Home Assistant Octopus Energy Integration: The Complete UK Guide for 2026

If you’re running Home Assistant and your electricity is supplied by Octopus Energy, you are sitting on a wealth of tariff and consumption data that can be used to drive meaningful household automations. The challenge is bridging the gap between Octopus’s cloud systems and your local smart home hub. That is exactly what the Home Assistant Octopus Energy integration achieves.

Maintained by developer BottlecapDave, this custom component fetches your tariff details, half-hourly consumption figures, and live unit rates directly into Home Assistant. From there, you can build automations that shift heavy loads to the cheapest half-hourly slots, track exactly what your home is costing you in real time, and integrate your energy data with the rest of your smart home setup. In this guide, we’ll walk through how the integration works, the critical distinction between cloud API data and local meter hardware, and the specific products that pair best with an Octopus-driven setup.

Quick Picks

How the Home Assistant Octopus Energy Integration Works

The Home Assistant Octopus Energy integration is a custom component, meaning it is not bundled with the core Home Assistant installation but is installed separately via HACS (Home Assistant Community Store). It connects your Home Assistant instance directly to the Octopus Energy REST API. This is a cloud-to-cloud connection: your Home Assistant server communicates securely with Octopus’s servers over the internet, meaning it requires an API key rather than any direct physical connection to your meter or local network hardware.

To get started, you generate an API key from your Octopus account dashboard under the Developer Settings section. Octopus’s official API documentation, available at developer.octopus.energy, outlines the endpoints available, but the integration handles all of this backend communication for you. Once authenticated, the integration populates your Home Assistant instance with a suite of sensors tailored to your specific meters and tariffs.

Key Integration Entities

The integration creates several specific entities that are essential for building automations. Understanding what these are is vital before you start building automations:

• sensor.octopus_energy_electricity_current_rate: This sensor exposes your live electricity unit rate in pence per kilowatt-hour (p/kWh). It is the foundational data point for any cost-based automation.
• Target Rate binary sensor: This is a user-configured entity that you set up based on your tariff. It fires as TRUE when an Agile or Intelligent Octopus rate is at or below a specific threshold you define. This binary sensor is the primary trigger mechanism for cheap-slot automations, such as turning on a water heater when prices drop.
• Intelligent Dispatching sensor: This sensor is specific to the Intelligent Octopus electric vehicle (EV) tariff. It indicates when Octopus is actively dispatching a charge session to your vehicle, allowing you to synchronise other home loads with your EV’s scheduled cheap charging window.

The integration fully supports Octopus’s dynamic and specialised tariffs, including Agile, Go, Cosy, and Intelligent Octopus. For half-hourly consumption data to appear, you must have a SMETS2 smart meter enrolled with Octopus.

Community Standing and Credibility

It is important to note that this integration is entirely unofficial. It is not affiliated with Octopus Energy Ltd. It is built specifically against the UK-only API and is explicitly untested outside the UK.

Despite its unofficial status, it enjoys strong community support. On both Reddit’s r/homeassistant and the official Home Assistant Community forum, users consistently cite it as the de-facto Octopus solution for Home Assistant. At the time of writing, the GitHub repository (hosted at github.com/BottlecapDave/HomeAssistant-OctopusEnergy) shows a substantial star count, reflecting its widespread adoption and active maintenance. You should check the live repository at the time of reading for the exact figure, as community engagement continues to grow.

Critical Architecture: Cloud API vs Local Data

A common point of confusion for UK smart home enthusiasts is the difference between fetching data via the API and getting real-time data directly from the smart meter. The BottlecapDave integration fetches data via the Octopus Energy REST API — a cloud-to-cloud process. It does not read directly from your smart meter’s Home Area Network (HAN).

The Role of the Octopus Home Mini

The Octopus Home Mini is a physical device provided by Octopus Energy that bridges your smart meter’s HAN to Octopus’s cloud servers. It is important to understand that the Home Mini does not directly feed Home Assistant. It facilitates the flow of data to Octopus’s servers, which the BottlecapDave integration then fetches via the API. You must not conflate the Home Mini with a direct local data feed.

Getting Local, Real-Time Data: The CAD Requirement

If you want local, real-time smart meter data piped directly into Home Assistant without relying on the cloud API’s update cycle, you need a separate Consumer Access Device (CAD). A CAD connects directly to your smart meter’s SMETS2 HAN and exposes the data locally to your network.

The primary option for this in the UK is the Hildebrand Glow IHD3-CAD, manufactured by Hildebrand Technology. It supports SMETS2 meters, communicates with them via the Zigbee HAN, and then exposes the consumption data locally via MQTT (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport), a lightweight messaging protocol ideal for home automation. This allows Home Assistant to ingest real-time wattage data instantly, complementing the tariff data provided by the cloud API integration.

How to Choose Your Hardware

Building an effective Octopus Energy automation system in Home Assistant requires three layers of hardware: the hub to run Home Assistant, a method for retrieving meter data, and smart relays or plugs to physically switch your appliances.

When choosing a hub, you need something capable of running Home Assistant 24/7 reliably. When choosing switching hardware, you must pay close attention to the electrical load ratings. Switching a heavy resistive load like an immersion heater requires a relay specifically rated for the high inrush currents and continuous resistive draw of heating elements, whereas a standard smart plug is only suitable for lower-draw appliances.

Product Reviews

Home Assistant Green

Best for: Buyers who want a plug-and-play hub purpose-built for Home Assistant.

The Home Assistant Green is a dedicated hardware hub manufactured by Nabu Casa specifically to run the smart home platform. It comes with Home Assistant pre-installed, removing the need to flash operating systems or configure boot sequences on a microSD card. For users whose primary goal is simply getting the Octopus Energy integration up and running with minimal friction, it is the most straightforward entry point.

• Key specs: Pre-installed Home Assistant OS, purpose-built hardware, low power consumption, silent operation.
• Standout strength: Absolute simplicity. You power it on, connect it to your network, and immediately begin configuring your integrations.
• Caveat: It is a closed hardware system. Unlike a Raspberry Pi, you cannot easily repurpose the hardware for other operating systems or add-on boards if your needs change.
• Verdict: The best overall hub for users who value stability and ease of setup over DIY tinkering.
• Where to buy: Available from Nabu Casa or UK resellers such as The Pi Hut, typically priced around £90–£100.

Raspberry Pi 5 (8 GB)

Best for: DIY enthusiasts who want maximum flexibility at the lowest cost.

The Raspberry Pi 5 with 8 GB of RAM is a highly capable single-board computer that easily runs Home Assistant alongside several add-ons, such as MQTT brokers, Node-RED, and database managers. The 8 GB configuration provides ample headroom for complex automations and long-term data logging, which is particularly useful when tracking half-hourly Octopus Energy consumption over months or years.

• Key specs: 8 GB LPDDR4X RAM, quad-core 64-bit ARM processor, PCIe interface, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
• Standout strength: Incredible value and versatility. It handles the Octopus Energy integration effortlessly while leaving room for substantial smart home expansion.
• Caveat: It requires DIY assembly. You will need to source a power supply, active cooling, and a case separately, and you must flash the Home Assistant OS to a storage drive yourself.
• Verdict: The premier budget choice for technically confident users willing to build their own hub.
• Where to buy: Available from approved UK resellers including The Pi Hut and Pimoroni, typically priced around £70–£80.

Hildebrand Glow IHD3-CAD

Best for: Users who need real-time, local smart meter data without relying on cloud API updates.

While the Octopus Energy integration fetches tariff and consumption data from the cloud, the Hildebrand Glow IHD3-CAD provides an immediate, local data stream. Manufactured by Hildebrand Technology, this device acts as a Consumer Access Device. It pairs with your SMETS2 smart meter over the Zigbee HAN and broadcasts live electricity and gas consumption data locally via MQTT. By integrating this directly into Home Assistant, you gain sub-second visibility into your power draw, which is invaluable for creating automations that react the moment a heavy appliance turns on.

• Key specs: SMETS2 compatible, Zigbee HAN communication, local MQTT exposure, acts as an In-Home Display (IHD) and CAD.
• Standout strength: Bypasses the cloud entirely for consumption data, delivering real-time energy metrics directly to your local network.
• Caveat: It complements rather than replaces the BottlecapDave integration; you still need the cloud API for live tariff rates and Octopus-specific entities like the Target Rate binary sensor.
• Verdict: An essential add-on for UK users who want instant, local energy monitoring alongside their tariff data.
• Where to buy: Available direct from hildebrand.co.uk, typically priced around £30–£40.

Shelly 1PM Plus

Best for: Safely automating wired, high-draw resistive loads like immersion heaters.

One of the most popular use cases for the Octopus Energy integration is switching an immersion heater to capitalise on cheap Agile Octopus slots. This requires a relay explicitly rated for resistive loads. The Shelly 1PM Plus is the community-consensus safe choice for this task. According to the manufacturer’s specifications, it handles a maximum of 16 A, which equates to approximately 2,400 W at 230 V. It connects via Wi-Fi and includes built-in energy monitoring, allowing you to verify exactly how much power your heater is consuming during those cheap slots.

• Key specs: 16 A maximum load (~2,400 W at 230 V), Wi-Fi connectivity, built-in power metering, designed for flush mounting behind wall switches or in junction boxes.
• Standout strength: Robust switching capacity for resistive heating elements, paired with local energy monitoring to close the loop on your automations.
• Caveat: It must be wired into your home’s electrical system by someone competent, as it requires permanent mains wiring rather than a simple plug socket.
• Verdict: The definitive choice for safely automating wired heating loads based on Octopus tariff triggers.
• Where to buy: Widely available from electrical suppliers and smart home retailers, typically priced around £15–£20.

Sonoff S31

Best for: Switching and monitoring individual, lower-draw plug-in appliances.

The Sonoff S31 is a compact smart plug designed for appliances that plug into a standard UK wall socket. It is vital to check the specifications carefully, as the standard Sonoff S31 model uses Wi-Fi, not Zigbee. According to Sonoff’s official spec sheet, the standard S31 handles a maximum load of 15 A, or 3,450 W. This makes it suitable for appliances like dehumidifiers, washing machines, or fan heaters, allowing you to trigger them based on your Octopus Energy sensors. Note that if you specifically require a Zigbee variant, you are looking for the Sonoff S26R2ZB, which is a different product entirely and must not be conflated with the standard S31.

• Key specs: 15 A max load (3,450 W per official spec), Wi-Fi connectivity (on the standard model), integrated energy monitoring.
• Standout strength: Simple plug-and-play installation for standard appliances, with sufficient capacity for most household goods.
• Caveat: It is limited to plug-in appliances and cannot be safely used for permanently wired high-draw loads like immersion heaters, which require a dedicated relay like the Shelly 1PM Plus.
• Verdict: A reliable, high-capacity smart plug for automating standard appliances during cheap energy windows.
• Where to buy: Available from various online smart home retailers and direct from Sonoff.

Complementary Hardware: Shelly EM

It is worth noting the role of the Shelly EM for users looking to expand their monitoring setup. The Shelly EM is a clamp-based energy monitor. It uses current transformer clamps attached to your mains cables to measure whole-home or circuit-level electricity usage. Crucially, it is a non-switching device: it complements the Octopus Energy tariff sensors by providing real-time consumption data, but it cannot control loads directly. If you want to both monitor and switch a load, you need a device like the Shelly 1PM Plus instead.

Agile Automation: Practical Specifics

Once your Home Assistant Octopus Energy integration is live and your hardware is in place, the real value lies in automating your energy use. The most common scenario is switching a heavy load — such as an immersion heater — during the cheapest half-hourly slots on the Agile Octopus tariff.

This is achieved by configuring the Target Rate binary sensor within the integration. You set a threshold (for example, 10p/kWh), and the sensor goes TRUE when the Agile rate drops to or below that level. You then use this binary sensor as the trigger in a Home Assistant automation.

The Home Assistant Community forum (hosted at community.home-assistant.io) contains documented YAML examples showing exactly how to structure this trigger condition. For users who prefer a visual programming interface, Node-RED flow examples also circulate on the same forum under the octopus-energy tag. By pairing this trigger with a relay like the Shelly 1PM Plus, your immersion heater will only fire when grid prices are at their absolute lowest, yielding significant savings over standard rate charging.

UK Practical Notes and Regulation

When implementing smart meter data solutions in the UK, the primary regulatory framework to be aware of is the SMETS (Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications) standard. The Hildebrand Glow IHD3-CAD and the Octopus Energy integration’s consumption features rely on SMETS2 meters, which are the current UK standard. SMETS2 meters use a Zigbee-based Home Area Network (HAN) to communicate securely with In-Home Displays and Consumer Access Devices.

If you have an older SMETS1 meter that has not been enrolled into the national smart metering network, you may experience limitations in retrieving half-hourly data. Additionally, any electrical work involving the wiring of relays like the Shelly 1PM Plus must comply with UK building regulations (Part P), which restrict certain electrical work in bathrooms and kitchens and mandate that work be carried out by a competent person.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Home Assistant Octopus Energy integration official? No. The integration is entirely community-built and maintained by a developer named BottlecapDave. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Octopus Energy Ltd. It relies on Octopus’s publicly available API but operates independently of the supplier.

Does Intelligent Octopus work with the integration? Yes. The integration explicitly supports the Intelligent Octopus EV tariff. It provides a specific Intelligent Dispatching sensor that indicates when Octopus is actively dispatching a charge session to your vehicle, allowing you to align your home automations with your EV’s charging schedule.

How often does the integration update rates? According to the BottlecapDave documentation, Agile rates refresh every 30 minutes. The availability of your consumption data is dependent on the Octopus API’s status and how frequently your smart meter sends readings to the cloud.

Do I need an Octopus Home Mini to use the integration? No, you do not. The integration communicates directly with the Octopus Energy REST API using an API key generated from your account dashboard. The Octopus Home Mini simply bridges your smart meter to Octopus’s cloud; it does not feed Home Assistant directly.

How do I get real-time local data instead of waiting for the API? To get real-time, local smart meter data into Home Assistant, you need a separate Consumer Access Device (CAD). The Hildebrand Glow IHD3-CAD is the primary option for this in the UK; it connects to your SMETS2 meter via the Zigbee HAN and exposes consumption data locally via MQTT.

Can I use a standard smart plug to control my immersion heater? No, standard smart plugs are not rated for the continuous high draw of an immersion heater. You need a relay specifically rated for resistive loads, such as the Shelly 1PM Plus, which handles up to 16 A (approximately 2,400 W at 230 V) and is designed for permanent mains wiring.