Octopus Saving Sessions have changed quite a bit since they first launched. Originally, the idea was simple: use less electricity during busy periods and earn rewards for helping the National Grid.

Now, Octopus Energy has expanded the scheme. You can earn rewards for reducing your electricity use or increasing it, depending on how much energy is available.

There’s also a new promotion called Weekend Happy Hours, which gives eligible customers the chance to earn free electricity at weekends by cutting their usage during the week.

I’ve been taking part in Octopus Saving Sessions for several years. Although the latest offers are still worth joining, I’ve found they’re not quite as generous or convenient as some of the earlier promotions.

Here’s how everything works in 2026, including how to join, how much you can earn and whether it’s worth the effort.

Octopus Saving Sessions 2026: Power Up, Power Down and Weekend Happy Hours explained

Octopus Saving Sessions have changed quite a bit since they first launched. Originally, the idea was simple: use less electricity during busy periods and earn rewards for helping the National Grid.

Now, Octopus Energy has expanded the scheme. You can earn rewards for reducing your electricity use or increasing it, depending on how much energy is available.

There’s also a new promotion called Weekend Happy Hours, which gives eligible customers the chance to earn free electricity at weekends by cutting their usage during the week.

I’ve been taking part in Octopus Saving Sessions for several years. Although the latest offers are still worth joining, I’ve found they’re not quite as generous or convenient as some of the earlier promotions.

Here’s how everything works in 2026, including how to join, how much you can earn and whether it’s worth the effort.

What are Octopus Saving Sessions?

Octopus Saving Sessions are short periods when customers are rewarded for changing how much electricity they use.

They’re designed to help balance the electricity grid, making better use of renewable energy and reducing the need for fossil fuel generation when demand is high.

There are now two main types of Saving Sessions:

• Power Down: Use less electricity than normal and earn OctoPoints.
• Power Up: Use more electricity than normal when there’s plenty of renewable energy available and earn OctoPoints.

Both schemes are available through Octoplus, Octopus Energy’s rewards programme.

The important thing is that you must opt in to each session. Simply changing your electricity usage isn’t enough to qualify for rewards.

How do Octopus Power Down sessions work?

Power Down is essentially the original Saving Sessions scheme.

When electricity demand is particularly high, Octopus asks customers to reduce their usage for a short period, often around peak times.

If you use less electricity than your normal amount, you’ll earn OctoPoints based on how much you’ve saved.

For example, you could:

• Delay using your washing machine or tumble dryer.
• Avoid running the dishwasher.
• Charge your electric car later.
• Turn off unnecessary electrical appliances.
• Cook before or after the session.

You don’t need to switch everything off. The idea is simply to reduce your electricity consumption compared with what you’d normally use.

How much can you earn?

The amount varies between sessions.

In one of my earlier Saving Sessions, Octopus offered 1,800 OctoPoints (£2.25) for every kWh of electricity saved.

We managed to reduce our usage by 80% and earned 1,616 OctoPoints, worth £2.02.

It wasn’t a fortune, but considering we barely had to do anything, it was worth taking part.

However, rewards aren’t fixed, and you shouldn’t expect every session to pay the same amount.

What are Octopus Power Up sessions?

Power Up sessions work in the opposite way.

Sometimes the electricity grid has more renewable energy available than it needs. This can happen when it’s particularly windy or sunny.

Rather than wasting that electricity, Octopus encourages customers to use more of it.

During a Power Up session, you can earn OctoPoints for electricity used above your normal level.

It’s a good opportunity to get some energy-intensive jobs done, including:

• Charging your electric car.
• Running your washing machine or tumble dryer.
• Using the dishwasher.
• Heating water if you have an electric system.
• Charging household devices.

The more electricity you use above your usual consumption, the more rewards you could potentially earn, subject to the session’s terms.

Is Octopus Power Up the same as Free Electricity?

Not quite.

Octopus previously ran Free Electricity sessions, where customers could benefit from using additional electricity during periods of abundant renewable generation.

These have now been replaced by the new Power Up Saving Sessions.

The main differences are:

1. You must opt in to each session.

Previously, Free Electricity sessions worked differently. Now, you need to actively accept each Power Up invitation.

2. Rewards are paid in OctoPoints.

Both Power Up and Power Down sessions now use the same rewards currency.

3. You may receive less notice.

Octopus says it can receive confirmation from the network operator at around 10am, with Power Up events potentially taking place between 11am and 4pm that day.

This means you’ll need to keep an eye on your emails or Octopus account if you want to take part.

Existing local Power Up schemes in certain areas may continue operating under different arrangements.

Octopus Weekend Happy Hours: how do they work?

One of the more interesting additions for 2026 is Weekend Happy Hours.

This promotion runs until 1st November 2026 and gives eligible Octoplus customers the opportunity to earn free electricity at weekends.

However, there’s a catch.

To qualify, you need to reduce your electricity consumption during specified weekday evening periods.

In return, you can unlock a weekend Happy Hour when you can use additional electricity without paying for the eligible extra usage, subject to the promotion’s rules.

It’s a slightly different approach from the original Saving Sessions because you’re effectively moving some of your electricity consumption from busy weekday periods to quieter weekend hours.

My experience with Weekend Happy Hours

I’ve been taking part in the latest offer, and although it’s a nice idea, I don’t think it’s anywhere near as good as the previous Free Electricity sessions.

So far, I’ve managed to qualify for around one hour of free electricity per week.

That’s certainly better than nothing, especially when you’ve got appliances or an electric car that could benefit from the extra electricity.

However, I’ve also noticed that the available hours can fill up.

If I don’t book my slot early enough, I can miss out.

That’s probably my biggest frustration with the new system. Previously, the Free Electricity sessions felt like a straightforward bonus. Now, there’s more planning involved, and even when you’ve done what’s required to qualify, you still need to secure an available slot.

For me, it’s still worth doing, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to rearrange my entire week around it.

Is Weekend Happy Hours worth it?

I think it depends on how much electricity you can realistically shift.

If you’ve got an electric car, tumble dryer or other energy-hungry appliances, a free hour could be useful.

But if you’re only going to use a small amount of additional electricity, the savings probably won’t be particularly exciting.

And remember, the promotion is currently scheduled to finish on 1st November 2026.

Who can join Octopus Saving Sessions?

To take part, you’ll need to meet several requirements.

You must:

• Be an Octopus Energy electricity customer.
• Be signed up to Octoplus, the company’s rewards programme.
• Have a working electricity smart meter that sends half-hourly readings.
• Pay by Direct Debit or use smart prepayment.
• Opt in to each individual Saving Session.

If you’re already an Octopus customer but haven’t joined Saving Sessions, log in to your online account or app.

You should see an option to join the campaign if you’re eligible.

Once registered, you’ll receive invitations to relevant sessions.

How do you join a Saving Session?

Taking part is fairly straightforward.

Step 1: Look out for an invitation

Octopus will email you when a Power Up or Power Down session becomes available. You may also see a notification or banner in the app.

Step 2: Opt in

You need to accept the invitation before the session begins.

Step 3: Change your electricity usage

If it’s Power Down, try to use less electricity.

If it’s Power Up, try to use more electricity than you normally would.

Step 4: Wait for your results

Octopus will use your smart meter readings to calculate how much electricity you’ve saved or how much additional electricity you’ve used.

Step 5: Collect your rewards

Your OctoPoints should be added to your Octoplus account within a few weeks.

You can check your results through your Octoplus dashboard.

How much are OctoPoints worth?

OctoPoints are the rewards currency used by Octopus Energy.

Eight OctoPoints are worth 1p.

That means:

You can convert your OctoPoints into credit towards your energy bill.

The number of points you’ll earn from Saving Sessions depends on the particular event and how much you change your electricity usage.

Why are Saving Sessions less predictable now?

When Saving Sessions first launched, there was quite a lot of excitement around them.

They were something different, and some customers managed to earn decent rewards simply by reducing their electricity usage for an hour.

But the availability of sessions has changed.

Rather than running to a predictable schedule, sessions depend on what the electricity grid needs.

That means there could be periods with several opportunities, followed by weeks when very little happens.

Some events are also restricted to particular regions.

Octopus now participates in several electricity flexibility schemes, including the National Energy System Operator’s Demand Flexibility Service.

These schemes reward customers for helping balance electricity supply and demand.

The result is that you can’t really predict how many Saving Sessions you’ll receive or how much you’ll earn over a year.

Are Saving Sessions available everywhere?

Not necessarily.

Octopus sometimes runs regional Saving Sessions rather than national events.

This is because electricity demand and renewable generation can vary across different parts of the country.

For example, certain local Power Up schemes operate in areas covered by regional electricity network operators.

Octopus says it will continue running national events when appropriate, but some customers may receive more invitations than others.

So if someone in another part of the country is getting Power Up sessions and you’re not, it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s anything wrong with your account.

Are Octopus Saving Sessions worth doing in 2026?

I’d still say yes, although my enthusiasm has dropped a little compared with the original scheme.

The biggest advantage is that there’s no cost to joining.

If you’re already an Octopus customer with a compatible smart meter, it makes sense to sign up and see what opportunities appear.

Power Down sessions are particularly easy if you can delay using a few appliances.

Power Up sessions can also be worthwhile if you’ve got an electric car or other appliances that use a lot of electricity.

Weekend Happy Hours are a welcome extra, although I’ve found the need to qualify and then book an available slot makes them less convenient.

Ultimately, I see Saving Sessions as a small bonus rather than a major money-saving opportunity.

You might save a few pounds here and there, but I certainly wouldn’t switch energy suppliers purely because of them.

Not an Octopus Energy customer?

If you’re thinking about switching to Octopus, Saving Sessions are one of several extra benefits available to eligible customers.

I’ve been with Octopus for several years and have generally been pleased with the company.

As well as Saving Sessions, there are various smart tariffs and rewards through Octoplus.

And if you’re a new customer, you can currently get £50 credit when joining through an eligible referral link.

Read my Octopus Energy referral code guide and find out how to claim £50 credit.

Just remember that Saving Sessions aren’t guaranteed, and you shouldn’t base your decision to switch solely on the rewards.

My verdict

Octopus Saving Sessions are still a decent idea, and I like the fact that customers can now earn rewards for using more electricity as well as less.

It makes sense to encourage people to use renewable electricity when it’s plentiful rather than waste it.

However, I do think the scheme has become more complicated.

The original Saving Sessions were simple: switch a few things off for an hour and earn some money.

Now, with Power Up, Power Down, regional events and Weekend Happy Hours, there’s more to keep track of.

I’ve managed to earn a free hour each week through Weekend Happy Hours, but the fact that slots can fill up is disappointing.

I’ll continue taking part when it’s convenient, particularly when I can make use of the extra electricity.

Frequently asked questions