How to switch to Octopus Energy: steps and timings

Have these to hand. They make the quote accurate and the switch smoother:

• Your annual usage in kWh from a recent bill, or your current supplier’s app.
• Your current tariff’s end date and any exit fee.
• Whether you have a smart meter, an Economy 7 meter, an EV, solar panels or a heat pump, because these change which Octopus tariff fits.
• Your bank details for Direct Debit.

Octopus contacts your current supplier for you. You do not need to cancel anything yourself. Ofgem requires suppliers to complete the switch within five working days. You also have 14 days to change your mind and cancel.

Nothing physical changes on the day: the same cables, pipes and meter keep supplying you. If your account with your old supplier has been in debt for more than 28 days, you may need to clear it before you can switch.

Leaving a fixed tariff early can cost an exit fee per fuel. Ofgem rules stop suppliers charging it if you switch in the 49 days before the fixed term ends, so time your switch to land in that window if you can.

Octopus Flexible, its standard variable tariff, has no exit fee. That makes it a low-risk starting point while you work out whether a smart tariff suits you.

Take a meter reading on or near the switch date, with a dated photo. It is used as the closing reading for your old supplier and the opening reading for Octopus, so you are not billed twice for the same energy. With a working smart meter this happens automatically.

Your old supplier sends a final bill. Any credit left on that account should be refunded to you.

The quote defaults to a standard tariff. If you have an EV, solar, a battery or a heat pump, or can move your usage to cheaper times, compare the smart tariffs against your region’s live rates before you sign up.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.