Octopus Energy has completed a large-scale migration of its Direct Debit operations to fintech payments provider GoCardless.
Through this move, the company aimed to minimise the time required for customers to receive refunds of account credit. According to the official press release, the UK energy supplier transferred around 5.5 million customer accounts and approximately GBP 12 billion in annual payments to GoCardless’ platform. As a result, refunds that previously took up to five working days are now typically processed within one to two days. According to Octopus Energy, this places its refund timelines ahead of other major UK energy suppliers.
Most refunds are now initiated digitally through the Octopus Energy app, which the company says accounts for roughly 70% of all refund requests. Around 30,000 refunds are processed each week using this method. Customers who prefer not to use the app can still request refunds via phone or email support.
Direct Debit migration and operational changes
The integration with GoCardless is intended to reduce delays linked to traditional Direct Debit processing and to streamline back-office administration. Octopus Energy officials indicated that automating more of the payment flow allows internal teams to focus on customer service rather than manual payment handling.
Octopus Energy had previously introduced the ability for customers to reclaim surplus credit directly through their online account, a feature that allows withdrawals at any time. While some customers choose to keep a positive balance to offset higher winter energy use, the refund option remains available on demand. The supplier has also developed a personalised Direct Debit forecasting tool within customer accounts, designed to show how payments and energy usage align over the year.
Representatives from Octopus Energy described the migration as a technically complex process that was completed without service disruption, placing it as part of a wider effort to modernise payment infrastructure. GoCardless officials said the partnership demonstrates how bank-to-bank payment systems can be used at scale for recurring household bills.
