Octopus tariff changes: March 2026

Octopus changed the shape of several smart tariffs in March 2026. Go, Intelligent Go and Cosy moved away from open-ended variable pricing, while Flux stopped taking new customers. The practical question is not just what changed, but whether the tariff still fits your home now rates and contract terms are moving more often.

What changed

On 5 March 2026, three tariffs moved from variable to 6-month fixed deals:

• Octopus Go is now a 6-month fixed tariff with a £25 exit fee if you leave before the term ends. The off-peak window (00:30 to 05:30) and rate structure remain the same.
• Intelligent Octopus Go has the same change: 6-month fixed with a £25 exit fee. The smart charging features, off-peak window (23:30 to 05:30) and rate structure are unchanged.
• Cosy Octopus is also now 6-month fixed with a £25 exit fee. The three-rate structure and time windows remain the same.

Separately, Octopus Flux (the solar and battery tariff) was closed to new customers in March 2026 with no replacement announced. Existing Flux customers may still be on the tariff, but new signups are no longer possible.

What stayed the same

Three tariffs are unaffected:

• Flexible Octopus remains a variable tariff with no exit fees.
• Agile Octopus continues with half-hourly pricing and no exit fees.
• Octopus Tracker still follows daily wholesale rates with no exit fees.

You can still switch freely between Flexible, Agile and Tracker without any penalty.

Why Octopus changed the terms

Octopus now gives a plainer explanation than it did when the change first landed. Its exit-fee guidance says volatile energy prices pushed it back towards fixed deals and exit fees in March 2026, so it did not have to build the cost of people leaving early into every unit rate.

That does not make a fixed tariff automatically good or bad. It means the decision is more like any other fix: check the unit rates, the standing charge, the off-peak window and the exit fee before you move. For EV and heat-pump homes, the cheap windows can still matter more than the headline fixed label.

Flux is a separate issue. The old import-and-export bundle depended on premium export pricing in the evening peak. Since March, the clearer mainstream route for many solar homes has been to pick the right import tariff first, then pair it with the current export option.

What does it mean for customers?

If you're on Go, Intelligent Go or Cosy already: Your existing terms continue until your current period ends. When it is time to renew, check the exact quote in your account rather than assuming the March structure or a headline rate still applies. Octopus has since repriced Go and Intelligent Go, so the useful question is whether the cheap window still saves enough for your actual use.

If you're thinking about joining: The tariffs still work in familiar ways. Go gives you a fixed overnight cheap window. Intelligent Go adds smart EV charging and a longer whole-home cheap period. Cosy keeps its heat-pump-friendly three-rate structure. The extra check is now contract fit: how long the rates are fixed for, whether there is an exit fee and whether you are likely to stay on the tariff for the full term.

If you were considering Flux: treat it as a legacy route unless Octopus reopens it. For new solar and battery decisions, start with import needs: Intelligent Go or Go for EV-heavy homes, Agile for households willing to manage flexible use and Outgoing Octopus or Outgoing Agile for export. The current flat Outgoing rate changed in March 2026, so export value should be checked separately from import savings. See the solar guide for more detail.

Where to go next

The tariff guides and comparison pages on this site have been updated as Octopus and rival suppliers have changed their offers. The tariff comparison tool pulls live rates from the Octopus API daily, which is a better way to check current numbers than relying on a March news story.

If you are still weighing up a switch, use the current tariff guide first. If Octopus still looks right after that, the referral-code page sets out how Matt's code works without needing to hunt for it later.