Octopus Energy Bereavement, Moving Home, Free Wills, and Account Guide

Dealing with practical admin during difficult life moments — the death of a loved one, a house move, or estate planning — is stressful enough without navigating complicated energy company processes. Octopus Energy has specific procedures for each of these situations, and this guide walks you through them clearly.

Here is what to do when someone on an Octopus Energy account has died, how to handle your energy account when moving home, how to access Octopus’s free will-writing service through Octopus Legacy, and how to manage your account day to day.

Octopus Energy Bereavement: What to Do When Someone Dies

When a person who holds an Octopus Energy account passes away, the account needs to be transferred or closed. Octopus has a bereavement team dedicated to handling these situations sensitively.

Steps to notify Octopus Energy of a bereavement

• Contact Octopus Energy’s bereavement team — the easiest way is via the in-app chat or by emailing hello@octopus.energy with the subject line ‘Bereavement’. Octopus does not require you to call.
• Provide the account holder’s name, address, and account number if you have it
• Take a meter reading on the date of death if possible — this helps establish a final bill
• Octopus will issue a final bill to the estate for any outstanding balance
• If you are the new resident, you can open a new account in your name — you are not liable for the deceased’s energy debt

Octopus does not require formal documentation (such as a death certificate) to begin the bereavement process, although it may be requested to finalise the account. The bereavement team can be contacted at any time — there is no deadline for notification.

If you are managing the estate of someone who had direct debit set up with Octopus, inform your bank to cancel the direct debit once Octopus has confirmed the account is closed.

Octopus Energy Moving Home: What to Do

Moving home with Octopus is straightforward whether you are moving out of a property where you are already an Octopus customer, or moving into a property already supplied by Octopus.

Moving out of your current property

• Log in to your Octopus account or use the app and select ‘I’m moving home’
• Provide your moving-out date and take a final meter reading on the day you leave
• Octopus will issue a final bill within 6 weeks based on the meter reading
• Any credit on your account will be refunded to your bank account

Moving into a new property

• If the new property is already supplied by Octopus, you can transfer your account — contact Octopus to let them know your move-in date and take an opening meter reading
• If the new property has a different supplier, you can switch to Octopus — the switch typically takes 14-21 days
• If you are renting and the landlord manages the energy, you may not need to take any action — check with your landlord

Moving out: what happens to any credit balance

If you have credit on your Octopus account when you move out, Octopus will refund it to your nominated bank account once the final bill is settled. This typically happens within 14 days of the final bill being issued. If you have a smart meter, Octopus can often settle the final bill faster using meter data rather than waiting for a manual meter reading.

Octopus Legacy: Free Wills Service

Octopus Legacy is a separate service offered by Octopus Group — not specifically related to energy supply — that provides free will writing for customers and their families. It is one of the most popular will-writing services in the UK and is open to anyone, not just Octopus Energy customers.

What Octopus Legacy offers

• Free online will: write and store a legally valid will online for free through octopus.com/legacy
• Free mirror wills: couples can write matching wills together at no cost
• Lasting Power of Attorney: LPA documents can also be created through Octopus Legacy
• Digital vault: store important documents, login details, and final wishes securely

The free will service is genuinely free — there is no hidden catch or requirement to be an Octopus Energy customer. Octopus makes money from optional paid upgrades such as professional review by a solicitor. The free online will is legally valid in England and Wales.

Octopus Legacy also offers a free will writing service in partnership with charities and employers — some employers offer it as a workplace benefit. The ‘Octopus free will’ and ‘Octopus Legacy free will’ searches both lead to the same service.

How to Read Your Octopus Meter

Submitting regular meter readings keeps your bills accurate. If you have a smart meter, Octopus reads it automatically — you do not need to submit readings manually.

If you have a traditional meter:

• Electricity meter: read the digits from left to right. Ignore any digits in red or after a decimal point.
• Gas meter: read the first four digits from left to right (some meters show five digits; use the first four).
• Submit readings via the Octopus app, your online account, or by replying to any meter reading reminder email Octopus sends.

How to Move Your Gas Meter

If you need your gas meter relocated — for example, because of a home renovation — this is handled by your Gas Transporter (the network company responsible for pipes to your property), not your energy supplier. In England, Scotland, and Wales, you contact your regional Gas Distribution Network (e.g., Cadent, SGN, Wales & West). The cost depends on the complexity of the move but typically starts at around £500-£1,000 for a simple relocation. Octopus Energy cannot move meters directly but can provide your MPRN (meter reference number) if needed.

Octopus Energy Account: Day-to-Day Management

Task	How to do it
Submit meter reading	Octopus app > Meter Readings, or log in at octopus.energy
Pay your bill	Direct debit is standard; pay online or in the app
Contact Octopus	In-app chat (fastest); hello@octopus.energy; no phone number published
Report a bereavement	hello@octopus.energy with ‘Bereavement’ subject line, or in-app chat
Moving home	Octopus app > ‘I’m moving home’, or account page online
Change tariff	Octopus app > Tariffs, or online account
Free will	octopus.com/legacy (no account required)
Saving Sessions	Opt in via the Octopus app; earn OctoPoints

Octopus Energy is unusual among large UK energy suppliers in that it does not publish a standard customer service phone number. All customer contact is handled via the in-app chat, email (hello@octopus.energy), or the online account portal. This is a deliberate design choice — Octopus says it results in faster response times than phone queues, and its customer service ratings support this.

Octopus Energy Exit Fees

Most Octopus tariffs have no exit fees. The exceptions as of June 2026 are certain 10-month and 12-month fixed acquisition tariffs introduced in 2024, which carry a £50 per fuel exit fee. Loyal Octopus (renewal tariff), Flexible Octopus, and most smart tariffs (Tracker, Agile, Intelligent Go) have no exit fees. Always check the tariff information label before signing up to confirm the exit fee terms for your specific tariff.

Looking to compare Octopus tariffs or find out which one saves you the most? See our full Octopus Energy tariff comparison: Tracker vs Agile vs Flexible vs Fixed.

Write your free will or set up a Lasting Power of Attorney at octopus.com/legacy — the service is free and open to anyone, not just Octopus Energy customers.

Bottom Line

Bereavement contact	hello@octopus.energy (subject: Bereavement) or in-app chat
Moving home	App or online account > ‘I’m moving home’; take meter reading on moving day
Credit refund on moving	Refunded within 14 days of final bill once settled
Free will	octopus.com/legacy — free, legally valid, open to all
Meter reading submission	App or online account; smart meter customers automatic
Exit fees	None on most tariffs; some fixed acquisition tariffs have £50 per fuel
Phone number	Octopus does not publish one; use in-app chat or email

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I notify Octopus Energy of a bereavement?

Contact Octopus Energy’s bereavement team via the in-app chat or by emailing hello@octopus.energy with ‘Bereavement’ in the subject line. Provide the account holder’s name, address, and account number. Take a meter reading on the date of death if possible. Octopus will issue a final bill to the estate and close the account. As the new resident, you are not liable for the deceased’s energy debt and can open a new account in your name.

What happens to my Octopus account when I move home?

Log in to your Octopus account and select ‘I’m moving home’. Provide your moving-out date and a final meter reading. Octopus will issue a final bill within 6 weeks and refund any credit to your bank account within 14 days of the final bill. If you are moving to a property already supplied by Octopus, you can transfer your account. If switching from another supplier, allow 14-21 days for the switch.

How do I get a free will from Octopus?

Octopus Legacy at octopus.com/legacy offers free online will writing. It is legally valid in England and Wales, open to anyone (not just Octopus Energy customers), and completely free — no hidden fees. Couples can write mirror wills together. Optional paid services include solicitor review and Lasting Power of Attorney documents.

Does Octopus Energy have a phone number?

Octopus Energy does not publish a standard customer service phone number. All customer contact is handled via the in-app chat, email (hello@octopus.energy), or the online account portal. Octopus states this results in faster response times than traditional phone queues, and its customer service ratings — top-ranked by Citizens Advice — support this approach.

How do I submit a meter reading to Octopus Energy?

Submit meter readings via the Octopus Energy app (tap ‘Meter Readings’) or through your online account at octopus.energy. If you have a SMETS2 smart meter, Octopus reads it automatically and you do not need to submit readings manually. For traditional meters: read the digits left to right, ignoring red digits or decimal points.