If you are an Octopus Energy customer already, you may be familiar with their pink eight-legged mascot called Constantine the Octopus.
A fluffy, plush version of Constantine has been popping up all over social media. Octopus customers seem to be very fond of the little toy. So let’s look at why Octopus Energy made a plush toy and where Octopus Energy’s name came from in the first place.
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Who are Octopus Energy?
Octopus Energy is a UK gas and electricity supplier whose primary focus is renewable energy. The company is just five years old and leading the charge in fair and transparent energy pricing.
The founders started Octopus Energy to do energy better. Consumers had for too long had a limited choice of tariffs from well-established suppliers. Octopus wanted to change that.
They aim to offer “Great value for the long term” and make everything as simple as possible for their customers.
To boost Octopus Energy’s green credentials, they are the UK’s largest investor in solar farms. They have also made heavy investments in wind farms and anaerobic digestors. Not all the energy they supply comes from their own sources, but 100% of the electricity they supply is from a renewable source. In addition, they offer carbon offsetting for their gas tariffs.
As an energy supplier, they believe in fair and transparent pricing. None of their tariffs have exit fees. Their pricing is transparent, and there is no minimum contract length.
Where did Octopus Energy get its name?
Well, like Octopus Energy, the eight-tentacled sea creatures are extraordinarily flexible. They can manipulate their bodies and fit through an array of cracks and small gaps, some so small you wouldn’t believe it possible.
As a result, octopuses are a great evolutionary success story, having adapted themselves over the years to meet the demands of their environment. This remarkable adaptability is one of the reasons Octopus Investments, the parent company of Octopus Energy, chose the name.
According to Octopus Energy, having an ancient marine creature as their namesake reminds them why they do what they do. At the core of their mission is a determination to push green change and preserve the planet and its inhabitants no matter how many legs they have.
Why did they give away cuddly toys?
Back in the early days of Octopus Energy, a small toy company in Wales used to hand sew the first version of plush octopuses. You could see these cuddly creatures all around the Octopus Energy offices.
After a while, customers started noticing them and Octopus decided to make some larger versions of Constantine the Octopus too to keep the little ones company.
As a result, customer interest peaked. So, the company decided that they would send an Octopus to their customers who requested one. They have been so popular you can now find them in homes across the country.
With the high demand for the plushies, it wasn’t sustainable to continue to supply the tiny hand-sewn version. So today, they are ethically and carefully produced by a team in China.
Why is the Octopus called Constantine?
The name came from one of the Octopus members of staff. There isn’t any particular meaning behind it and seems he just liked the name!
How many have been given away?
As a result of their popularity, cuddly giant octopuses have been sent to over 3,500 homes. In addition, over 8,000 teeny ones have also reached their forever home. That’s a total of 11,734 out there in homes across the UK!
How do I get one for free?
Octopus used to give these away for free to existing customers but this is unfortunately no longer the case.
When the energy crisis hit, they stopped giving away free Constantines and instead put the money towards giving away electric blankets, thermal cameras (to spot heat loss) and to their £30m Octo Assist fund.
How do I get an Octopus plushy, then?
You can now get them through Shoptopus. This is the Octopus Energy shop where you can buy Octopus-related merch, including various Octopus plushies. They currently have a finger puppet-sized version, a squeaky version for pets, a backpack version and a full-sized version.
They are available at various different prizes, with the full-sized version currently £16.00.
If you have enough Octopoints however, you can get anything in the shop for half price, which means you could get a plushie for £8.00!
