What changed for Saving Sessions in 2026
According to Octopus's Saving Sessions page (checked 16 October 2026), there are now two types of session:
- Power Down. At peak times, use less electricity than normal and earn Octopoints for every kWh you save.
- Power Up. When there is lots of renewable power on the grid, use more than normal and earn Octopoints for the extra. These replace the old Free Electricity sessions.
Octopus says Power Down sessions run as part of NESO's Demand Flexibility Service, which pays for the reward. Local Power Ups for customers in certain postcodes, mostly in the East and Midlands, are paid through flexibility schemes run by local network operators (Octopus names UKPN, NGED and NPG), and Power Ups in Scotland through NESO's Local Constraint Market. It also says it will sometimes run sessions in some regions and not others, while still holding national events when needed.
| Power Down | Power Up | |
|---|---|---|
| You are asked to | Use less than normal | Use more than normal |
| Why | Demand is high and fossil fuel plants may be needed | Plenty of renewable power in the wires |
| Notice | Invite email, as much notice as possible | Go ahead at around 10am; events any time 11am to 4pm |
| Reward | Octopoints | Octopoints |
| Opt in | Each session | Each session |
Source: Octopus Energy Saving Sessions FAQ, checked 16 October 2026.
Who can join
Octopus lists three requirements: you must be in Octoplus, its customer rewards scheme; you must pay by Direct Debit or be on smart prepay; and you need an electricity smart meter that sends regular half-hourly readings. Octopus uses those readings to measure what you used during a session against your typical use. If your meter has stopped sending readings, our smart meter compensation guide covers what to do.
To sign up, log in to your Octopus account or app and look for the Saving Sessions banner. After that you get an email for each session, and you must opt in each time to earn Octopoints.
Where a home battery fits
A battery changes what your smart meter sees, which is what Octopus scores. In a Power Down session, a battery running the house from storage reduces what you import from the grid. In a Power Up session, charging the battery uses extra power that would otherwise not be used. That is the mechanism. Three honest caveats follow.
- Spare capacity. Power Up events can fall any time from 11am to 4pm. On Octopus Go a battery charged overnight is typically discharging through the day, so what a Power Up adds depends on how much spare capacity it has when the session starts.
- Rewards are not fixed. Octopus says the number of sessions depends on how much help the grid needs, and it does not publish a set reward per kWh. We do not estimate one.
- Read the terms. Octopus's page does not say how exported power is treated in a session. Check the Saving Sessions terms and conditions before you plan around it.
The bigger saving: one cycle a day on Octopus Go
Saving Sessions are occasional. The daily overnight charge is not. On Octopus Go 12M Fixed (GO-FIX-12M-26-10-14, checked 15 October 2026), the night rate is 9.4p/kWh everywhere and the day rate runs from 35.293p to 39.3081p depending on region. Charging a 5 kWh battery overnight and using it in the day, with an assumed 90% round-trip efficiency, saves:
| Measure (best case, one cycle a day) | Lowest region (East Midlands) | Highest region (Merseyside and North Wales) |
|---|---|---|
| Per day | about £1.24 | about £1.44 |
| Per year | about £453 | about £527 |
| Payback on £2,499 | about 5.5 years | about 4.7 years |
| Simple equivalent interest | about 18.1% | about 21.1% |
Our calculation: 5 kWh × day rate − (5 ÷ 0.9) kWh × 9.4p, × 365. Full workings on the homepage. Real savings will be lower if you do not use the full 5 kWh at day rates every day.
Any Saving Sessions Octopoints sit on top of that. For more on how the grid scheme behind them works, see our Demand Flexibility Service guide, and for the summer events that Power Up replaced, our Free Electricity Sessions guide. Tariff choices are covered in best tariffs for battery storage.
What Habo installs
Habo installs a 5 kWh EcoFlow STREAM all-in-one battery with the inverter built in, wired into your consumer unit by an electrician to BS 7671 and notified to your network operator under G98. It is from £2,499 installed. It is not a plug in battery that feeds a socket. Installed batteries are zero rated for VAT until 31 March 2027 and then move to 5%, per HMRC Notice 708/6 (see our VAT guide). Habo will try to serve anyone who registers in an area where we have an electrician.
Frequently asked questions
Do Saving Sessions still pay in Octopoints?
Yes. Octopus says both Power Up and Power Down sessions now reward you in Octopoints, added to your Octoplus account within a few weeks of a session.
When is the next Octopus Saving Session?
There is no fixed calendar. Octopus emails an invite for each session in your region with as much notice as it can. Power Up sessions get the go ahead at around 10am and can run any time from 11am to 4pm.
Can I be in Saving Sessions through two suppliers?
Octopus notes that some of the underlying schemes do not allow you to be enrolled through multiple suppliers, and says it will contact you if you need to choose.
Is a battery worth it just for Saving Sessions?
No. Buy a battery for the daily tariff saving, up to about £450 to £530 a year in the best case on Octopus Go, and treat Saving Sessions as an occasional extra. See is battery storage worth it.
Ready to start saving?
Join the waitlist for an electrician-wired 5 kWh EcoFlow STREAM home battery from £2,499 installed. No deposit.
Join the waitlist