Octopus Go Tariff: Rates, Times & How It Works

Octopus Go is a time-of-use EV tariff that gives you five hours of cheaper electricity every night, from 12:30am to 5:30am.

It is designed for EV owners who can schedule most of their charging overnight, while the cheaper rate also applies to electricity used elsewhere in your home during the same period.

If you have a compatible car or charger, Intelligent Octopus Go is worth checking first because it currently offers a cheaper off-peak rate, a longer six-hour whole-home cheap period and automatic smart charging.

Octopus Go tariff rates

Octopus Go rates vary by region, including the off-peak rate, daytime rate and standing charge. Use the checker above to see the current prices for your area.

The cheaper rate applies between 12:30am and 5:30am every day. Electricity used outside this five-hour window is charged at your Octopus Go daytime rate.

How much does it cost to charge an EV on Octopus Go?

A typical home EV charger is rated at around 7kW. Over Octopus Go’s five-hour off-peak window, that means you could theoretically draw up to around 35kWh of electricity.

At an off-peak rate of 9.5p/kWh, 35kWh would cost about £3.33.

The amount that actually reaches your car’s battery will usually be slightly lower because of charging losses, and your charging speed may vary depending on your car, charger and home electricity supply.

For most drivers, the key is to schedule as much charging as possible within Octopus Go’s five-hour cheaper period rather than using the higher daytime rate.

What are the Octopus Go off-peak times?

The Octopus Go cheap hours are:

12:30am to 5:30am every day. That’s a fixed five-hour off-peak window.

And unlike Intelligent Octopus Go, Octopus doesn’t create additional smart-charging periods based on when you plug the car in.

Your cheap window is simply:

00:30 → 05:30

Anything used during those five hours receives the Octopus Go off-peak electricity rate.

Anything used outside the window is normally charged at your Go daytime rate. Octopus’ tariff terms define Go as having a five-hour night period beginning at 00:30.

How does Octopus Go work?

Octopus Go is deliberately straightforward.

1. Your home gets five cheap hours every night

From 12:30am until 5:30am, all of your electricity usage is charged at the Octopus Go night rate.

Therefore aren’t restricted to using the cheaper electricity for EV charging. You could, for example, set timers on your washing machine and dishwasher to turn on during the cheaper period.

Also, you still receive the cheap hours even on days when you’re not charging your car. So the more you shift your usage into the night, the more you will save.

2. You schedule your own EV charging

Octopus Go doesn’t automatically control your car.

Instead, you set your EV or charger to start charging during the cheap period.

For example, you might set your charger to:

Start: 12:30am
Stop: 5:30am

Depending on your setup, you can do this through your vehicle’s app or infotainment system, or within your charger’s app.

3. The daytime rate applies outside the cheap window

Once 5:30am arrives, the Octopus Go off-peak period ends.

If your car continues charging after that point, your electricity will be charged at your daytime Go rate.

This makes setting the charging schedule correctly important to make the most of this tariff.

Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus Go

Intelligent Octopus Go is Octopus Energy’s flagship EV tariff and is the first option worth checking if you have a compatible car or charger.

It offers a longer six-hour cheap period, a lower off-peak rate and automatic smart charging. Octopus Go is simpler: you get five fixed cheap hours from 12:30am to 5:30am and control the charging schedule yourself.

If you’re compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go, that’s the one to go for. If you aren’t, Octopus Go is the next best alternative.

Still deciding between Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go? Read our Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus Go comparison for a more detailed look at the rates, cheap hours, smart charging and compatibility.

Who is Octopus Go best for?

Octopus Go works well for EV owners who can do most of their charging overnight.

It could be a good fit if you:

• charge an EV at home
• can schedule charging between 12:30am and 5:30am
• normally need less than five hours of charging
• have an EV or charger that isn’t compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go
• want a simple tariff with predictable cheap hours
• prefer to control charging yourself
• can move other electricity use into the cheap overnight period as well

The more electricity you can move into those five hours, the cheaper your overall energy cost can become.

Who might Octopus Go not suit?

Octopus Go won’t automatically be the best tariff simply because you own an electric car.

Think carefully if you:

• rarely charge your EV at home
• normally need to charge during the day
• use a lot of expensive electricity outside the cheap period
• regularly need more than five hours to charge
• can’t schedule your vehicle or charger reliably
• have a compatible setup for Intelligent Octopus Go

That last point is particularly important.

If you’re eligible for Intelligent Octopus Go, there is usually little reason to choose Go without comparing Intelligent first.

The longer overnight window and smart-charging capability can make Intelligent Go the stronger option for many drivers.

Octopus Go with solar panels and home batteries

Octopus Go can work alongside both solar panels and home batteries, making it possible to combine cheaper overnight electricity with your own generation and stored energy.

Solar panels and Octopus Go

Having solar panels doesn’t stop you from using Octopus Go.

If you export surplus solar electricity back to the grid, you’ll also need a compatible export tariff. Octopus currently allows Go to be combined with several of its export options, including:

• Outgoing Octopus
• Prime Outgoing
• Agile Outgoing Octopus

Compare all Octopus export tariffs →

Home batteries and Octopus Go

A home battery can make Octopus Go particularly useful because you can charge the battery using cheaper grid electricity during the 12:30am–5:30am off-peak period, then use that stored energy after the higher daytime rate begins.

This can help shift more of your home’s grid consumption into the cheaper five-hour window, although the amount you save will depend on:

• your battery capacity
• charging and discharging losses
• your household electricity usage
• the difference between the Go day and night rates
• your solar generation
• how your battery is configured

Octopus also currently lists Octopus Go as compatible with its Charge Pack battery add-on, subject to having compatible equipment and meeting the relevant terms.

Octopus Go eligibility

To get Octopus Go, you need to meet a few requirements.

You need to:

• be supplied with electricity by Octopus Energy
• have an electric vehicle that you charge at home
• have a compatible smart meter Octopus can communicate with

Octopus says it can connect to SMETS2 meters and some first-generation SMETS1 meters.

Unlike Intelligent Octopus Go, you don’t need a specific compatible EV or smart charger.

That’s one of Octopus Go’s biggest advantages.

How do I switch to Octopus Go?

How you join depends on whether you’re already an Octopus Energy customer.

If you’re already with Octopus Energy

If your electricity supply is already with Octopus and you have a compatible smart meter, you can apply to move onto Octopus Go.

Octopus needs to be receiving the meter readings required to bill the different time periods correctly.

Once Go is active, set your EV or charger schedule so that your regular charging takes place between:

12:30am and 5:30am

If you’re not with Octopus Energy yet

You’ll need to switch to Octopus Energy first.

Octopus says new customers initially join on one of its standard tariffs while it completes the supply transfer and checks the smart-meter setup.

Once you’re on supply with Octopus and your smart meter is communicating correctly, you can move onto Octopus Go.

Switch to Octopus Energy →

Eligible new customers can also currently receive £50 joining credit when switching through our link.

Is Octopus Go worth it?

For the right EV owner, Octopus Go can make home charging considerably cheaper than charging at a normal daytime electricity rate.

But whether Octopus Go is worth it for you depends on how you use electricity.

It becomes more attractive when:

• you drive enough to charge regularly at home
• most EV charging fits inside the five-hour cheap window
• you can move other household consumption overnight
• your daytime electricity usage isn’t unusually high

The mistake to avoid is looking only at the cheap overnight rate.

For many compatible households, Intelligent Octopus Go’s cheaper smart charging, longer whole-home off-peak period and automated scheduling make it the stronger Octopus EV tariff.

If you’re not compatible, Octopus Go remains an excellent straightforward alternative: five predictable cheap hours, any EV, any charger, and no requirement to hand control of your charging schedule to Octopus.

Octopus Go FAQs

What time is Octopus Go cheapest?

Octopus Go’s off-peak period runs from 12:30am to 5:30am every day.

That’s five hours of cheaper electricity each night.

How many cheap hours do you get with Octopus Go?

You get five hours of cheaper electricity every night.

The fixed Octopus Go window runs from 00:30 until 05:30.

What is the Octopus Go off-peak rate?

The exact Octopus Go off-peak rate can change and may depend on the tariff currently available.

Use our Octopus Go rate checker above to see the latest rates available in your region.

Does Octopus Go have a daytime rate?

Yes.

Electricity used outside the five-hour cheap period is normally charged at your Octopus Go daytime rate.

When comparing Go with another tariff, it’s important to compare both the day and night rates.

Is Octopus Go only cheap for the car?

No.

The cheaper Octopus Go rate applies to your whole home between 12:30am and 5:30am.

That means appliances and home batteries can also use cheaper electricity during the overnight window.

Does Octopus Go work with any EV?

Yes.

You don’t need an Octopus-compatible vehicle integration because Octopus doesn’t control the charging.

Does Octopus Go work with any charger?

Yes.

Octopus currently advertises Go as compatible with all EVs and chargers.

Do I need an EV charger for Octopus Go?

You need to charge an EV at home, but Octopus’ current Go eligibility information says you don’t need a dedicated home EV charger to join.

A dedicated charger can charge much faster than a standard 3-pin plug, and can therefore make better use of the cheaper five-hour period.

Do I need a smart meter for Octopus Go?

Yes.

Octopus needs a compatible smart meter that it can communicate with so it can receive the readings needed for time-of-use billing.

Can I get Octopus Go without an electric car?

Octopus Go is an EV tariff and Octopus requires customers to have an electric car that they charge at home.

If you don’t have an EV, another Octopus tariff is likely to be more appropriate.

Is Octopus Go cheaper than Intelligent Octopus Go?

For many eligible EV owners, Intelligent Octopus Go is likely to work out cheaper for EV charging.

It currently offers smart charging from 8p/kWh, a six-hour whole-home cheap period from 11:30pm to 5:30am and automatic scheduling.

Octopus Go’s advantage is compatibility and simplicity: it works with any EV or charger and lets you control the charging schedule yourself.

Always compare the daytime rate as well as the headline EV rate before choosing between them.

What’s the difference between Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go?

Octopus Go gives you a fixed five-hour cheap period and you schedule your own charging.

Intelligent Octopus Go gives you six cheap whole-home hours and automatically smart-charges a compatible EV or charger.

If you’re compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go, we’d compare that first.

If you aren’t, Octopus Go is the natural next option.

Does Octopus Go automatically charge my car?

No.

Octopus doesn’t create a smart-charging schedule on Go.

You need to configure your car or charger so that charging happens during the five-hour cheap period.

Can I use Octopus Go with solar panels?

Yes.

Octopus Go can be combined with certain Octopus export tariffs, including Outgoing Octopus, Prime Outgoing and Agile Outgoing.

Can I use Octopus Go with a home battery?

Yes.

A home battery can potentially be charged during the cheap overnight period and used during more expensive daytime hours.

Whether doing this saves money will depend on your battery, tariff rates and household consumption.

Can I charge two EVs on Octopus Go?

Yes.

Because Octopus Go doesn’t connect to a specific car for smart charging, you can charge multiple EVs during the cheap window, subject to your chargers, electrical setup and available charging capacity.

Tariff rates, eligibility and terms can change. Always check the prices and tariff terms shown by Octopus Energy before switching.

Last checked: September 2026