Customers overlooking offshore wind turbines in England, from Grimsby to Skegness, have seen significant savings on their energy bills thanks to Octopus Energy’s pioneering offshore wind tariff. Launched a year ago, the ‘Fan Club’ initiative in Lincolnshire has enabled customers to save an average of nearly £200 annually, with the top 5% saving almost £400.
Innovative Tariff Structure
The Fan Club tariff employs a groundbreaking approach that rewards customers for using energy when local offshore turbines are generating power. During periods of strong sea breezes, Octopus triggers a 50% discount on electricity bills. Customers are notified through the Octopus Energy app, allowing them to time energy-intensive tasks, such as laundry, to coincide with these discounts.
Community Engagement and Expansion
To celebrate the success of the initiative, Octopus organized a competition for local customers, offering winners the chance to visit the Lincs offshore wind farm up close. The Fan Club tariff is also available in three onshore wind locations: Market Weighton and Halifax in Yorkshire, and Caerphilly in Wales.
The company has identified several potential sites for additional onshore Fan Clubs using its tech platform ‘Winder’, which matches community interest in new wind generation with available land—dubbed the ‘Tinder for wind’.
Since the tariff’s inception, Octopus has received over 36,000 requests from the public to introduce the affordable green tariff in their communities.
Commitment to Offshore Wind
Octopus Energy holds stakes in three offshore wind farms in the UK, including Lincs, Hornsea One, and Walney Extension, as well as projects in Germany and the Netherlands. Through its investments in offshore wind developers and technology firms, Octopus is driving the creation of new renewable energy projects globally.
Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation, remarked, “The success of our offshore wind Fan Club tariff over the past year shows us what the future of energy can look like. By incentivizing people to use energy when wind power is abundant locally, we can put money back into customers’ pockets. Our offshore Fan Club is proof that clean, green energy isn’t just good for the planet; it’s good for your bills too.”
