Best Heat Pump Tariff (UK 2026): Cosy Octopus and the Rivals by Region
By Rob Hammond · Updated September 2026 · How we score
PowerGuide is reader-supported. We may earn a commission from links on this page. It never affects our rankings or what we recommend. Learn more
A heat pump runs all day, so a tariff built for it needs cheap hours when the house is being heated, not just overnight. Cosy Octopus has three cheap windows and a dear early evening. The rivals below either split the day into bands too or discount the cheap hours, and neither publishes a rate you can compare without a postcode quote. Which is best depends on whether your heat pump can pre-heat and coast through the peak.
The short answer
- Heat pump with a hot water cylinder and controls that can pre-heat: Cosy Octopus.
- Heat pump that must run through the evening: a tariff with no expensive evening band, such as Flexible Octopus.
- Heat pump plus an EV charged nightly: Intelligent Octopus Go, compared on the best EV tariff guide.
Cosy Octopus by region
| Region | 00:00–04:00 | 04:00–07:00 | 07:00–13:00 | 13:00–16:00 | 16:00–19:00 | 19:00–22:00 | 22:00–00:00 | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern England (A) | 26.67p | 13.09p | 26.67p | 13.09p | 40.01p | 26.67p | 13.09p | 52.19p/day |
| East Midlands (B) | 25.32p | 12.42p | 25.32p | 12.42p | 37.98p | 25.32p | 12.42p | 51.06p/day |
| London (C) | 26.63p | 13.07p | 26.63p | 13.07p | 39.95p | 26.63p | 13.07p | 42.42p/day |
| Merseyside and North Wales (D) | 28.01p | 13.75p | 28.01p | 13.75p | 42.03p | 28.01p | 13.75p | 68.00p/day |
| West Midlands (E) | 25.56p | 12.54p | 25.56p | 12.54p | 38.34p | 25.56p | 12.54p | 57.35p/day |
| North East England (F) | 25.46p | 12.50p | 25.46p | 12.50p | 38.20p | 25.46p | 12.50p | 61.52p/day |
| North West England (G) | 26.42p | 12.96p | 26.42p | 12.96p | 39.64p | 26.42p | 12.96p | 44.93p/day |
| Southern England (H) | 26.72p | 13.11p | 26.72p | 13.11p | 40.08p | 26.72p | 13.11p | 47.71p/day |
| South East England (J) | 26.98p | 13.24p | 26.98p | 13.24p | 40.48p | 26.98p | 13.24p | 52.76p/day |
| South Wales (K) | 26.63p | 13.07p | 26.63p | 13.07p | 39.95p | 26.63p | 13.07p | 54.86p/day |
| South West England (L) | 26.70p | 13.10p | 26.70p | 13.10p | 40.06p | 26.70p | 13.10p | 56.34p/day |
| Yorkshire (M) | 25.51p | 12.52p | 25.51p | 12.52p | 38.27p | 25.51p | 12.52p | 61.74p/day |
| South Scotland (N) | 26.09p | 12.80p | 26.09p | 12.80p | 39.14p | 26.09p | 12.80p | 62.83p/day |
| North Scotland (P) | 26.76p | 13.13p | 26.76p | 13.13p | 40.14p | 26.76p | 13.13p | 56.29p/day |
Snapshot 2026-09-28. The Cosy Octopus page highlights your row once you enter a postcode.
The rivals
| Supplier | Tariff | Off-peak | Window | Peak | Needs | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E.ON Next | Next Pumped | Not published | 22:00 to 06:00 (super off-peak); 06:00 to 16:00 and 19:00 to 22:00 (off-peak) | Not published | A heat pump or electric boiler, a smart meter with half-hourly readings, monthly Direct Debit; 12-month fix, no exit fee Rates are regional and only given in a postcode quote. | 2026-09-24 |
| British Gas | Heat Power | Not published | 13:00 to 16:00 and 00:00 to 07:00 | Not published | British Gas electricity supply; works with any heat pump, electric heating, EV or battery Published as 50% off your tariff's unit rate in the cheap hours, paid as a weekly bill credit. | 2026-09-24 |
Does it change heat pump versus gas?
This site’s heat pump versus gas boiler conclusion uses the price cap rate and finds a heat pump at the median measured efficiency costs more to run than a gas boiler. That conclusion stands at the cap rate. A heat pump tariff changes the electricity price in the sum, and the change is regional. Enter your postcode in the running cost calculator to see your region’s Flexible Octopus rate applied, then set the electricity price to the Cosy rate you expect to average; the calculator names the tariff and the date the rate was checked. Where a region’s Cosy rates make the heat pump cheaper, that is a regional exception with its own conditions (pre-heating, a cylinder, staying off the peak), not a reversal of the national answer.
FAQs
Does a heat pump tariff make a heat pump cheaper than gas?
It narrows the gap. Whether it closes it depends on your region's rates and how much heating you can move into the cheap windows. The national conclusion on this site uses the price cap rate and stands.
Can I be on Cosy Octopus without a heat pump?
Octopus asks for a heat pump when you apply. The tariff's peak rate makes it a poor choice for a gas-heated home anyway.
What about a heat pump with an EV as well?
Compare Cosy against Intelligent Octopus Go. If the car is charged most nights, Intelligent Go's overnight window often covers the heat pump's cheapest hours too, and it has no expensive evening band.
Sources
- Octopus Energy: Cosy Octopus · checked 24 Sept 2026
- Octopus Energy API: products and unit rates · checked 24 Sept 2026
- Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates, 1 Oct to 31 Dec 2026 · checked 24 Sept 2026