The Octopus app walkthrough
Reviewed 18 May 2026: checked against Octopus's current app, tariff-change, Octoplus, Saving Sessions, fixed-tariff exit-fee and Intelligent Octopus Go guidance.
The Octopus Energy app is available on iOS and Android. It is useful for checking your balance, usage, bills, rewards and smart-tariff settings without digging through PDF statements or old emails.
It is still worth treating the app as an account dashboard, not a perfect real-time meter. Smart-meter data can lag, bills can use different cut-off dates and tariff options may depend on your current contract.
Here’s what each main area does and what to check before you make decisions from it.
The home screen
When you open the app, the home screen gives you a quick account snapshot. You will usually see your balance, recent usage, current tariff and account messages.
Balance is useful, but it does not always mean your bill is up to date to the minute. If your latest statement has not been produced yet, your account may still be waiting for smart-meter data, a manual reading or a billing run.
Messages are worth scanning. They can include tariff prompts, Saving Session alerts, Octoplus reminders, meter-reading requests and general account notices.
Usage section
The usage section is where the app is most helpful. If your smart meter is sending regular data, you can view electricity and gas use by day, week or month. Electricity can be especially useful on time-of-use tariffs because it shows when your home used power, not just how much you used overall.
On Agile, Go and Intelligent Octopus Go, the usage view helps you check whether your habits match the tariff. Agile customers can look for costly half-hour periods. Go and Intelligent Go customers can check how much electricity is landing in the cheap overnight or smart-scheduled windows.
Do not panic if yesterday’s data is missing. Smart-meter data commonly takes time to arrive and gas data is usually less detailed than electricity data. If the graph and your statement disagree, read why app usage and bills do not always match before assuming Octopus has billed you wrongly.
If your smart meter is not sending data, you can still submit readings manually. Keep photos of meter readings if you are dealing with a meter exchange, a move, a switch or a disputed opening or closing reading.
Account and tariff details
The account area shows your tariff name, unit rates, standing charges and contract details. This is the quickest place to check what Octopus thinks you are paying, though your PDF statement is still the best evidence for a billed period.
Octopus says customers can normally change tariff from the online account, and the app may send you into the same account flow. The option is usually available if you are on a variable tariff such as Flexible Octopus or if you are close enough to the end of a fixed contract. If you cannot see the option, contact Octopus rather than assuming the tariff is unavailable.
Before changing tariff, check three things:
- whether the rate is fixed or variable
- whether an exit fee is shown before you confirm
- whether your smart meter, EV, charger or heating setup is eligible
Flexible Octopus remains a no-exit-fee variable tariff in Octopus’s current guidance. New fixed tariffs can have exit fees, and Octopus says these should be clearly shown before you switch. That matters for Go, Intelligent Go, Cosy and other fixed products because terms can change between product versions.
Payments and billing
The payments and billing area shows Direct Debit details, payment history, statement history and account balance. You may be able to change your Direct Debit, change the collection date or request a refund if you have built up credit.
Each statement should show the billed period, opening and closing readings, standing charges, unit rates, VAT and any credits or adjustments. For a line-by-line explanation, use understanding your Octopus bill.
If you think the app balance is wrong, compare it with the latest statement first. App balance, usage graphs and statements can be looking at slightly different moments in time.
The referral section
Octopus customers normally have a unique referral link. If someone switches through it and the referral is accepted, both accounts can receive the published referral credit.
The app can show your referral link and referral history. If you are using someone else’s referral, the important step is to start from their link or enter their code during the signup flow. This site’s referral-code page explains how Matt’s Octopus referral link works without needing you to copy details from the app.
Octoplus and rewards
Octoplus is Octopus’s free rewards programme for eligible electricity customers with a smart meter sending half-hourly readings and payment by Direct Debit or eligible smart prepay.
You can manage Octoplus in the app or online account. Octopoints can be converted into account credit at 800 points to £1, donated or used for some partner and merchandise offers. Octopus’s current guidance also says members can earn points through Saving Sessions, Free Electricity Sessions, the Wheel of Fortune and referrals.
Saving Sessions now need a little more care than the old “use less at tea time” shorthand. Octopus describes two main types:
- Power down sessions, where you are invited to use less electricity at a busy or high-demand time
- Power up sessions, where you are invited to use more electricity when there is surplus greener power on the system, often through Free Electricity-style sessions
That matches NESO’s 2026 Demand Flexibility Service change: the scheme can now reward households and businesses for increasing electricity use at selected times as well as reducing it. In practice, wait for the Octopus invite, read whether it says Power up or Power down, then move flexible loads such as dishwashers, washing machines, EV charging or heat-pump boosts only if it suits your home.
Do not confuse Octoplus rewards with a tariff guarantee. Rewards depend on eligibility, each session’s rules, your smart-meter data and whether Octopus has invited you. They are a useful extra if you already fit Octopus, not a reason to choose a tariff that otherwise suits you poorly.
Wheel of Fortune rewards are modest most months, but Octoplus members are guaranteed at least 8 Octopoints per spin and have a chance of larger prizes. Treat it as a small extra, not a reason to choose an energy supplier.
Useful sources: Octopus Saving Sessions, Octopus Free Electricity and NESO’s 2026 Demand Flexibility Service update.
Smart meter and device integrations
If your smart meter is not communicating, the app and online account can help you spot the problem, but some fixes still need Octopus support or a meter engineer. The app is best used alongside evidence: meter photos, dates, previous readings and any email history.
For Intelligent Octopus Go, the app is central. You connect a supported EV or charger, plug in, set how much charge you need and tell Octopus when you need the car ready. Octopus then creates the smart-charging schedule.
Octopus’s current Intelligent Octopus Go page says the tariff includes a guaranteed 23:30 to 05:30 cheap whole-home window, and that smart-scheduled EV charging can also be charged at the smart rate outside that window. Those rates are region and product-version dependent, so check the live Octopus tariff page before switching. Start with the Intelligent Octopus Go guide if you want the plain-English version first.
Compatibility changes over time. Octopus currently highlights Andersen support as well as its wider charger and vehicle checks, but you should still confirm your exact car, charger and postcode in the Octopus eligibility flow before assuming the app can control your charging.
Export customers with solar panels can see export information and payments too, although export views are usually simpler than import usage and may lag behind the main electricity graph.
Support and contact
The support area links to help articles and contact options. For simple tasks, the app is usually quicker than email. For anything involving a disputed bill, missing readings, a meter exchange, export setup or a vulnerable-customer issue, keep the evidence outside the app as well so you can refer back to it.
What the app is good at
The Octopus app is strongest for regular checks: balance, usage, tariff details, statements, Octoplus, EV smart charging and meter readings.
The main limitation is timing. Usage data, bills and smart-tariff schedules depend on meter communications and account processing, so the app can be right in one section and not yet caught up in another. If something looks odd, compare the app with the latest statement, your meter and any Octopus emails before making a complaint.
Used that way, it is a helpful everyday tool rather than a magic billing answer.