Mike McDonnell
Business money

Octopus Energy Referral Code: £50 Credit When You Switch (November 2026)

By Mike McDonnell•Updated •Published •19 min read•✓ Verified 19 Aug 2026

Ad/affiliate disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. If you sign up through one I may receive a referral payment, at no extra cost to you and with no reduction to any bonus. I only recommend products I have used myself.This site is run independently and is not part of Octopus Energy. I am not employed by Octopus, and being in their affiliate programme is not a certification, accreditation or formal partnership.Already with Octopus, or a question about your account or tariff? Contact Octopus directly at hello@octopus.energy.

What real Octopus Energy customers say
How the Octopus Energy referral pays £50 energy credit when you switch

Terms verified 19 August 2026 against Octopus's own referral pages. Link issued by Octopus on 5 November 2026.

My Octopus link: abbiemcdonnell.octopus.energy

Switch your home through this link and you get £50 energy credit. Credit lands after your first direct debit clears, usually within four weeks. It is a link, not a typed code.

Existing customer? Find out how you can benefit too. T&Cs apply (only one switching offer per household).

I have been a customer for four years and referred about 50 people through the scheme, and not one credit failed to land. The link above is our household's affiliate link from Octopus. It reads abbiemcdonnell because the account is in my wife Abbie's name, and Octopus pays us a commission when you switch through it.

The quick version: click my link, enter your postcode, get a quote, and switch online yourself. After your first direct debit clears, £50 credit hits your account.

Which Side Are You On?

Two different people search for this, and they need different answers.

You areWhat you needWhere to go
Not with Octopus yet, wanting the £50 for switchingA referral link, then a normal switchHow to use a referral link, below
Already an Octopus customer, wanting to refer someoneYour own link and how to share itHow to refer a friend, below
Switching a businessAny customer's link, at the £75 rateThe business referral, below

What Is the Octopus Energy Referral Offer?

Octopus Energy's referral programme is straightforward. When you switch using a referral link, both the person who referred you and you receive £50 credit on your energy account. If you're a business customer, that goes up to £75 credit each.

The credit gets applied after your switch completes and your first direct debit payment clears. You won't see it instantly, there's a bit of a waiting period, but it does arrive. It shows up as a credit on your bill, reducing what you owe going forward.

Existing customer? Find out how you can benefit too. T&Cs apply (only one switching offer per household).

How the Scheme Works in One Table

DetailHomeBusiness
New customer gets£50 credit£75 credit
Referrer gets£50 credit£75 credit
Triggered byFirst direct debit clearingFirst direct debit clearing
Typical waitAbout 4 weeks from joiningAbout 4 weeks from joining
Code needed?No, link onlyNo, link only

Two things people consistently get wrong:

  1. The switch itself does not trigger the payment. The £50s are released when the new customer's first direct debit clears. If your direct debit fails or you delay setting it up, the credit waits.
  2. It is a link, not a code. Octopus retired typed codes. Every customer gets a personal link like share.octopus.energy/word-word-number, and clicking it is what attaches the referral.

Using the referral is about as simple as it gets:

1. Click the link: abbiemcdonnell.octopus.energy, or a personal link from a friend or family member who is with Octopus.

2. Enter your postcode: You'll be asked for your postcode to get a quote based on your local area and usage.

3. Check available tariffs: Octopus shows what's available in your region. The link signs you up to a Fixed or Flexible tariff. New to Octopus and after a smart tariff? Switch first, then pick one from Octopus's smart tariffs page.

4. Review the quote: See what you'd pay monthly and compare it with your current unit rates and standing charges. Prices depend on your region and usage, so this is the step that tells you whether switching works for you.

5. Complete your switch: Fill in your own details and your current supplier. You need to do this yourself, nobody can sign up on your behalf. Octopus handles the rest with your current supplier, you don't need to call anyone or cancel anything.

6. Wait for the switch: Usually two or three working days, five at most under Ofgem's rules. You keep your supply throughout.

7. The £50 credit applies: After your first direct debit clears, £50 credit appears on your account.

Existing customer? Find out how you can benefit too. T&Cs apply (only one switching offer per household).

Do it online, from the link. The referral attaches when you click the link and complete the sign-up yourself. A phone sign-up, a comparison site or a cashback site in between can lose it.

Already switched without a link? You can ask Octopus at hello@octopus.energy, but there is no promise the credit can be added afterwards. Start from the link and the question never comes up.

For the step-by-step switching process itself, with tariff choice and what happens with your old supplier, see the how to switch section of my Octopus review.

How to Refer a Friend to Octopus Energy (Step by Step)

This is the half of the scheme almost nobody writes about, because most pages ranking for it are trying to sign you up rather than help you refer someone. If you are already with Octopus, here is the whole process.

  1. Find your link. Log in to the app or the web dashboard and scroll a little way down the home screen. Your personal link is there in the share.octopus.energy/word-word-number format. You get one as soon as your own switch completes, even before your own joining credit has landed.
  2. Send it to the person switching. Message, email, group chat, whatever suits. There is no form to fill in on your side and nothing to register with Octopus first.
  3. Make sure they start from the link. This is the step that goes wrong. They need to click your link and begin their quote from there. Going to Octopus directly, or through a comparison site, means the referral never attaches and neither of you gets paid.
  4. Wait for their first direct debit. The payment clearing is what releases both credits, not the switch completing.
  5. Check your balance history. About four weeks after they joined, +£50 from Octopus Energy appears against your account and comes off your next bill.

Searching for this as "recommend a friend" or "introduce a friend" brings up the same thing. Octopus runs one scheme under one set of terms, so the wording you use to look for it makes no difference to what you are paid.

Every home switch through your link pays you £50, every business switch pays £75. The credits stack on your account and eat your winter bills. Octopus's one rule is that you share the link with people you know, not with the public.

Practical ways to share it with people you know: the family group chat when the price cap news lands, or alongside a real recommendation when a friend moans about their supplier. Do not post it on a website, a forum or a public social feed. Octopus asks anyone sharing a link with the public to join its affiliate programme instead. I learned that one first-hand, and it is the route this site is on now.

How to Check Whether Your Referral Has Landed

There is no referral dashboard and no notification, which is why people assume something has gone wrong when nothing has. The only place a referral shows up is your balance history, and only once it has paid.

So the honest answer to "has it worked yet" is that you cannot tell until roughly four weeks after the person joined. Before then there is nothing to look at.

If you are past six weeks and still nothing, work through it in this order:

  1. Check they used the link. By far the most common cause. If they went direct or through a comparison site, the referral was never attached in the first place.
  2. Check their first direct debit cleared. A failed or delayed first payment holds both credits, and the credit follows as soon as the payment goes through.
  3. Then contact Octopus at hello@octopus.energy with the date they joined and your link, and do it promptly rather than months later.

What Voids the £50

  • Comparison sites. Switch through a comparison site and the referral never attaches. Neither side gets paid. If you want the £50, go through the link directly.
  • No link at sign-up. Signing up direct without a referral pays nothing. Click the link before you start the quote.
  • Failed first direct debit. The trigger event is the payment clearing, not the switch. Sort the payment, the credit follows.
  • Owing your old supplier. A supplier can object to a switch while you owe them money, and no switch means no credit. Check what you owe before you start.
  • The smart-tech scheme is separate. Octopus runs a different referral for heat pumps, EV chargers and other smart-home kit. Amounts and rules differ; do not expect the £50 energy terms to apply there.

About Those "£80" and "£100" Referral Sites

Search this topic and you will find anonymous sites, and a Facebook page or two, advertising £80 or even £100 for switching to Octopus. Read the small print: Octopus pays £50 each for home referrals, no more. What these sites do is promise to send you £30 or £50 of their own referral earnings by PayPal after your switch completes.

Sometimes they pay. Often they do not, and because Octopus has nothing to do with that side arrangement, there is zero comeback when the money never arrives. You have handed a stranger your switch details for an IOU.

My advice: take the standard £50 through a link from someone you know, or from a site like this one where you can see who runs it. If a deal on the referral itself sounds better than what Octopus officially pays, someone is making it up.

Octopus Energy Business Referral (£75 Each)

Looking for an Octopus Energy business referral code? There is no code. Octopus runs its business referrals on the same personal links as its home scheme, and when a business switches through one, both sides get £75 credit: £75 off the business's energy, £75 off the referrer's, £150 split between the two.

DetailBusinessHome (for comparison)
New customer gets£75 credit£50 credit
Referrer gets£75 credit£50 credit
Total split£150£100
Code needed?No, link onlyNo, link only
Typical wait for creditAbout 4 weeksAbout 4 weeks

Who qualifies: sole traders with premises billed as non-domestic, and limited companies of any size, all switching to an Octopus business account. The £75 attaches per account that switches, not per meter or per site. And any Octopus customer can be the referrer: you do not need a business account yourself.

How to claim it: click a referral link from someone you know first, then start your business quote. Accept the quote, confirm the switch, and let the first payment clear. About four weeks after joining, the credit shows on the business's account and the referrer sees theirs.

Two claims you will see elsewhere that are out of date:

  1. "The business referral pays £100." It did previously. Octopus moved the rate to £75 each, and its refer-a-business page states the current terms: £150 to share between you, £75 for you and £75 for them.
  2. "Businesses must send the code by email or phone." Octopus's own business referral help article says referring a business works the same as referring any customer: you share your personal link.

Working from home? You probably want the £50 home referral. I run Glide Marketing from a home office and my energy is a normal residential tariff. If your property has a domestic meter and most of the energy use is household, you stay on a domestic tariff and the £50 home referral is the one for you. Business tariffs are for premises billed as non-domestic: offices, shops, workshops, units. The full sorting rule, and what a business contract costs you in price cap protection and VAT, is in do you need a business energy tariff working from home?.

I will not pretend to review a business tariff I am not on. On the home side Octopus has been the best supplier I have used, and the wider evidence points the same way: a 4.8 Trustpilot score from more than 830,000 reviews and 3.67 out of 5 in the latest Citizens Advice quarterly table. The £75 credit is a nice welcome; the quote still has to stand on its own.

How I Use the Scheme Myself

I switched my home to Octopus four years ago and I am on a fixed tariff for gas and electricity, without a smart meter, paying about £145 a month. The app is the best I have used for a utility and I open it at least twice a week. The one time I phoned support, about a payment and my direct debit, a person answered and sorted it on the call.

The referrals added up. In the first week of August 2026 alone, nine readers switched through my link, which paid £450. Across four years it came to about 50 referrals, and not one credit failed to land. Octopus noticed the link was public and asked us to move onto their affiliate programme, which is how they want public sharing done. The link on this page is the one they issued in November 2026, and they pay the referral as a commission.

If you want the longer version, with billing, the app, customer service and the parts I would change, read my full Octopus Energy review after four years as a paying customer.

Octopus Energy Referral: Full Breakdown

DetailInfo
Your credit£50 (£75 business)
My credit£50 (£75 business)
When credit appliesAfter first direct debit clears (about four weeks)
Can you add it later?Not guaranteed, so start from the link
Minimum term and exit feesNone on the variable tariffs. Fixed tariffs have their own terms

Existing customer? Find out how you can benefit too. T&Cs apply (only one switching offer per household).

Is Octopus Energy Actually Good?

In my experience, yes. Four years in, the bills match what I use, the app is the best I have used for a utility, and my one support call was answered by a person and sorted on the call.

The public evidence points the same way. Octopus describes itself as the UK's most awarded energy supplier, it is the only Which? Recommended energy supplier year after year, and it holds 4.8 on Trustpilot from over 837,000 reviews.

Price is the part you have to check yourself. Octopus says its standard prices have always been cheaper than any other large supplier, but your bill depends on your region and how much you use, so put a quote for your postcode next to what you pay now.

If you have an EV, a heat pump, solar panels or a battery, take a look at Octopus's smart tariffs page for the latest details. Smart tariffs need a working smart meter and eligibility checks, and you switch to a standard tariff first. If you're interested in the EV space, I've recently started a business with my Dad called The EV Pros.

How Long Does It Take to Switch to Octopus?

The switch itself takes a few working days, five at most under Ofgem's rules, and the referral credit follows about four weeks after you join because it waits for your first direct debit. Octopus coordinates with your current supplier. You don't lose supply at any point.

Your current supplier will issue a final bill, which they sort out themselves. You don't need to chase anyone or worry about a gap in supply. Everything transfers once the switch completes. The full step-by-step, including what information you need and the 14-day cooling-off period, is in the how to switch section of my review.

Octopus Energy vs Other Suppliers

I have been with Octopus for four years, so I cannot compare today's service at other suppliers first-hand. What you can compare is public: Trustpilot scores, the Citizens Advice quarterly table and Which? Recommended status.

There are no exit fees on Octopus's variable tariffs, so if a better quote turns up later, leaving costs nothing. On price, compare like for like: an Octopus quote for your postcode against your current unit rates and standing charges. Rates move often, so do not trust any page, this one included, that promises you a saving.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use an Octopus Energy referral code?

Click my link (abbiemcdonnell.octopus.energy), enter your postcode, get a quote, and complete the switch online yourself. The £50 credit applies after your first direct debit clears.

How much credit do you get with an Octopus referral?

Standard home customers get £50. Business customers get £75. The person who referred you also gets the same amount.

Existing customer? Find out how you can benefit too. T&Cs apply (only one switching offer per household).

How do I refer a friend to Octopus Energy?

Send them your personal link and make sure they start their quote by clicking it. There is no form to submit on your side and nothing to register first. When their first direct debit clears, you both get £50. The step-by-step is above.

Where do I find my Octopus referral code?

There is not one. Octopus retired typed codes, so what you are looking for is a link in the share.octopus.energy/word-word-number format, a little way down your account home screen. Anywhere offering you an Octopus "code" to type at sign-up has misunderstood the scheme.

How do I know if my referral worked?

You will not know until it pays. There is no referral dashboard and no notification, so the credit appearing in your balance history about four weeks after they joined is the confirmation.

Can I add a referral code after signing up?

Do not count on it. The credit is tied to starting from the link. You can ask Octopus at hello@octopus.energy, but there is no promise it can be added afterwards.

Do business customers get a referral bonus?

Yes, business customers get £75 credit instead of £50, and the referrer also gets £75. Octopus used to pay £100 here; it is now £75. Full details, eligibility and claim steps are in the business section above.

Do I need a special business referral code?

No. Octopus retired typed codes; everything runs on personal links, and Octopus confirms the same link covers home and business referrals. Click the link before you start the quote and the referral attaches.

Are the £80 and £100 referral offers real?

Octopus pays £50 each for home referrals, full stop. Sites advertising more are promising to send you part of their own £50 by PayPal afterwards, and Octopus has nothing to do with that arrangement if it never arrives.

How long does switching to Octopus take?

A few working days, five at most under Ofgem's rules. Octopus coordinates with your current supplier and you won't lose supply at any point. The credit lands about four weeks after you join.

Does the referral work if I switch via a comparison site?

No. To use the referral, you need to switch directly using the referral link. Comparison sites and cashback sites won't carry it.

Can I use the Octopus referral for gas and electric?

The referral applies to whichever services you switch. If you switch both gas and electricity, the credit covers both. If you only need one, that's fine too.

What Octopus tariffs are available?

Octopus has Fixed and Flexible tariffs, which are what the referral link signs you up to, plus smart tariffs for homes with EVs, heat pumps, solar or batteries. New to Octopus? Switch first, then pick a smart tariff. Tariffs and eligibility change often, so take a look at Octopus's own tariff pages for the latest details.

Get Your £50 Octopus Energy Credit

Existing customer? Find out how you can benefit too. T&Cs apply (only one switching offer per household).

If the quote for your postcode works for you, switching through my link gets you £50 credit once your first direct debit clears.

Switch to Octopus with my link

Already with Octopus? Your own refer-a-friend link is in your account dashboard, for sharing with friends and family. Questions about your account or tariff go to hello@octopus.energy. My full Octopus Energy review covers billing, the app and support after four years as a customer.

Energy is just one bill worth attacking. If you want to stack a few more referral credits, my TopCashback referral code guide shows how to earn cashback on insurance, broadband and everyday shopping, and the Monzo refer a friend page walks through the Monzo current account bonus. There is also a separate Monzo bank promo code post if you want every current Monzo offer in one place.

Running a business? The same logic applies to your banking. I've pulled together the best UK business bank accounts for 2026, and you can browse every working code I track on the referral codes hub.

Mike McDonnell. I write The AI Growth Toolkit, a free Sunday email on making more profit with AI, with the setups I use in my own business explained in plain English.

Other referral codes worth using

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Mike McDonnell

Mike McDonnell

Entrepreneur, author, and mental health advocate based in Great Notley, Braintree, Essex. I write about building businesses while managing bipolar disorder.

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