EDF GoElectric vs Octopus Intelligent Go: Lowest Rate or Easier Charging?

The short answer

Choose EDF GoElectric when the lowest guaranteed overnight rate and the longest fixed window are the priority. Choose Octopus Intelligent Go when you want the supplier to manage charging through the vehicle or charger and prefer flexibility over the last penny per kWh.

EDF currently lists 6.99p/kWh across 11pm–6am. Intelligent Go lists 8p/kWh across 11:30pm–5:30am. EDF wins the rate and window. Octopus wins the automation.

Side by side

The annual cost difference

The shared default model puts EDF EV electricity at £200 a year and Intelligent Go at £229. The whole-home totals are £1,162 and £1,257.

Those totals include representative household use and standing charges. They are more useful than multiplying mileage by the cheap rate, but they are still estimates. The supplier quote for the postcode is the final input.

For a 7kW charger, EDF's seven-hour window can deliver about 49kWh. The standard Intelligent Go allocation can deliver about 42kWh. Both are ample for ordinary daily replenishment. EDF's extra hour matters to drivers who regularly return with a large battery substantially depleted.

Fixed schedule or managed charging

EDF GoElectric

GoElectric is deliberately simple. Set the vehicle or charger to draw power between 11pm–6am. The lower rate applies to household electricity in that period, so flexible appliances can use it too.

There is no need for a supplier-compatible wallbox. A basic charger with a dependable timer performs the core job as well as a premium one. EDF also advertises a separate smart-charging bolt-on, but the fixed-window comparison does not depend on it.

Intelligent Octopus Go

Octopus links to an eligible EV or charger. You set the target and departure time; Octopus assigns charging under the product rules. Tesla owners can usually use the car integration, leaving the charger choice open.

Managed charging is capped at six hours in any midday-to-midday period. Allocated slots can move outside the base window, which is useful when the car is connected at irregular times, but the total cheap allocation is not unlimited.

Peak household use

EDF's lower EV rate does not guarantee the lower electricity bill. Compare the peak rate, standing charge and how much household load can move into the overnight window. A high-mileage driver in a quiet daytime home is the clearest EDF case. A lower-mileage home with substantial daytime electricity use can narrow or reverse the advantage.

Use the tariff calculator with annual mileage, vehicle efficiency and non-EV household consumption. Keep the off-peak share realistic. A calculation that assumes every kWh moves overnight is only useful if the household can actually do it.

Charger choice

On EDF, choose around the property and car: cable reach, solar diversion, warranty, connectivity and installed cost. There is no tariff reason to pay for a specific API.

On Intelligent Go, a compatible vehicle can do the scheduling. If you want the charger to own it instead, start with the Ohme Home Pro and compare other verified integrations in the smart-tariff charger guide.

The verdict

EDF GoElectric is the stronger rate-led choice. It asks the driver to set one timer in exchange for the lowest fixed rate and the longest guaranteed window in the current set. Intelligent Go is the stronger service-led choice. The extra cost buys managed charging and a wider integration ecosystem.

The deciding question is plain: would you reliably set and keep a fixed schedule to save the difference? If yes, EDF is difficult to beat. If not, Octopus can be worth paying for because a theoretically cheaper tariff that misses its window is not cheaper in practice.

Compare all EV tariffs | Read the EDF review | Read the Intelligent Go review

Sources and checking

Rates, windows and eligibility were checked against the official EDF GoElectric and Octopus Intelligent Go product pages on 10 August 2026. Supplier quotes remain postcode-dependent.