Questions worth asking
Short answers. Rill Bates does not give tariff advice, and it does not speak for Octopus Energy.
Is Rill Bates part of Octopus Energy?
No. Rill Bates is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or speaking for Octopus Energy. Prices are read from Octopus’s public API.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-up, login, or Octopus API key. Your region is remembered in this browser and in the page address.
Are the prices including VAT?
Yes. The figure shown by default is Octopus’s value_inc_vat field, in pence per kWh. When that matches value_exc_vat, the page says so. Rill Bates does not add VAT on top.
When do tomorrow’s prices appear?
Octopus usually publishes the next day’s half-hourly Agile rates around 4pm UK time. It is not a guarantee. Until they appear, this site says they are not published rather than guessing.
What does cheap, normal and expensive mean?
A half-hour is cheap when it is at least 15% below that day’s average, and expensive when it is at least 15% above. Below 0p is marked “you get paid”. Colour is always paired with the words.
What is the region letter?
It is your electricity distribution region, A to P with no I or O, not always the nearest city. A bill or the Octopus app will show it if you live near a border.
Where does the forecast come from?
From AgilePredict, a free community project. It can look about seven days ahead here and includes a p10 to p90 band. It is a forecast, cached for a few hours, and it is hidden if the service is down.
Does a negative price mean my bill is negative?
It means the unit rate for that half-hour pays you to use electricity. The daily standing charge still applies, and this site does not add it into the p/kWh figure.