Octopus products and add-ons
Octopus Streams: what Intelligent Go drivers should know
How Octopus Streams rewards Intelligent Go drivers for plugging in daily, how Freezes protect a streak, and why plugging in often lowers costs.
Edited by Rob Gibbs. Published: . Guidance reviewed: .
Short answer
Streams is a daily plug-in streak in the Octopus app for Intelligent Octopus Go drivers. Plug your EV in at home every day, even without a full charge, and the streak grows, unlocking digital collectibles. A Freeze protects the streak if you miss a day. The real benefit is that a car left plugged in gives Octopus more chances to find cheap, green charging slots.
How a Stream works
Each day Octopus records one of three outcomes:
- Stream: the car was plugged in at home, so the streak grows.
- Freeze: you missed a day, but an earned Freeze kept the streak alive. You start with one and earn more as the streak lengthens.
- Miss: no plug-in and no Freeze, so the streak resets.
Why plugging in daily pays
Intelligent Go gives up to 6 hours of smart charging in each 24 hours, and Octopus schedules it when power is cheapest. If a slot falls outside the 23:30–05:30 window, Octopus says the whole home gets the cheap rate for those hours too. A car that is not plugged in cannot use those slots.
Do you need to do anything?
Not beyond plugging in. The collectibles are just for fun, and you can join Streams from the app even if you control charging another way.
Questions people ask
Do I have to fully charge every day for Streams?
No. Octopus only checks that the car was plugged in. You do not need a full charge.
Does Streams change my tariff or prices?
No. It is a habit tracker. The saving comes from Intelligent Go having more chances to schedule cheap charging.
Tariffs in this guide
Related guides
- Octopus Charge Pack: the home battery add-on explainedWhat Octopus Charge Pack does with your home battery, which tariffs and batteries it works with, what you earn and who should skip it.
- Octopus Power Pack: vehicle-to-grid charging explainedWhat Octopus Power Pack is, the vehicle-to-grid car and charger it needs, and how it differs from an ordinary EV tariff.
- Octopus Intelligent Drive Pack explainedWhat Octopus Intelligent Drive Pack is, how it differs from Intelligent Octopus Go, and which EV drivers it suits.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Primary sources
- Meet Streams — Octopus Energy; checked 2026-10-30. How Streams, Freezes and collectibles work for Intelligent Go drivers, and up to 6 hours of smart charging a day.
- How does Intelligent Octopus Go work and how can I join? — Octopus Energy; checked 2026-10-30. The 23:30 to 05:30 whole-home window, smart charging billed at the off-peak rate and eligibility checks.