Octopus Winter Fix (October 2026): a 6-month fixed energy tariff from about £1,916 with no exit fees

Last updated: Tuesday 20 October 2026 (Europe/London).
Next update: when Octopus re-prices the Winter Fix or adds regions, or when Ofgem confirms the January 2027 price cap (due by 25 November 2026).
By: Switch Editorial Team, Switch Squid Ltd

As of 20 October 2026, the Octopus 6M Winter Fix costs about £1,916 a year in London and about £1,919 in the North West for a typical home paying by Direct Debit, with no exit fees. That is about £195 a year above today’s £1,723 price cap, but about £235 below uSwitch’s £2,154 average forecast for January 2027, and it is only on sale in those two regions. It is a short, six-month fix that carries you through the January cap period and into the start of April, so it suits households who want winter protection without a long tie-in. This SwitchSquid guide sets out the rates, who can get it, how it compares with the cap and with Octopus’s 18-month fix, and when it is worth taking. We may earn a commission if you compare or switch through links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay.

Sources: Octopus Energy — published Winter Fix rates, Ofgem — energy price cap explained and uSwitch — price cap guide and supplier forecasts (all checked on 20 October 2026).

Compare fixed energy deals for your postcode (MoneySuperMarket)

• Octopus 6M Winter Fix: about £1,916 to £1,919 a year at typical use, no exit fees, when we checked on 20 October 2026

• Today’s price cap: £1,723 a year for a typical dual-fuel home, until 31 December 2026

• Main limitation: the Winter Fix is only offered in London and the North West, and not every tariff appears on every comparison

View this deal

Octopus Winter Fix at a glance

Octopus put the Winter Fix on sale on 19 October 2026. Its own description is simple: it locks your unit rates and standing charges for six months through the winter. There are no exit fees, so you can leave at any point without a charge, which is unusual for a fixed tariff.

Here are the published Direct Debit rates for the two regions where it is available, including VAT. Electricity carries 0% VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, and gas carries 5%.

*Our figures use typical use of 2,500kWh of electricity and 9,500kWh of gas a year, the same usage behind the £1,723 cap figure. They are averages from Octopus’s published rates, checked on 20 October 2026, not a quote for your home.

Two things stand out. The unit rates are higher than the cap, so a typical home pays more on the Winter Fix than on a capped tariff until 31 December. The standing charges are lower than the cap’s national average, which helps smaller users a little. Your own result depends on how much energy you use.

Who can get the Winter Fix?

On 20 October 2026, Octopus’s public price list showed the Winter Fix in just two of Great Britain’s 14 electricity regions: London and the North West. The North West region covers Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cumbria. Merseyside and North Wales is a separate region, and the Winter Fix wasn’t listed there.

The same price list showed Octopus’s 12-month fix in the other 12 regions but not in London or the North West, so the Winter Fix appears to take its place in those two areas. Octopus’s 18-month fix was listed in all 14 regions. If you live elsewhere, the Winter Fix isn’t an option for now, and the useful comparison is between the cap, the 12-month and 18-month fixes and other suppliers’ deals. Our Octopus fixed tariff guide covers those fixes region by region.

Not sure which region you are in? Your electricity bill or your supplier’s app will show your distribution region, and any comparison will price your postcode automatically.

What the Winter Fix covers: the January cap and the start of April

Ofgem sets the price cap every three months. The current cap of £1,723 a year runs until 31 December 2026. Ofgem will announce the January to March 2027 cap on or before 25 November 2026, and the next one, for April to June 2027, by 23 February 2027.

A six-month fix taken out in early November runs to early May 2027. That means it covers the whole January to March cap period, which is when most homes use the most gas, and the first few weeks of the April cap. You pay the fixed rates throughout, whatever Ofgem decides.

Forecasts for January point up. As of 19 October 2026, uSwitch’s average of British Gas, EDF and E.ON Next forecasts is £2,154 for January to March, a rise of about 25%, and £2,202 for April to June. Cornwall Insight forecast £1,999 for January on 30 September, and British Gas’s own forecast, updated on 15 October, is £2,185. These are forecasts, not Ofgem figures, and they can move before 25 November.

Winter Fix vs the price cap vs Octopus 18M Fixed

This table puts the Winter Fix next to the alternatives open to someone in London or the North West. All figures are yearly rates at typical use, checked on 20 October 2026.

The surprise is that the 18-month fix is cheaper per year than the Winter Fix in both regions, by about £68 in London and about £62 in the North West. Over the six months the Winter Fix lasts, that is roughly £30 to £35. What you buy with that extra money is freedom: no exit fee, and no commitment beyond the spring.

Against the cap, both fixes cost more this quarter. The Winter Fix is about £193 a year above the cap in London and £196 in the North West, so over November and December you pay roughly £32 more than a capped tariff. From January, if the cap reaches uSwitch’s £2,154 average, the Winter Fix costs about £235 to £238 a year less.

Short fix or long fix? Price both for your home

• Winter Fix: about £1,916 (London) or £1,919 (North West) a year, no exit fees

• Octopus 18M Fixed in the same regions: about £1,848 to £1,858 a year, £75 exit fee per fuel

• Compare the yearly cost at your own usage before you choose

Choose this plan

Is a 6-month fixed energy tariff worth it?

Here is a rough worked example for a typical London home that switches at the start of November and stays on the Winter Fix for six months. It spreads each yearly figure evenly across the months, which is a simplification, because real bills are much higher in winter.

• On the Winter Fix: half of about £1,916, so roughly £958 for November to April.

• On the cap, if uSwitch’s forecasts are right: two months at £1,723, three months at £2,154 and one month at £2,202, so roughly £1,009.

• On the cap, if January lands at Cornwall Insight’s £1,999 and stays there in April: roughly £954.

So the Winter Fix saves roughly £50 over the six months if the supplier forecasts are right, and comes out about even if January lands near Cornwall Insight’s lower figure. The North West works out almost the same. Because most homes use far more gas from January to March than in November, the real gap in your favour would be bigger than this even split suggests if the cap does rise. If the cap rises by less than expected, the fix loses its edge.

A 6-month fixed energy tariff makes most sense if you want protection through the coldest months but expect to shop again in spring, perhaps because you might move house, or because you think wholesale prices could settle by then. It makes less sense if you want the lowest price per year and are happy to commit, because the 18-month fix is cheaper on that measure.

The catch: two regions, and what happens in spring

The biggest limitation is reach. If you live outside London and the North West, you can’t get the Winter Fix at all, so don’t delay a decision waiting for it. Octopus may add regions or change the price, and fixed prices can move daily, so the price you see on the day you switch is the one that counts.

The second catch is timing. When six months are up, in the spring, you will need to choose a new tariff. Ofgem’s April cap will be known by then, and so will the market, but prices could be higher or lower than today. Put the end date in your diary as soon as you switch, so you can compare in good time rather than drifting onto whatever comes next.

One more detail: the zero rate of VAT on household electricity runs to 31 March 2027. If it returns to 5% from 1 April, the electricity part of any tariff, fixed or variable, would rise by that tax change unless the government extends the zero rate.

How to compare before you switch

1. Find your usage. Your latest bill or app shows your yearly kWh for electricity and gas. Use that rather than the typical figures.

2. Check your current deal. Note your tariff, its end date and any exit fee. Suppliers can’t charge exit fees in the last 49 days of a fixed term.

3. Compare at your postcode. Put the Winter Fix, an 18-month fix and other suppliers’ deals side by side at your own usage. Our tracker vs fixed guide explains when a below-cap tracker might suit you better.

4. Weigh flexibility against price. If the 18-month fix is clearly cheaper for you and you won’t move, it may be the better buy. If you value the freedom to leave, the Winter Fix’s zero exit fee is worth something.

5. Switch and take a meter reading. Switching is free and usually takes about five working days, and your supply isn’t interrupted.

If you would like a second opinion on the numbers, you can ask Squid AI, SwitchSquid’s deal assistant, to compare a short fix with a long one at your usage. Our energy exit fees guide covers the rules on leaving a fix early, and our January 2027 price cap forecast tracks each forecast as it changes.

Fit summary

• Good fit for the Winter Fix: gas-heated homes in London or the North West who want fixed rates through January to March, with no exit fee and no long commitment.

• Look elsewhere if: you live in another region, or you want the lowest yearly price and are happy to fix for 18 months.

• Think twice: if you expect January’s cap to land close to today’s £1,723, because the fix costs more than the cap until 31 December.

Important conditions

• The Winter Fix was only listed for London and the North West on 20 October 2026.

• It fixes your unit rates and standing charges for six months, not your bill. If you use more energy in a cold spell, you pay more.

• There are no exit fees, but you will need a new tariff when the six months end.

• Our yearly figures are averages from published Direct Debit rates at typical use, not quotes.

• The price cap doesn’t apply to fixed tariffs, and January forecasts are not Ofgem figures.

Final decision card

In London or the North West and want winter protection without a tie-in? The Winter Fix, at about £1,916 to £1,919 a year with no exit fee, does that job.
Want the lowest yearly price? Octopus 18M Fixed is about £62 to £68 a year cheaper in the same regions, with a £75 exit fee per fuel.
Elsewhere in Great Britain? Compare 12-month and 18-month fixes and trackers for your postcode, or wait for Ofgem’s figure on 25 November.

Check energy deals for your home

• Have your latest bill and yearly kWh ready

• Compare short and long fixes at your postcode

• Take a meter reading on switch day

Check availability

FAQ

What is the Octopus Winter Fix?

It is a six-month fixed tariff called Octopus 6M Winter Fix, on sale from 19 October 2026. It locks your unit rates and standing charges through the winter and has no exit fees. At typical use it costs about £1,916 a year in London and about £1,919 in the North West.

Where is the Octopus Winter Fix available?

On 20 October 2026, Octopus’s published price list showed it only in the London and North West electricity regions. It wasn’t listed in Merseyside and North Wales or in the other 11 regions. A comparison at your postcode will show whether you can get it.

Does the Octopus Winter Fix have exit fees?

No. Octopus lists no exit fees on the Winter Fix, so you can leave without a charge. By comparison, Octopus 18M Fixed charges £75 per fuel to leave early.

Is the Winter Fix cheaper than the price cap?

Not until 31 December 2026, because it costs about £195 a year more than today’s £1,723 cap at typical use. From January it would cost less if the cap rises as forecast. uSwitch’s average of supplier forecasts for January is £2,154 as of 19 October.

Is a 6-month fixed energy tariff better than an 18-month fix?

It depends on what you value. In London and the North West, Octopus 18M Fixed is about £62 to £68 a year cheaper, but it ties you in for 18 months with a £75 exit fee per fuel. The Winter Fix costs a little more and lets you shop again in spring with no fee.

When will Ofgem announce the January 2027 price cap?

Ofgem will announce the January to March 2027 cap on or before 25 November 2026. The current cap of £1,723 a year runs until 31 December 2026. The April to June 2027 cap is due by 23 February 2027.

What happens when the Winter Fix ends?

After six months you will need to choose a new tariff, and suppliers must tell you before a fixed deal ends. Prices then may be higher or lower than today. Diary the end date when you switch so you can compare in good time.

Sources: Octopus Energy public tariff data for OE-FIX-6M-26-10-19, OE-FIX-18M-26-10-17 and OE-FIX-12M-26-10-19 (checked 20 October 2026); Ofgem energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026; uSwitch price cap guide (supplier forecasts as of 19 October 2026); Cornwall Insight January 2027 forecast (30 September 2026); British Gas price cap forecast (updated 15 October 2026).