For some of our tariffs, an electricity band determines how much your business pays in 

The more energy a business uses, the higher its electricity band and 

 regulates and decides the electricity bands for all 

For business energy tariffs agreed after 1st October 2024

now have the same standing charge rates across each band.

For business energy tariffs agreed before 1st October 2024

have specific band rates. This means you pay a different standing charge depending on your band level. 

 customers, your band comes from the amount of electricity you use in a year:

 customers, your band comes from your site's power capacity and voltage level:

What is my business' electricity band?

You can find your business’ payment and balance history by 

Where can I see my business’ payment and balance history? 

Where can I see my business' payments and balance history?

All customers pay a standing charge to stay connected to the energy network

This is a fixed daily charge that keeps your business on the grid. 

It’s one of the main ways suppliers charge you for your energy, along with the cost of the amount you consume.

Your standing charge stays the same no matter how much you use.

Think of it like line rental on your landline phone: even if you don’t make any calls, you still pay to keep your phone line active.

These are the components that make up the overall charge:

These costs vary according to your meter type and where you live. For example, customers who live further away from power generators pay more in transmission charges.

Why does my business pay a standing charge?

Trio and Agile both reward you for using energy at off-peak times. But, there are a few key differences.

 gives you 3 fixed energy prices across 3 different periods of each day:

 prices change every half-hour, in line with the wholesale costs of energy.

Like Trio, rates are cheaper for most of the day. And the 4-7pm peak still tends to be the most expensive. But prices will be different every half-hour of every day. You can see your prices 24 hours ahead in 

To find out more about each version and sign up, 

Or, if you'd like help working out which version is best for you, head here: 

Which version of Shape Shifters is right for my business?

What’s the difference between Shape Shifters: Trio and Shape Shifters: Agile?

There, you can find out more about the tariffs, decide which version is best for you and begin your switch.

If you’re partway through a fixed contract, don’t worry. You can leave that contract and join Shape Shifters at any time. There’s no exit fee for switching.

I’m an Octopus Energy for Business customer. How do I sign up for Shape Shifters?

Shape Shifters comes in 2 versions: Shape Shifters: Trio and Shape Shifters: Agile. They can each bring big savings to your business. But, you might find one of them suits your business better.

To help you decide, here are the benefits of each version in detail:

So, the main choice is between the consistency of Trio and the dynamism of Agile. To find out more or sign up, 

start by switching to Octopus Energy for Business

Shape Shifters: Trio and Shape Shifters: Agile are only available to Octopus Energy for Business customers. So, you'll need to sign up to one of our standard tariffs first.

I’m not an Octopus Energy for Business customer. Can I sign up for Shape Shifters?

Yes, you need a smart meter to join both Shape Shifters: Trio and Shape Shifters: Agile.

These tariffs have different energy prices for different times of day. We use your smart meter readings to see how much energy you're using and when. That way, we can make sure you're benefitting from Shape Shifters prices correctly.

If you don’t have one yet, don’t worry. 

Just let us know you’d like a smart meter

. We’ll tell you when there are engineers available in your area.

Once your smart meter is up and running, you can 

Do I need a smart meter to join Shape Shifters?

Sometimes, you’ll be able to join right away. But occassionally, it can take a few weeks.

We run a few checks on your account when you apply to join. For example, we make sure your smart meter is working, your Direct Debit is active and your account is looking healthy in general.

Sometimes we have to fix one of these things - or ask you to - before you can join. That’s why the application can take a bit of time.

How long will it take for my Shape Shifters application to go through?

There are 3 ways to check your Shape Shifters: Agile unit rate.

How can I monitor my Shape Shifters: Agile prices?

This is the case for both versions of Shape Shifters - Trio and Agile.

You don’t have to pay an exit fee to move from your current Octopus contract to Shape Shifters. If you’re partway through a fixed contract, don’t worry. You can leave that and switch to Shape Shifters at any time.

There’s also no exit fee for leaving. So if you join and don’t like it, you can switch to a different tariff - including the other version of Shape Shifters.

Is there an exit fee for joining or leaving Shape Shifters?

Shape Shifters: Trio or Shape Shifters: Agile

If you don’t meet these yet, don’t worry. We’ve written guides on what to do if 

. And you can manage your Direct Debit and balance 

Is my business eligible to join Shape Shifters?

This depends on the type of organisation, the activities you do and the amount of electricity that you use.

Qualifying through your organisation’s status or activities

You receive these rate changes if your organisation meets any of these criteria: 

If less than 60% of your energy usage goes towards one of these activities, you’ll get reduced rates on that part of your consumption. If it’s more than 60%, you’ll get reduced rates on all of your consumption.

To claim your VAT reduction and CCL exemption, just 

. We’ll then apply it to all eligible invoices - past and future.

You can also qualify if you meet either of these criteria:

If this is the case, you don’t need to do anything. We’ll do apply this for you on your monthly invoice.

How do I know if my business qualifies for 5% VAT or CCL exemption? 

based on your organisation’s status or activities

, fill in the form below. If you qualify through low usage, you don’t need to do anything.

To claim your VAT reduction and CCL exception:

You don’t need to do anything. We’ll apply this for you on your monthly invoices. 

You qualify through low usage if you meet either of these criteria:

How can I claim my reduced rate of VAT and CCL exemption? 

No, there’s no cap on how high or low the prices can go. 

This is one way in which it differs from 

, a similar tariff that’s for homes rather than businesses.

 directly follows the prices of the wholesale energy market. These can go up as well as down.

use our Agile Portal to stay up to date with your prices

. It shows you your unit rates for the day ahead. Plus, you’ll find historical rates going back to January 2025 (when the tariff began).

Is there a limit to how high or low my Shape Shifters: Agile prices can go?

 contract won’t renew automatically. But, we’ll let you know when it’s coming to an end.

Whether you're on Shape: Shifters Trio or Shape Shifters: Agile, we'll get in touch 60 days before your contract ends. We’ll explain all of your smart and fixed renewal options, so you can decide what's right for you.

If you don’t choose a new tariff, you’ll roll onto our always good value variable tariff.

Will my Shape Shifters contract renew automatically? 

Yes, you can switch between Shape Shifters: Trio and Shape Shifters: Agile. 

It’s important to us that you’re on the product that works best for your business. So, we’re happy for you to move between the two. You can 

sign up for either version on the Shape Shifters homepage

Or, if Shape Shifters isn’t for you, you can switch to a fixed product. All with no exit fee.

Can I switch between Shape Shifters: Trio and Shape Shifters: Agile?

 unit rates tend to be higher in the winter than in the summer. 

Energy markets are seasonal. During the winter, national demand for energy is higher. So, wholesale energy costs - which Agile prices follow - tend to be higher too.

see historical energy prices in our Shape Shifters: Agile portal

. These go back to January 2025, when the tariff first launched.

Do Shape Shifters: Agile unit rates tend to be different depending on the time of year? 

 price is made up of 2 parts: the unit rate and the standing charge. Here’s how we calculate each of them.

We calculate your unit rate in pence per kilowatt-hour for each individual half-hour period. This is the formula we use to do it:

Here are some examples to show how we work out your unit rate:

Let’s imagine we’re calculating the price for 5:00 - 5:30pm. The inputs to the formula might look like this:

This would give a unit rate of 25p/kWh. Here’s why:

Let’s imagine we’re calculating the price for 2:00 - 2:30pm. The inputs to the formula might look like this:

This would give a unit rate of 18p/kWh. Here’s why:

This is a fixed price that you pay every day, regardless of how much energy you use. You can find out what makes up this charge in our blog: 

How do you calculate the prices for Shape Shifters: Agile?

When you sign up for a fixed energy contract, we buy all your energy in advance. 

So, ending your contract early leaves us with unused electricity or gas. Charging an exit fee means we don't risk making a loss on this energy.

Once you settle your exit fee and any outstanding balances on your account, you can start your switch to your new energy provider. 

Why do you charge an exit fee on some business tariffs?

Why do you charge an exit fee on some tariffs?

For each month that you stay in your contract, your exit fee value will decrease. 

So we can calculate your exit fee correctly, you’ll need to provide a final meter reading. 

See which of our tariffs carry an exit fee

How do you calculate business exit fees?

How is the exit fee calculated?

You should submit your meter readings within the last 

 before the end of the month. So, aim to submit your reading as soon as you receive a reminder. 

If you don’t submit your reading in this window:

If you receive an invoice with an estimate, there's no need to worry. Just email an up-to-date meter reading (ideally a photo of your meter) to 

. We’ll add this reading to your account and issue you a new invoice. 

When should I submit a meter reading each month?

 nationwide for all business customers. 

. When an appointment becomes available our meter installers will let you know. 

However, wait times can vary. They depend on your meter type and the availability of engineers in your area. 

Can my business get a smart meter and how long does that process take?

Can I get a smart meter and how long does that process take?

You've got access to your historical data at your fingertips.

. Here, you’ll find your past invoices, payments and meter readings.

Press ‘My energy’ in the left-hand sidebar. You’ll see breakdowns of your past usage and spending:

. This shows you all of your past invoices. You can also download a breakdown of your historical usage data here.

Check out the other cool ways you can track your consumption and spending

If you're having trouble finding your information:

One of our helpful team members will guide you through it.

How can I track my business’ energy usage and spending?

How can I track my business' energy usage and spending?

 meter, we won’t be able to connect to it. 

In other words, your meter will act like a 

So, you’ll have to submit manual meter readings each month. 

, check out our ultimate guide to reading your meter.

Business

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