Octopus Energy · Import tariff · VAT included
Flexible Octopus prices
The standard variable tariff, tracking the Ofgem price cap. Available on a single rate or Economy 7.
Your postcode is sent once to Octopus Energy’s public region lookup — the same one they bill from. We do not put it in the URL, analytics or database, and do not keep it.
Flexible Octopus is the standard variable tariff — the one you are put on by default, and the one almost every comparison on this site is measured against. It follows the Ofgem price cap, so the rate changes when the cap changes rather than daily or half-hourly.
It is also available on Economy 7, with a cheaper night rate and a dearer day rate, if your meter is set up for it. Both arrangements are shown below.
Showing Southern Scotland. Currently on sale: Flexible Octopus. Tariff code E-1R-VAR-22-11-01-N.
- Average today
- 25.85p
- Cheapest today
- 25.85p
- Most expensive today
- 25.85p
- Standing charge
- 60.89p
weighted by how long each price lasts
per day
Current rate
25.85pper kWh
Flexible Octopus charges one rate at all times. It changes only when Octopus Energy changes it, not on any daily cycle.
Against the price cap in Southern Scotland
The Ofgem cap for a single-rate direct debit meter here is 25.85p per kWh plus 64.17p a day. Today this tariff averaged 0.00p below the cap unit rate.
This compares one day’s unit rates only. What you pay also depends on the standing charge and on when you use electricity, so treat this as an indication rather than a saving. Cap period 2026-07-01 to 2026-09-30.
Estimated annual cost
£868a year
2,500 kWh a year in Southern Scotland, at 25.85p per kWh plus 60.89p a day standing charge.
This tariff charges one rate at all times, so the figure is arithmetic rather than a forecast. It moves only when the rate does.
On an Economy 7 meter
Flexible Octopus is also sold on a two-register meter, charging 31.19p per kWh by day and 14.54p per kWh at night, plus 61.41p a day.
The seven cheap hours are fixed by your meter and vary by region and installer, so check yours rather than assuming midnight to 7am. Economy 7 only pays if enough of your usage — storage heating, hot water, an EV — falls inside them. Octopus Energy quotes £1,047 a year for a 3,400 kWh Economy 7 household, which is a higher consumption figure than the single-rate one, so the two totals are not directly comparable.
Tariff code E-2R-VAR-22-11-01-N.
Gas
Today’s gas rate is 7.23p per kWh, plus 29.10p a day standing charge.
Gas is priced once per day with no time-of-use element, so there is nothing to shift and no cheaper hours to aim for. Tariff code G-1R-VAR-22-11-01-N.
Prices by region
Flexible Octopus unit rate by region
The unit rate in each region. Where you live changes what you pay, because the cost of distributing electricity differs by network.
Hover a region for its figure, or select one to load its prices.
Tap a region to load its prices.
| Region | Per kWh |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | 25.10p |
| North East England | 25.22p |
| Yorkshire | 25.30p |
| West Midlands | 25.33p |
| Southern Scotland | 25.85p |
| North West England | 26.13p |
| South Wales | 26.33p |
| London | 26.35p |
| Eastern England | 26.38p |
| South West England | 26.39p |
| Southern England | 26.42p |
| Northern Scotland | 26.42p |
| South East England | 26.67p |
| Merseyside and North Wales | 27.66p |
Northern Ireland has a separate electricity market and is not covered by these regions.
Flexible Octopus standing charge by region
The daily charge you pay before using any electricity at all. It varies more between regions than the unit rate does, and you cannot avoid it by using less.
Hover a region for its figure, or select one to load its prices.
Tap a region to load its prices.
| Region | Per day |
|---|---|
| London | 41.5p |
| North West England | 44.3p |
| Southern England | 46.4p |
| East Midlands | 50.3p |
| Eastern England | 50.7p |
| South East England | 51.2p |
| Northern Scotland | 54.3p |
| South Wales | 54.6p |
| South West England | 54.6p |
| West Midlands | 56.4p |
| Southern Scotland | 60.9p |
| North East England | 61.0p |
| Yorkshire | 61.1p |
| Merseyside and North Wales | 67.5p |
Northern Ireland has a separate electricity market and is not covered by these regions.
Context
The price cap since Oct 18
A year of energy at typical consumption, paying by direct debit. This is the benchmark every tariff on this site is measured against, and it is a Great Britain figure rather than a regional one.
The cap peaked at £3,582 in Jan - Mar 2023 and stands at £1,663 for July - Sept 2026.
Show every period
| Period | Cap level |
|---|---|
| July - Sept 2026 | £1,663 |
| Apr - June 26 | £1,477 |
| Jan - Mar 2026 | £1,584 |
| Oct - Dec 2025 | £1,576 |
| July - Sept 2025 | £1,541 |
| Apr - June 25 | £1,655 |
| Jan - Mar 25 | £1,561 |
| Oct - Dec 24 | £1,543 |
| July-Sept 2024 | £1,414 |
| Apr-June 2024 | £1,521 |
| Jan - Mar 2024 | £1,723 |
| Oct - Dec 2023 | £1,641 |
| July-Sept 2023 | £1,766 |
| Apr-June 2023 | £2,762 |
| Jan - Mar 2023 | £3,582 |
| Oct - Dec 2022 | £2,972 |
| 2022 summer | £1,673 |
| 2021/22 winter | £1,093 |
| 2021 summer | £979 |
| 2020/21 winter | £899 |
| 2020 summer | £967 |
| 2019/20 winter | £979 |
| 2019 summer | £1,039 |
| 2018/19 winter | £945 |
Estimate what it would cost
Enter a number of kWh to see what it would costat today’s average price.
How Flexible Octopus works
One unit rate and one standing charge, held until the cap moves. Ofgem sets the cap quarterly, so in practice the price changes four times a year rather than continuously.
The cap limits the rate per unit, not your bill. Using more still costs more, and the widely quoted annual figure is an illustration for typical consumption rather than a maximum.
On an Economy 7 meter the day and night rates are billed against separate registers, so the saving depends on genuinely using more electricity at night.
What you need
- No smart meter needed, unlike every smart tariff on this site
- Economy 7 needs a meter with two registers, which not every home has
- Available across Great Britain, priced by distribution region
What drives what you pay
- The Ofgem cap, which moves quarterly and applies to everyone on a variable tariff
- How much you use, since there is no timing advantage to capture
- Your region, and whether you pay by direct debit
- On Economy 7, the share of your usage that falls in the night window
Who it tends to suit
- Households without a smart meter, who cannot use the smart tariffs
- Anyone who wants a rate that changes quarterly rather than daily
- Homes with storage heating or night usage, on the Economy 7 arrangement
Who it tends not to suit
- Households that could shift usage and would do better on a time-of-use tariff
- Anyone wanting a rate fixed for longer than the next cap change
- Homes with an electric vehicle, which almost always do better elsewhere
Things to watch
- Being the default is not the same as being the cheapest. It is the baseline, not the recommendation.
- Economy 7 only pays off if a real share of your usage is at night. Otherwise the higher day rate costs you more than the cheap nights save.
- The cap changes quarterly, so a rate that looks good today can move in three months.
Flexible Octopus compared with the alternatives
- Against Agile Octopus
- Agile can beat Flexible substantially if you shift usage, and lose to it if you cannot. Flexible is the safe option; Agile is the one with both upside and downside. The cap comparison on the Agile page shows where it currently sits.
- Against Octopus Tracker
- Tracker follows wholesale costs rather than the cap, so it can sit below Flexible for long stretches and above it during a spike. Flexible is steadier; Tracker is usually cheaper on average and occasionally worse.
- Against Octopus 12M Fixed
- A fix locks the rate for a year, which protects against a rising cap and costs you if the cap falls. Flexible does the opposite. Choose on whether you value certainty over the average outcome.
How to switch to Flexible Octopus
- This is the tariff you land on by default when you join Octopus, when a fixed deal ends, or when a supplier of last resort moves you across. Most people do not choose it so much as arrive on it.
- No smart meter is required, which sets it apart from every smart tariff here. Economy 7 needs a two-register meter, which not every home has.
- No exit fees at any point, so it is also the tariff to sit on while you decide what to move to.
Our verdict on Flexible Octopus
Flexible is the standard variable tariff, priced at the Ofgem cap and changing when the cap changes. It asks nothing of you: no smart meter, no shifting, no hardware, no commitment.
That safety is what it costs. Every other tariff here exists because it beats this one for a household that fits it. Flexible is the right answer if none of them do — and the right benchmark for judging whether they would.
In its favour
- Priced at the Ofgem cap, so it cannot exceed it
- No smart meter needed
- No exit fees, ever
- Prices change quarterly at most, not daily
Against it
- Almost always beaten by a tariff that suits your household
- The cap is a ceiling, not a good price
- No reward for shifting usage
- Changes with the cap, so it is not fixed either
Frequently asked questions
Is Flexible Octopus the same as the price cap?
It follows the cap rather than being it. The cap limits what a supplier may charge per unit and per day; Flexible prices at or near that limit and moves when the cap moves.
Do I need a smart meter for Flexible Octopus?
No. It is the one tariff here that does not require one, which is why it remains the default for homes without a working smart meter.
Is Economy 7 worth it?
Only if a real share of your electricity is used at night — storage heating, an immersion heater, or overnight car charging. The day rate is higher than a single rate, so without night usage it costs more.
How often does the price change?
When the Ofgem cap changes, which is quarterly. That is far less often than Tracker, which moves daily, or Agile, which moves every half hour.