OctoTariffs

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Octopus Energy vs OVO: prices, Charge Anytime and switching

Octopus vs OVO compared on standard variable prices in your region, OVO Charge Anytime against Octopus EV tariffs, and what to check before switching.

Edited by Rob Gibbs. Published: . Guidance reviewed: .

Methodology · Corrections

Quick answer

OVO’s standard variable tariff and Octopus Flexible are both held to the regional cap. The live table shows how Flexible has priced against it in your region.

The two take different approaches to EVs. OVO Charge Anytime is an add-on to any OVO tariff: smart-charged kWh are billed at a flat rate whenever charging happens, up to a monthly allowance. Octopus EV tariffs give the whole home a cheap overnight window.

If your household also runs heavy appliances overnight, a whole-home window can be worth more than an EV-only rate. If you only want cheaper car charging, Charge Anytime is simpler.

Standard variable prices in London

OVO's standard variable tariff cannot charge more than the Ofgem price cap for your region. Below, Octopus Flexible is measured against that cap month by month. If Flexible is under the cap, it is under the most OVO can charge on its standard variable tariff.

Over 12 complete months, this tariff came in under the Ofgem cap in 12 of them.

Monthly cost on this tariff against the Ofgem price cap, most recent month last
MonthThis tariffCapDifference
October 2025£68.40£68.70−£0.30
November 2025£66.20£66.49−£0.29
December 2025£68.40£68.70−£0.30
January 2026£71.52£71.93−£0.41
February 2026£64.60£64.97−£0.37
March 2026£71.52£71.93−£0.41
April 2026£64.44£64.61−£0.16
May 2026£66.59£66.76−£0.17
June 2026£64.44£64.61−£0.16
July 2026£68.81£69.83−£1.02
August 2026£68.81£69.83−£1.02
September 2026£66.59£67.57−£0.99

Both columns cost the same 2,500 kWh a year on the typical household consumption pattern, on a direct-debit basis — the basis the cap itself is set on. A negative difference means this tariff was cheaper. The cap is a cap on what you can be charged, not a price anyone is billed, so this compares this tariff against the maximum a capped tariff could have charged the same household.

OVO smart and EV tariffs

Summarised from OVO's own pages. Published rates are headline figures checked on the date shown and can vary by region; they are not quotes.
OVO productWhat it offersNearest Octopus option
Charge AnytimeEV add-onA free add-on to any OVO tariff. Smart charging works out at 14p/kWh at any time of day, up to 250 kWh a month. It needs a compatible EV or charger, and the rest of the home stays on its normal rate. Source, checked 2026-10-30.Intelligent Octopus Go in London

Octopus is likely the better fit if…

  • You want the whole home on a cheaper overnight rate

    Go and Intelligent Go apply the off-peak rate to everything in the house, not just the car.

  • You drive a lot

    Octopus EV tariffs have no monthly kWh allowance for the cheap rate. Charge Anytime caps its rate at 250 kWh a month.

  • You want wholesale-linked or heat-pump tariffs

    Agile, Tracker and Cosy have no direct OVO equivalent.

OVO is likely the better fit if…

  • You need to charge during the day

    Charge Anytime’s rate is not tied to an overnight window.

  • You want to keep a simple standard or fixed tariff for the house

    Charge Anytime sits on top of any OVO tariff, so the home stays on one all-day rate.

Before you switch

  • Compare the full annual cost (unit rates plus 365 days of standing charge), not the headline off-peak rate.
  • Check exit fees on your current fixed tariff. Switching in the last 49 days of a fix is fee-free under Ofgem rules.
  • Take a meter reading on the switch date so the closing and opening bills agree.
  • Estimate your monthly charging kWh. Above Charge Anytime’s allowance the normal rate applies.

The full timeline is in how to switch to Octopus.

Questions people ask

Is OVO Charge Anytime better than Intelligent Octopus Go?

Charge Anytime only discounts smart-charged kWh, up to an allowance, but lets you charge at any hour. Intelligent Go discounts the whole home overnight. Which one is cheaper depends on mileage, when you charge and how much other use you can move overnight.

Will my supply be cut off when I switch?

No. The same wires, pipes and meter carry on supplying you; only the company billing you changes. Most switches complete within five working days.

Why does this page compare Octopus with the price cap rather than with the other supplier’s rates?

Ofgem sets a regional ceiling on the unit rate and standing charge of every standard variable tariff, and the large suppliers price their default tariffs at or close to it. The cap is published for every region, so it gives a like-for-like benchmark we can measure each month. Rival fixed and smart tariffs are quoted individually and change often, so we list their published rates with the date we checked them instead.

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