OCTOPUS TRUSTED PARTNERS · HOME EV CHARGING

Intelligent Octopus Go explained

Why we normally recommend it for suitable EV households, how the charging works, and what to compare before you switch.

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What is Intelligent Octopus Go?

Intelligent Octopus Go is an electricity tariff that combines automated EV charging with a regular period of cheaper electricity for your home. You set the charging target and ready-by time; the connected service schedules charging while your car is plugged in.

At our check on 8 September 2026, Octopus advertises eligible smart charging from 8p/kWh and an overnight household window of 23:30–05:30. Your daytime rate, standing charge and contract terms come from your postcode quotation. Existing customers may have different contracted rates.

Check current Octopus prices and eligibility.

Why we normally recommend it

As Octopus Trusted Partners, we regularly recommend Intelligent Octopus Go when a customer’s EV, charging routine and household electricity use fit the tariff. Three practical benefits make it a useful starting point:

Convenient daily charging. Set your requirements and plug in regularly, with less need to adjust charging timers yourself.
A predictable household window. Overnight electricity can also serve suitable household loads and a correctly configured home battery.
A joined-up installation. We can select compatible equipment and explain how your charger, connectivity and solar or battery settings work together.

Our recommendation is based on that fit. It is not a claim that Octopus has the lowest price for every household or beats every UK tariff. A lower annual bill depends on the rates you can actually obtain and when you use electricity.

The six-hour allowance: what to know

The household window and EV allowance are separate. Under Octopus’s current four-rate approach:

Your home receives its off-peak rate from 23:30 to 05:30.
Your EV gets up to six hours of discounted smart charging per day, measured midday to midday. These hours may fall inside or outside the overnight window.
Qualifying smart charging outside that window also gives the home the off-peak rate for the relevant half-hour.
EV charging beyond the allowance, or a manual Boost/Bump charge, is charged at the standard/day rate, even overnight.

Where available, enable Charge Cap in the Octopus app to avoid exceeding the discounted allowance. Simply leaving the car plugged in does not use up charging time. Regular top-ups can be more practical than trying to refill an empty, large battery in one session.

Octopus’s charging and billing explanation.

Ohme owners use the Ohme app

With an Ohme integration, manage charging in the Ohme app. The six-hour update is being rolled out by account. Once enabled, Prioritise Savings limits charging to the discounted allowance; Prioritise Target may continue at the higher rate to reach your target.

Ohme’s Max charge is a manual override and is billed at the standard rate under the updated tariff, including overnight. Keep the app current and check the settings and tariff version actually enabled on your account.

Read Ohme’s current six-hour charging guidance.

How does it compare with other tariffs?

Compare current postcode quotes using your household and EV consumption. These are useful alternatives to put alongside Intelligent Octopus Go; this is not a whole-market ranking.

E.ON Next Drive Smart: currently advertises 6.9p/kWh and a midnight–07:00 household window, plus qualifying smart charging outside it. Its headline rate is lower and its fixed window longer than the Octopus offer above, so it deserves a comparison where your equipment qualifies. Check E.ON’s current offer.
EDF GoElectric: offers an overnight tariff for the home and car. EDF extended its EV off-peak window to 23:00–06:00 from April 2026. Compare your quoted day rate and standing charge as well as the charging window. Check EDF GoElectric.
OVO Charge Anytime: is an EV charging add-on to an OVO home tariff, with smart-charging credits. Its advertised pay-as-you-go rate is currently 14p/kWh; the EV discount does not automatically discount the rest of your home. Offers and partner deals can differ. Check OVO’s options.
A conventional single-rate tariff: can be worth considering if your EV mileage is low and most electricity is used during the day. Compare the total annual cost rather than assuming an EV tariff must win.

Intelligent Octopus Go often suits our customers who want compatible hardware, automated top-ups and a regular home charging window. If a competing quote works better for your usage, that should guide the decision.

A simple charging-cost example

Suppose you import 40kWh for your EV entirely at an 8p/kWh smart-charging rate. The electricity costs £3.20. At an illustrative flat rate of 25p/kWh, the same imported energy costs £10.00: a difference of £6.80.

This is an illustration, not a quote or a guaranteed saving. The 25p rate is an example. It excludes standing charges, charger installation and the rest of your household bill. Energy reaching the battery is lower than energy imported because charging has losses; actual speed and charge time also depend on the car and installation.

For a meaningful annual comparison, add daytime electricity, off-peak household use, EV use, standing charges and any fees, then account for export income and tariff-specific credits. Use VAT-inclusive quotes consistently.

Solar panels, batteries and when another tariff may suit

For a home with solar PV or battery storage, compare import prices, export payments and storage losses together. Using surplus solar in the car is not always the lowest-cost choice if you could export it for more than the cost of later charging.

We also check that battery discharge and charger controls work together. A battery should not unexpectedly empty into the EV. Large daytime loads, a heat pump, very high daily driving demand, limited overnight parking or unreliable smart connectivity can all change the recommendation.

Octopus supports compatible export arrangements, but currently restricts participation in other flexibility services while on Intelligent Octopus Go. Tell us if another provider manages your battery. Check Octopus’s current compatibility and flexibility rules.

See our wider guide to comparing tariffs for batteries and EVs.

Getting started

Check the equipment. Use Octopus’s live eligibility checker for your exact EV and charger. Start with our compatible charger shortlist and installation prices.
Compare your quote. Check the day and night rates, standing charge, term, fees and expected annual bill.
Confirm the meter and account. You need Octopus electricity supply, an active smart meter providing half-hourly readings and a compatible phone or tablet.
Complete onboarding. Connect the eligible device and complete the app setup or test charge requested by Octopus. Wait for tariff activation before assuming discounted rates apply.

Octopus may guide you to connect through the car when both car and charger are eligible. Follow the route for your setup and remove conflicting schedules as instructed. We can help with the charger handover; Octopus manages the energy contract and tariff activation.

We install across Edinburgh, East Lothian and wider Scotland. Visit our EV charging service or call 0131 210 0405.

Information checked 8 September 2026. Prices, eligibility and software can change; the supplier’s current quotation and terms apply.

Switch using our Octopus referral link

If Octopus is the right choice for your home, you can use our referral link below. This is a referral link: we may receive a reward if you join, and any benefit for you depends on Octopus’s current eligibility and referral terms.

The referral link starts the supplier-switching journey; Intelligent Octopus Go eligibility and activation are separate steps. Check the offer shown by Octopus before signing up.