Octopus Intelligent Go – Cheap Overnight EV Tariff

Introduction

Octopus Intelligent Go is an automatic EV tariff designed for electric vehicle owners who want cheap overnight charging.

Many users consider it the best EV tariff for homeowners who want to reduce energy bills while charging their car efficiently

This Octopus Energy EV tariff also offers potential £400+ annual savings depending on your usage.

With flexible options, potential extra off-peak slots, and automatic scheduling, it’s perfect for EV owners who want a fuss-free charging experience.

Intelligent Go Tariff and Variable Pricing

Intelligent Go offers both fixed and variable tariffs for electric vehicle owners:

Variable Tariff Pricing Snapshot

Headline variable tariff prices as of 1st August 2025—actual prices fluctuate with wholesale rates.

Prices can change in line with wholesale pricing. For detailed regional prices, see the individual region pages below

Intelligent Go UK Pricing by Region

Explore detailed regional pricing via our 14 UK DNO (district network operator) pages:

Eastern England
East Midlands
London
Merseyside and Northern Wales
North Eastern England
North Western England
Northern Scotland
Southern England
South Eastern England
Southern Wales
South Western England
Southern Scotland
West Midlands
Yorkshire

Half hour pricing for the last 7 days (Eastern England)

How Intelligent Go Works

Automatic charging

Plug in your EV when you get home, set your “charge to add” and “ready by” time in the Octopus App, and Intelligent Go schedules charging automatically. Your EV will be ready the next morning, ready for the time you specified.

Note: If you manually start charging outside these scheduled slots (“by using the bump charge button”), electricity used may be charged at the standard rate, rather than the off-peak rate.

EV Battery Size Matters

Extra slots are usually added if your EV charging requirement exceeds 42 kWh (6 hours × 7 kW charger speed). But sometimes you may get extra slots outside of the core hours even if you only need a smaller amount of charging.

It’s best not to second-guess the Octopus system—just plug in your car, set the ready time and charge needed in the Octopus App, and let Intelligent Go handle the schedule.

Why Some Off-Peak Slots Fall Outside Standard Hours

Slots outside the core window (11:30 pm – 5:30 am) can occur when:

• Your overnight charging requirement is larger than 42 kWh

• The grid has excess renewable energy

• Your region has lower overall demand during that time

Any additional slots outside of the core window are charged at the off-peak rate, but only for periods when your EV is actively drawing power for part of the 30-minute billing period.

Household Benefits

Your entire home benefits from cheap rates during the core overnight hours (11:30 pm – 5:30 am), even if the EV isn’t charging. Extra slots beyond the core hours are only billed at the discounted rate if the EV is actively charging for part of the half-hour period. If no charging occurs during these extra slots, the standard rate applies.

Potential Savings

Automatic scheduling plus off-peak rates can save around £418/year versus the July 2025 price cap, assuming ~7,000 miles driven annually.

Extra Cheap Slots – Real World Example

Sunny and Windy Days May Lead to Extra Slots

Intelligent Go is designed to take advantage of times when the grid has an abundance of renewable energy.

On particularly sunny or windy days, you may see additional off-peak charging slots scheduled outside the core window (11:30 pm – 5:30 am).

For example, if you plug in your EV on a sunny, windy afternoon, Intelligent Go can automatically add extra slots. In the screenshot from the Octopus Energy app, extra slots were provided between 13:07 and 17:00.

These slots would have been charged at the discounted off-peak rate, as long as the EV is actively charging for at least part of the 30-minute billing period (see FAQ Q11 for full details).

These extra slots aren’t guaranteed, but when conditions are right there’s a good chance you’ll get them—so it’s always worth plugging in if the conditions look favourable.

Get Insights from Octopus Agile Tariff

One way to anticipate these periods is by checking the Octopus Agile tariff.

Agile pricing follows the underlying wholesale cost of electricity, so when wholesale prices are low, Intelligent Go often schedules extra cheap slots at the same time.

Here’s an example of Agile pricing on Monday 4th August 2025, highlighting how a sunny, windy afternoon could have been the perfect time for extra discounted charging on Intelligent Go.

For daily updates on Agile and other Octopus Energy smart tariffs, follow @energystatsuk on Twitter/X, Bluesky, Mastodon, and Instagram.

Who Can Benefit Beyond EV Owners?

• Heat pump owners: Move hot water runs to off-peak slots to save even more, as detailed in The Heat Pump Hot Water Golden Rules.

• Solar/battery owners: Maximise self-consumption of renewable energy using off-peak slots to charge your batteries, illustrated in Whole House Running Costs and Stats 2024.

Although designed for EV owners, this electric vehicle tariff also benefits households with heat pumps or solar/batteries.

EV and Charger Compatibility

Intelligent Octopus Go is compatible with a wide range of electric vehicles (EVs) and chargers, but compatibility depends on both the car and the charger. Octopus Energy can directly communicate with over 280 EV and charger models, and they are constantly expanding this list.

EV Compatibility

Intelligent Octopus Go can directly control charging for many EVs, including select models from Audi, BMW, Mini, Renault, Tesla, and Volkswagen.

Charger Compatibility

Some chargers, such as Ohme and Zappi, are designed to work seamlessly with Intelligent Octopus Go. Other chargers can also be used, particularly if the EV itself allows charge scheduling via its own system.

Checking Compatibility

Always double-check your specific EV and charger on Octopus Energy’s website to ensure full compatibility. This ensures you can take full advantage of Intelligent Go’s automatic scheduling and off-peak rates.

For example, you may have a dumb wall charger but Octopus are able to talk directly to the EV instead to wake it up when it’s time to charge.

Whereas, if you have a compatible charger like an Ohme or a Zappi, then in theory you should be able to charge any EV as it’s the smart charger that Octopus is talking to.

If your charger and EV are not a compatible combination, you may need to consider the standard, non-smart Octopus Go EV tariff instead.

FAQ – Octopus Intelligent Go

1. Can I save on my home with this Octopus EV tariff even when the car isn’t charging?

A: Yes. Intelligent Go allows households to benefit from cheap overnight rates (11:30 pm – 5:30 am), even if the EV isn’t actively charging.

2. If the car is plugged in—but already fully charged—do I still get the cheap rate?

A: Your household still benefits from the off-peak rate, but additional slots beyond the core hours apply only when the EV is actively charging.

3. Why do some off-peak slots fall outside standard hours?

A: Extra slots are automatically scheduled when your EV’s charging requirement exceeds 42 kWh or when the grid has excess renewable energy, providing more cheap rate opportunities. Sometimes, extra slots can appear even for smaller charging needs due to lower local demand or high renewable generation.

4. What makes Intelligent Octopus Go different from plain Octopus Go?

A: Intelligent Go is smart and automatic, requiring compatible cars or chargers. It optimises charging based on your battery size and grid conditions, even outside the fixed off-peak window. Standard Octopus Go offers fewer core cheap hours and no extra slots.

5. How do I get set up—or disconnect—my charger or EV?

A:

• Connect: Sign up via the Octopus app and link your compatible charger or EV.

• Disconnect: Go to Account → Devices → Intelligent Octopus Go → Disconnect Charger or EV.

Full compatibility list: Octopus Energy Intelligent Go.

6. How much can I save, and how is pricing calculated?

A: Automatic scheduling plus off-peak rates can save around £418/year versus the July 2025 price cap, assuming ~7,000 miles driven annually.

7. How does Intelligent Go decide the charging schedule?

A: The system considers your EV battery size, charge-to-add percentage, ready-by time, and grid conditions to automatically schedule charging slots.

8. How do I know if my EV is actively charging for half-hour billing?

A: For any half-hour billing period, as long as your EV draws power for any part of that 30-minute slot, all energy used in that period is billed at the off-peak rate. Simply ensure your EV is plugged in and set to smart charging—Intelligent Go handles the rest.

9. Can I compare Intelligent Go to other tariffs like Agile or Tracker?

A: Yes—download historical pricing CSV files from Energy Stats Download Historical Data to perform your own analysis.

10. Is Intelligent Go the best EV tariff for overnight charging?

A: From personal experience, having been on Intelligent Go for nearly 2 years, it combines low rates with smart scheduling and optional extra slots. You can also use it alongside solar and battery setups to run heat pumps efficiently in a fully electric home.

11. What gas tariff can I pair with Intelligent Go?

A: You can pair Intelligent Go with any Octopus gas tariff. Many choose the Tracker gas tariff to match variable energy pricing, while fixed tariffs offer price certainty. Pick the option that suits your preference for stability or potential savings.

12. What is bump charging, and how does it affect Intelligent Go?

A: Bump charging is when you manually start your EV charging outside of the automatically scheduled off-peak slots. This can be useful if you want to top up your battery quickly, but any electricity used during these unscheduled periods—outside the core overnight hours or already allocated off-peak slots—will be charged at the standard rate. Intelligent Go will still optimise your main charging schedule automatically, so bump charging is purely optional.

13. Is my EV and charger compatible with Intelligent Go?

A: Intelligent Octopus Go works with a wide range of EVs and chargers, including many models from Audi, BMW, Mini, Renault, Tesla, and Volkswagen, and chargers like Ohme and Zappi. Compatibility depends on both the car and charger, so always check your specific combination on Octopus Energy’s website. If your EV or charger isn’t compatible, you may need to use the standard non-smart Octopus Go EV tariff instead.

Greener Nights Forecast

Check Greener Days for insights on which nights are likely to be greener. If you can delay charging, you might choose nights with the highest renewable generation.

Other Smart Tariffs

You may also be interested in other Octopus smart tariffs, in addition to Intelligent Go—the flagship Octopus EV tariff:

• Agile – 30-min wholesale prices

• Tracker – prices changes daily

• Cosy – heat pump tariff

• Outgoing export tariffs

A full round up of tariffs can be found in our Octopus Energy Smart Tarif Guide.

Call to Action

Switch to Octopus Intelligent Go, charge automatically at cheap overnight rates, enjoy extra slots, and potential £400+ annual savings.

Switch to Octopus Energy, get £50 free credit.