Octopus Energy Saving Sessions reward eligible customers for changing when they use electricity.
There are now two types of Saving Session:
- Power Down — use less electricity when demand on the grid is high.
- Power Up — use more electricity when there is plenty of electricity available, such as during periods of high renewable generation.
Take part successfully and you can earn Octopoints, which can be exchanged for credit towards your Octopus Energy account and other rewards.
You don’t have to participate in every session. Octopus will let you know when one is coming up and you can decide whether you want to opt in.
What are Octopus Energy Saving Sessions?
Saving Sessions are part of Octopus Energy’s flexible energy programme.
Instead of everybody using electricity at the same time, the idea is to encourage customers to move some of their consumption to periods when the electricity system has more capacity.
At busy times, that can mean using less electricity.
At other times, when there is plenty of renewable generation available, it can mean using more.
Octopus rewards eligible customers for making those changes through its Octoplus rewards programme.
The amount you can earn depends on the type of Saving Session, how much you change your electricity use and the reward offered for that particular event.
Power Down Saving Sessions
A Power Down asks you to reduce your electricity consumption during a specified period.
These sessions tend to happen when demand on the electricity grid is particularly high, often around the evening peak when millions of households are using electricity at the same time.
Instead of simply asking customers to use less, Octopus offers Octopoints based on how much you reduce your consumption compared with your normal usage.
What should you do during a Power Down?
You don’t need to switch everything off.
The aim is simply to reduce or delay electricity consumption where practical.
For example, you could:
- wait until later to run the dishwasher
- delay the washing machine or tumble dryer
- avoid charging an EV during the session
- postpone cooking with power-hungry appliances
- reduce unnecessary electricity use around the home
- use a home battery instead of importing electricity from the grid
Even relatively small changes can contribute if enough households take part.
Once the session has finished, Octopus uses your smart meter data to compare what you actually used with what it estimates you would normally have used.
Power Up Saving Sessions
A Power Up works in the opposite direction.
Instead of reducing your electricity use, Octopus encourages you to use more electricity during a particular window.
These sessions can take place when there is plenty of electricity available on the grid, including periods of high renewable generation and lower demand.
It gives customers an incentive to move electricity-intensive activities into a time when the energy system has more capacity.
What can you do during a Power Up?
A Power Up can be a useful time to bring forward electricity use you would otherwise have needed later.
That could include:
- charging an electric car
- charging a home battery
- running the dishwasher
- doing the washing
- using a tumble dryer
- heating water with an immersion heater
- running other electricity-intensive appliances
You should only use appliances normally and safely — there is no reason to waste electricity purely for the sake of using more.
Have Power Ups replaced Octopus Free Electricity?
Yes.
The national Power Up Saving Sessions introduced in 2026 replace Octopus Energy’s previous Free Electricity sessions.
The basic idea is similar: customers are encouraged to use additional electricity when there is plenty of power available.
However, the way the reward works has changed.
With a Power Up, Octopus first works out how much electricity you would normally have used during that period. If you use more than this baseline, the additional electricity can earn Octopoints.
You also need to opt in to each Power Up before it starts.
How do Saving Sessions work?
There are a few steps involved.
1. Join Octoplus and Saving Sessions
You first need to be eligible for Octoplus and join the Saving Sessions programme.
Once you’re registered, Octopus can invite you to eligible Power Up and Power Down events.
2. Look out for a Saving Session
Octopus will let you know when a Saving Session is available to you.
Your invitation will tell you:
- whether it is a Power Up or Power Down
- when the session starts and finishes
- what you need to do
- the reward available where applicable
The amount of notice can vary, particularly because Saving Sessions depend on conditions on the electricity system.
3. Opt in before the session
You need to opt in to each individual Saving Session before it begins if you want to earn rewards.
Simply being registered for Saving Sessions does not automatically enter you into every event.
You can opt in when Octopus sends you an invitation or through your Saving Sessions dashboard when an event is available.
4. Power Up or Power Down
Follow the instructions for that particular session.
For a Power Down, try to use less electricity than you normally would.
For a Power Up, shift additional electricity consumption into the session where practical.
5. Octopus checks your smart meter data
After the event, Octopus receives your half-hourly smart meter readings and compares your actual electricity use with your calculated normal usage.
This determines whether you earned a reward and how much you receive.
6. Receive your Octopoints
Your reward is added to your Octoplus account as Octopoints.
You can then use those points through the Octoplus rewards programme, including converting them into credit towards your Octopus Energy account.
How are Saving Sessions rewards calculated?
Octopus doesn’t simply compare your electricity consumption with zero.
Instead, it creates a baseline representing roughly how much electricity you would normally have used during the same period.
Your actual smart meter readings during the Saving Session are then compared with this baseline.
Power Down rewards
During a Power Down, you can earn Octopoints for reducing your electricity use below your calculated baseline.
The reward per kWh is not fixed and can vary between Saving Sessions.
Octopus will provide information about the available reward when the event is announced.
Power Up rewards
During a Power Up, you earn rewards for electricity imported above your normal baseline.
Your normal electricity consumption is still charged according to your tariff.
For the additional electricity you use above your baseline, Octopus awards Octopoints based on your applicable electricity import unit rate.
In effect, the reward is aimed at covering the additional electricity you’ve shifted into the Power Up period rather than making all of your electricity during the session free.
How does Octopus calculate your normal electricity use?
Your Saving Sessions baseline is calculated using your previous smart meter readings.
For a weekday session, Octopus generally looks at your half-hourly electricity usage across the previous 10 eligible weekdays.
For a weekend or bank holiday, it generally uses the previous four eligible weekend days.
This creates an estimated amount of electricity that you would normally have used during each half-hour of the Saving Session.
Octopus then compares this with what your smart meter actually recorded.
This is why simply switching appliances off for an hour doesn’t necessarily produce the same reward for everybody — your reward depends on how much your electricity use changes compared with your own normal pattern.
When do Saving Sessions happen?
There isn’t a fixed Saving Sessions timetable.
Sessions are triggered when the electricity system can benefit from customers changing their consumption, so the exact days and times vary.
Power Down sessions are more likely to take place around high-demand periods, often in the late afternoon or evening.
Power Up sessions are more likely when there is plenty of electricity available, which can include daytime periods with strong renewable generation.
The amount of notice can also vary.
Octopus will send details when an eligible Saving Session becomes available, so it is worth keeping an eye on your email, Octopus app and Saving Sessions dashboard.
Who can take part in Octopus Saving Sessions?
To take part, you need to meet Octopus Energy’s eligibility requirements.
You generally need:
- an Octopus Energy electricity account
- membership of Octoplus
- a working electricity smart meter
- your smart meter to send regular half-hourly readings
- Direct Debit set up or an eligible smart prepayment arrangement
- to be registered for Saving Sessions
The half-hourly readings are particularly important because Octopus uses them to establish your normal consumption and measure what you did during each event.
You must also remember to opt in to each individual Saving Session before it begins.
How do I join Saving Sessions?
If you’re already an Octoplus member, sign in to your Octopus Energy account or app and look for the option to join Saving Sessions.
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be eligible to receive invitations when Saving Sessions are available to you.
You don’t have to participate in every event.
When Octopus announces a Power Up or Power Down, you can choose whether you want to opt in. If it isn’t convenient, you can simply skip that session and wait for the next one.
Saving Sessions with solar panels and batteries
Having solar panels or a home battery doesn’t necessarily prevent you from taking part in Saving Sessions.
In fact, a battery can give you more flexibility over when you import electricity from the grid.
During a Power Down, you might be able to reduce grid imports by running your home from your battery or, depending on your setup, exporting additional electricity.
During a Power Up, you could potentially move battery charging into the session and increase your electricity imports while more power is available.
Octopus takes both import and relevant export data into account when measuring the change in your electricity use.
Exactly how useful this is will depend on your tariff, battery setup, export arrangement and normal consumption.
Weekend Happy Hours
Weekend Happy Hours are a temporary Octopus Energy offer running until 1 November 2026.
The scheme gives Saving Sessions customers another incentive to take part in Power Downs.
Successfully reduce your electricity use during two eligible 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.
During your selected hour, Octopus credits back the electricity you import, up to a fair-use limit of 16kWh. Your normal standing charge still applies.
You can also save unused Happy Hours for another weekend and use up to two together, subject to the scheme’s rules and available time slots.
Weekend Happy Hours end on 1 November 2026, so any unused hours need to be used before the offer finishes.
Why does Octopus run Saving Sessions?
Britain’s electricity system constantly has to balance the amount of electricity being generated with the amount being consumed.
The difficult part is that demand changes significantly throughout the day.
During busy periods, additional generation may be needed to meet demand.
At other times, renewable generation can be plentiful while electricity demand is relatively low.
Saving Sessions encourage households to become more flexible.
A Power Down can move demand away from a busy period.
A Power Up can move electricity consumption into a period where there is more available generation.
One household making a small change may not seem significant, but thousands of households changing their consumption at the same time can make a meaningful difference to electricity demand.
Are local Power Ups the same as Saving Sessions?
Not always.
Octopus also operates some local Power Up schemes in particular areas of the country.
These regional schemes are designed to help manage conditions on specific parts of the electricity network and can have different rules and rewards.
If you’re already participating in a local Octopus Power Up scheme, don’t assume that an invitation to a national Saving Session is the same programme.
Octopus will tell you which scheme you’re taking part in and what you need to do.
Are Saving Sessions worth taking part in?
Saving Sessions aren’t likely to transform your energy bill on their own, but they give eligible customers an additional reward for being flexible with electricity they may have used anyway.
Power Downs can be particularly easy to take part in if you have appliances that can simply be delayed until later.
Power Ups can be useful if you have flexible electricity demand from things such as an EV, home battery, dishwasher, washing machine or immersion heater.
There’s also no requirement to participate every time.
If a session isn’t convenient, you can skip it and wait for another opportunity.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to take part in every Saving Session?
No.
You choose which Saving Sessions you want to participate in. If an event isn’t convenient, simply don’t opt in.
You can still receive invitations to future sessions.
Do I need to opt in every time?
Yes.
You need to opt in to an individual Power Up or Power Down before the session starts if you want your electricity use to count towards the reward.
Joining the overall Saving Sessions programme isn’t enough on its own.
Do Saving Sessions cost anything to join?
No. There is no separate charge for joining Saving Sessions.
You need to meet the eligibility requirements and be a member of Octoplus.
What is the difference between Power Up and Power Down?
A Power Down rewards you for using less electricity than normal during a high-demand period.
A Power Up rewards you for using more electricity than normal during a period when the electricity system has more power available.
Both use your normal electricity consumption as a baseline to calculate your reward.
How much can I earn from a Power Down?
There isn’t one fixed Saving Sessions rate.
The reward offered can vary from one Power Down to another. Octopus will tell you the relevant reward when the session is announced.
How much you actually earn then depends on how much you reduce your electricity use compared with your baseline.
Is electricity free during a Power Up?
Not quite in the same way as the old Free Electricity sessions.
Your normal electricity usage is charged according to your tariff.
If you increase your imports above your calculated baseline during an eligible Power Up, Octopus rewards that additional consumption with Octopoints based on your applicable import rate.
What happened to Octopus Free Electricity?
The previous national Free Electricity sessions were replaced by Power Up Saving Sessions in 2026.
Power Ups still encourage customers to increase electricity use when there is plenty of power available, but you now need to opt into each event and rewards are paid through Octopoints.
Do I need a smart meter for Saving Sessions?
Yes.
Octopus needs half-hourly electricity readings to calculate your normal usage and measure how much you Power Up or Power Down during each session.
What happens if I opt in but don’t change my electricity use?
There’s no penalty.
If you don’t reduce or increase your electricity use sufficiently compared with your baseline, you simply may not earn a reward for that session.
Can I take part on an Octopus smart tariff?
Saving Sessions aren’t restricted to one particular Octopus tariff.
If you meet the Saving Sessions eligibility requirements, you may be able to participate while using an Octopus smart tariff.
However, your existing tariff still determines how your electricity consumption is normally charged, so you should consider your tariff rates when deciding when to move your electricity use.
How quickly do Saving Sessions rewards appear?
Octopus needs to receive and process your smart meter readings before it can calculate your results.
Your Saving Sessions dashboard will show the outcome once the data has been processed, with earned Octopoints subsequently added to your Octoplus account.