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Best heat pump tariffs UK compared
Affiliate disclosure:
A heat pump uses electricity all day, so a standard unit rate can make heating look expensive even when the pump itself is efficient. Several suppliers now sell tariffs with cheaper electricity in set windows, aimed at heat pumps, electric boilers or electric radiators. The cheap hours are useful only if you can actually run the pump, and heat the hot water, in those windows. A steep evening peak can wipe out the saving if you cannot.
This guide sets out the rates we could verify today, flags the ones that are quote-only, and has a short picker to point you towards a starting point. It is not a personal quote. We do not use affiliate links on energy tariffs. All supplier links below are plain links, except one clearly labelled Octopus Energy referral.
Why the cheap windows matter
From 1 October to 31 December 2026, the Ofgem price cap electricity unit rate, as a GB average for a Direct Debit customer, is 26.32p per kWh, with a standing charge of 54.83p per day. Those figures only apply if you are on a default or standard variable tariff. They are a useful benchmark, not a personal rate. The cap is due to change on 1 January 2027. We cover that in our energy price cap and fixed deals guide.
Where we give an Octopus pence figure, it is for London unless we say otherwise. Other regions can be quite a bit different, especially on standing charges. British Gas and E.ON Next did not publish a single pence-per-kWh figure on the public pages we checked, so we have written “check supplier” rather than guessing.
Heat pump tariffs compared
| Tariff | Cheap windows | Cheap rate | Other rates | Standing charge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Octopus Energy, Cosy Octopus (variable) | 4am–7am, 1pm–4pm and 10pm–midnight (8 hours) | 14.12p/kWh in London (13.46p–14.79p across regions) | Day 28.80p in London (27.45p–30.17p). Peak 4pm–7pm, 43.19p in London (41.18p–45.25p) | 42.29p/day in London (up to 66.74p/day in Merseyside and North Wales) | For a heat pump, electric boiler or electric radiators, plus a smart meter Octopus can read half-hourly. Variable, no exit fee. New customers usually start on an interim tariff while the meter is connected. |
| Octopus Energy, Cosy Octopus 12-month fix | Same three windows (8 hours) | 17.15p/kWh in London (15.27p–17.15p across regions) | Day 34.95p in London (31.11p–34.95p). Peak 4pm–7pm, 52.42p in London (46.66p–52.42p) | 41.22p/day in London (up to 65.28p/day) | Same eligibility as the variable version. £50 exit fee. Useful if you want the rates locked, but the cheap, day and peak rates are all higher than the variable Cosy in London today. |
| EDF, Heat Pump Tracker | 4am–7am and 1pm–4pm (6 hours) | 16.60p/kWh in London (15.36p–17.86p across regions). This is 10p off EDF's Standard rate in your region | No peak. The rest of the day is EDF's Standard rate: 26.60p/kWh in London (25.36p–27.86p) | 42.92p/day in London (up to 67.66p/day in North Wales and Merseyside) | You need a heat pump (EDF may ask for an MCS certificate or a photo) and a communicating half-hourly smart meter. The rates move with the price cap every three months; the 10p discount stays. No exit fee. Electricity only. |
| British Gas, Heat Power | 12am–7am and 1pm–4pm (10 hours) | Half the unit rate on the fixed tariff underneath, paid back as a weekly “Heat Power Credit”. The pence figure depends on the quote | No peak advertised. You still pay the full standing charge | Check supplier | Heat pump or electric heating at the property, a working smart meter, and payment by Direct Debit. Not for prepayment. Fixed term; British Gas did not publish the term length or exit fee on the page we checked. EVs and home batteries can use the same windows. Get a quote and compare the cheap and standard rates, not just “half price”. |
| E.ON Next, Next Pumped | Super off-peak 10pm–6am. Off-peak 6am–4pm and 7pm–10pm. Peak 4pm–7pm | Check supplier. E.ON Next did not publish a single pence-per-kWh figure on the public page we checked | Off-peak is below E.ON Next's standard Next Flex rate; the 4pm–7pm peak is above it. Confirm both on your quote | Check supplier | Heat pump or electric boiler, or one about to be installed. Smart meter, monthly Direct Debit, online account, half-hourly data. 12-month fix, no exit fees. Not available on Smart Pay As You Go. |
We could not find a live, publicly priced heat pump tariff from OVO on 15 November 2026. OVO's former Heat Pump Plus add-on page now redirects, and the heat-pump pages we checked did not advertise a current add-on rate. If you already had Heat Pump Plus, check your account or ask OVO. We have not listed a figure.
Other suppliers may also offer time-of-use deals that a heat pump can use, even if they are not labelled as heat pump tariffs. If you already have an EV tariff or a home battery, check whether that deal's cheap window covers enough of your heating, and whether it can be held at the same time as an export tariff. Those combination rules are in our EV, solar and battery tariffs guide, and the Intelligent Octopus Go overnight window is explained in Intelligent Octopus Go and your home battery.
Which one suits you?
Answer the two questions, then use the result as a starting point. It is not a quote, and it does not use your postcode or your usage. Get figures for your address before you switch.
How to use the cheap windows
- Pre-heat the house and the tank in a cheap window, then let the temperature coast through a peak. A drop of around 1°C between 4pm and 7pm is the sort of change British Gas and E.ON Next describe. Do not switch the pump off and on all the time if the manufacturer says it prefers a steady run.
- Put the Legionella or weekly hot-water cycle in a cheap window, not in the evening peak.
- Run the washing machine and dishwasher in the cheap hours when you are awake and at home.
- If you also have a home battery or an EV, set their charge windows to the cheap hours on this tariff, not to an old Intelligent Octopus Go or Economy 7 timetable, unless you are still on that tariff.
- Compare the standing charge and the peak rate, not just the headline cheap rate. In Merseyside and North Wales the standing charge can be more than 20p a day higher than in London, which is about £80 or more over a year before you use a unit.
FAQ
What is the cheapest heat pump tariff you found today?
Of the tariffs with a published unit rate, Cosy Octopus (variable) had the lowest cheap-window rate, from 13.46p to 14.79p per kWh, including 14.12p in London, for eight hours a day. The catch is the 4pm to 7pm peak, which is 43.19p in London. EDF Heat Pump Tracker has no peak and a London cheap rate of 16.60p for six hours. We have not ranked British Gas or E.ON Next as cheapest, because we could not verify a pence figure on their public pages.
Is Cosy Octopus always the best option?
No. It suits homes that can use the eight cheap hours and keep the 4pm to 7pm peak quiet. If you cannot, a no-peak tariff such as EDF Heat Pump Tracker, or British Gas Heat Power if the quote is strong, can work out cheaper. The 12-month Cosy fix has higher unit rates than the variable version in London today, in return for locked prices and a £50 exit fee.
Does OVO still offer Heat Pump Plus?
We could not find a live sign-up page on 15 November 2026. The former product address now redirects, and the OVO heat-pump pages we checked did not advertise a current add-on rate. If you already had the add-on, check your account or ask OVO. We have not listed a rate.
Do these tariffs work with solar or a home battery?
Often yes, but check the small print. The cheap windows can charge a battery as well as run the pump. Export tariffs are a separate product, and some import and export deals cannot be held together. See our EV, solar and battery tariffs guide for the combination rules we could verify.
Sources
- Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges
- Octopus Energy: Cosy Octopus
- Octopus Energy: public tariff API, checked 15 November 2026, for Cosy variable (COSY-22-12-08) and Cosy 12-month fix (COSY-FIX-12M-26-10-30) unit rates and standing charges
- EDF: Heat Pump Tracker
- British Gas: Heat pump tariff (Heat Power)
- E.ON Next: Next Pumped
- OVO: heat pumps (no current Heat Pump Plus rate listed when checked)
- Deal Whizz UK: energy price cap January 2027 and today's fixed deals
- Deal Whizz UK: EV, solar and battery tariffs compared
- Deal Whizz UK: Intelligent Octopus Go and your home battery
Prices and eligibility change often. Figures in this guide were checked on 15 November 2026 and may already be out of date when you read them. Get a quote for your postcode and read the tariff information label before you switch. This is not financial advice, and it is not a recommendation of any supplier or tariff.
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