On average, an electric car owner could save in excess of £850 annually on charging expenses with Octopus Power Pack, in comparison to charging on a standard variable tariff.

This tariff, presently in beta phase, utilises V2G technology along with Octopus Energy's technological platform, Kraken, to optimise the charging and discharging schedule to benefit the grid. It enables the vehicle to be charged with affordable, green electricity during low-demand periods and to supply electricity back to the grid when its demand peaks.

Drivers are only required to connect their vehicle for approximately six hours daily. The remainder of the operation is automated, providing drivers with assured free charging.

Octopus Power Pack is accessible to drivers owning V2G compatible electric vehicles and charging stations in the UK. Currently, the compatibility is limited to a few models, but automobile manufacturers like Volvo have pledged to introduce V2G-ready vehicles shortly.

This tariff solidifies Octopus's status as the premier energy supplier for electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the UK. Octopus Energy recently surpassed 200,000 customers on its EV-optimised tariffs, Intelligent Octopus Go and Octopus Go, constituting about 20% of the electric vehicle owners on UK roads.

Alex Schoch, Head of Flexibility at Octopus Energy, said: "We recently moved past a million EVs on UK roads – a major milestone – but their true power for storing energy remains untapped. Once we reach 10 million electric cars on the road, we’ll have enough storage to power the entirety of Great Britain during peak times. All our drivers have to do is plug in regularly and their charging is completely free.

“EVs are going to be a major lever in our future flexible, green grid, but to get there we need to unlock the capabilities of their batteries. Now we have Octopus Power Pack, it’s over to car manufacturers to build the cars that are compatible with V2G technology.”

Customers can register interest in joining the tariff via this online form. The tariff works as a bolt-on that separates charging from the rest of the home and runs alongside each customer’s regular import tariff. Customers can also stack the benefits of payments for solar generation on top of this tariff.

As well as specialist charging tariffs, Octopus’ EV specialist business, Octopus Electric Vehicles, is also set up to provide everything drivers need to make the switch to electric driving. Combining a leased fully electric car with a home charger, specialist energy tariff and charging on their Electroverse network (with more than 650,000 chargers on one card and app), Octopus is a one-stop-shop for everything EV.