FAQs

You need to be:

• over 18 years old
• a UK resident 

• a tax resident in another country
• a US person

No, projects on the Collective are available to anyone who completes signup.

If you’re interested in switching your energy supplier to Octopus Energy, visit: https://octopus.energy/

No, projects are available to all members of the Collective. 

You don’t need to supply any documents as part of our signup process. 

When you go to make your first investment, we’ll attempt to verify your identity using the name and address you used to sign up. If we can’t verify your identity with these details, we’ll prompt you to upload a copy of your driving licence or passport (which can be a UK or non-UK ID as long as it’s in date), and proof of address. For proof of address, we’ll accept a:

• bank statement or credit card statement issued in the last 3 months
• utility bill (gas, water, or electricity) issued within the last 3 months
• HMRC letter or council tax bill issued in the last 12 months
• valid driving licence (if not submitted as your form of ID)

Investments on the Collective aren’t suitable for everyone, so it’s important we make sure you fully understand what’s on offer and the risks associated with investing before you become a member. 

Don’t worry — we’re not trying to catch you out! You can find everything you need to know about the Collective in our FAQs and on our risks page.

You can retake the investor test immediately if you fail on your first attempt. After failing a second time, you’ll need to wait 30 days. Then, another 30 days if you fail a third time, and 12 months if you fail a fourth time. After your fifth failure, we’ll get in touch with you to chat about whether investments on the Collective could be the right fit for you. 

No, it’s completely up to you if you invest in a project once you complete signup. 

Check out our risks page. Information about risk can also be found in a project’s offer document. 

It’s important you understand the risks involved before making any investment decisions.

This type of share generally offers a fixed target rate of return per year, and entitles you to receive dividends before other shareholders.  

At the end of your investment term, the project will aim to 'redeem' your preference shares. This means your shares are bought back at the original price you paid, and your initial investment amount is returned to you. Please note that there’s a risk you don’t receive your initial investment amount back.

We carry out due diligence on all green energy projects before they list on the Collective. This is to assess whether it’s reasonable to expect the project to deliver its target return.

Our due diligence involves analysing the unlisted company that owns the energy project, including its financial forecast, which is based on energy generation, expected revenue and costs.

It’s important to note that due diligence does not mean the financial information has been verified, audited, or that target returns are guaranteed. 

Before you invest on the Collective, make sure you read the project’s share offer document, understand the risks involved, and decide whether the investment is right for you.

Typically about 90 days, you can find the exact closing date in a project’s share offer document. Note that the offer may close ahead of schedule if there’s high demand and the project reaches its investment target early. 

Zilch! We don’t charge you any fees for using the Collective. 

Currently, no — you can’t earn a further return on your dividends by reinvesting them into the same project. However, any dividends you receive can be used to invest in an available project on the Collective. 

You can invest up to £20,000 before the investment offer closes. This can be done in multiple transactions. 

It depends on the project. In some cases, the investment term will go ahead, in others, the project could be paused and anyone who invested would get their money back.

Generally, shares are issued about 20 days after the project target is met and the share offer closes. This is to give investors a final chance to cancel their investment if they wish to do so, and to allow time for admin related to issuing shares.

No, unlike buying shares listed on a stock exchange, the value of your shares in a project will not go up and down over time. Instead, the shares you buy pay a fixed target return in the form of dividends. But remember, dividends aren’t guaranteed and you could lose the money you invest. Read our risks page for more info.

A dividend is a portion of a company's profit paid to shareholders as a reward for owning shares.

When you invest in a project on the Collective, you get the opportunity to earn dividends with a fixed target return, meaning you have more certainty about how much you could earn. But remember, dividends aren’t guaranteed.

Dividend payments (when you receive your share of the project’s profits) are scheduled quarterly (every three months). But remember, dividends aren’t guaranteed. 

You can change where your dividends are paid to by going to Menu > Portfolio > Change dividend destination.

Shareholder votes will not be held during the investment term. 

You have a certificate of beneficial ownership which you can view by going to Portfolio, selecting your investment, then the Documents tab. 

You have the option to get any dividends you earn credited to your Octopus Energy account. 

To do this, go to Menu > Your account > Link Octopus Energy account. 

If you’ve linked your account and receive a dividend, it will be credited to your Octopus Energy account and added to your account balance. Please note, the amount does not get automatically deducted from your Direct Debit. 

Remember, dividend payments aren’t guaranteed — they depend on the project’s profits.

Generally, no — once the investment term has started, you don’t have the option to get your money back before the term ends. 

If you find yourself in a situation where you want to access your investment money, email us at [email protected]. 

Remember, it’s important to only invest the money you’re prepared to lose. 

You may need to pay tax on the dividends you receive through the Collective depending on your individual circumstances.

Unfortunately we can’t give tax advice so please speak to a tax professional if you need to.

We’ll email you about a week before your investment term ends so you know what’s coming. 

When the term ends, the project buys (‘redeems’) your shares off you and the money is paid into your Octopus Energy Collective Wallet — ready to withdraw or reinvest. 

You can expect your shares to be bought back at the same price you paid for them. However, if the project were to experience significant losses or fail during the investment term, there is a risk that you don’t receive your initial investment amount back. 

No worries — as long as you're a member of the Collective, you’re eligible to invest in a project. 

If you’ve opted to send dividends you earn to an Octopus Energy account, make sure to change how your dividends are received before you make the switch. To do this, go to Menu > Portfolio > Change dividend destination.

Fan #1 and #2 are on private land, so we ask that you don’t try to visit them. Wind turbines also require careful planning and safety checks for any visits, so for now, we’ll leave inspections to the experts!

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is a Government-backed scheme that can sometimes compensate you if you lose money through investing. 

The money you invest into projects on the Collective is not protected by FSCS. So you are unlikely to be protected if the project fails or performs worse than expected.

However, any money held in your Octopus Energy Collective Wallet (like from a top-up or investment pay-out) is protected by the FSCS. Check out our full risks page for more info.

Octopus Energy is known for its outstanding customer service, and that extends to the Collective. We always aim to resolve issues quickly, so if you have a complaint, please email us at [email protected]. In your email, please include:

• your personal details
• what's gone wrong and the impact it's had on you
• your preferred solution

If you have a complaint about the Collective, please email us first at [email protected] so we can do our best to resolve it. 

If you’re then unhappy with the outcome, or if we weren't able to resolve your issue within eight weeks, you can file a formal complaint with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). 

FOS is free and impartial, and contacting them at any stage of your complaint will not affect your legal rights.See the FOS website for steps on how to file a formal complaint. 

If FOS finds we haven’t acted correctly, they’ll tell us what we’re required to do in order to put things right. This can include an explanation, apology, and in some cases, compensation.

You have a right under data protection law to access the personal data that we hold about you. The process of requesting your data is called a Subject Access Request (SAR).

To make a SAR, send an email to [email protected] that includes:

• your full name, postal address, email address and telephone number
• the statement “I the undersigned and the person identified above hereby request that The Collective (1) inform me of the personal data held about me OR (2) provide me with a copy of the personal data The Collective hold about me.”
• your signature and the date

Best Execution policies exist so that investors get the best possible outcome when buying and selling shares on a platform that carries out the transaction on their behalf. 

Since the Collective doesn’t work this way (the price of shares is fixed and applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis until the offer closes), a Best Execution policy isn’t applicable.

When you invest through our platform, Octopus Energy Nominees Limited (OECN) holds the shares you own on your behalf. The nominee handles all the administrative work related to being a shareholder, while you benefit from owning the economic value of your shares. For example, any dividends you earn belong to you and you’re entitled to your original investment amount at the end of the investment term.

To manage the OECN nominee structure, we’ve partnered with Woodside Corporate Services Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the FCA (467652) to ensure your shares are held in safe custody.

If you’ve invested in a project and the Collective goes out of business, your shares (or bonds) will still be valid as long as the project is operational. For example, you’ll receive dividends and the repayment of your original investment amount if the project is financially able to.

If you pass away, your shares can be transferred to someone else.

The manager of your estate will need to contact us, and we'll work with them to sort out any cash or active investments in your account.

Projects pay a fee for listing on the Collective, as well as a fundraising fee based on how much they raise. 

Projects on the Collective make money by selling the green energy they generate. 

The Collective is owned by Octopus Energy Group.  

Fan Club is an initiative that enables Octopus Energy customers living near a Fan Club turbine to get cheaper energy rates when the turbine is spinning. 

Investing in Fan #1 or #2 through the Collective does not give you access to Fan Club energy rates. However, you’re free to join Fan Club if you live near a turbine.

ShareIn is a company we work with to deliver the Collective. They help with lots of things, like processing payments, operations, and providing investor funds services. 

For example, when you top up your Octopus Energy Collective Wallet, your money is held in ShareIn’s client money account.

ShareIn is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can find their details on the FCA’s website.