Other experts we recommend
StepChange Debt Charity - 0800 138 1111
Debt Advice Foundation - 0800 043 40 50
National Debtline - 0808 808 4000
PayPlan - 0800 280 2816
We know many people are facing incredibly tough circumstances in the Cost of Living crisis.
This page explains everything you can do to get control of your bills, and all the ways Octopus - and other organisations - can help.
The Balance Forecast tool helps you choose the right amount.
It uses your energy prices and past meter readings to shows you how much you should pay monthly to cover your energy costs. You can test out different Direct Debit amounts to see how the change would impact your balance over 12 months.
If you try to set your payment to a level that could lead you to build up debt, we'll let you know. You'll need to get in touch with us, so we can check there's not any other support you're eligible for.
A steady monthly Direct Debit is our most popular way to pay, because it allows you to spread your payments evenly across the 12 months, rather than paying less in summer and much more over the winter.
Because this method costs us less in admin, your unit price is less, saving the average home on our variable tariff around £80 a year.
Pay by variable Direct Debit, where you pay for exactly what you use every month.
Or, switch to Smart Pay-as-you-go, where you top up your meters as and when you need to. If you already have a smart meter, we should be able to switch you to smart prepay fairly quickly.
To find out more about these payment methods, please get in touch.
If you're worried about future changes to energy prices, you may want to consider switching from a flexible to a fixed tariff. Our Loyal Octopus tariff fixes your price for a year at the best rates we're able to offer at the time.
However, you're probably still best saying on our Flexible tariff right now: we're the only large supplier who can say that our Flexible Octopus tariff, has always been priced below Ofgem's energy price cap. Octopus standing charges are also the cheapest of any large supplier, and we haven't raised them in October (against Ofgem's guidance).
You can view and change tariffs through your app and online account.
Smart meters save you money by giving you better control of your bills and consumption. But that's not all...
With a smart meter, you unlock Octoplus, our new rewards programme featuring Free electricity at certain times, Saving Sessions, the energy saving scheme where we literally pay you to use less energy, and access to other great benefits. Find out more.
Help your house use energy and heat more efficiently with free or significantly discounted insulation through a government-funded scheme.
Apply here for The Great British Insulation Scheme and here for the ECO 4 scheme.
In the energy crisis, we set up Octopus Assist: a £15m fund which we increased to £30m over the winter to support even more customers struggling with bills.
Our support is designed to target those in the greatest need. The families who struggled to afford the bills even before the energy crisis, and those whose health and safety relies on heat and power.
If you'd like to apply, we'll ask you to fill out some information about your incomings and outgoings so we can better understand your situation.
Then, we'll offer you advice and support that's most appropriate for your circumstances from a number of wide-ranging schemes like standing charge holidays, personalised account help, and direct bill support.
You can also loan a thermal camera for free to find draughts around your home. Plug one of our infrared cameras into your smartphone to see where heat is escaping, and we'll share tips and ideas to help you fill those gaps to avoid wasting energy.
We’re also offering free electric blankets, which can save the average home £300 per year (they cost between 2 - 4p per hour to run). We’re giving them out free to those in greatest need – particularly the elderly, or those with medical or mobility issues.
This is a free national service that help us prioritise customers in vulnerable situations for additional support.
We understand everyone's circumstances are different. Get in touch with a friendly Octopus specialist any time you need bespoke account help.
We're always here to talk, whether you need to defer a payment or set up a payment plan to gradually pay back debit on your account or further spread out the costs of your energy.
Whatever it is, we can work with you on a short or long-term plan that suits you best.
If you’re eligible, we can also arrange for payments to be taken directly from your benefits using the Fuel Direct Scheme.
You can find more of the government's advice at their Help for Households website.
StepChange Debt Charity - 0800 138 1111
Debt Advice Foundation - 0800 043 40 50
National Debtline - 0808 808 4000
PayPlan - 0800 280 2816
Published on 27th February 2025 by:
Hey I'm Constantine, welcome to Octopus Energy!
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