Install and Setup
Octopus Watch is easy to install on your mobile devices. The app supports iOS 16 and later, iPadOS 16 and later, Android 9 and later, and watchOS 9 and later. On first launch the app allows you to log in to access your Octopus Energy data – or to provide a postcode if you only want to see Agile rates for your area.
Installation
Octopus Watch can be purchased on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The app can be installed on iOS, iPadOS, and Android. Octopus Watch supports family sharing on iOS, so once the app is purchased you can install it on all your devices and all devices owned by your family members.
Want to set up Family Sharing on the Apple platform? Follow this link. Looking to set up Family Library on the Google platform? This link is for you. On the Apple platform it is possible to share your subscription with other family members. On the Google platform it is not possible to share your subscription with other family members.
Setup
You are greeted with the setup screen when opening the app for the first time. This screen allows you to log in using either a postcode, or using your API credentials provided by Octopus Energy.
Most users opt for the API login as it allows the app to show information for the tariff you are currently on, as well as an overview of your historic consumption data. If you are not yet an Octopus Energy customer, or if you value privacy above all else, you can use a postcode or outcode (e.g. BT5) to log in and see the Agile prices for your area.
The Postcode Login:
- is very secure
- doesn’t require a smart meter
- doesn’t require an Octopus Energy account
- doesn’t show energy usage
The API Login:
- is secure (credentials stored encrypted on device)
- requires a smart meter
- requires an Octopus Energy account
- can show energy usage
Sharing Credentials
Already have a device with Octopus Watch installed? You can easily set up another device without typing/copying the credentials again. On the device with Octopus Watch installed follow these steps:
- go to the Settings tab;
- scroll to the bottom;
- tap on the button labelled “share” to see a QR code;
Open the app on the other device. Tap on “scan” at the bottom of the Settings tab. Your credentials are now copied to the new device. All that is left to do is tapping on “Validate”.
Postcode Login
Octopus Energy have temporarily pulled the Agile rate. The postcode login will not work until Octopus Energy has had the opportunity to restore the Agile rate. You can read more on this issue on the Octopus Energy website.
Provide your postcode to use the simple login. The first half – also known as the outcode – of your postcode is sufficient. Tap the “Validate” button to verify your postcode and store it. Validation should only take a fraction of a second. As soon as your postcode is validated and stored the Rates tab becomes available.
API Login
Since version 4.2 the app only requires your API key to log in. There is no need to enter your account number, unless the app requests it.
To use the API login method you need an API key from the Octopus Energy website. To do so, follows these four steps:
- Log in to the Octopus Developer website: https://octopus.energy/dashboard/developer/
- Look for the section titled Authentication.
- Copy your API key into the designated field of the Octopus Watch app.
- Tap on “Validate”.
For most users there is no longer a need to enter the account number. Only provide your account number if the app asks for it. This can happen if multiple accounts are linked to your credentials. In this case the app shows an error with instructions on where to find your account number. You can find your account number – if needed – at the top of the Octopus Energy Dashboard: https://octopus.energy/dashboard/new/accounts/. Enter your account number below the API key as instructed and validate again to complete the login:
Your data is only stored on your device (and iCloud, if enabled). Furthermore, the data you entered is stored encrypted using modern standards to ensure the security of your credentials.
If you have a faulty export meter you can toggle the option “ignore my export meter”. If you do so Octopus Watch will not try to retrieve the data from your export meter. However, if you have an export meter and you generate export, then toggling this option can lead to erroneous results for some advanced usage analyses available in Octopus Watch.
Both the Rates and the History tab become available as soon as your API credentials are validated and stored.
My credentials cannot be validated! Octopus Watch tries hard to retrieve all information for you. This sometimes fails. If it does, Octopus Watch tries to provide you with the most accurate information on why it failed. Some problems are resolved simply by waiting. If an issue persists get in touch at contact@smarthound.uk to get additional help.