Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go customers are facing price increases from 1 May 2026, with some saying they were given just 10–11 days’ notice of the change.
The tariffs are popular with electric vehicle owners for offering cheaper overnight charging electricity, but both off-peak rates and standing charges are set to rise.
Octopus Energy says the energy price rises are allowed under variable tariff rules and driven by “ongoing global volatility”.
Article continues belowWhat is Octopus Go?
Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go are smart electricity tariffs designed mainly for electric vehicle owners.
They offer cheaper overnight electricity for a set number of hours – typically five or six – to encourage off-peak charging of EVs at home. The same discounted rate can also apply to other household electricity use during those hours, depending on the tariff.
Intelligent Octopus Go also uses smart charging to automatically schedule EV charging when electricity is cheapest or lowest carbon intensity.
Because usage varies widely between households, overall costs depend heavily on how much charging is done overnight versus daytime use.
What the Octopus Go price increases are
Customers were informed on 20 April that prices will rise from 1 May, affecting both Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go tariffs.
The main change is an increase in the off-peak unit rate, alongside a rise in standing charges of around 52p per month on average, according to customer communications.
Octopus Energy has said the increases reflect “ongoing global volatility”, while noting that the tariffs remain among the cheapest available for EV charging. The company added that variable tariffs can move up or down depending on wholesale costs and policy charges.
Customer reaction and Martin Lewis response
Some Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus Go customers have expressed frustration after receiving what they say was around 10–11 days’ notice of the price changes coming into effect on 1 May.
Several said the timing was confusing, particularly as rates had only recently been reduced earlier in April.
One customer told the company they were “shocked with the short notice”, while another said the change felt “too quick after the last price drop”, according to messages shared with the supplier.
"Two weeks notice of change. And they say they review every three months. Also wiping out the Government's levy and costing us more than before" another person commented on X.
Writing on X in response to a customer query about the change, MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis said: “Doesn't sound great, but just to be technical. Octopus Go is not a price capped tariff so it didn't move due to drop in Price Cap. It dropped due to the removal of some govt policy costs from energy bills (which is the same reason the cap moved but still they're separate).”
His comments highlight that Octopus Go is a variable tariff, meaning prices can change outside of the energy price cap system depending on supplier costs and policy charges.
Octopus Energy refused to comment specifically on customers concerns when contacted, but they have said the changes are permitted under variable tariff rules and that, despite the increases, the EV tariffs remain among the cheapest available for overnight charging.
