Our commitment
Octopus50 publishes information that people rely on to make a decision about switching energy supplier, so it matters that everyone can read it, regardless of how they browse the web. We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.2 at level AA across every page on this site, including this one.
This is a statement of intent and current practice, not a certificate. We review it whenever we change a template and at least once a year, and we update the "last reviewed" date above each time we do.
Measures we take
- Semantic HTML: one H1 per page, a logical heading order, and landmarks (header, nav, main, footer) that assistive technology can navigate directly
- A visible skip-to-content link at the top of every page and fully keyboard-operable navigation, menus and forms
- Visible focus styles on every interactive element, so keyboard users can always see where they are
- Colour contrast checked against WCAG 2.2 AA for body text, headings and interface elements such as buttons and links
- No content that relies on colour alone to convey meaning — warnings and confirmations use icons and text as well as colour
- Descriptive alt text on meaningful images, and empty alt attributes on purely decorative ones so screen readers skip them
- A responsive layout that reflows without horizontal scrolling down to 320px width and supports browser zoom up to 200%
- Reduced-motion preferences respected for any animation or transition
- Plain-English writing, short paragraphs and clear headings so pages are easier to scan and understand
Known limitations
We are not aware of any outstanding accessibility issues that fall below WCAG 2.2 AA, but no site is perfect and some parts are outside our control:
- Following the referral link takes you to Octopus Energy's website, which we do not control and cannot guarantee for accessibility
- Links to other third-party sources cited in our guides (Ofgem, the Energy Ombudsman and similar) are outside our control
- Some data tables are dense on very small screens and may require scrolling within the table rather than the whole page
If you find anything else that creates a barrier, please tell us — see "Reporting a problem" below. We would rather know about a genuine issue than assume this list is complete.
Assistive technology compatibility
The site is built with standard HTML, CSS and JavaScript rather than custom widgets wherever possible, so it should work with the current versions of mainstream screen readers (such as NVDA, JAWS and VoiceOver) paired with recent versions of major browsers, as well as with screen magnification, browser zoom, voice control and keyboard-only navigation. We do not currently maintain a formal compatibility matrix of specific screen reader and browser combinations.
How we test
Pages are checked with keyboard-only navigation, automated accessibility tooling and browser zoom to 200%. We re-test when templates change rather than relying on a single check at launch, because a template change can introduce a regression on every page that uses it.
Requesting an accessible format
If you need any content on this site in a different format — for example, a plainer-text version of a page, or a summary read out over email — ask us and we will do our best to provide it. Contact details are below.
Feedback and enforcement procedure
We welcome feedback on the accessibility of this site. If you hit a barrier, email hello@octopus50.co.uk with the page address and a short description of the problem, including the device, browser and any assistive technology you were using if relevant. We aim to acknowledge reports within five working days and to fix confirmed issues promptly.
Octopus50 is an independently run commercial site and is not a public sector body, so it is not bound by the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations. We nonetheless treat WCAG 2.2 AA as our standard. If you are in the UK and feel we have not responded adequately to an accessibility complaint, you can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) for independent advice on your rights under the Equality Act 2010.
For anything unrelated to accessibility — a factual correction, a press enquiry or a question about the referral offer — see our contact page.