Welcome

Welcome to AgileBuddy, the information portal for Octopus Energy's innovative Time of Use tariffs.

We're here to help you choose if one of these tariffs is right for you, to help you save money on your energy bills.

At a Glance

17.9p /kWh until 00:30 Agile Now
24.1p /kWh Comparison Agile Average
24.8p /kWh Today Electric Tracker
5.8p /kWh Today Gas Tracker

Getting Started

These rates represent the average across the entire country. To see the most accurate values, please set your region:

Unsure what your supply region is? Use your post code to look up your region.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Time of Use tariff?

Under a time of use tariff you are charged not just by how much electricity you use, but also depending on when you use it. The price per unit of electricity consumed (measured in kW/h) is different depending on the time of day. Historically the main tariff of this kind was the Economy 7, which used dual meters to measure consumption during the day and night. With the advent of smart meters that can measure usage accurately in half-hour increments much more granular time of use tariffs have become possible. Tariffs like Agile will have a different rate every 30 minutes!

Why would the price change during the day?

Demand for electricity varies throughout the day, and is typically lower during the night when most of the country is asleep, and high during the morning and afternoon as the country readies breakfast and dinner. Supply also varies throughout the day, particularly for solar energy which peaks when the sun is highest in the sky, and wind energy which peaks during stormy weather.

When times of high demand coincide with periods of low supply the grid needs to find extra energy to meet demand. This often comes in the form of expensive sources of energy, such as oil, gas or diesel, or imports from suppliers abroad. This makes electricity more expensive during these times.

Conversely during times of high supply and low demand the grid is able to meet demand using much cheaper forms of electricity, such as renewable wind and solar energy. This makes electricity cheaper at these times.

For example, the average Octopus Agile rate is 17.9p right now. The cheapest today is 17.6p and the highest is 40.8p

How can this save me money?

By leveraging a tariff with half-hourly pricing you can benefit from switching electricity usage from an expensive time of day to a cheaper time of day. The benefit will be most apparent for households able to switch electric demand away from the evening peak (16:00 - 19:00), but anyone can make small routine changes to benefit.

Some examples of demand that can be shifted

Some people may save on their bills without any adjustments in usage at all. A half-hourly time of use tariff means that the wholesale cost of your energy is tied directly to your usage, meaning your energy supplier can save on hedging (a type of insurance) costs which would be necessary when offering a tariff with fixed rates.

How do I sign up?

The only mainstream energy provider offering fully variable Time of Use pricing is Octopus, with their Agile tariff.