Octopus 12M Fixed review (August 2026)
A unit rate and standing charge locked for twelve months, whatever the cap does.
Updated for August 2026
Tariff snapshot
The important details in one place
- Current tariff issue
- Octopus 12M Fixed
- OE-FIX-12M-26-08-10
- Price changes
- One fixed unit rate
- The price does not change during the day or during the fixed term
- Against the price cap
- Choose a location
- Compares today’s regional average unit rate with the applicable cap rate
- Estimated annual cost
- Choose a location
- Shown after an electricity region is selected
Key tariff facts
- The price does not change during the day or during the fixed term
- 12-month fixed term
- No specialist smart tariff meter requirement stated
- Electricity and gas are covered on this page
- Regional unit rates and standing charges
Current product options
Current versions of Octopus 12M Fixed
Suppliers can offer more than one version at once. Choose a region to compare the current regional rate and standing charge for each version.
Octopus 12M Fixed
OE-FIX-12M-26-08-03
12-month fixed term
- Rates shown
Octopus 12M Fixed
OE-FIX-12M-26-08-10
12-month fixed term
Octopus 12M Fixed Low Standing Charge
OE-FIX-12M-LOWSC-26-08-03
12-month fixed term
Octopus 12M Fixed Low Standing Charge
OE-FIX-12M-LOWSC-26-08-10
12-month fixed term
The short answer
Who Octopus 12M Fixed is most likely to work for
A fixed tariff buys certainty. You are paying for a known unit rate for the term, and whether that turns out cheap depends entirely on what the cap does afterwards — which nobody knows when you sign.
It suits a household that values a predictable bill over the chance of a lower one, or one that cannot shift usage and so cannot benefit from the smart tariffs. If prices fall, you will watch the cap drop below your rate and pay an exit fee to follow it.
A fixed tariff locks your unit rate and standing charge for twelve months. If the Ofgem cap rises during that year you are protected; if it falls you pay more than you would have on a variable tariff.
That is the whole trade, and it is a judgement about risk rather than about savings. Nobody knows which way the cap will move, which is why a fix is best understood as buying certainty rather than buying a discount.
In its favour
- Unit rate held for the whole term
- No smart meter required
- Predictable bills, which nothing else here offers
- Available on Economy 7
Against it
- Exit fees, unlike the smart tariffs
- No benefit if prices fall
- No reward for shifting usage
- Usually priced above the smart tariffs for a household that fits them
How it works
How Octopus 12M Fixed sets its prices
You agree a rate today and it holds for the term regardless of what happens to wholesale prices or the cap.
The live offer can sit above or below today's cap. The page therefore shows the current regional figures instead of assuming that certainty always carries a premium.
The rate is per unit, not per bill. A fix does not cap what you spend if you use more.
Things to watch
The main trade-offs
A fix is only good value in hindsight. If the cap falls you will be paying above it for the rest of the term.
Check the exit fee before signing. Leaving early is what turns a mediocre fix into an expensive one.
Fixing removes any benefit from shifting your usage, so it is the wrong tariff for an EV or a heat pump.
Live tariff data
Octopus 12M Fixed prices for your area
Electricity rates and standing charges differ by distribution region. Enter your postcode or choose your electricity region before local figures are shown.
Household fit
Who Octopus 12M Fixed might be good for
The right answer depends on your equipment, routine and tolerance for changing prices—not just how much electricity you use.
Likely to suit
- Households that need a predictable figure to budget against
- Anyone who believes the cap is more likely to rise than fall
- Homes without a smart meter, or without any load they can shift
Less likely to suit
- Households with an electric vehicle, battery or heat pump, which gain nothing from a flat rate
- Anyone who would be unhappy paying above the cap if it falls
- People who may want to switch during the term and would face an exit fee
Before switching
Check the requirements and what will affect the result
What you need
- No smart meter required
- Available on a single rate and on Economy 7
- Available across Great Britain, priced by distribution region
What drives what you pay
- The rate you fixed at, which is set on the day you sign up
- How much you use, since nothing about the tariff varies by time
- Where the cap goes over the following year, which decides whether the fix was worth it
- Any exit fee, if you want to leave before the term ends
Match the tariff to your home
Your largest electrical loads can change the answer
A specialist tariff can be better aligned with one large device, but its eligibility and expensive periods still matter. These are comparisons to make, not automatic recommendations.
If you have an EV
An EV tariff may be simpler if most of your flexible electricity is car charging. Intelligent Octopus Go schedules compatible cars or chargers; Octopus Go and EDF Go Electric use fixed overnight windows.
If you have solar without a battery
The import tariff and the rate paid for exported electricity are separate decisions. A straightforward export tariff can be more useful than a peak-weighted battery tariff when generation is exported as it happens.
If you have solar and a home battery
A paired import/export tariff may fit better because a battery can charge in a cheap period and discharge or export in a more valuable one. The gross rate spread is not the same as profit after losses and degradation.
If you have a heat pump
A heat-pump tariff may align its cheaper periods with space and hot-water heating. Whether it wins depends on insulation, controls and how much heat can move away from expensive periods.
Alternatives
Other smart tariffs from Octopus and EDF to compare
These are other smart-tariff comparisons from the two suppliers, not a claim that every option suits the same household.
Flexible Octopus
Flexible follows the cap up and down; a fix does neither. If you would rather know the figure than get the best average, fix. If you would rather track the market, stay flexible.
Review Flexible OctopusOctopus Tracker
Opposite ends of the same spectrum. Tracker gives you the market daily, with all its volatility; a fix gives you none of it. Tracker has generally been cheaper over time and is far less predictable month to month.
Review Octopus TrackerAgile Octopus
A fix rewards nothing you do; Agile rewards moving usage. If you have an electric vehicle, a battery or a heat pump, fixing gives up the thing those assets are for.
Review Agile OctopusOther Octopus Energy tariff reviews
Browse every other Octopus Energy tariff covered on Energy Review. Availability, eligibility and price structure are explained on each review.
Regional comparison
How prices differ across Great Britain
Octopus 12M Fixed unit rate and standing charge by region
The current unit rate and daily standing charge in each distribution region, including VAT.
Hover a region for its figure, or select one to load its prices.
Tap a region to load its prices.
| Region | Per kWh | Standing charge per day |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | 24.92p | 50.3p |
| West Midlands | 25.21p | 56.4p |
| Yorkshire | 25.25p | 61.1p |
| North East England | 25.29p | 61.0p |
| London | 25.60p | 41.5p |
| Southern Scotland | 26.01p | 60.9p |
| Southern England | 26.09p | 46.4p |
| Eastern England | 26.13p | 50.7p |
| South Wales | 26.36p | 54.6p |
| South East England | 26.48p | 51.2p |
| Northern Scotland | 26.49p | 54.3p |
| North West England | 26.60p | 44.3p |
| South West England | 26.63p | 54.6p |
| Merseyside and North Wales | 27.65p | 67.5p |
Northern Ireland has a separate electricity market and is not covered by these regions.
How to switch
Moving to Octopus 12M Fixed
- 1
Available to new and existing customers without a smart meter, on a single rate or on Economy 7.
- 2
The rate is held for the term from the day the tariff starts, whatever the cap does in the meantime.
- 3
Check the exit fee before committing: unlike the smart tariffs here, leaving a fixed deal early usually costs money.
Frequently asked questions
Is a fixed tariff cheaper?
Not reliably. A current fix can start above or below the cap; whether it turns out cheaper depends on what the cap and your usage do afterwards. Compare the live regional rate and exit fee shown on this page.
What happens at the end of the twelve months?
You normally move onto the variable tariff unless you fix again. It is worth setting a reminder, because rolling onto a variable rate unnoticed is how people end up on a rate they did not choose.
Can I leave a fixed tariff early?
Usually yes, but there may be an exit fee. Check the terms before you sign, since the fee is what makes leaving expensive.
Does fixing cap my bill?
No. It fixes the price per unit and per day, not the total. Using more still costs more.