Octopus Energy customers can sometimes get free electricity, or even be paid to use it, by changing when they use energy.
There isn’t one permanent free-electricity tariff. Instead, opportunities can appear through Saving Sessions, Weekend Happy Hours, regional Power Ups and Agile Octopus Plunge Pricing.
Some are available to most eligible Octoplus members, while others depend on where you live, which tariff you’re on and what’s happening on the electricity grid.
Ways to get free electricity with Octopus Energy
| Option | How it works |
|---|---|
| Weekend Happy Hours | Complete successful Power Down Saving Sessions to unlock free electricity at the weekend |
| Saving Sessions Power Ups | Use extra electricity when the grid has plenty of power and earn Octopoints |
| Saving Sessions Power Downs | Reduce electricity use at busy times to earn Octopoints and currently work towards Weekend Happy Hours |
| Postcode Power Ups | Eligible customers in selected areas can get completely free electricity during local Power Up periods |
| Agile Plunge Pricing | Agile prices can occasionally fall below zero, meaning you’re paid to use electricity |
Weekend Happy Hours
Weekend Happy Hours are currently one of the clearest ways Octopus customers can get genuinely free electricity.
The idea is to reduce your electricity use when the grid is particularly busy during weekday Power Down Saving Sessions.
Successfully reduce your usage during two Power Down sessions and you can unlock one hour of free electricity at the weekend.
Once you’ve earned a Happy Hour, you can select an available weekend time through your Saving Sessions dashboard and move suitable electricity use into that period.
That could include:
- charging an electric car
- charging a home battery
- running the dishwasher
- doing the washing
- using a tumble dryer
- heating water
- running other power-hungry appliances
Octopus currently allows customers to bank Happy Hours and use up to two during a weekend.
The current Weekend Happy Hours promotion runs until 1 November 2026, so this particular reward may change or be replaced in future.
Learn more about Saving Sessions →
Power Up and Power Down Saving Sessions
Saving Sessions reward Octopus customers for helping move electricity demand to better times.
There are now two types of session.
Power Down
During a Power Down, Octopus asks you to use less electricity than you normally would during a particular period.
These sessions often take place when electricity demand is high.
Use less than your normal baseline and you can earn Octopoints.
Power Downs are also currently linked to Weekend Happy Hours: completing two successful Power Downs can unlock an hour of free weekend electricity.
Power Up
A Power Up Saving Session works in the opposite direction.
When there’s plenty of electricity available, often because renewable generation is high, Octopus may encourage customers to use more electricity than normal.
Extra consumption during the session can earn Octopoints.
Power Up Saving Sessions don’t automatically make all of your electricity free. Instead, they reward you for moving consumption into periods when the grid has more electricity available.
Both Power Ups and Power Downs form part of Saving Sessions, which is available through the Octoplus rewards programme.
What are Octopus Postcode Power Ups?
There is also a separate scheme called Postcode Power Ups.
In eligible areas, Octopus can offer periods where all the electricity you use during the Power Up is free.
These usually happen when there is plenty of renewable electricity available locally and the network wants customers to make use of it.
You need to opt in to each Power Up, and Octopus calculates how much electricity you imported during the session before crediting the cost back to your account.
Postcode Power Ups aren’t currently available everywhere. They’re limited to eligible customers in selected areas of South East and East England, so receiving an invitation depends on where you live and your smart-meter connection.
Free electricity on Agile Octopus tariff
Agile Octopus is a tariff that has a different electricity price every 30 minutes based on wholesale electricity prices.
When there is a large amount of electricity available and relatively little demand, wholesale prices can sometimes fall below zero.
Agile can pass these negative electricity prices through to customers through what Octopus calls Plunge Pricing.
If the Agile rate is negative, you’re effectively paid for every kilowatt-hour you use during that half-hour period.
For example, a rate of -3p/kWh would mean using 5 kWh earns a 15p credit rather than creating an electricity charge.
Negative prices aren’t guaranteed and Agile rates can also become expensive, so Plunge Pricing shouldn’t be treated as permanently free electricity.
It’s simply one of the unusual possibilities created by a tariff that follows wholesale electricity prices.
Do I need Octoplus?
For Saving Sessions and Weekend Happy Hours, yes.
Octoplus is Octopus Energy’s rewards programme for eligible smart-meter customers.
Through Octoplus you can access Saving Sessions and earn Octopoints for changing when you use electricity.
To join Octoplus you’ll generally need:
- an Octopus Energy electricity supply
- a working electricity smart meter
- half-hourly smart-meter readings enabled
- an active monthly Direct Debit or eligible smart prepayment meter
Once you’re registered, you can join Saving Sessions through your Octopus account and opt in when eligible Power Up or Power Down sessions are announced.
See all Octoplus rewards and benefits →
Is Octopus free electricity actually free?
Sometimes, yes — but it depends on the scheme.
With a Weekend Happy Hour or eligible Postcode Power Up, qualifying electricity use is credited back so that it is effectively free.
With Agile Plunge Pricing, prices can go below zero, meaning you can actually be paid for the electricity you consume.
Saving Sessions work slightly differently: Power Ups and Power Downs normally reward you with Octopoints, although Power Downs can currently help you unlock free Weekend Happy Hours.
The important thing is that none of these should be treated as permanently available free electricity.
They reward customers for being flexible and using energy when it is most useful for the electricity grid.
How do I get started?
If you’re an Octopus customer with a compatible smart meter, Octoplus is the best place to start.
Once you’ve joined Octoplus, sign up for Saving Sessions and watch for Power Up and Power Down invitations.
From there, you may be able to earn Octopoints, unlock Weekend Happy Hours and take advantage of other electricity rewards as they become available.