Octopus Energy has two main EV tariffs: Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Go.
Both give electric-car drivers cheaper electricity overnight, with the off-peak rate applying to your whole home, not just your car. The main difference is how charging works.
Intelligent Octopus Go is Octopus Energy’s main smart-charging EV tariff. If you have a compatible car or charger, Octopus can automatically schedule your charging and you get a longer six-hour guaranteed cheap period.
Octopus Go is the simpler alternative. It works with any EV or charger, gives you five fixed cheaper hours every night, and leaves you in control of when your car charges.
Compare the two Octopus EV tariffs below.
Compare Octopus EV tariffs
| Intelligent Octopus Go | Octopus Go | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap whole-home period | 6 hours | 5 hours |
| Standard cheap hours | 11:30pm–5:30am | 12:30am–5:30am |
| Smart EV charging | Yes | No |
| Who schedules charging? | Octopus | You |
| Compatible car or charger required | Yes | No |
| Smart meter required | Yes | Yes |
| Best suited to | Compatible smart-charging setups | Other EVs and chargers |
Both EV tariffs require a compatible smart meter and are designed for customers who charge an electric vehicle at home.
Intelligent Octopus Go
Smart charging for compatible EVs and chargers
Intelligent Octopus Go is usually the first Octopus EV tariff worth checking if your car or charger is compatible.
You get six hours of cheaper whole-home electricity every night from 11:30pm until 5:30am.
But Intelligent Octopus Go goes further than simply offering a fixed overnight window.
It connects to a compatible EV or charger and lets Octopus automatically schedule charging based on when you need the car ready and how much charge you need.
Octopus may occasionally schedule some of that charging outside the standard 11:30pm–5:30am window. When charging is part of an Intelligent charging schedule, Octopus says that electricity is still billed at the off-peak rate.
Intelligent Octopus Go could suit you if:
- you have a compatible EV or smart charger
- you want Octopus to automatically manage charging
- you want a longer guaranteed cheap period
- you regularly charge your EV at home
- you’re happy to set your charging preferences through the Octopus app
The main catch is compatibility. Octopus needs to be able to communicate with either your car or your charger for this tariff to work.
Explore Intelligent Octopus Go →
Octopus Go
Five fixed cheap hours with any EV or charger
If your setup isn’t compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go, Octopus Go is the natural alternative.
You get five hours of cheaper whole-home electricity from 12:30am until 5:30am every night.
There’s no Intelligent smart charging. Instead, you set your own charging schedule using your car, charger or its app.
Because Octopus doesn’t need to control the vehicle, Octopus Go works with any EV or charger. Octopus also says you don’t need a dedicated home EV charger to join, although you’ll still need to charge an EV at home.
Octopus Go could suit you if:
- your car isn’t compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go
- your charger isn’t compatible
- you prefer to control charging yourself
- five overnight hours are enough for your normal charging
- you want predictable off-peak times every night
Which Octopus EV tariff should I choose?
For most EV owners, the easiest place to start is with Intelligent Octopus Go compatibility.
If your car or charger is compatible
Take a closer look at Intelligent Octopus Go first.
Compared with Octopus Go, it gives you a longer guaranteed off-peak period and automatically manages eligible EV charging.
You tell Octopus when you need the car and how much charge you want, and the tariff works out when to charge it.
If your car and charger aren’t compatible
Take a look at Octopus Go.
There isn’t a specific car or charger compatibility list because Octopus doesn’t need to control your equipment.
You simply schedule your own charging within the 12:30am–5:30am cheap period.
The simple way to think about it
Compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go?
→ Compare Intelligent Octopus Go first.
Not compatible?
→ Octopus Go gives you five predictable cheap hours with any EV or charger.
Want to dig into the differences?
Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus Go →
How do Octopus Energy EV tariffs work?
Both Octopus EV tariffs are time-of-use electricity tariffs.
Instead of paying the same electricity rate throughout the day, you get a cheaper rate during an overnight off-peak period.
That makes it possible to charge your EV when electricity is cheaper.
The important thing is that the cheaper standard overnight rate isn’t restricted to your car.
Your whole home receives the off-peak rate during the tariff’s guaranteed cheap period. Octopus specifically highlights this as a feature of both of its EV tariffs.
That means you could also move suitable electricity use into those hours, such as:
- charging a home battery
- running a dishwasher
- heating water
- running other suitable appliances
The main difference is who controls the EV charging.
With Intelligent Octopus Go, Octopus creates a smart-charging schedule.
With Octopus Go, you create the charging schedule yourself.
What are the Octopus EV tariff cheap hours?
The two tariffs have different guaranteed off-peak periods.
Intelligent Octopus Go
11:30pm–5:30am
That’s six hours of cheaper whole-home electricity every night.
Your EV can also be scheduled to charge outside those hours as part of an Intelligent charging schedule, with qualifying smart charging billed at the off-peak rate.
Octopus Go
12:30am–5:30am
That’s five fixed cheaper hours every night.
There are no additional Intelligent charging slots, you decide when the car charges.
Do I need a smart meter for an Octopus EV tariff?
Yes.
Both Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Go require a compatible smart meter that Octopus can communicate with.
That’s because Octopus needs half-hourly consumption data to work out how much electricity you’ve used during the different tariff periods.
Does my car need to be compatible?
It depends on which tariff you want.
Intelligent Octopus Go
Yes, either your EV or charger needs to be compatible.
Octopus connects to one of them to create and control your smart-charging schedule.
Compatibility is expanding over time, so it’s worth checking your particular combination rather than assuming your car isn’t supported.
Check Intelligent Octopus Go compatibility →
Octopus Go
No Intelligent compatibility is required.
Octopus Go works with any EV or charger because Octopus doesn’t need to communicate with them to control charging.
Does the cheap rate apply to the whole house?
Yes.
During the standard off-peak period, both Octopus EV tariffs give your whole home access to the cheaper electricity rate.
That’s an important difference compared with an EV tariff that only discounts electricity measured or identified as car charging.
Octopus specifically highlights whole-home off-peak pricing as a benefit of both Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Go.
For households able to shift other electricity consumption overnight, that could make the cheap period useful for considerably more than just an EV.
Can I use an Octopus EV tariff with solar panels?
Yes.
Having solar panels doesn’t prevent you from using Octopus Go or Intelligent Octopus Go.
If you export surplus electricity back to the grid, you’ll also need an export tariff.
Octopus currently allows Outgoing Octopus, Prime Outgoing and Agile Outgoing alongside Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go. Its smart-tariff terms also list the Octopus Smart Export Guarantee as compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go.
Which combination works best will depend on your solar generation, household consumption, battery setup and how much electricity you export.
Compare Octopus Energy export tariffs →
Can I use an Octopus EV tariff with a home battery?
Yes.
A home battery can make the cheap overnight period even more useful.
Instead of only charging your car overnight, you may also be able to charge your battery with cheaper grid electricity and then use some of that stored electricity after the daytime rate begins.
Whether that’s worthwhile depends on:
- your battery size
- charging and discharging losses
- your household electricity use
- the difference between your day and night rates
- your solar generation
- how your battery is configured
If you have solar, a battery and an EV, it’s especially important to look at your complete import and export setup, rather than simply choosing whichever tariff advertises the cheapest EV charging rate.
How do I switch to an Octopus EV tariff?
How you join depends on whether you’re already supplied by Octopus Energy.
If you’re already with Octopus Energy
You can apply to move onto the EV tariff you’re eligible for.
For Intelligent Octopus Go, you’ll need a compatible smart meter plus a compatible car or charger. The setup process includes connecting your equipment through the Octopus app and completing the required onboarding steps.
For Octopus Go, you’ll need an EV that you charge at home and a smart meter Octopus can communicate with.
If you’re not with Octopus Energy yet
You’ll need to switch to Octopus Energy first.
Octopus says new Go customers initially join on one of its standard tariffs while it completes the supplier transfer and connects everything behind the scenes. Once your supply and smart meter are ready, you can move onto the appropriate EV tariff.
Eligible new customers can also currently receive £50 joining credit when switching through our link.
Are Octopus Energy EV tariffs worth it?
They can be particularly attractive if you regularly charge an EV at home and can make good use of the cheaper overnight electricity.
But don’t choose an EV tariff by comparing the off-peak rate alone.
Your electricity bill also depends on:
- the daytime electricity rate
- standing charges
- how many kWh your EV needs
- how much electricity your home uses during the day
- how much consumption you can move overnight
- whether you have solar or battery storage
For many drivers with compatible equipment, Intelligent Octopus Go is the first Octopus EV tariff worth comparing because of its longer off-peak window and smart-charging functionality.
If your car or charger isn’t compatible, or you simply want to manage charging yourself, Octopus Go provides a straightforward alternative that works with any EV or charger.
More Octopus EV guides
Want to understand your tariff in more detail? These guides cover some of the questions that don’t need to sit on the main tariff pages.
Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus Go
A closer comparison of the two EV tariffs, including charging, off-peak hours, compatibility and which setup each suits.
Compare Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus Go →
Why isn’t my car charging on Intelligent Octopus Go?
What to check when your Intelligent charging schedule isn’t working as expected.
Troubleshoot Intelligent Octopus Go →
Intelligent Octopus Go charge cap explained
Understand how Intelligent smart-charging limits work and what happens when you’ve already used your discounted charging allocation.
Intelligent Octopus Go charge cap →
Octopus Energy EV tariff FAQs
What EV tariffs does Octopus Energy offer?
Octopus Energy currently offers Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Go as its main EV tariffs.
Intelligent Octopus Go provides smart charging for compatible cars and chargers, while Octopus Go provides five fixed cheap hours and works with any EV or charger.
What is the best Octopus tariff for an EV?
It depends on your vehicle, charger and energy use.
If you’re compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go, it’s generally the first of the two EV tariffs worth comparing because it offers smart charging and a longer guaranteed off-peak period.
If your setup isn’t compatible, Octopus Go is designed as the alternative for other EVs and chargers.
What’s the difference between Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go?
Intelligent Octopus Go gives you six guaranteed cheaper whole-home hours and lets Octopus automatically schedule charging through a compatible EV or charger.
Octopus Go provides five fixed cheaper hours and leaves you in control of your own charging schedule.
Read our full Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus Go comparison →
What are the Octopus EV tariff off-peak times?
Intelligent Octopus Go has a standard cheap period of 11:30pm–5:30am.
Octopus Go’s cheap period runs from 12:30am–5:30am.
Does Octopus have an EV tariff for any car?
Yes.
Octopus Go works with any EV or charger.
Intelligent Octopus Go requires a compatible vehicle or charger because Octopus needs to connect to the equipment to control smart charging.
Do both Octopus EV tariffs need a smart meter?
Yes.
Both tariffs rely on half-hourly smart-meter data.
Does the cheap EV rate apply to the whole house?
During the standard off-peak period, yes.
Both Octopus EV tariffs provide the cheaper rate for household electricity used during their guaranteed off-peak hours, not just your car.
Can I have solar panels on an Octopus EV tariff?
Yes.
Both EV tariffs can be used alongside solar, and Octopus currently allows compatible export tariffs including Outgoing Octopus and Agile Outgoing.
Do I need to switch to Octopus before getting an EV tariff?
If you’re currently with another supplier, you’ll need to become an Octopus electricity customer before moving onto an Octopus EV tariff.
Tariff prices, eligibility and terms can change. Always check the latest rates and tariff terms before switching.
Last checked: September 2026