Using Smart Home Devices to Save Money with Octopus Energy

Dynamic energy tariffs like Octopus Tracker and Agile Octopus give you lower electricity prices when wholesale rates are low — but to really benefit, you need to time your usage. That’s where smart home devices can make a big difference. With a bit of automation and planning, you can shift your electricity use to cheaper times without changing your lifestyle.

Why Smart Devices Matter

With Tracker, the price changes daily. With Agile, it changes every half hour. Both give you cheaper electricity if you use power when demand is lower, but prices can also spike. Smart home tech helps you move your high-usage appliances (like EV chargers, heaters, or washing machines) to times when energy is cheap.

Even if you don’t have solar panels or a battery, you can still use smart devices to reduce your bills just by being smarter about when you use electricity.

Key Devices That Help Save Money

• Smart Plugs and Finger Bots: Let you automate when appliances turn on. Great for shifting washing machines, dryers, or dehumidifiers to overnight or off-peak hours.
• Smart Thermostats: Devices like Hive, Nest or tado° can schedule heating to avoid the most expensive times of day. You can preheat your home when prices are low and ease off during the evening peak.
• Smart EV Chargers: Some chargers like Ohme, Wallbox, or Zappi allow you to schedule charging during cheap windows — or even respond automatically to Octopus Agile prices.
• Hot Water Schedulers: If you use an immersion heater, a smart switch or timer can heat water during low cost periods.
• Home Assistants & Hubs: Platforms like Alexa, Google Home or Home Assistant can automate and coordinate your devices based on price data or pre-set rules.

Automation Tools That Work With Octopus

Smart home platforms can fetch real time pricing from Octopus and trigger devices based on cost. You don’t need to watch prices all day, you just set the rules once.

• Home Assistant: Popular open-source platform. Can pull Tracker and Agile rates using custom integrations and automate devices based on live prices.
• IFTTT: Can connect to Octopus and run automations like “If electricity price drops below 10p, turn on heating.”
• Manufacturer Apps: Many EV chargers and smart thermostats have built-in scheduling that works with Tracker or Agile.

Everyday Strategies That Add Up

• Time Your Appliances: Run washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and immersion heaters during cheaper periods (early morning, overnight, or mid-day on  sunny and \ or windy days).
• Preheat Your Home: Heat your home just before peak rates kick in, then coast through the expensive hours.
• Use Delay Functions: Many appliances have built-in delay timers, use them to match your low-cost windows.
• Automate Lighting: LED lighting isn’t a huge draw, but motion sensors and schedules still help you reduce small waste over time.

Octopus Tracker vs Agile: Why Timing Matters

Tracker gives you one fixed price per day, based on wholesale rates. You’ll know in advance if tomorrow is a good day to charge your car or do laundry. Smart homes can benefit by adjusting usage based on the daily price update.

Agile gives you 48 prices per day,  one for every half hour. You get big savings by avoiding the most expensive times and using more during cheap slots. Smart devices really shine here, because they can automatically respond to price changes without you having to monitor it.

In Summary

Whether you’re on Octopus Tracker or Agile, the biggest gains come from when you use electricity. Smart home tech makes it easy to shift your usage without hassle. With a few smart plugs, a decent EV charger, and some simple automation, you can cut bills without changing your habits.