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Nicki Slater-Arnold
Nicki Slater-Arnold

Nicki Slater-Arnold

Energy Writer

Nicki Slater-Arnold is a writer at Octopus Energy, where she focuses on demystifying the energy sector. Her work aims to make complex topics, like energy tariffs, smart meters, and green technology, clear and accessible for customers.

Before joining Octopus in 2026, Nicki spent 14 years at The Times and Sunday Times, most recently as a senior sub-editor. She holds a degree in English from Durham University.

Outside of work, Nicki’s four-year-old son is completely obsessed with Constantine, the Octopus Energy pink mascot. Though, for reasons known only to himself, he prefers to call her "BB Nipples."

Nicki's favourite articles

  • Octopus Energy Tech Summit live blog. She says: "I absolutely loved this day, even though it was exhausting. I provided instant reactions and round-ups of each talk as they happened, and I ran into a wonderful customer in the toilet who recognised me and said they'd been finding the blog really helpful. What more could you want?"

  • We’re throwing away billions in wind power — here’s what we can do about it. She says: "I'd been working a lot with Robin Hawkes, who created the brilliant Wasted Wind page, which shows how much money we're throwing away every year switching off wind turbines and paying gas plants to switch on, when my boss, Maddie Inglis, asked me to come up with something about wind for an email going out the next day. This piece just sort of poured out of me. I don't know why people aren't more outraged about this I'd love to do something to change it."

  • The gospel according to Declan: how one London cabbie became an EV evangelist. She says: "All hail Declan! This one was so much fun to write: he's a real character and he's right, if more cabbies switched to EVs we'd make huge progress in the push towards electrification.'"


16 posts by Nicki Slater-Arnold

Power lines and pylons stretch across a wide, grassy field under a partly cloudy blue sky.

How much profit does Octopus really make?

When bills go up, it’s easy to assume that energy suppliers are pocketing the difference. Let's explain where your money is really going.

Cartoon electricity meter with a pink cap waves with a pink glove. Surrounded by stars, hearts, and shapes on a dark background.

What to expect when a meter reader visits your home

Learn how to recognise our trusted partners (they always wear uniform), verify their ID and set up a doorstep password for peace of mind.

A dog and an octopus toy both wearing eclipse sunglasses

The moon switched off the sun. You switched off everything else*

Check out some of our favourite pictures from our special Eclipse Power Down. Psst: there's loads more dogs where that one came from.

pink octopus wearing a graduation cap, waving a teacher's baton

All about paying each bill in full with a variable Direct Debit

We explain what variable Direct Debits are, how they work and how you can switch to one.

Constantine playing football near a pub

Watt a Save! Free World Cup electricity for British pubs

Squeezed by business energy costs? We’re giving participating British pubs free electricity during 2026 World Cup matches🍺

Illustration of a calculator on a blue background

The Low Standing Charge tariff trial explained

Find out everything you need to know about Ofgem's Low Standing Charge Tariff Trial, including who it's for and what you need to think about before you switch.

Greg Jackson makes a battery announcement on stage at the Energy Tech Summit 2026

The Octopus battery revolution: smashing the roadblocks to a greener future

Greg Jackson announced massive updates at the Energy Tech Summit 2026, including electric truck battery-swapping stations and Nook home batteries.

Greg Jackson drop kicking Constantine

Energy Tech Summit 2026 — Live!

From Greg Jackson drop-kicking a plushie to Tim Peake making us all tear up, we covered every moment at the largest and most influential event of London Climate Action Week live.

Octopus energy specialists speak to customers on the phone

Should I fix my energy tariff? What the July price cap announcement means for you

Ofgem has announced the new energy price cap for July 1st to September 30th. It will climb by 13.5% (pushing a typical, medium-sized home’s bill for gas and electricity up £221 to £1,862 on average). When the cap dropped in April, it felt like we might finally be seeing some lasting relief. So why the U-turn for July? The short answer is wholesale costs — the price energy suppliers pay to buy gas and electricity on global markets. Recently, escalating tensions and ongoing conflict in the Middle East have caused those global markets to spike. Because producers had to rapidly adjust to new risks around Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) supplies, the wholesale cost of gas has rocketed and this has fed through to the price cap calculations. Most of the £221 price cap rise comes from gas, which will go up about £180. Electricity bills will rise roughly £40.

Illustration of a pink Octopus with a calculator, doing maths

October 2026 energy price cap: should I fix my tariff?

Ofgem's new energy price cap is set to rise by 4%. Discover how this affects your bills and whether you should switch your tariff before October 1.

A row of terraced houses in London

Renting your home? Why you call the shots on your energy bills

Nope, your landlord doesn't get to decide who your energy provider is. Your bills, your decision.

Heat pump with pink flowers

How two homeowners scored a heat pump with their mortgage (and how you could too!)

When you secure a new mortgage, the biggest milestone is usually finally getting your hands on the keys. If you’re lucky, you might get a “congratulations” card in the post. You certainly don't expect your lender to foot the bill for a brand-new, low-carbon heating system! But late last year, Lloyds Bank did exactly that. If you accepted your first illustration to take out a new mortgage or switch deals with them between mid-October and late November, they offered to foot the bill for a standard heat pump installation by us here at Octopus

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