Has anyone signed up to GivEnergy's GivBack programme? It's another DFS implementation but, as far as I can see, with the advantage that charging the battery prior to the "event" is handled automatically (by Axle Energy). Payment for exported electricity is quoted as "up to £2.10" per kWh, more typically around £1 I think. My peak rate on the IO Go tariff is just under 30p/kWh, so charging at this rate to export at, say, £1/kWh sounds OK. I presume that I need to opt out of the Octoplus "Saving Sessions" as you can't be in more than one scheme.
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GivBack
- Thread starter G4WFT
- Start date
Pink Duck
Active Member
Octopus has paid no less than £2.25/kWh saved so far, so don’t see the need to switch mid-way through.
- Axel/Giv are taking 30% of the DFS payment, Octopus 25%
-- There is a bidding process for the Live DFS events, sometimes one will get a better rate than the other.
- Octopus have suggested that free sessions could happen at some point with Octoplus
In practice, free sessions don't save you a lot vs 7.5p off peak (The real money is in the DFS), and an extra 5% of the DFS payment isn't a lot. Both schemes pay against the same algorithm.
There were a few boo-boos with the first sessions, but Axel seem to have done a reasonable job of resolving the issues for future sessions
So it comes down to
- Do you have an opinion about how you want your battery charged? Some have commented that it charges just before the event rather than keeping off-peak charge in the battery via reserve resulting in more charging losses and battery cycles. If so, octoplus and home automation or manual configuration. Otherwise you've got to "let it go" and accept that Axel might not do things they way you would have preferred to.
- Do you have home automation which might "fight" with the settings Axel send to the inverter.
- Do you have home automation already which can offer wider house level power savings, for example adjusting the heating. If so, add octoplus to the home automation and make a bit more from the DFS feeling
I have home automation in place already, it's a hobby and it's a great feeling when "everything comes together". But not every battery system owner has home assistant or wants the faf
The exciting thing, at least for me, is that we're starting to see a marketplace for DFS appear (Facebook have been advertising a third scheme to me, much like Axel. Not interested in that one either, but competition is good)
-- There is a bidding process for the Live DFS events, sometimes one will get a better rate than the other.
- Octopus have suggested that free sessions could happen at some point with Octoplus
In practice, free sessions don't save you a lot vs 7.5p off peak (The real money is in the DFS), and an extra 5% of the DFS payment isn't a lot. Both schemes pay against the same algorithm.
There were a few boo-boos with the first sessions, but Axel seem to have done a reasonable job of resolving the issues for future sessions
So it comes down to
- Do you have an opinion about how you want your battery charged? Some have commented that it charges just before the event rather than keeping off-peak charge in the battery via reserve resulting in more charging losses and battery cycles. If so, octoplus and home automation or manual configuration. Otherwise you've got to "let it go" and accept that Axel might not do things they way you would have preferred to.
- Do you have home automation which might "fight" with the settings Axel send to the inverter.
- Do you have home automation already which can offer wider house level power savings, for example adjusting the heating. If so, add octoplus to the home automation and make a bit more from the DFS feeling
I have home automation in place already, it's a hobby and it's a great feeling when "everything comes together". But not every battery system owner has home assistant or wants the faf
The exciting thing, at least for me, is that we're starting to see a marketplace for DFS appear (Facebook have been advertising a third scheme to me, much like Axel. Not interested in that one either, but competition is good)
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Does anyone know how many Axle / GivEnergy DFS sessions happened this winter so far? I have counted only three. I missed the first one because I didn't have an MPAN , but Axle have sorted that problem now. The second session ran perfectly, Axle topped up the battery ahead of the session etc and paid about £2:10 per kWh
. Then the third session failed because my internet went down (my fault). But I was expecting more FFS events.I am with Octopus but they didn't offer me DFS. I don't have Solar PV / MPAN.
David
Pink Duck
Active Member
The DFS season this time around (2023–4) is aiming to deliver 12 events to all providers, with no on-boarding events like last time.
So far there have been 10:
Axle Energy Ltd participated in all of these. However, their bid for last Friday’s one was rejected by National Grid ESO.
So far there have been 10:
Code:
Thu 16th Nov 2023 17:30–18:30 @ £2.25/kWh
Wed 29th Nov 2023 17:00–18:30 @ £4.00/kWh
Fri 1st Dec 2023 16:30–18:00 @ £4.00/kWh
Tue 5th Dec 2023 17:30–18:30 @ £2.25/kWh
Tue 12th Dec 2023 17:00–18:00 @ £2.25/kWh
Thu 14th Dec 2023 17:00–18:00 @ £2.25/kWh
Fri 15th Dec 2023 17:00–18:00 @ £2.25/kWh
Tue 19th Dec 2023 17:00–18:00 @ £2.25/kWh
Wed 17th Jan 2024 17:30–18:30 @ £2.25/kWh
Fri 2nd Feb 2024 17:00–18:00 @ £1.75/kWhAxle Energy Ltd participated in all of these. However, their bid for last Friday’s one was rejected by National Grid ESO.
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So I gather you dont have an MPAN for export at all?
The DFS scheme works for all and beneficial if you have a battery and MPAN for export
The givback scheme is a totally different thing as far as I see it and might not be linked to every DFS event for export albeit you should still be able to "save"
No, I don't have an MPAN at all, it's not normally provided for battery only installation?, ... but Axle Energy got it sorted (somehow) just in time for Dec 19th DFS, so I did get a few £ cash credit, with Axle automatically controlling my GivEnergy battery export
. Then I missed Jan 17th DFS (my Openreach internet failed), and Axle didn't participate Feb 2nd. I just need to watch for next sessions!!!I did also join an Octopus saving scheme, but it only gives Octopus points (to reduce energy, not export it) and (in case it interferes with Axle scheme) I've opted out of Octopus. Again, Octopus may be confused by the lack of an MPAN number, but either way Axle is better if they will auto manage the battery for max DFS
.but either way Axle is better if they will auto manage the battery for max DFS
Again. i dont think your axle thing will have anything to do with dfs and if so it will be for a cut from your export. You can join Octopus as well as this won't be based on your export since you dont have an export MPAN hence only your savings will be calculated with them if that makes sense.
Pink Duck
Active Member
Obviously you’ll need a working export MPAN to be able to take full advantage, so good of Axle to arrange that.
Plus a topped up battery for maximal discharge. You still need to opt-in or out of these export events manually, hence the trouble with connectivity.
This year the DFS is run more carefully to prevent multiple subscription to DFS providers, so less likely you’ll get away with that this time around.
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