The UK’s most popular electric vehicle (EV) tariff, Intelligent Octopus Go, now manages a combined 1 gigawatt (GW) worth of EV batteries – the equivalent to the amount of electricity needed to power both Birmingham and Leeds on a typical evening
150,000 EV batteries are combined into a virtual power plant via Octopus Energy’s proprietary technology platform, Kraken. This enables them to automatically shift their charging to greener and cheaper times to benefit the grid and EV owners.
Launched in early 2022, Intelligent Octopus Go from Octopus Energy takes smart charging to the next level, and is the UK’s first 100% flexible charging tariff – providing drivers with six hours of low cost charging each night.
The number of customers on the tariff has increased five-fold in the last year alone – with over 150,000 drivers now choosing it. It is one of the UK’s cheapest EV tariffs and can save customers £600 per year when compared to charging on a standard variable tariff, or £1,660 per year versus a petrol car.
Intelligent Octopus Go customers can use the Octopus Energy app to set the time they want their vehicle ready and what the level of charge should be. Kraken then works in the background to charge up when it’s best for the energy system – when there is abundant, low cost, low carbon energy, and when the grid is less busy.
According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Britain has recently hit a milestone of 1 million electric vehicles registered in the country. Over 250,000 EVs are now on Octopus smart tariffs, helping to move energy out of peak times, saving both the owners and every other bill payer money by lowering system costs.
Alex Schoch, Head of Flexibility at Octopus Energy, said:
“We’re seeing a paradigm shift in global energy – moving from dumb to smart systems that dynamically manage energy demand and supply in an Uber-style fashion. Now being able to manage a virtual power plant of 150,000 EVs has massive benefits for not only our future green grid, but every person that pays an energy bill too. We’re excited to see it grow even more from here.”
Lesley, an Intelligent Octopus Go customer from Derby, said:
“We’ve just been really pleased that Intelligent Octopus is working for us, not only saving us money with the car charging, [but also] helping to balance out the grid. We feel good knowing that we are doing our little bit to help make our power consumption greener.”
Image courtesy of Octopus Energy.
