Is Flexible Octopus the same as the price cap?

It is priced under the cap, by region. The table shows the exact unit rate and standing charge for yours.

Why does this site show Flexible at all?

Every smart tariff on this site is judged against it. If a smart tariff does not beat Flexible for your usage, it is not worth the constraints.

Flexible Octopus

Octopus's standard variable tariff, priced at or under the Ofgem cap in every region.

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Who it suits

Homes with nothing to shift: no EV, battery or heat pump
Anyone who wants the reference rate the smart tariffs are measured against

Who it is not for

EV owners: Go's overnight rate is a fraction of this
Battery owners who could arbitrage

Rates by region

Inc VAT, from the Octopus API on 2026-09-28. Enter a postcode to highlight your region.

Region	all day	Standing
Eastern England (A)	26.38p	50.66p/day
East Midlands (B)	25.10p	50.31p/day
London (C)	26.35p	41.50p/day
Merseyside and North Wales (D)	27.66p	67.47p/day
West Midlands (E)	25.33p	56.42p/day
North East England (F)	25.22p	61.00p/day
North West England (G)	26.13p	44.32p/day
Southern England (H)	26.42p	46.41p/day
South East England (J)	26.67p	51.16p/day
South Wales (K)	26.33p	54.55p/day
South West England (L)	26.39p	54.60p/day
Yorkshire (M)	25.30p	61.09p/day
South Scotland (N)	25.85p	60.89p/day
North Scotland (P)	26.42p	62.50p/day

What you need

Nothing beyond a supply; a smart meter is optional

See Flexible Octopus at Octopus

Assumptions

Octopus rates: Octopus Energy public API, all 14 regions, direct debit, inc VAT, snapshot 2026-09-28 (Octopus API)
Not modelled: Dual-fuel discounts, prepayment rates, business tariffs

Rates checked 20 September 2026. Check them again before you commit to anything.

Run the numbers

Annual gas use (from your bill)9,500 kWhHeat pump efficiency (SPF)2.78

Measured in real UK homes: bottom quartile 2.55, median 2.78, top quartile 3.05. A datasheet SCOP of 4+ is a laboratory figure.

Gas boiler efficiency82.5%Electricity price26.32pGas price7.97pKeeping a gas hob or fire (still pay the 29.68p/day gas standing charge)

Heat pump

£742

per year

Gas boiler

£865

per year, incl. standing charge

Heat pump saves

£123/yr

Break-even SPF at these prices: 2.38. A heat-pump tariff (e.g. Cosy Octopus) lowers the effective electricity price and moves this in the heat pump's favour.

Enter a postcode for your region's electricity rates. Cosy Octopus rates for your region.

Questions

Is Flexible Octopus the same as the price cap?: It is priced under the cap, by region. The table shows the exact unit rate and standing charge for yours.
Why does this site show Flexible at all?: Every smart tariff on this site is judged against it. If a smart tariff does not beat Flexible for your usage, it is not worth the constraints.