Octopus Tracker review (August 2026)
A single electricity and gas price per day, following wholesale costs.
Updated for August 2026
Tariff snapshot
The important details in one place
- Current tariff issue
- Octopus Tracker
- SILVER-26-04-01
- Price changes
- Once a day
- The rate applies from midnight to midnight and is shown once published
- 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 rate applies from midnight to midnight and is shown once published
- Variable-rate tariff
- Compatible smart meter required
- Electricity and gas are covered on this page
- Regional unit rates and standing charges
The short answer
Who Octopus Tracker is most likely to work for
Tracker is an effective way to cut a bill if you can accept daily price changes. For most households it is the practical route to wholesale prices without the daily attention Agile demands: one rate for the whole day means you run the house normally and still benefit when it is mild and windy.
It is not for the risk-averse. A hard winter cold snap pushes the daily rate up sharply, and you have to budget for that. The nine-month block on rejoining means the decision to leave is close to final for the year, so if you want certainty over your unit rate a fixed tariff is the safer choice.
Octopus Tracker sets one price for electricity and one for gas each day, following wholesale costs. It is the middle ground between a fixed tariff that never moves and Agile, which moves every half hour.
It is also the only Octopus smart tariff that applies the same wholesale-linked approach to gas, which matters if gas is the larger half of your bill — as it is in most homes with a gas boiler.
In its favour
- Often well below the Ofgem price cap
- No exit fees
- Zero-carbon electricity
- Covers gas as well as electricity
- One rate a day is far easier to live with than 48
Against it
- Rates can climb quickly in winter or a supply shock
- Leaving blocks you from rejoining for nine months
- Needs a fully working smart meter
- No green gas or offsetting on the gas side
How it works
How Octopus Tracker sets its prices
Octopus sets one rate for each consumption day from wholesale costs. It normally appears from midnight on that day, rather than as a dependable evening-before price. The rate then holds until the next daily rollover, so electricity at 3am and 6pm costs the same.
Both fuels are priced the same way. The gas rate and the electricity rate move independently, because their wholesale markets do.
Because the rate is fixed for the day, the tariff rewards using less rather than using at different times. That is the opposite of Agile, and the reason the two suit different households.
Things to watch
The main trade-offs
A daily rate means daily exposure. In a sustained price spike there is no fixed rate protecting you and no cheap window to move into.
You take on price variability without a way to act on it. Some people find that harder than Agile, where you can at least respond by shifting usage.
Signup availability has been restricted at points in the past, so it is not always open to new customers.
Live tariff data
Octopus Tracker 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 Tracker 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 want wholesale-linked pricing without watching every half hour
- Homes wanting the same approach applied to gas as well as electricity
- People who would rather use less than re-time their day
Less likely to suit
- Anyone who needs a rate they can predict months ahead for budgeting
- Households that could shift usage within a day — Agile rewards that, Tracker does not
- People uncomfortable with a price that can move every day
Before switching
Check the requirements and what will affect the result
What you need
- A smart meter sending readings, for both fuels if you take gas as well
- Availability has historically been limited at times, and Octopus has capped signups in some periods
- Available across Great Britain, priced by distribution region
What drives what you pay
- Wholesale gas and electricity prices, which move daily and can move sharply
- How much energy you use, since there is no timing advantage to exploit
- Standing charges on both fuels, which apply every day irrespective of usage
- The weather, more directly than on most tariffs — a cold snap raises both demand and wholesale prices at once
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.
Agile Octopus
Agile moves every half hour, Tracker once a day. Agile pays you for shifting usage; Tracker does not, because there is nothing to shift into. Choose Tracker if you want wholesale pricing without managing it, and Agile if you will genuinely change when you use electricity.
Review Agile OctopusFlexible Octopus
Flexible follows the Ofgem cap and changes quarterly; Tracker follows wholesale and changes daily. Tracker tends to be cheaper when wholesale prices sit below the cap and more expensive when they spike above it. The cap comparison above shows where today sits.
Review Flexible OctopusA fixed tariff
A fix buys certainty at a premium. Tracker gives up that certainty for prices that follow the market down as well as up. If a predictable monthly figure matters more to you than the average outcome, a fix is the better choice.
Other 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 Tracker unit rate and standing charge by region
The average price per unit on 2026-08-11, including VAT. The table also shows the daily standing charge.
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 | 25.99p | 51.1p |
| West Midlands | 26.25p | 57.3p |
| North East England | 26.27p | 61.5p |
| Yorkshire | 26.38p | 61.7p |
| Southern Scotland | 26.93p | 62.8p |
| Southern England | 27.11p | 47.7p |
| Northern Scotland | 27.11p | 56.3p |
| South Wales | 27.21p | 54.9p |
| South West England | 27.21p | 56.3p |
| Eastern England | 27.22p | 52.2p |
| London | 27.22p | 42.4p |
| North West England | 27.25p | 44.9p |
| South East England | 27.63p | 52.8p |
| Merseyside and North Wales | 28.82p | 68.0p |
Northern Ireland has a separate electricity market and is not covered by these regions.
How to switch
Moving to Octopus Tracker
- 1
You cannot join Tracker directly from another supplier. New customers sign up to Flexible Octopus first, then request the switch once they are on supply.
- 2
A working smart meter sending automatic readings is required. If you have an older meter, Octopus will fit a smart one free and you stay on Flexible until the engineer has been.
- 3
With a smart meter in place, you request Tracker from the online dashboard or the app. It takes a few days for billing to align, after which your daily rate updates each midnight.
- 4
There are no exit fees, but leaving blocks you from rejoining Tracker for nine months. That rules out the obvious tactic of taking it through summer and hiding on a fixed deal each winter.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a smart meter for Tracker?
Yes, and it has to be sending automatic readings. If you do not have one Octopus will fit it free, but you stay on Flexible Octopus until the installation is done.
Is Tracker protected by the Ofgem price cap?
No. As a smart tariff its daily rates sit outside the default tariff cap. Octopus applies its own hard ceiling instead — 100p per kWh for electricity and 30p per kWh for gas — which is far above anything the cap would allow.
Do I have to change when I use my appliances?
No. Unlike Agile, Tracker sets one rate from midnight to midnight, so there is no cheaper hour to aim for. The question is whether the day as a whole is cheap, not which part of it.
Is the gas on Tracker green?
No. The electricity is matched to zero-carbon generation, but the gas is standard natural gas. Octopus discontinued its gas-offsetting tariff in 2025 and no longer offers a green gas option.
Does Tracker cover gas as well as electricity?
Yes, and it is the main reason to choose it over Agile. Both fuels are priced daily from wholesale costs. Today’s gas rate is shown above alongside electricity.
How often does the Tracker price change?
Once a day. The rate normally appears from midnight for that consumption day and holds until the next daily rollover, so there is no cheaper time of day to aim for.
Is Tracker cheaper than the price cap?
Sometimes. It follows wholesale costs rather than the cap, so it can sit below the cap for long stretches and above it during a spike. The comparison above shows today’s position for your region.
Can I switch away if prices rise?
There are no exit fees, so you can leave at any time. But Octopus enforces a nine-month cooldown: once you leave Tracker you cannot rejoin it for nine months. That rules out taking it for the summer and moving to a fixed deal each winter.