OctoTariffs

Supplier comparison

Octopus Energy vs ScottishPower: prices, EV Saver and switching

Octopus vs ScottishPower compared on standard variable prices in your region, EV Saver against Octopus Go and Intelligent Go, and switching checks.

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

Methodology · Corrections

Quick answer

ScottishPower’s standard variable tariff and Octopus Flexible are both held to the regional cap. The live table shows how Flexible has compared month by month in your region.

ScottishPower EV Saver gives a five-hour midnight-to-5am window at a published 8.5p/kWh, much like Octopus Go’s five hours from 00:30. Intelligent Go gives six hours plus smart slots for supported cars and chargers.

Octopus has the wider range of smart tariffs and export options.

Standard variable prices in London

ScottishPower'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 ScottishPower 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.

ScottishPower smart and EV tariffs

Summarised from ScottishPower's own pages. Published rates are headline figures checked on the date shown and can vary by region; they are not quotes.
ScottishPower productWhat it offersNearest Octopus option
EV SaverEVA lower rate for home EV charging from midnight to 5am, published at 8.5p/kWh. Existing customers switch to it in their online account. Source, checked 2026-10-30.Octopus Go in London

Octopus is likely the better fit if…

  • You want smart charging scheduled for you

    Intelligent Go controls supported cars and chargers and adds slots beyond the fixed window.

  • You have solar, a battery or a heat pump

    Flux, the Outgoing export tariffs and Cosy cover setups that ScottishPower’s EV tariff does not.

  • You can move use around the day

    Agile gives half-hourly prices that are often lowest overnight and on windy days.

ScottishPower is likely the better fit if…

  • You are already a ScottishPower customer with an EV

    EV Saver can be chosen in your online account without changing supplier.

  • Your charger is not supported by Intelligent Go

    EV Saver’s window does not depend on supplier control of the charger.

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.
  • On older meters, the off-peak clock may not change with British Summer Time. Confirm the actual window on your meter.

The full timeline is in how to switch to Octopus.

Questions people ask

Is ScottishPower EV Saver cheaper than Octopus Go?

Both give a five-hour overnight window. Compare the off-peak rate, day rate and standing charge for your region. Use the regional Go page for the current Octopus figures.

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.

Other supplier comparisons

Primary sources