Notifying Octopus Energy after a death is usually straightforward. Octopus is one of the UK’s largest energy suppliers and has a dedicated bereavement process, with a free phone line and a partnership with Settld that lets you notify multiple companies at once if you prefer. The whole process can be completed in a single phone call or online form submission.
Quick reference:
- Phone: 0808 164 1088 (freephone, Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm)
- Email: hello@octopus.energy
- Online: octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/bereavement
- Multi-company notification: Settld – free service paid for by Octopus
- Have ready: Name, address and date of death; meter readings if accessible
- Do not cancel direct debits until the final bill has been issued
How to notify Octopus Energy of a death
The most direct route is to call Octopus’s main customer line on 0808 164 1088, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. This is a freephone number – free from both mobile and landline. Octopus’s phone team handles bereavement notifications through their standard customer service line, so you don’t need a separate number.
If you’d prefer to put things in writing, you can also email hello@octopus.energy with the relevant details.
Octopus has a notable alternative option: a free online service through Settld, a bereavement notification platform. Using Settld’s form, you can notify Octopus Energy and many other organisations – banks, insurers, mobile providers, other utility companies – all at the same time. Octopus pays for this service on your behalf; there’s no cost to you. Settld’s form takes around 15 minutes to complete (source: octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/bereavement).
| Contact method | Details |
|---|---|
| Phone | 0808 164 1088, Mon–Fri 9am–5pm (freephone) |
| hello@octopus.energy | |
| Settld (multi-company) | settld.care – free, paid for by Octopus Energy |
| BSL users | octopusenergy.signvideo.net, Mon–Thu 9am–5pm, Fri 9am–4pm |
When you contact Octopus, provide the following:
- The full name of the person who has died
- The address of the property
- The date of death
- The name and role of the person dealing with the estate (executor if there’s a will, administrator if there isn’t)
- Meter readings taken on or around the date of death, if you can access them
You don’t need everything in hand before you call. Octopus can take an initial notification with basic details and follow up for documents. The key priority is making contact so that billing can be correctly suspended from the date of death.
What documents you’ll need
Octopus’s requirements are straightforward. Copies are acceptable – you don’t need to send originals.
Proof of death:
- A copy of the death certificate, issued by the register office after the death is registered
- If the coroner has not yet released the body, an interim death certificate is also accepted
Account details:
- The deceased’s full name and address are usually enough to locate the account
- An account number (from any Octopus bill or the Octopus app) is helpful but not essential
Meter readings:
- Take readings from both the gas and electricity meters as close to the date of death as possible
- A timestamped photo on a phone is sufficient – you don’t need a formal meter reading form
Your own details:
- Your name, contact number, and your relationship to the estate (executor, next of kin, etc.)
If you’re managing a large estate and notifying multiple organisations, it’s worth ordering several certified copies of the death certificate at the register office. Each copy costs £11 in England and Wales (source: gov.uk – order a death certificate). For utility companies, a standard copy rather than a certified copy is generally sufficient.
What happens to the account
After notification, what happens next depends on the situation at the property.
If someone is still living at the property
If a spouse, partner, or other household member is continuing to live at the address and wants to keep the energy supply, Octopus can transfer the account into their name. The final meter reading from the date of death becomes the opening reading for the new account. Any credit balance on the deceased’s account will be refunded to the estate; any outstanding balance becomes a debt of the estate, not the new account holder’s personal liability – unless they were a joint account holder.
If the property is now empty
This is the position most executors find themselves in. Octopus will keep the account open until the property is sold or the keys are formally handed back (source: octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/bereavement). Provide the date the property changes hands, along with final meter readings, so Octopus can close the account to that point.
Standing charges continue to accrue daily on empty properties even if no energy is being used. Octopus’s combined gas and electricity standing charge typically runs to several hundred pounds a year. Notify Octopus promptly of the property’s status to avoid accumulating charges that the estate will need to cover.
Keeping utilities running during probate is often sensible – it prevents burst pipes in cold weather and is usually a condition of buildings insurance – but make sure the account is in the right name and that bills are going to someone who can act on them.
Direct debits
Do not cancel the direct debit immediately after notifying Octopus. The account will generate a final bill, and if the direct debit is cancelled beforehand, the outstanding balance will need to be paid separately. Wait until you receive a final bill showing a zero balance (or a refund confirmation) before cancelling payments.
Credit balances and refunds
If the deceased’s Octopus account was in credit – common when direct debits have been running ahead of actual usage – that credit belongs to the estate and will be refunded.
Octopus’s standard process for credit refunds is handled through the online account or app: you submit a recent meter reading and request a refund. In a bereavement situation, the bereavement team manages this on your behalf. You can expect the refund within 7 days, though bank processing delays can extend this to 2 weeks (source: octopus.energy – credit refund process).
If the deceased’s bank account has already been closed or frozen, let Octopus know – they can arrange for the refund to be reissued as a cheque to the executor.
Any credit belongs to the estate, not to any person taking over the account.
Probate and the Octopus account
Octopus Energy does not require probate to close or transfer an energy account. Energy suppliers are not typically holding assets on behalf of the deceased – they’re a service provider or, at most, a creditor. In practice, most Octopus bereavement cases are resolved without any probate documentation at all.
If there is a substantial credit balance on the account and you need to recover it as part of the estate’s assets, Octopus may ask for evidence of your authority to act – such as the grant of probate or letters of administration. But for the large majority of accounts, this is not needed.
If probate is in progress and you need the account held while it’s resolved, let Octopus know – they can place the account on hold so bills are issued but not pressing for immediate payment. For a full explanation of the probate process, see the government’s guide at gov.uk/applying-for-probate.
If you’re also notifying a bank, the process is different – our guide to notifying Barclays after a bereavement covers how probate thresholds work for bank accounts.
How long does it take?
For a straightforward case – account closed or transferred, final bill issued, any credit refunded – the typical timeline is 4 to 6 weeks from notification. The main variables are:
- Whether meter readings were provided at the time of notification or later
- Whether the property is occupied or empty, and when it changes hands
- Whether a credit refund needs to be reissued if the direct debit bank account has been closed
Keep a note of the date you first contacted Octopus, the name of the person you spoke to, and any reference number given. If you used Settld, keep your Settld reference too.
Things to watch out for
Octopus is online-first – but phone still works. Octopus built its business around digital-first customer service. Much of their process runs through the Octopus app and online account. In a bereavement, you’re unlikely to have access to the deceased’s app login, so calling or emailing is the practical route. The phone team can handle everything without needing account login access.
Standing charges on empty properties accumulate quickly. As noted above, combined gas and electricity standing charges typically run to several hundred pounds per year before any actual usage. If the property is empty, tell Octopus straight away and agree a timeline for account closure once the property is sold or keys handed back.
The Settld partnership is free and genuinely useful. If you’re facing a large estate with multiple accounts to notify – energy, telecoms, banks, insurance – Settld’s form is worth using. It handles Octopus and many others simultaneously. Octopus pays for the service, so there’s no charge to the estate. Access it at settld.care.
Smart meters don’t change the process. Octopus has one of the highest smart meter installation rates in the UK. If the deceased had a smart meter, Octopus can pull readings remotely – you may not need to physically read the meter. Mention it when you call.
Kraken platform quirks. Octopus runs on its own proprietary billing platform, Kraken. In rare cases, executors have reported automated billing communications continuing after notification while the bereavement process completes. If you receive a payment reminder after notifying them, call back with your reference number and confirm the bereavement has been logged.
BSL users. Octopus offers British Sign Language support via SignVideo at octopusenergy.signvideo.net, available Monday to Thursday 9am–5pm, Friday 9am–4pm.
Summary
To notify Octopus Energy after a death, call 0808 164 1088 (freephone, Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm) or email hello@octopus.energy. Alternatively, use Settld to notify Octopus and other organisations at the same time – the service is free, paid for by Octopus.
Have ready: the deceased’s name, address, and date of death; meter readings if accessible; and your own details as executor or next of kin. Do not cancel the direct debit until the final bill has been issued.
For empty properties, notify Octopus of the situation as early as possible – standing charges continue to run daily until the account is closed. If the account was in credit, the refund goes to the estate.
If you’re also dealing with other utilities, our guides to notifying British Gas after a bereavement, notifying OVO Energy after a bereavement, and notifying your water company after a death cover those processes.
Former Co-op Energy customers: Co-op Energy ceased to operate as an independent supplier in 2019. Its customer accounts transferred to Octopus Energy. If the deceased’s paperwork shows a “Co-op Energy” account, contact Octopus using the details above — they now administer all former Co-op Energy accounts. For other Co-op Group services (membership, insurance, legal services), see our Co-op Group bereavement guide.
Former Shell Energy customers: Shell Energy Retail sold its residential energy business to Octopus Energy in December 2023. All former Shell Energy gas and electricity accounts are now with Octopus — use the number and process on this page. If the deceased also had Shell Energy Broadband, that service transferred separately to TalkTalk. See our Shell Energy bereavement guide for full details on both accounts.
Sources: Octopus Energy bereavement FAQ (verified March 2026); Octopus Energy contact page (verified March 2026); Octopus Energy credit refund process (verified March 2026); Octopus Energy and Settld partnership announcement (verified March 2026); gov.uk – order a death certificate; gov.uk – applying for probate