Help
Octopus Energy help guides
Plain-English answers about Octopus Energy meter readings, switching, moving home, bills and getting help, linked to live regional prices.
Meters and readings
- How to submit a meter reading to Octopus EnergyWhere to send an Octopus meter reading, how often to do it, how to read each type of meter and what to do when a reading looks wrong.
- SMETS1 vs SMETS2 smart meters: what is the difference?How SMETS1 and SMETS2 smart meters differ, why it matters when you switch supplier, and what it means for Octopus smart tariffs.
- Octopus smart meter not sending readings: what to checkWhy a smart meter stops sending readings to Octopus, how to check it, and how to keep your bills and smart tariff on track while it is fixed.
- Your smart meter in-home display explainedWhat a smart meter in-home display shows, why a blank screen does not always mean a broken meter, and when you need one at all.
- How to see and download your smart meter dataWhere to find your half-hourly smart meter data from Octopus: in the app, through the free API, and with this site’s private usage tools.
- What happens to your smart meter when you switch to OctopusWhether your smart meter keeps working when you switch to Octopus, why some older meters go dumb, and what to do about it.
- Can you refuse a smart meter?Whether you can say no to a smart meter, what changes when an old meter must be replaced, and what you give up without one.
Switching and moving home
- How to switch to Octopus Energy: steps and timingsWhat happens when you switch to Octopus Energy, how long it takes, when you can leave a fixed deal without a fee and what to do on switch day.
- Moving home with Octopus Energy: moving out and moving inHow to tell Octopus you are moving out, take Octopus with you, or set up supply at a new home that Octopus already supplies.
- What is Octopus Energy? Tariffs and how it differsA plain-English introduction to Octopus Energy: who it is, the kinds of tariff it offers, and how to find the right one for your home and region.
- Your first month with Octopus EnergyWhat happens in your first weeks with Octopus: the switch date, your first reading, your Direct Debit and the first chance to change tariff.
- The Octopus app: what it does and where to find thingsWhat you can do in the Octopus Energy app: readings, usage, payments, tariff changes, Octoplus and smart device control.
- How to change tariff as an existing Octopus customerWhen and how existing Octopus customers can move tariff, the 45-day rule for fixed deals, and what to check before choosing a smart tariff.
- Octopus can’t find your address: what to doWhy an Octopus quote sometimes cannot find your address, how your MPAN helps, and the form Octopus provides for missing addresses.
- Switching to Octopus with two electricity MPANsWhy some homes have two electricity supply numbers, usually for off-peak heating, and what to check when you switch to Octopus.
- Does Octopus do a credit check?How Octopus uses your credit data when you join, what it shares with TransUnion, and how paying on time or late affects your credit file.
- Your fixed tariff is ending: what to do and whenThe 49-day exit-fee window, the 45-day point when Octopus shows your options, and what happens if you do nothing when a fix ends.
Bills and payments
- Understanding your Octopus Energy billWhat each part of an Octopus bill means: unit rates, standing charges, estimated and actual readings, VAT and your account balance.
- How Octopus Energy Direct Debit payments are worked outHow Octopus sets your monthly Direct Debit, why it reviews it, and how to change the amount or date without building up debt.
- Octopus account in credit or debit: what it meansWhat it means when your Octopus account is in credit or debit, when to ask for a refund and when to change your Direct Debit instead.
- Why the Octopus app and your bill do not matchCommon reasons the usage or cost shown in the Octopus app differs from your bill, and how to tell which figure to trust.
- Economy 7 or single rate: which is cheaper?When Economy 7 beats a single-rate tariff, the night share that decides it, and how to check with today’s Octopus rates for your region.
- Is Agile Octopus actually cheaper?When Agile Octopus beats a standard tariff, why the answer depends on when you use power, and how to check with your own half-hourly data.
Help paying your bill
- Warm Home Discount with Octopus Energy (2026 to 2027)Who qualifies for the £150 Warm Home Discount with Octopus in England and Wales, the dates that matter this winter and what to do if no letter arrives.
- Octo Assist: how to get help with an Octopus billWhat Octopus’s Octo Assist fund offers customers struggling to pay, how to apply, and what else to do first.
Electric cars
- Octopus EV tariffs without a drivewayWhether Octopus Go or Intelligent Go can work if you have no driveway or home charger, and what to compare instead.
- Plug-in hybrids on Octopus Go and Intelligent GoWhether a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) can use Octopus EV tariffs, and why a smaller battery changes whether they save you money.
- Two electric cars on Intelligent Octopus GoWhat to check when two EVs share one home on Intelligent Octopus Go: device control, charging time and the whole-home window.
- Charging a company EV at home on an Octopus tariffWhat to sort out when you charge a company or salary-sacrifice EV at home on Octopus Go or Intelligent Go: records, reimbursement and the whole-home cost.
- Is Intelligent Octopus Go worth it for low-mileage drivers?How to tell whether Intelligent Octopus Go saves money if you do not drive much, and when a standard tariff is cheaper.
- Which cars and chargers work with Intelligent Octopus Go?How to check whether your car or charger works with Intelligent Octopus Go, what happens if it does not, and the Go tariff that works with any EV.
- EV chargepoint grants: who can still claimThe government EV chargepoint grant for renters and flat owners: how much it pays, who qualifies and how it changed on 1 April 2026.
- Home vs public EV charging: what each costsHow home charging on an Octopus EV tariff compares with public chargers per kWh and per mile, and how to work out your own figures.
- Single-phase vs three-phase home EV chargingWhy most home EV chargers run at around 7kW, when three-phase charging helps, and why a faster charger rarely matters on an overnight tariff.
- How smart EV charging works on Intelligent Octopus GoHow Intelligent Octopus Go schedules your EV, why charging sometimes happens outside the overnight window, and how it is billed.
- Keeping gas on a fix while electricity is on Intelligent GoCan your gas stay on a fixed tariff while your electricity moves to Octopus Go or Intelligent Go? How the two fuels work separately.
Solar and batteries
- Octopus export tariffs explained: Outgoing, Agile, Flux and SEGHow Octopus pays you for solar electricity you send to the grid, how the export tariffs differ, and which import tariff each one needs.
- Solar panels with Octopus Energy: getting the most from themHow to set up solar panels with Octopus: getting paid for export, choosing an import tariff, and when a battery or EV changes the answer.
- A home battery without solar on Octopus: does it pay?How a home battery without solar panels can save money on Octopus by charging cheaply overnight, and what to check first.
- How big should your solar and battery system be?How to size solar panels and a home battery for your usage, the battery sizes Octopus installs, and how sizing affects which tariff pays best.
- Import, export and generation meters (and MPANs) explainedThe difference between import, export and generation readings for solar homes, why export needs its own MPAN, and what each one is used for.
Heat pumps
- Cosy Octopus running costs for a heat pumpHow Cosy Octopus prices heat pump electricity, how to run a heat pump to get the most from it, and how to estimate a year’s cost.
- Boiler Upgrade Scheme: heat pump grants in England and WalesHow much the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays towards a heat pump, the extra help for oil and LPG homes, and what does not qualify.
- EV and heat pump: Cosy or Intelligent Go?How to choose between Cosy Octopus and Intelligent Octopus Go when your home has both an electric car and a heat pump.