Independent guides to UK home energy
Independent guidance on tariffs, heating, batteries and EV charging, built from the suppliers' own terms and Ofgem's figures. Where I have first-hand experience, as an Octopus Go customer, I say so.
Andy Hodges
Updated September 2026
EVs and V2G
The only live V2G setup you can buy in the UK is a BYD Dolphin with a Zaptec Pro charger on Octopus Power Pack. Mercedes, Nissan and Renault have all announced more, but most of it isn't available here yet.
I've been looking at this for my own house, and a lot of what's advertised is US-only or still a pilot. Here's what's actually on sale, what's coming, and what I'd wait for.
VAT drops from 5% to 0% until 31 March 2027, and the price cap moves to 26.32p/kWh. What that does to your bill.
Heat pumps, heat batteries, storage heaters and hot water stores. Costs, grants, and what works in an old solid-wall house.
Half-hourly prices, a 100p cap and the 4pm to 7pm peak. Good with a battery or an EV. Risky without one.
It can work on a cheap overnight rate. The numbers, and the situations where I wouldn't bother.
Tariffs and kit, with a straight verdict
I'm on it. Five cheap hours from 00:30, fixed for 12 months, no exit fees. The day rate is higher than the cap, so it only pays if a fair chunk of your use moves overnight.
Read the reviewSix cheap hours from 23:30 and a lower rate than Go. Octopus controls when the car charges, so it needs a compatible car or charger.
Read the comparisonPrices change every half hour. With a battery or EV you can chase the cheap slots. Without one, you're mostly exposed to the evening peak.
Read the reviewA whole-house heat battery like the tepeo ZEB runs about £6,000 and isn't installed in Scotland yet. The £2,500 grant is announced but not open.
Read moreFrom 1 October 2026
If you switch to Octopus through a link on this page, Econotion may earn a commission. It doesn't change what you pay.
If the EV is your one big load, Octopus Go is the one I'd pick. It works with any car and any charger, and the cheap window is the same every night, so there's nothing to watch. Intelligent Go is a bit cheaper on paper if your car is supported. Agile only makes sense with a battery or something you can schedule.
| Tariff | Cheap window | Cheap rate (p/kWh) | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Go | 00:30 to 05:30 | about 9.5 | An EV or plug-in hybrid charged at home, and a smart meter |
| Intelligent Octopus Go | 23:30 to 05:30 | 8 | A supported car or charger that Octopus can schedule |
| Octopus Agile | Changes every half hour | varies, capped at 100 | A smart meter, and ideally a battery, EV or heat pump you can schedule |
| Price cap (standard variable) | None | 26.32 all day | Nothing. This is the comparison point. |
Octopus Go is the South Scotland rate published in September with the 5% VAT taken off, since VAT on home electricity is 0% from 1 October. Rates vary by region, so check yours before you switch. Price cap figure from Ofgem for 1 October to 31 December 2026, with a standing charge of 54.83p a day.
Rough numbers, with the working shown
Read this first. This is an estimate, not a quote. It assumes you charge 85% to 100% of your miles in the cheap window and that your other use doesn't change. The Go figures are South Scotland rates from September with VAT removed, so put your own region's in.
Estimated difference a year on Go
Working it out
Longer write-ups
Heating
What each option costs, what grants exist in Scotland and England, and where each one makes sense.
EVs
What's on sale now, what's announced for 2026, and why Kia's V2H offer isn't available here.
Batteries
Costs, round-trip losses and the payback maths on an overnight tariff.
Tariffs
The formula, the cap, plunge pricing and the peak. Plus a quick test for whether it suits you.
Newsletter
I'll send an email when a tariff changes, a grant opens or I've written something worth reading. Not more than that, and you can unsubscribe any time.