Octopus Agile: tariff explained (2026)

Octopus Agile is a smart, time-of-use electricity tariff where your unit rate changes every half hour to follow the live wholesale energy market, rather than sitting at one flat price all day. Tomorrow's 48 prices are published the afternoon before, so you can see exactly when power will be cheap or pricey and plan around it. It's one of Octopus's most hands-on tariffs and, like everything they offer, comes with 100% renewable electricity.

What is Octopus Agile?

Octopus Agile is a smart, time-of-use electricity tariff where your unit rate changes every half hour to follow the live wholesale energy market, rather than sitting at one flat price all day. Tomorrow's 48 prices are published the afternoon before, so you can see exactly when power will be cheap or pricey and plan around it. It's one of Octopus's most hands-on tariffs and, like everything they offer, comes with 100% renewable electricity.

Who it’s best for

• Engaged households happy to shift big electricity jobs — dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, EV charging — into cheaper windows when they can see the prices in advance
• People with batteries, storage heaters or smart home kit that can automatically charge or run during the cheapest half-hourly slots
• Bargain-hunters who want to take advantage of occasional negative 'plunge pricing', when there's so much wind or solar on the grid that you're effectively paid to use electricity
• Anyone with a working smart meter who finds it genuinely interesting to track prices and is comfortable that peak-time slots (typically late afternoon to early evening) can be expensive

How it works

Agile sets a different unit price for every 30-minute slot across the day, calculated from wholesale market rates, with the full set of next-day prices released in the afternoon (usually around 4pm) so you've got the whole evening to plan. The idea is simple: run thirsty appliances when the rate is low — often overnight or in the middle of the day — and ease off during the peak window when demand and prices climb. When the grid is awash with cheap renewable power, prices can even dip below zero, meaning you're rewarded for using electricity at that moment. To stop the rare market spike from stinging, Octopus applies a guaranteed upper cap on the per-unit price. You'll need a working smart meter sending half-hourly readings so you're billed on what you actually used in each slot, and there are no exit fees, so you can move to another Octopus tariff for free if Agile doesn't suit your routine. Rates vary by region and change constantly with the wholesale market — always check the current numbers and the standing charge on octopus.energy rather than relying on a headline figure.

Agile is only available once you're an Octopus customer, and the easiest way to start is to join through a referral link — you and the person who shared it each get £50 in account credit. Sign up via share.octopus.energy directly (the code applies automatically); you can pick Flexible Octopus first and switch to Agile for free once you're set up, and you'll still get the £50 either way.

Rates and availability change regularly — check current prices on octopus.energy. Last reviewed 1 June 2026.

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