Intelligent Octopus Go: How It Works, Off-Peak Times, Compatible Cars, and Is It Worth It?

June 23, 2026 George 0 Comments

Intelligent Octopus Go is Octopus Energy’s smart EV tariff — and it is currently the most popular EV charging tariff in the UK. The principle is simple: you tell the Octopus app when you need your car ready and how much charge you want, and Octopus automatically schedules your charging at the cheapest, greenest times overnight.

You pay 8p/kWh for off-peak electricity — compared to the April 2026 Ofgem price cap standard rate of 24.67p/kWh. That is a 68% saving on the unit rate. Over the year from May 2025 to April 2026, Octopus reported that customers on Intelligent Octopus Go typically saved £771 compared to their standard variable tariff, Flexible Octopus.

Here is everything you need to know before signing up: how it works, the exact off-peak times, which cars and chargers are compatible, what changed in 2026, and whether it is actually worth it.

What You Need to Know First

Detail	Info
Off-peak rate	8p/kWh (April 2026) — 68% cheaper than standard rate
Standard rate comparison	24.67p/kWh (April 2026 Ofgem price cap)
Off-peak window (whole home)	11:30pm — 5:30am guaranteed every night
Smart charging	Up to 6 hours/day at off-peak rate — can fall outside overnight window
2026 Charge Cap	6-hour limit per 24-hour period on discounted smart charging
Average annual saving	£771 vs Flexible Octopus (May 2025–April 2026 data)
Customers on EV smart tariffs	653,000 domestic customers as of July 2025; more than half with Octopus
Smart meter required	SMETS2, or SMETS1 made by Secure(TM)
Compatible vehicles	280+ EV models supported

How Intelligent Octopus Go Works

Intelligent Octopus Go is a smart import tariff with two pricing periods: a cheap off-peak rate and a higher peak rate. Unlike a standard tariff where you pay the same rate all day, Intelligent Octopus Go gives you heavily discounted electricity during a guaranteed nightly window and during any additional smart-charging slots Octopus schedules for your EV.

Here is the process step by step:

Download the Octopus Energy app and connect your compatible EV or charger
Set your charging preferences: how much charge you want (e.g., 80%) and by what time (e.g., 7am)
Octopus creates a smart schedule based on grid demand, wholesale electricity costs, and available renewable energy
Your EV charges automatically at the cheapest times — you always pay 8p/kWh regardless of when Octopus schedules those slots
Your whole home also benefits from the 8p/kWh rate between 11:30pm and 5:30am every night — not just your car

The key advantage over standard Octopus Go is that Intelligent Go extends your cheap window beyond the fixed overnight period. Octopus may schedule your EV charging at any time of day — say, 2pm on a windy afternoon when grid electricity is cheap and green — and you still pay the off-peak rate for those scheduled slots.

Intelligent Octopus Go Off-Peak Times

Period	Time	Rate
Guaranteed off-peak (whole home)	11:30pm — 5:30am	8p/kWh
Smart charging slots (EV + whole home)	Any time Octopus schedules	8p/kWh
Peak rate	All other times	Varies by region — typically above price cap

The whole-home off-peak window runs every night from 11:30pm to 5:30am. During these six hours, everything you use — dishwasher, washing machine, EV charger, home battery — is billed at 8p/kWh. Shifting appliances to this window can significantly increase your savings beyond just car charging.

Smart charging slots for your EV can appear at other times of day. When Octopus schedules an EV charge outside the overnight window, your entire home electricity use during that slot is also charged at the off-peak rate. In 2026, Octopus introduced a 6-hour cap: up to six hours of discounted smart charging per 24-hour period (midday to midday). Around 80% of sessions already fall within this limit.

Intelligent Octopus Go vs Standard Octopus Go

Feature	Intelligent Octopus Go	Standard Octopus Go
Off-peak rate	8p/kWh	6.99p/kWh (from April 2026)
Home off-peak window	11:30pm — 5:30am (6 hrs)	00:30 — 05:30 (5 hrs)
EV charging	App-controlled smart scheduling	Fixed overnight window only
Requires compatible EV/charger	Yes	No — works with any EV
Smart meter required	Yes (SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1)	Yes
Extra off-peak slots	Yes — any time of day	No
Best for	EV owners with compatible setup	Any EV; simpler setup preferred

Note: Standard Octopus Go has a slightly lower off-peak rate (6.99p vs 8p from April 2026) but a shorter guaranteed window and no smart scheduling. For most compatible EV owners, Intelligent Go is the stronger overall package due to the longer home off-peak window and additional smart slots.

Compatible Cars for Intelligent Octopus Go

Intelligent Octopus Go is compatible with over 280 EV models and chargers as of 2026. Compatibility works in two ways: either Octopus connects directly to your car via the app, or it connects to a compatible smart charger which then controls any EV plugged in.

Compatible via direct car connection (examples)

Tesla (all models — Model 3, Model Y, Model S, Model X)
Volkswagen Group EVs (VW ID.3, ID.4, ID.5; Audi Q4 e-tron; Skoda Enyaq; SEAT/Cupra Born)
BMW (iX, i4, i5, i7, iX1, iX3)
Many other manufacturers — check the Octopus compatibility page for a full live list

Compatible via smart charger (works with any EV)

Ohme Home Pro and Ohme ePod
Hypervolt Home 3
Indra Smart PRO
Zappi (myenergi)
Wallbox Pulsar Plus
Andersen A2

If your EV is not directly supported, a compatible smart charger means Octopus can control the charger rather than the car — enabling smart scheduling for any vehicle. Always verify current compatibility on Octopus Energy’s website before purchasing hardware, as the list is updated regularly.

What Changed in 2026: The Charge Cap

In 2026, Octopus introduced a significant update to Intelligent Octopus Go: the Charge Cap. Previously, Octopus could schedule unlimited hours of cheap smart charging for your EV. From 2026, the discounted smart-charging allowance is capped at 6 hours per 24-hour period (measured midday to midday).

Octopus states that around 80% of existing Intelligent Go charging sessions already use fewer than 6 hours, so most users will not notice a difference. The cap primarily affects owners of EVs with very large batteries or those using slower chargers who needed longer sessions.

The Charge Cap feature in the Octopus app lets you choose between two modes:

Charge Cap ON: Octopus limits smart charging to 6 hours. If it cannot reach your charge target within the cap, it sends an app notification. You avoid any surprise peak-rate charges.
Charge Cap OFF: Octopus prioritises hitting your charge target even if it requires charging beyond the 6-hour window. Additional time beyond the cap is billed at the peak rate.

What Are Octopus Greener Nights?

Greener Nights is Octopus Energy’s overnight carbon intensity forecast tool, rebranded from Greener Days in September 2025. It shows which overnight periods between 11pm and 6am are expected to have the lowest carbon intensity based on wind generation forecasts and grid data.

Greener Nights data is accessible via the Octopus API and displayed in third-party Home Assistant integrations. It does not change your billing — it is informational, showing when overnight charging is both cheapest and greenest.

Octopus Intelligent Drive Pack

The Intelligent Drive Pack is Octopus Energy’s salary sacrifice EV leasing scheme, separate from the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff. It allows employees to lease an electric vehicle through their employer using pre-tax salary, reducing the effective cost significantly. The Drive Pack can be combined with Intelligent Octopus Go for home charging.

Solar Panels and Outgoing Octopus

Intelligent Octopus Go is an import tariff only — it covers electricity you bring in from the grid. If you have solar panels, you can pair it with Outgoing Octopus, which pays 12p/kWh for electricity you export back to the grid. This combination means you charge your EV cheaply overnight and earn from excess solar generation during the day.

Thinking about which Octopus Energy tariff suits your household? See our full comparison of Octopus Tracker vs Agile vs Flexible vs Fixed to understand all the options side by side.

Is Intelligent Octopus Go Worth It?

For most EV owners with a compatible car or smart charger, yes. The 68% saving on charging costs compared to the standard rate is substantial. Charging a typical EV (60kWh battery) to full costs approximately £4.80 at 8p/kWh versus £14.80 at 24.67p/kWh — a saving of £10 per full charge.

For an average UK driver covering 6,600 miles per year in a mid-size EV, the annual saving on charging alone is typically £300-£550 compared to charging on a standard tariff. When you add whole-home off-peak usage (shifting dishwasher, washing machine, and immersion heater to the 11:30pm-5:30am window), total annual savings can reach the £771 Octopus cites.

It is less suitable if: your EV and charger are not compatible with Intelligent Go (consider standard Octopus Go instead); you do most of your driving and charging during the day; or you do not have a smart meter installed.

Check whether your specific car and charger are compatible using the official compatibility checker at octopus.energy/smart/intelligent-octopus-go — the list is updated regularly as Octopus adds new vehicle integrations.

Bottom Line


Off-peak rate	8p/kWh — 68% cheaper than standard April 2026 rate
Off-peak window	11:30pm — 5:30am guaranteed (whole home)
Smart charging	Up to 6 hours/day at off-peak rate (any time of day)
2026 Charge Cap	6-hour daily limit on discounted smart charging
Compatible vehicles	280+ EVs and chargers — check octopus.energy for live list
Smart meter required	Yes — SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1
Average saving	£771/year vs Flexible Octopus (May 2025-April 2026)
Worth it?	Yes for most compatible EV owners with overnight charging habits

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the off-peak times for Intelligent Octopus Go?

The guaranteed off-peak window for your whole home is 11:30pm to 5:30am every night. During these six hours, all electricity you use — including EV charging, appliances, and home batteries — is billed at 8p/kWh. Octopus may also schedule additional smart charging slots for your EV at other times of day, which are also billed at the off-peak rate.

Which cars are compatible with Intelligent Octopus Go?

Intelligent Octopus Go is compatible with over 280 EV models and chargers. Direct car connections include Tesla, Volkswagen Group EVs (ID.3, ID.4, Audi Q4 e-tron, Skoda Enyaq), BMW (iX, i4, i5), and many others. Compatible smart chargers (which work with any EV) include Ohme, Hypervolt, Indra, Zappi, Wallbox, and Andersen. Always verify your specific vehicle and charger on Octopus Energy’s compatibility page before switching.

How much does Intelligent Octopus Go cost?

The off-peak rate is 8p/kWh (April 2026). This is 68% cheaper than the standard Ofgem price cap rate of 24.67p/kWh. The peak rate — for electricity used outside the off-peak window and non-scheduled charging — is typically slightly above the price cap rate and varies by region. Standing charges also apply and vary by region.

What is the Charge Cap on Intelligent Octopus Go?

Introduced in 2026, the Charge Cap limits discounted smart charging to 6 hours per 24-hour period (midday to midday). Around 80% of existing charging sessions already fall within this limit. The Octopus app lets you toggle Charge Cap on (to avoid peak-rate surprises) or off (to prioritise hitting your charge target even if it requires more than 6 hours).

Do I need a smart meter for Intelligent Octopus Go?

Yes — Intelligent Octopus Go requires a SMETS2 smart meter, or a first-generation SMETS1 meter made by Secure. If you are not sure which meter you have, contact your current supplier before switching. If you do not have a compatible smart meter, Octopus can arrange installation.

What is the difference between Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Go?

Standard Octopus Go has a fixed five-hour off-peak window (00:30 to 05:30) and works with any EV and charger without app-based scheduling. Intelligent Octopus Go has a longer guaranteed home window (11:30pm to 5:30am) and uses the Octopus app to smart-schedule your EV charging at any time of day — but requires a compatible EV or smart charger. For compatible setups, Intelligent Go typically delivers better overall savings.