Cost reference
Octopus standing charges by tariff and region
Compare published Octopus electricity standing charges without confusing them with unit rates, annual bills or one national price-cap figure.
Edited by Rob Gibbs. Guidance reviewed: .
Published electricity import evidence — Southern England
Standing charges and historic profile-weighted unit rates from 2026-08-01 to 2026-08-31, including VAT as stored. Product codes and complete-day coverage are shown so the comparison can be audited.
| Tariff | Standing charge | Historic weighted unit rate | Product evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flexible Octopus | 46.41 p/day | 26.42 p/kWh | VAR-22-11-01 · 31 complete days |
| Intelligent Octopus Flux Import | 47.71 p/day | 22.55 p/kWh | INTELLI-FLUX-IMPORT-23-07-14 · 31 complete days |
| Snug Octopus | 47.71 p/day | 24.79 p/kWh | SNUG-24-11-07 · 31 complete days |
| Cosy Octopus | 47.71 p/day | 25.57 p/kWh | COSY-22-12-08 · 31 complete days |
| Octopus Flux Import | 47.71 p/day | 26.80 p/kWh | FLUX-IMPORT-23-02-14 · 31 complete days |
| Octopus Tracker | 47.71 p/day | 27.60 p/kWh | SILVER-26-04-01 · 31 complete days |
| Octopus Go | 49.41 p/day | 28.41 p/kWh | GO-VAR-22-10-14 · 31 complete days |
| Cosy Octopus 12M Fixed | 49.41 p/day | 29.49 p/kWh | COSY-FIX-12M-26-06-25 · 31 complete days |
| Octopus Go 12M Fixed | 49.41 p/day | 31.29 p/kWh | GO-FIX-12M-26-08-19 · 13 complete days |
| Agile Octopus | 62.22 p/day | 28.57 p/kWh | AGILE-24-10-01 · 31 complete days |
This table covers comparable single-register household electricity import evidence returned for the selected region. It is not a supplier quote and does not mix gas, export or Economy 7 into one ranking.
Unit rate and standing charge do different jobs
The unit rate is multiplied by energy used in kWh. The standing charge is charged per day even when no energy is used. A tariff with a lower unit rate can still cost more at low usage if its daily charge is higher.
Why low-use homes notice it more
The same annual fixed charge is spread over fewer kWh. Compare annual totals at your own consumption rather than ranking a tariff on either component alone.
Regions and payment methods matter
Standing charges can differ by electricity region, fuel, meter and payment method. The Ofgem cap is not one national Octopus quote and does not cap a household total bill.
Electricity, gas, export and Economy 7
Import electricity and gas can each have a daily standing charge. Export is a payment direction and is not ranked alongside import cost. Economy 7 uses day and night unit registers but should not have its standing charge counted twice.
Unknown is not free
A missing or ambiguously published zero standing charge is shown as unavailable. OctoTariffs does not convert an uncertain value to 0p/day.
A pure break-even example
Annual cost in pence = annual kWh × unit rate + 365 × daily standing charge.
At 1,500 kWh, Illustrative A (30p/kWh and 40p/day) is £596.00 a year; Illustrative B (25p/kWh and 65p/day) is £612.25. Their costs cross at about 1825 kWh/year. These are invented inputs that demonstrate the arithmetic, not current tariffs.
Continue with your usage
Use the tariff calculator or regional comparison, then verify the live quote and payment method with Octopus.
Primary sources
- Energy price cap and standing charges explained — Ofgem; checked 2026-08-24. What the cap covers, how it is calculated, and why it is not a household bill limit.
- Domestic energy supply terms and conditions — Octopus Energy; checked 2026-08-24. General domestic tariff, meter, pricing, switching and referral terms.