for based on your meter type, location and setup.

Select the tariff you’re interested in. The app will show you the rates, any requirements and an estimated cost comparison. If it looks right, confirm the switch. Most tariff changes take effect the next day, though some (like Intelligent Go, which needs charger integration) can take a little longer.

You can also switch through the Octopus website if you prefer. The process is essentially the same.

No exit fees (almost always)

This is unusual in the energy industry. Most Octopus tariffs have no exit fees. You can switch from Flexible to Agile, try it for a month, decide it’s not for you, and switch back. No penalty. No questions asked. This makes it safe to experiment.

The exception: if you’re on a fixed-rate tariff with a specific end date, there may be early exit fees. These will have been clearly stated when you signed up. Check your tariff terms in the app if you’re unsure. In practice, fixed tariffs with exit fees are uncommon on Octopus compared to some other suppliers.

What each tariff requires

Not every tariff is available to every customer. If you need an overview of what each tariff does, see our guide to understanding tariffs. Here’s what you need for each:

Flexible is the default tariff. It works with any meter type, smart or traditional. No special equipment needed.

Agile requires a smart meter. The half-hourly pricing depends on half-hourly consumption data, which only a smart meter can provide.

Tracker requires a smart meter. The daily variable rate needs accurate daily readings.

Go requires a smart meter and evidence of EV ownership. Octopus will ask for your vehicle registration number. The tariff is designed for EV charging with a cheap overnight rate.

Intelligent Go has the most requirements. You need a smart meter, an electric vehicle and either a compatible smart charger or a vehicle with direct Octopus integration. Compatible chargers include models from Ohme, Zappi, Hypervolt, Indra, Andersen and VCHRGD, while direct vehicle integrations cover Tesla and several other manufacturers. Octopus needs to be able to control your charging schedule to give you the cheap overnight rates. Check the compatibility tool on the Octopus website for the full list, as it grows regularly.

Cosy requires a smart meter and electric heating. This covers heat pumps (air or ground source), electric boilers and electric radiators. It offers three daily windows of cheaper rates designed around typical heating patterns.

Snug is a newer tariff for homes with traditional storage heaters controlled by a SMETS2 smart meter’s auxiliary load control switch. It schedules charging overnight and adds an afternoon top-up to keep your home warm through the evening.

Flux requires a smart meter and solar panels. It’s built for homes that generate and export electricity, ideally with a battery for maximum benefit. The Intelligent Octopus Flux variant goes further by letting Octopus manage your battery charging and discharging, though this requires a compatible battery system (currently GivEnergy or Enphase).

Timing your tariff switch

There’s no wrong time to switch, since there are no penalties, but some timing considerations make sense:

Moving to Agile: Spring and summer tend to have lower wholesale prices because heating demand drops and solar generation increases. Starting Agile in April gives you several months of typically favourable pricing while you learn the rhythms. Beginning in November means immediately facing winter peak prices, which can be discouraging.

Moving to Go or Intelligent Go: Switch as soon as your EV charger is installed and working. Every night you charge at the standard rate instead of the cheap overnight rate is money wasted. There’s no benefit to waiting.

Moving to Cosy: If your heat pump, electric boiler or electric radiators are already in place, switch immediately. The whole point is cheaper electricity during the hours your heating runs hardest.

Moving to Tracker: This one is genuinely hard to time because daily rates follow wholesale gas prices, which are unpredictable. If prices are currently high, waiting might save money. If they’re low, locking in now makes sense. In reality, nobody can reliably predict wholesale gas prices, so switching when it suits you is perfectly reasonable.

The trial-and-error approach

Because there are no exit fees, Octopus effectively lets you test-drive tariffs. This is worth taking advantage of. If you’ve been on Flexible and you’re curious about Agile, try it for a month. Check your bills and compare. If it saved you money, stay. If it cost more, switch back. You’ve lost nothing except a few minutes in the app. Not sure which tariff suits your usage? Our choosing the right tariff guide can help, and the tariff comparison tool lets you check rates for your area before you commit.

The same applies to any other tariff you’re eligible for. Real data from your own home is always more useful than hypothetical calculations, because everyone’s usage patterns are different.

What happens to your billing

When you switch tariffs, Octopus takes a meter reading (from your smart meter or you can submit one manually) to draw a clean line between the old and new tariff. Your final statement on the old tariff covers up to the switch date. The new tariff starts from that point.

Your direct debit might be adjusted after a tariff switch, especially if the new tariff is significantly cheaper or more expensive than the old one. Octopus will notify you of any change.

Switching gas and electricity independently

If you have both fuels with Octopus, you can change your electricity tariff without affecting your gas tariff (and vice versa). This matters because some tariffs only apply to electricity. You might be on Agile for electricity while staying on Flexible for gas. The two are managed independently.