FAQ

When you sign up to Octopus through a referral link, both you and the person who referred you get £50 energy credit. The credit goes onto your Octopus account and comes off your bills. It's part of Octopus's official refer-a-friend programme.

Yes, completely real. It's not a voucher, a discount, or a promotional gimmick. It's £50 of actual credit applied to your energy account. It reduces your bills by £50.

About four weeks after your switch completes. Octopus waits for your supply to go live and your first Direct Debit to be set up. After that, the credit appears in your account automatically.

No. If you switch through Uswitch, GoCompare, or any other comparison site, the referral won't apply. You need to go directly through the referral link. This is the most common mistake people make.

If you haven't completed the process, start again using the referral link. If you've already finished, contact Octopus customer service. They can sometimes add it retrospectively, but there's no guarantee.

Octopus doesn't publish a specific limit for most customers. The programme is designed for recommending to people you know. In practice, as long as you're not spamming, Octopus seems happy with regular referral activity.

The online signup takes about five minutes. The actual switch (Octopus taking over your supply from your old provider) typically takes 2-3 weeks. During this time your energy is uninterrupted.

No. Your gas comes through the same pipes and your electricity through the same wires regardless of supplier. Switching is a billing change. Your physical energy supply is completely unaffected.

No. Octopus handles everything. They'll notify your current supplier and manage the transfer. You just sign up and let them do the rest.

If the energy bills are in your name, yes. You don't need your landlord's permission to change energy supplier. If your energy is included in the rent (bills in your landlord's name), you can't switch.

No. All of Octopus's variable tariffs have zero exit fees. Even their 12-month fixed tariff has no exit fees, which is unusual. You can leave whenever you want.

You can, but check for early exit fees first. Many fixed deals charge £25-50 per fuel for leaving early. Weigh the exit fee against what you'd save on Octopus. Use the tariff comparison tool to check live rates for your area.

It depends on your household. For most people, the Flexible tariff is competitive and simple. If you can shift usage to off-peak hours, Agile or Go can be cheaper. The tariff comparison tool and tariff quiz can help you figure out which one saves you the most.

Yes. Agile, Go, Intelligent Go, Tracker, Cosy and Flux all require a smart meter. Flexible Octopus (the standard tariff) works without one. Octopus will install a smart meter for free if you want one.

Yes, easily. You can change tariff through the Octopus app or by contacting them. There's no fee or lock-in for switching between tariffs. It usually takes effect within a day or two.

There's a cap of 100p/kWh on Agile to protect against extreme spikes. In practice, prices very rarely go above 40p. If you're concerned about high peak rates, though, the Flexible tariff gives you a predictable flat rate instead.

Generally, yes. Their Flexible rate is typically at or below the Ofgem price cap, which is what most other suppliers charge. The smart tariffs can save significantly more if your usage patterns suit them. They're consistently rated as one of the best-value UK suppliers.

Yes. Octopus installs smart meters at no cost. Book an appointment through the app once you're a customer. Installation takes about 30-45 minutes.

This is a known issue in the industry, especially with older SMETS1 meters. Octopus is generally good at getting them working again, but it can take a few weeks. In the meantime, you can submit manual readings through the app.

You don't need it, but it's useful. You can manage your account, see your usage, submit readings and change tariffs through the app. The website works for everything too if you prefer that.

No. This is an independent site run by a real Octopus customer. It's not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Octopus Energy Ltd in any way.

Through the Octopus Energy referral programme. When you sign up using the referral link on this site, we both get £50 credit. That's the only income. No ads, no sponsorships, no data selling.

Live data from the official Octopus Energy API. The rates shown are the actual current prices for your region. They update automatically when Octopus changes their rates.