Latest news with #Octopus
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Octopus launches its first ever EV home charger - you could claim 5,000 free miles if you do this one thing
Octopus Energy is expanding its EV charging empire by launching its first electric car home charger, and it's offering a free driving freebie if you sign up. Octopus, which recently became the largest domestic household energy supplier in Britain, has designed and built the Octopus Charge EV smart charger to add to its EV hardware stable. To celebrate, Octopus is giving customers up to 5,000 miles of free charging as a joining bonus - enough to get to Land's End to John o' Groats and back again with miles to spare. But there's a snag... The offer is only available to the first 100 customers, so you'll need to be quick off the mark to snap up the free miles. However, Octopus Charge is fully integrated with the UK's most popular EV tariff, Intelligent Octopus Go, allowing electric car owners to charge for a little as 2p a mile. So regardless of the sign up deal, big savings can be made if you charge smartly with the home charger. Costing £899 untethered (cable unattached) and £999 tethered (cable attached, Octopus promises that its new charger will 'shake up the electric car game' with its sleek design and super-smart charging, and make 'driving electric simpler, smarter and greener than ever'. The charger links up seamlessly with the Octopus Energy app and its tech platform Kraken, so it will know to smart charge automatically when electricity is at its cheapest and greenest. Customers just have to set a charging time and amount, and the smart tech takes care of the rest. Solar panel customers will be able to use Octopus Charge to power their EVs with any surplus solar electricity, turning free, home-grown electricity into miles on the road. While smart integration of Intelligent Octopus Go is already covered, other smart tariff integration isn't set up yet but Octopus says it will follow soon. Already, just over two years after launching, Intelligent Octopus Go is the UK's most popular EV tariff with 200,000 customers. Over 280 EV and charger models are compatible, making it a go to choice for EV owners and manufacturers. It also has built-in 4G, and fits snugly into tight spaces thanks to a uniquely designed charging cable holster. Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, Chief Product Officer at Octopus Energy, said: 'Charging at home is already better than queueing up at the petrol station – and now we've made it even simpler. 'Octopus Energy was the first energy company to launch a smart tariff, an EV tariff, an export tariff, and our very own heat pump. 'We're delighted to add Octopus Charge to our stable, initially designed to work seamlessly with Intelligent Octopus Go, and with other features to follow shortly.' How can you get the Octopus Charge EV home charger? Initially Octopus Charge will be exclusively available for customers of Octopus Electric Vehicles. It will then launch to all Octopus Energy customers in August. Drivers can register their interest in Octopus Charge online to be one of the first 100 to claim 5,000 free miles. How much can you save by charging at home? Last year, the Andersen Index compared a 1.2-litre Vauxhall Corsa to a Vauxhall Corsa Electric over a monthly average of 1,000 miles to see how much EV drivers could theoretically save. Live pricing from six popular energy providers at the time (including Ovo Energy, Octopus Energy, British Gas and gave an average smart charge rate of 7.9p/kWh. When multiplied by the 230kWh of battery energy required to power the Corsa E for 1,000 miles, an EV owner would pay £18.17 a month, or £218.04 a year. An equivalent petrol Corsa would need around 87 litres of unleaded petrol to drive 1,000 miles (at 52mpg, that's 11.42 miles a litre). Using the RAC average at the time the research was conducted (148p a litre), a petrol driver would have been forking out £128.76 per month, or £1,545.12 a year. That's a difference of £1,327.92 that could be saved by driving an EV and smart charging at home. People who don't use a smart charger, or don't take advantage of EV-specific tariffs, pay a monthly cost of £56.35, based on Ofgem's energy price cap average standard rate tariff of 24.5p/kWh. Each year this EV driver would pay £676.20.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Why Greener Energy Group "promise" to save you money on your heating
Now in its eleventh year, Paisley-based Greener Energy Group takes a complex subject and turns it into a very simple proposition: installations only proceed when they are calculated to be 100 per cent right for a customer's home and personal needs. Compliance manager Munro Grierson, who heads up training and compliance, is part of a team of experts who travel the length and breadth of Scotland to visit customers and understand how they live in their home, what they do, and what their concerns and aims are. 'We follow this up with lots of calculations, including technical surveys and heat calculations, to gauge precisely what every individual home needs,' he explains. Nor does it stop there. The company has an exceptional after-sales service and follows up customers to ensure they are on the right tariffs – and can benefit from the best tariffs and deals through partnerships Greener Energy Group has with Octopus, HIVE and others. 'Five years ago, most customers were motivated to change to greener alternatives for environmental reasons,' says Grierson. 'But the hike in the cost of electricity has had a huge impact and switched the focus to reducing energy bills, so green doesn't win votes anymore. However, I can promise customers we will save them money on their heating bills – and in addition they will also be helping the planet by reducing their carbon footprint. With today's renewables you can do it all.' The industry has also changed dramatically. 'What makes a difference is being able to help customers ensure they are on the right tariff. The award-winning product range we use is more advanced and because of battery intelligence, it can tell when you can save energy, when to use it, and when it can sell some back and help boost the grid, while heat pumps are more powerful and now use cleaner, natural refrigerants.' While the renewable energy sector has become much more sophisticated, old myths still abound and much of the information made public is not true, much to Grierson's frustration. 'There is still a lot of misinformation in the media,' he says. 'However, the wrong products will not deliver the best results, so when people say a heat pump is not effective, likely it was not the right solution to begin with. The reason we do heat calculations so precisely is to ensure the right heat pump is installed for that home.' (Image: Greener Energy Group) He continues: 'Batteries, which are located externally and are subject to stringent safety regulations, need to be used much more as they work in tandem with solar to provide free power. The latest batteries can use smart tariffs to buy electricity when demand is low to use when it is high – and sell it back to the grid to make profit. While the technology will continue to develop and products will become more powerful and efficient, with batteries the most exciting innovation is smart intelligence, which stores energy, sets your heating schedules and responds to demand to help smart grids optimize the use of energy.' For most people, accessing renewable energy products is entirely dependent on government incentives such as grant funding and loans. Currently the government offers a grant of £7,500 to qualifying homes for a heat pump installation. In addition, there is also a £7,500 interest-free loan scheme. 'These incentives are vital, yet paradoxically, the funding application process in Scotland is unnecessarily time-consuming and so bureaucratic it scares people off,' says Grierson. To overcome this, Greener Energy Group has a team dedicated solely to going through the application process with customers from start to finish. The company also offers credit facilities with interest-free funding on selective products. Born and brought up in the Scottish Highlands, Grierson studied environmental architecture at Aberdeen University prior to working for one of the major energy companies in England. His encyclopaedic knowledge is matched by a genuine passion, the latter almost palpable. 'I have an eight-year-old daughter, so my main motivation is to help give our children and grandchildren a better world to live in,' he says. 'That said, my greatest inspiration is our customers - and nothing beats the buzz from a great customer review.' (Greener Energy Group has a five-star Trustpilot rating.) 'This is an exciting, innovative and fast-moving industry and our aim is to reach out to as many people as possible and ensure they have the best products to take full advantage of the technology available to save money – and benefit the planet.'
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
UK's biggest energy supplier is paying customers to use less electricity again from this week
Read below to learn about more energy saving schemes CASH IN UK's biggest energy supplier is paying customers to use less electricity again from this week Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE UK's biggest energy supplier is paying customers to use less electricity again from this week. Octopus Energy is bringing back its popular Saving Sessions for customers. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Octopus Energy is bringing back its saving sessions for customers across the UK Credit: EPA The scheme is a way for customers to earn rewards by reducing their electricity consumption during specific times when the national grid is under pressure. Over the summer, households have a chance to use their washing machine and charge their devices for free if they shift their usage from peak times. Octopus said the free electricity will be available during one hour slots that will usually be held in the early afternoon. To be eligible for the scheme, you must be an Octoplus member, which is a free rewards program for the smart meter customers. The energy supplier said nearly one million eligible customers from last year have been automatically opted in. New customers can sign up via the Octopus Energy app or online Households will get a notification the day before a Saving Session letting them know the event is about to start. Octopus will use historical smart meter readings to work out a customer's typical energy use at that time of day. If the session is on a weekday, the calculation will look at half-hourly usage over the last 10 weekdays. Families can get FREE washing machines, fridges and kids' beds or £200 payments this summer – and you can apply now If the session is at the weekend, then it will look at half-hourly usage over the last four weekend days. The figure is then used as a baseline - any power used above that baseline will be free. Rebecca Dibb-Simkin, chief product officer at Octopus said: 'Calling all spenders and savers, grab your kettles and get those toasters ready cause we're bringing back 'Saving Sessions'. "This time, we're chuffed to offer even more fun, flair and fabulous prizes." Customers also have a chance to win prizes if certain targets are met, including a pink octopus toy and an electric car. This isn't the first time Octopus Energy has introduced innovative schemes to help its customers save money while supporting the energy grid. Last year, the company launched 'free electricity sessions' during periods of negative wholesale prices. ENERGY SAVING SCHEMES ScottishPower offers half-price electricity at weekends to its smart meter customers on both Saturday and Sunday. Those registered for Power Saver will receive the discounted rate every Saturday and Sunday between 11am and 4pm. Scottish Power will then credit your bill with money you've saved. To join the scheme you will need to have a smart meter and then register for the scheme online. You can register online by visiting / For every month a customer's peak energy usage is less than 15% they are entered into a prize draw. Five customers win the top prize of £2,000 worth of energy to use over one year, with 200 winning £50 prizes and 22,850 receiving £2 of free energy. Meanwhile, British Gas offers half-price electricity through its PeakSave scheme on Sundays between 11am-4pm. The scheme rewards customers for shifting their electricity usage to times when there's less demand. To sign up customers need to be a British Gas customers, have a smart meter and then register online for the PeakSave scheme. 4 ways to keep your energy bills low Laura Court-Jones, Small Business Editor at Bionic shared her tips. 1. Turn your heating down by one degree You probably won't even notice this tiny temperature difference, but what you will notice is a saving on your energy bills as a result. Just taking your thermostat down a notch is a quick way to start saving fast. This one small action only takes seconds to carry out and could potentially slash your heating bills by £171.70. 2. Switch appliances and lights off It sounds simple, but fully turning off appliances and lights that are not in use can reduce your energy bills, especially in winter. Turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, can save you up to £20 a year on your energy bills 3. Install a smart meter Smart meters are a great way to keep control over your energy use, largely because they allow you to see where and when your gas and electricity is being used. 4. Consider switching energy supplier No matter how happy you are with your current energy supplier, they may not be providing you with the best deals, especially if you've let a fixed-rate contract expire without arranging a new one. If you haven't browsed any alternative tariffs lately, then you may not be aware that there are better options out there.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wonder to power omnichannel payments for Octopus Cards
Paytech company Wonder has become the omnichannel payment facilitator for Octopus Cards in Hong Kong. The move aims to enhance both offline and online payment capabilities for merchants using Wonder's payment infrastructure. The collaboration enables merchants to add Octopus to their payment options alongside more than thirty other methods through Wonder's know your customer (KYC) process. Settlements to merchants will be conducted directly via Wonder's platform, aiming to simplify financial operations for businesses across different sectors. Wonder founder and CEO Jason Ngan said: 'Becoming Octopus' first payment facilitator in Hong Kong marks a major milestone for Wonder and reflects our shared commitment to driving payment innovation and digital transformation across the city. 'Since our strategic partnership began in early 2025, we have seen strong adoption momentum, and we look forward to working closely with Octopus to further expand acceptance and bring smarter, faster, and more effortless payment experiences to businesses and consumers in Hong Kong.' Octopus CEO Tim Ying said: 'Our collaboration with Wonder will enhance our customers' payment experience across Octopus' extensive network of over 190,000 physical acceptance points and our growing online presence. Working closely with all ecosystem partners, our goal is to ensure every interaction between buyers and sellers is seamless, convenient, and secure.' Octopus Cards, which operates under the Stored Value Facilities Licence, has been providing payment solutions since its inception in 1997. The Octopus system is a contactless smartcard payment method in Hong Kong. Wonder, a fintech and payments platform catering to the Hong Kong and Asia Pacific markets, facilitates digital financial transactions for merchants as a digital omni-channel payments system. It enables them to complete digital KYC onboarding, account opening, payment processing, and transaction management from a single integrated platform. "Wonder to power omnichannel payments for Octopus Cards " was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Perth Now
11-06-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Big £158k haul of Mediterranean octopus caught near Channel Islands
A Cornish trawler caught £158,000-worth of Octopus. Enterprise, a beam trawler based in Newlyn, Cornwall, England, were fishing in Mare Deep, an area near the Channel Islands, when they caught a 20 tonne-haul of Mediterranean octopus. Skipper George Stevens told BBC News: "The figures were adding up in my head and I thought, 'This is going to be a good payday.' "I rang one of the crew while he was in the supermarket to tell him how much money I'd just put in his account. I imagine the staff saw some strange reactions." The rise in octopus in British waters is having a big affect on the shellfish inustry because the eight-limbed animal eat the crabs and lobsters out of the fishing pots. But George thinks he has done the shellfish industry a "favour" by getting rid of some octopus. He said: "The unfortunate thing is that it's been affecting the shellfish industry really badly. But one man's famine is another man's feast and, by getting rid of a few, we've done the industry a favour." George said sorting out the octopus after they had been caught was challenging. He explained: "These octopus have very big tentacles and they're very grippy. "My crew only have two arms each and these have eight legs. It was quite entertaining to watch them try to peel them off their bodies. "They're very fast-moving, were climbing down the elevator, climbing over the bins and up the walls. "But once they went down to the fish room and touched a bit of ice, they became a bit more sedate."
