The best heat pump tariffs UK suppliers offer in 2026 are time-of-use plans built around off-peak windows that match how a heat pump actually runs — Octopus Cosy is the strongest all-rounder, with EDF's Heat Pump Tracker and E.ON Next's Pumped tariff close behind.
A heat pump run on a flat-rate standard variable tariff misses out on the one advantage electric heating has over gas: you can shift most of the load to whenever electricity is cheapest. Dedicated heat pump tariffs charge less during long daytime and overnight windows and more during the 4pm–7pm peak, so a heat pump's slow, steady heat output — and a hot water cylinder that can be pre-heated — line up naturally with the cheap hours. This guide compares the live UK options on off-peak windows, rates, eligibility and what they actually save, plus when it's not worth switching at all.
| Tariff | Best for | Off-peak window | Smart meter required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Cosy | Overall — most off-peak hours, biggest savings | 04:00–07:00, 13:00–16:00, 22:00–00:00 (8 hrs) | Yes |
| EDF Heat Pump Tracker | Simplicity — one flat off-peak discount, no peak penalty | 04:00–07:00, 13:00–16:00 (6 hrs) | Yes |
| E.ON Next Pumped | Longest single daytime window | 06:00–16:00 plus 19:00–06:00 overnight | Yes |
| Octopus Agile | Hands-on savers who can actively shift usage daily | Half-hourly, rates change every 30 min | Yes |
How we chose these heat pump tariffs
We compared only tariffs specifically marketed at heat pump or electric-boiler owners, not general time-of-use or EV tariffs, using each supplier's own tariff page for rates and eligibility rather than third-party comparison estimates. We prioritised the length and timing of the off-peak window (a heat pump needs several consecutive cheap hours to usefully pre-heat a home or hot water cylinder), whether a peak-rate penalty applies, and whether the tariff is available UK-wide or only to existing customers. We excluded tariffs that have closed to new customers, including OVO's former Heat Pump Plus, which stopped accepting new sign-ups and removed its rebate for existing customers from February 2026.
Which heat pump electricity tariff should you switch to?
1. Octopus Cosy — best overall
Who it's for: anyone with a smart meter who can move most heating and hot water use into three windows across the day.
Cosy Octopus gives three off-peak periods — 04:00–07:00, 13:00–16:00 and 22:00–00:00 — priced around half the region's normal day rate, against a peak rate from 16:00–19:00 priced roughly 50% above it. That's eight off-peak hours a day, more than any other dedicated heat pump tariff on this list, which matters because a heat pump's compressor runs most efficiently left on for long stretches rather than cycling hard around a single short cheap window. Octopus quotes typical savings of tens of pounds a month for households that actively shift heating and hot water into the Cosy hours, on top of whatever a heat pump already saves against gas. The catch: you need a smart meter taking half-hourly readings, and if your schedule can't move (shift workers, home during the day) the peak-rate penalty between 4pm and 7pm can eat into the saving.
View Cosy Octopus on Octopus Energy
2. EDF Heat Pump Tracker — best for a simple flat discount
Who it's for: people who want a cheaper off-peak rate without a peak-rate penalty to work around.
EDF's Heat Pump Tracker gives a flat discount of around 10p per kWh below the region's standard rate across two windows — 04:00–07:00 and 13:00–16:00, six hours a day — with no punitive peak rate layered on top during the evening. That makes it easier to plan around than Cosy's three-window structure, at the cost of two fewer off-peak hours. It suits a household that wants a predictable discount rather than a rate that swings between very cheap and more expensive through the day.
View Heat Pump Tracker on EDF Energy
3. E.ON Next Pumped — best for a longer single window
Who it's for: households who are in most days and can run the heat pump through one long daytime stretch.
Next Pumped splits the day into a ten-hour daytime off-peak window (06:00–16:00) plus overnight off-peak from 19:00 to 06:00, with the narrowest peak of the three main tariffs — just 16:00 to 19:00. E.ON prices the super off-peak overnight rate from around 16.9p per kWh depending on region, and eligibility requires a working smart meter, monthly Direct Debit and agreement to half-hourly readings, the same baseline as the other providers here. The long daytime window suits homes where someone is in during the day to benefit from it, rather than an empty house that can only use the overnight rate.
4. Octopus Agile — best for active, hands-on savers
Who it's for: confident users of a home energy dashboard or Home Assistant automation who don't mind rates changing every half hour.
Agile isn't a heat pump-specific tariff — it's a wholesale-linked rate that changes every 30 minutes, published a day ahead. Paired with a heat pump on a smart thermostat schedule (or a Home Assistant automation reading the Octopus Agile API), it can beat the fixed-window tariffs above on the very cheapest days, but rates can also spike well above the standard cap during periods of high demand. It rewards people who'll actually check the next day's prices or automate around them; it can cost more than Cosy for anyone who won't.
View Agile Octopus on Octopus Energy
Do you need a smart meter for a heat pump tariff?
Yes — every dedicated heat pump tariff on this list requires a working smart meter capable of half-hourly readings, because the supplier needs to bill different rates for different times of day. If your smart meter isn't sending readings (a common problem after a house move or a network dropout), contact your supplier to get it reconnected before switching, since sign-up can be rejected or the tariff can revert to a default rate without it.
Who should skip a dedicated heat pump tariff?
Skip a time-of-use heat pump tariff if your household is home and heating through the 4pm–7pm peak window most days and can't shift that use — the peak-rate penalty on Cosy and Next Pumped can outweigh the off-peak saving. It's also not worth switching without a working smart meter, since none of these tariffs are available without one. In that situation, a standard variable or fixed tariff at the Ofgem price cap rate, or a simpler flat-rate deal, may work out cheaper overall than an unused time-of-use structure — run the numbers against your own daily usage pattern before switching, ideally using a full year of half-hourly smart meter data if you have it.
Can Home Assistant automate around a heat pump tariff?
Yes, and it's the most reliable way to actually capture the saving these tariffs advertise, rather than relying on remembering to adjust a thermostat manually. Octopus publishes a free public API for both Cosy and Agile rates, and a Home Assistant integration (the official Octopus Energy integration, or the community octopus_energy add-on) exposes the current and next-period rate as a sensor. From there a simple automation can boost the heat pump's flow temperature or pre-heat the hot water cylinder a little before a cheap window starts, and back off before the peak window begins, without any manual intervention. EDF and E.ON don't publish an equivalent open API, so their tariffs are easier to plan around with a fixed weekly schedule on the heat pump's own controller rather than a live-rate automation.
The same approach works well alongside a battery or solar diversion setup: a smart relay gated on the Octopus rate sensor means the compressor only runs flat-out during the cheapest hours, while a basic frost-protection setpoint keeps the house safe outside them. This is a natural extension of the load-shifting most heat pump owners already do for a home battery or EV charger, and it needs no extra hardware beyond what a typical Home Assistant setup already has.
For the wider running-cost picture, see our guides to heat pump installation cost UK and heat pump vs gas boiler running costs, and our broader Octopus Energy smart tariffs comparison if you're not yet running a heat pump.
