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Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus: How Much Will You Actually Save?

11 March 2025

If you’ve just picked up a new EV or are in the market for one, you may have come across Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus while shopping for energy tariffs to charge your car. Both offer cheap off-peak charging, with the price difference being only 1.5p per kWh.

This may appear significant at first glance, but how much can you really save over the course of an average year? Let’s break it down.

 

Octopus Go vs Intelligent Octopus for Tesla Model 3

 

The average EV owner uses around 47 kWh per week based on a Tesla Model 3 covering an average mileage of 10,000 miles per year.

Assuming you’re driving a brand new standard spec Model 3 roughly the average of 10,000 miles annually, the cost difference can be mapped out as below:

Tariff Weekly Cost Monthly Cost Annual Cost
Intelligent Octopus (7p/kWh) £3.29 £14.21 £170.73
Octopus Go (8.5p/kWh) £3.99 £17.25 £207.32
Difference 70p £3.04 £36.59

 

So, if you compare like-for-like in the same timeframe, the saving throughout an entire year is £36.59 – roughly the price of a takeaway pizza with sides with the weekly cost difference coming in at a mere 70p, and the monthly cost difference arriving at less than a single supermarket meal deal.

That’s a tiny difference when you consider that petrol or diesel for the same mileage would cost £40-£60 per week.

Intelligent Octopus uses smart scheduling through the Octopus app to manage your EV charging – a feature also offered within our own Simpson & Partners app provided free of charge when you purchase any of our EV charger products, through which you can automatically charge your EV during off-peak hours, and even integrating with any solar panels you have fitted to your property to automatically charge using excess solar energy when available.

Are S&P Chargers Compatible with Intelligent Octopus?

Yes! Intelligent Octopus is supported by Simpson & Partners EV chargers as long as you have a supported vehicle. See if your car is supported by clicking here for the latest list directly from the Octopus Energy website. The list covers the most common EVs from Tesla, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Jaguar, and Mini.

If your EV isn’t listed, don’t worry. You can still use Octopus Go with any Simpson & Partners EV charger. Simpson & Partners chargers will be fully integrated with Intelligent Octopus in the very near future. We are currently under NDA, so unfortunately we cannot share exactly when just yet. Rest assured, any chargers purchased now will receive an automatic free software update to enable this support as soon as it’s ready.

Both Are Great Tariff Choices

For most EV owners, the difference in cost between the two tariffs is negligible. Whether you choose Intelligent Octopus or Octopus Go, you’ll still be saving hundreds per year compared to running a conventional petrol or diesel car.