Octopus Agile: who it suits, and who it doesn't
Agile works if you can move a lot of your electricity use into the cheapest half hours, which means having a battery, an EV or a heat pump that can be scheduled. Without one of those a fixed rate is usually the safer option.
Econotion · Updated 8 November 2026 · From Octopus's own terms and pricing data. We're on Octopus Go, not Agile.
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Agile's price changes every half hour and follows the wholesale market, with 4pm to 7pm as the expensive period. Octopus's pricing explainer says the maximum was lowered from 100p to 70p/kWh in July 2026, though its product page still says 100p, so check the cap you're offered. It suits households that can automatically shift big loads away from that peak. For an EV household with no battery, Octopus Go gives a fixed cheap window every night and needs a lot less managing.
If you're not with Octopus yet you join on one of their standard tariffs first, then move to Agile from their smart tariffs page once they've connected to your smart meter, which Octopus says takes around 14 days. Check the current Agile terms on their site before you decide.
How the price is set
Octopus publishes the next day's half-hourly prices each afternoon, usually around 4pm. Its own pages give slightly different windows, with the product page saying between 4pm and 8pm and the terms saying between 16:00 and 22:00, though both say it's normally nearer 4pm. The formula Octopus publishes in its pricing explainer is:
price = the lower of (D × W + P) and 67p
- W is the wholesale price for that half hour.
- D is a multiplier that varies by region.
- P is a peak premium that only applies from 4pm to 7pm, and it also varies by region.
Octopus's explainer says that in July 2026 it lowered the maximum price from 100p to 70p/kWh, with 67p chosen so the price is capped at 70p/kWh once VAT is added, and that it updated the D and P inputs to reflect today's market, which it says will lead to some higher rates. Its Agile product page still describes a 100p cap, and the terms say the cap is the amount specified at the time you switch, so check the figure you're given when you sign up. Octopus doesn't say how the cap works while VAT on electricity is 0%.
Prices can also go below zero (“plunge pricing”), when you're paid to use electricity, and Octopus doesn't say whether there's a floor on that.
A typical day's prices
The table below is one day, 24 September 2026, in London, from Octopus's own pricing data. A single day shows the pattern rather than the average, and these prices include the 5% VAT that applied before 1 October.
| Time | Price (p/kWh, inc VAT) |
|---|---|
| Overnight | about 23.8 to 27.4 |
| Midday low (13:30) | 17.34 |
| 4pm to 7pm | 39.1 to 48.6 (peak 48.65 at 18:30) |
| Ofgem price cap at the time (July to September, inc 5% VAT), for reference | 26.11 all day |
On that day the overnight price was barely below the price cap, so the saving came from avoiding 4pm to 7pm rather than from cheap nights. From 1 October Octopus's Agile pricing data shows the same price with and without VAT, as electricity VAT is 0%, and in the Budget on 28 October the government said it will keep it at 0% until 30 June 2027. Go's night rate is 9.4p/kWh on the fix available from 30 October 2026, whatever the market does.
The contract
- Variable, with a 12-month term and no exit fee.
- You need a smart meter that sends half-hourly readings (SMETS2 or Secure SMETS1), and Octopus says connecting it takes about 14 days.
- Octopus describes Agile as one of its “beta” smart tariffs.
- Standing charges vary a lot by region. On 8 November 2026 London was 37.65p/day, South Scotland 59.16p/day and North Scotland 57.07p/day.
Who Agile suits
Agile is worth looking at if at least one of these applies:
- you have a home battery that can charge in the cheap slots and run the house through 4pm to 7pm
- you have a heat pump or storage heaters that can be scheduled around the peak
- you have an EV and a way of automatically picking the cheapest slots each day, such as an app, Home Assistant or a smart charger
If none of those apply, your usage lands wherever it lands, including the evening peak when cooking and lighting are at their highest, and that's where Agile gets expensive.
Solar and Agile
Solar doesn't make Agile any cheaper, because Agile only prices what you import from the grid. Solar cuts daytime imports but there's very little generation on a winter evening when Agile is at its most expensive, and export is covered by a separate tariff.
What to look at
If you've got a battery or can automate your big loads, model Agile against your own usage. If you've got an EV and nothing else, compare it with Octopus Go, and if you've got neither a fixed rate is the one to look at. Octopus's smart tariffs page has the current eligibility rules.
Common questions
When are Agile prices published?
Octopus publishes the next day's half-hourly prices each afternoon, usually around 4pm.
Is there a cap on Agile prices?
Yes. Octopus's pricing explainer says the maximum was lowered from 100p to 70p/kWh in July 2026, though its product page still says 100p, so check the cap you're offered when you sign up. Prices can also go negative, which Octopus calls plunge pricing.
Who does Agile suit?
Households with a home battery that can charge in the cheap slots and cover 4pm to 7pm, a heat pump or storage heaters that can be scheduled, or an EV with a system that picks the cheapest slots automatically. Without one of those, evening use makes Agile expensive and a fixed rate is usually safer.
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