How does Octopus Agile work?
Octopus Agile sets a new electricity price for every half-hour of the day, tracking wholesale costs, so the rate is cheapest when demand is low and supply is high. Tomorrow's 48 prices publish each afternoon, usually around 16:00 London time.
Half-hourly pricing
Instead of one flat rate, Agile divides the day into 48 half-hour slots, each with its own price. Those prices follow half-hourly wholesale electricity costs, which rise and fall with demand and with how much wind and solar the grid has. That is why the cheapest slots usually land overnight and the peak arrives in the early evening.
When prices publish, and the cap
Today's prices are already fixed. Tomorrow's 48 prices are released each afternoon, usually around 16:00 London time, which is the moment you can first see tomorrow's cheapest slot or any plunge. Prices are capped at the top, so the peak cannot run away, but there is no floor: they can reach zero or go negative when the grid has a surplus.
Why region and a smart meter matter
The UK has 14 grid regions and Agile prices differ between them, so there is no single national rate, only your region's. Agile also needs a smart meter, because it bills each half-hour separately. negawatt shows your region's half-hours on one fixed scale, clearly, with no averages and no advice on when to run your appliances, just the prices.
Common questions
How does Octopus Agile set its prices?
Agile sets a separate price for each half-hour of the day, 48 in total, based on half-hourly wholesale electricity costs. When wholesale prices are low the Agile rate is low; when they are high it is high, up to a capped maximum.
When does Octopus publish the next day's Agile prices?
Tomorrow's 48 half-hourly prices publish each afternoon, usually around 16:00 London time. Before then only today's prices are final, so you cannot know tomorrow's cheapest slot earlier in the day.
Is there a maximum Agile price?
Yes. Agile prices are capped, so even at peak times the rate cannot run away beyond the cap. There is no floor in the same way: prices can fall to zero or go negative during a plunge, when you are paid to use electricity.
Why do Agile prices differ by region?
The UK is split into 14 grid regions, and wholesale and distribution costs differ between them. So the same half-hour can carry a different Agile price depending on where you live, which is why a national figure isn't meaningful.
Do I need a smart meter for Octopus Agile?
Yes. Because Agile bills you for each half-hour separately, it needs a smart meter that records half-hourly usage. Without one there is no way to match what you use to the changing price.
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negawatt is a trading name of BN3 Consulting Limited (Company No. 12848799, Horsham, UK). negawatt is not affiliated with Octopus Energy; it consumes their public Agile tariff API.