Octopus Tracker is a smart energy tariff where your electricity and gas unit rates can change every day, following movements in the wholesale energy market.
When wholesale prices fall, Tracker customers can benefit much more quickly than customers on a conventional tariff. But the opposite is also true: if wholesale prices rise, the amount you pay for each unit of energy can rise with them.
Unlike Agile Octopus, Tracker doesn’t have different electricity prices throughout the day. You get one electricity unit rate for the day and, if you have gas on Tracker too, one gas unit rate.
This makes Tracker relatively simple for a smart tariff: the price changes once each day, so you don’t need to move your energy use into particular hours to get that day’s rate.
What you need to know about Octopus Tracker
| What to know | Octopus Tracker |
|---|---|
| How pricing works | Electricity and gas unit rates can change every day based on wholesale energy prices |
| Price changes | Once per day — the same electricity rate applies throughout that day |
| Tariff term | 12 months |
| Smart meter | Required to join |
| Standing charge | Fixed for your 12-month tariff term |
| Pricing formula | Fixed for your 12-month tariff term |
| Maximum unit rate | 100p/kWh electricity and 30p/kWh gas |
| Exit fee | None |
| Rejoining Tracker | Leave during your term and you’ll normally need to wait 9 months before returning |
| Best suited to | Customers comfortable with daily price changes who want closer exposure to wholesale energy prices |
| Main risk | Tracker can rise above standard tariff rates when wholesale prices increase |
Tracker prices vary by region and can change every day.
What is the Octopus Tracker tariff?
Octopus Tracker is a tariff from Octopus Energy that tracks daily wholesale prices.
Instead of setting a unit rate for several months at a time, Octopus calculates a new Tracker price each day using wholesale energy prices and a published pricing formula.
You can use Tracker for:
- electricity
- gas
- or both fuels
The exact rate you pay can depend on your region, the fuel and the version of Tracker you joined.
Tracker is therefore different from a conventional variable tariff such as Flexible Octopus. Flexible rates change relatively infrequently, whereas Tracker can move up or down every day.
How does Octopus Tracker work?
Octopus takes wholesale electricity and gas market prices and applies the Tracker pricing formula to calculate the unit rate customers pay.
For electricity, the calculation uses wholesale data from the GB day-ahead electricity market.
For gas, it uses wholesale gas market data.
The calculation also has to account for the other costs involved in supplying energy, including network charges, environmental and social obligations and other industry costs.
The result is a daily electricity price and daily gas price, rather than one unit rate that stays unchanged for months.
Does the Tracker price change during the day?
No.
Once that day’s Tracker electricity rate has been set, the same unit rate applies throughout that day.
It doesn’t matter whether you use electricity at 2am, 10am or 6pm — you pay the same Tracker electricity unit rate.
This is one of the biggest differences between Octopus Tracker and Agile Octopus.
Agile has different electricity prices every half hour. Tracker changes once per day.
What are the current Octopus Tracker rates?
There isn’t one permanent Octopus Tracker unit rate.
Tracker prices can change every day and also vary by region, so somebody in the West Midlands may pay a slightly different electricity rate to somebody in London or Yorkshire.
Your rate can also depend on which version of Tracker you are on.
If you’re already on Tracker, you can check your current rate through your Octopus Energy account or app.
Because the price changes daily, it is generally more useful to look at:
- today’s Tracker electricity price
- today’s Tracker gas price
- recent Tracker prices
- and the longer-term average
rather than judging the tariff based on a single day’s rate.
Is Octopus Tracker a fixed tariff?
This is where Tracker can be slightly confusing.
Tracker is currently offered as a 12-month tariff, but your actual electricity and gas unit rates are not fixed for those 12 months.
Instead, the pricing formula and standing charge are fixed for the duration of your Tracker term.
The unit rate produced by that formula can then change every day.
So, in simple terms:
Fixed: your Tracker formula and standing charge.
Variable: the amount you pay per kWh each day.
When your Tracker term comes to an end, you can renew onto the Tracker version available at that time.
Does the Octopus Tracker formula change?
Octopus periodically updates the Tracker formula to reflect changes in the costs involved in supplying energy.
This doesn’t mean Octopus simply changes an existing customer’s formula every few months.
If you join Tracker, the formula associated with your tariff version is fixed for your 12-month term.
New customers and customers renewing Tracker can be placed onto the latest version of the formula instead.
This is why two Tracker customers can occasionally be on different versions of the tariff.
What is the Octopus Tracker price cap?
Although Tracker follows wholesale energy prices, there is a maximum amount its daily unit rate can reach.
Octopus currently calls this Price Cap Protect.
The maximum Tracker unit rates are:
- Electricity: 100p/kWh
- Gas: 30p/kWh
These limits are considerably higher than the typical unit rates seen on standard household energy tariffs.
That distinction is important.
Tracker’s maximum rate should not be confused with the Ofgem energy price cap that applies to standard variable tariffs such as Flexible Octopus.
If wholesale prices rise substantially, Tracker customers can therefore be exposed to much higher unit rates than somebody on a conventional price-cap-protected tariff.
Is Octopus Tracker cheaper than Flexible Octopus?
It can be, but it isn’t guaranteed to be.
Flexible Octopus is a conventional variable tariff. Its prices usually remain unchanged for longer periods (usually changing every 3 months) and are protected by the Ofgem energy price cap.
Tracker follows wholesale prices much more closely and can change every day.
When wholesale prices are relatively low, Tracker may produce unit rates below Flexible.
If wholesale prices rise sharply, Tracker can move above Flexible instead.
The comparison can therefore change throughout the year.
Trying to decide between the two tariffs? Read our Octopus Tracker vs Flexible comparison for a more detailed look at how their prices work, the risks and which may better suit different households.
Who is Octopus Tracker best for?
Tracker may be worth considering if you:
- want your energy prices to follow the wholesale market more closely
- are comfortable with your unit rate changing from day to day
- want to benefit more quickly when wholesale prices fall
- don’t want to move your electricity use around different times of day
- are comfortable accepting the possibility of higher prices when wholesale markets rise
You don’t have to constantly monitor Tracker prices to use the tariff.
However, understanding how the price is moving can make it easier to decide whether you’re still comfortable remaining on Tracker.
Who should avoid Octopus Tracker?
Tracker may be less suitable if having predictable energy prices is particularly important to you.
Wholesale energy markets can be volatile.
Although Tracker has maximum unit rates, those maximums are significantly higher than ordinary household energy prices.
You should therefore be comfortable with the possibility that your bills could increase if wholesale prices rise.
There may also be more specialised Octopus tariffs worth considering if you have technology such as an electric vehicle, battery or heat pump.
Is Octopus Tracker good for an electric car?
Tracker doesn’t include a dedicated cheap overnight EV charging period.
Your electricity costs the same amount per kWh throughout each individual day.
If you regularly charge an electric car at home, it can therefore be useful to compare Tracker with Octopus’s dedicated EV tariffs.
Tariffs such as Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go work differently by offering cheaper electricity during specified or intelligently scheduled charging periods.
Whether that works out better depends on how much electricity your car uses, how often you charge at home and what Tracker prices are doing.
Can I use Octopus Tracker with solar panels?
Yes, having solar panels doesn’t automatically prevent you from using Tracker for the electricity you import from the grid.
Your import and export tariffs are separate.
Tracker determines what you pay when you buy electricity from the grid.
If you export surplus solar electricity back to the grid, an export tariff determines what you are paid for that electricity.
For a solar household, it therefore makes sense to consider your import tariff and export tariff together rather than looking at either rate in isolation.
Do I need a smart meter for Octopus Tracker?
Yes.
Octopus currently requires customers joining Tracker to have a compatible working smart meter that it can communicate with.
Octopus generally uses the consumption information from your smart meter to allocate your energy use to the correct daily Tracker prices.
If smart-meter data is missing after you’ve joined, Octopus can sometimes calculate bills using other consumption information and industry consumption profiles instead.
However, you’ll need a suitable smart meter before initially moving onto Tracker.
What if I have an Economy 7 meter?
If your smart meter is currently configured in Economy 7 mode, Octopus may need to reconfigure it to operate using a single electricity register before you can move onto Tracker.
This can normally be handled remotely, although the change can take some time to complete.
How do I switch to the Octopus Tracker tariff?
I’m already an Octopus Energy customer
If you’re already with Octopus, you’ll need to make sure you have a compatible smart meter that Octopus is successfully receiving readings from.
You can then apply to move onto Tracker and accept the smart-tariff terms and conditions.
Once the switch has been completed, your Tracker tariff should appear in your Octopus account.
I’m not currently with Octopus
If you’re currently supplied by another energy company, you’ll normally need to become an Octopus Energy customer first.
You’ll initially move your supply to Octopus before completing the move onto Tracker once the necessary smart-meter requirements are met.
If your existing smart meter is compatible, Octopus can normally begin connecting to it after your supply moves across. Otherwise, you may need to arrange a compatible smart meter before joining Tracker.
Is there an exit fee on Octopus Tracker?
No.
You can leave Tracker without paying an exit fee.
However, there is an important condition to be aware of.
If you leave Tracker during your 12-month term, Octopus currently requires you to wait nine months before joining Tracker again.
You can still move onto another Octopus tariff during that period.
If you reach the end of your 12-month Tracker term and choose not to renew, the same nine-month restriction doesn’t apply in the same way.
This makes it worth thinking carefully before leaving Tracker purely because of a short period of higher prices.
What happens to my Direct Debit on Tracker?
Moving onto Tracker doesn’t mean your Direct Debit automatically rises and falls every day with the unit rate.
Your monthly payment is still designed to contribute towards your energy account balance over time.
Because Tracker prices aren’t known months in advance, it’s worth keeping an eye on your account balance and whether your regular payment continues to reflect your actual energy costs.
Is Octopus Tracker worth it?
There isn’t one answer that applies to every household.
The main attraction of Tracker is straightforward: your energy prices follow changes in the wholesale market much more quickly than they would on a conventional tariff.
That can work in your favour when wholesale energy is inexpensive.
But you’re also accepting more exposure to the market when prices rise.
Before switching, consider:
- current Tracker prices
- how Tracker has been behaving over a longer period
- your electricity and gas consumption
- how important predictable bills are to you
- and whether another Octopus tariff better matches the way you use energy
Tracker should therefore be viewed as a different way of buying energy rather than simply as a permanently cheaper version of a standard tariff.
Octopus Tracker FAQs
Does Octopus Tracker change price every day?
It can. Tracker calculates a different unit rate for each day based on wholesale market prices and its pricing formula.
Does the Tracker price change every half hour?
No. The same Tracker electricity unit rate applies throughout each individual day. Agile Octopus is the tariff where electricity prices change every half hour.
Can Tracker prices increase?
Yes. Tracker follows the wholesale market, so prices can rise as well as fall.
What is the maximum Octopus Tracker price?
Tracker currently has maximum unit rates of 100p/kWh for electricity and 30p/kWh for gas.
Is Tracker protected by the Ofgem price cap?
Not in the same way as a standard variable tariff such as Flexible Octopus. Tracker has its own maximum unit rates, which are substantially higher than typical price-cap unit rates.
Can I have gas only on Octopus Tracker?
Yes. Octopus allows Tracker to be used for electricity, gas or both.
Do I need to change when I use electricity?
No. Tracker has one electricity unit rate for each day, so moving your electricity consumption from one hour to another doesn’t change the rate you pay.
Is Octopus Tracker the same as Agile?
No. Tracker changes once per day. Agile Octopus electricity prices change every half hour.
Do I need a smart meter?
Yes. You currently need a compatible working smart meter to join Tracker.
How long is the Octopus Tracker tariff?
Tracker is currently offered on a 12-month term. The pricing formula and standing charge remain fixed for that term, while your actual unit rate changes according to the formula.
Does Octopus Tracker have exit fees?
No. However, if you leave during your fixed-term period, you currently have to wait nine months before joining Tracker again.
Can I switch away if Tracker becomes expensive?
Yes. You can move away from Tracker without an exit fee, although the nine-month rejoining restriction should be taken into account.
Tariff rates, eligibility and terms can change. Always check the prices and tariff terms shown by Octopus Energy before switching.
Last checked: September 2026