Switching and moving home
Your first month with Octopus Energy
What happens in your first weeks with Octopus: the switch date, your first reading, your Direct Debit and the first chance to change tariff.
Edited by Rob Gibbs. Published: . Guidance reviewed: .
Short answer
Octopus says it usually completes a switch within 3 working days. On the switch date it takes an opening reading: automatically from a working smart meter, or from you. Your first Direct Debit is based on the usage in your quote, and Octopus may adjust it once it has your meter history. You can usually move to another tariff online at any time while you are on a variable tariff.
Week one: the switch
Nothing changes physically. On the switch date, submit a reading if you do not have a working smart meter, and keep a dated photo. Your old supplier sends a final bill, and any credit left with them should be refunded.
Payments and your first bill
Your monthly payment is your expected year of energy divided by twelve. Once Octopus receives your meter’s history from your previous supplier, it may suggest a different amount, and it emails you before changing it.
Things worth doing in month one
A short checklist:
- Download the app and check readings are arriving.
- Check your tariff and region on your first statement.
- Compare smart tariffs against your region’s live rates if you have an EV, heat pump, battery or solar.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to switch to Octopus?
Octopus says it usually switches you within 3 working days, and the legal maximum is five working days.
When will my first Octopus bill arrive?
After your first billing period. Payments start by Direct Debit, based on your quote.
Tariffs in this guide
Related guides
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Primary sources
- How do I switch to Octopus Energy? — Octopus Energy; checked 2026-10-30. Octopus usually completes a switch within 3 working days.
- How do my monthly payments work? — Octopus Energy; checked 2026-10-30. How Direct Debit amounts are set, reviewed and changed, and the Balance Forecast tool.
- Switch your home energy supplier — Ofgem; checked 2026-10-30. The 14-day cancellation right, the five-working-day switch deadline and the 28-day debt rule.