How to choose between Octopus Agile and Go?

[Mark_T]

thanks, I’m wondering if this is only for certain postcodes, I’ve asked the question and will post back what they say

It was a trial, invitation only a few months ago, but it is now published as a current tariff on their website so should be generally available.

Let's see what they say....

 

[Noel83]

Just had an email invite to it


We'd like to use Go to spread the load on the grid - so we'd like to offer you the chance to choose your preferred cheap period rather than the existing 00:30-4:30am slot.

The choices are:

Option 1. Take a 3-hour Go period at 4.5p/kWh and select a start time of 20.30, 21.30, 22.30, 23.30, 00.30, 01.30, 02.30 or 03.30
Option 2. Take a 4-hour Go period at 5.0p/kWh and select a start time of 20.30, 21.30, 22.30, 23.30, 00.30, 01.30 or 02.30
Option 3. Take a 5-hour Go period at 5.5p/kWh and select a start time of 20.30, 21.30, 22.30, 23.30, 00.30 or 01.30

This feels like a no brainer to go with 5.5p/kWh starting at 2030 each day.

My car will 99% plugged in at that point so I get an extra hour of charging and our evening use drops by two thirds the price. also don’t need to mess with trying to delay dishwasher and tumble dryer as it’ll be within cheap time.

Am I missing anything?!

 

[Adopado]

This feels like a no brainer to go with 5.5p/kWh starting at 2030 each day.

So long as you never use the car in the evening.. entertainments etc. It would be a pain to miss your charging slot because you were out! Or you get a call to pick up a family member from town, or whatever. Otherwise it does look like a good split for many people.

 

[Noel83]

Definitely the minority of instances, Think I'll jump onto it then I can monitor it and see.

 

[Durzel]

5.5p for 5 hours starting at 01:30 seems the obvious choice to me, if you need that extra hour. Bonus being that battery is warmer closer to when you might leave for work (though don’t know if that would actually make a difference to preconditioning)

EDIT: I’m referring to just charging the car mind.

 

[MrBadger]

Keep an eye on this twitter feed - Octo Comparison on Twitter

Is that Octo Comparison shot from a real product? Or just something coming?

If its a while off, I might see about linking my octopus account to my pv output logger.

 

[philgods]

Just moving to Go at the moment.
Am a relatively high electricity user due to no piped gas, so even though I have no solar or battery storage, I'm wondering if Agile would be better.
What's the process for logging usage on Go and then seeing what it would have cost you on Agile?

 

[Mark_T]

What's the process for logging usage on Go and then seeing what it would have cost you on Agile?

Nothing too exotic involved, you can either transcribe the 30 min values from the web portal into a spreadsheet or use the API that Octopus provide to automate the data collection process.

You can also gather the daily Agile charges using the API so it is easy to compare your actual usage vs the Agile cost on a daily basis.

 

[philgods]

Nothing too exotic involved, you can either transcribe the 30 min values from the web portal into a spreadsheet or use the API that Octopus provide to automate the data collection process.

You can also gather the daily Agile charges using the API so it is easy to compare your actual usage vs the Agile cost on a daily basis.

Just for fun, let's imagine I don't have a clue how to do option 2.
With option 1, I copy the values into excel? Then guessing I multiply them by the published half-hourly Agile rates for that day, and add them up?

 

[Mark_T]

Just for fun, let's imagine I don't have a clue how to do option 2.
With option 1, I copy the values into excel? Then guessing I multiply them by the published half-hourly Agile rates for that day, and add them up?

Yes, but you will need to find a source for the Agile rates as they don't publish the current daily rates in the portal unless you are actually on the Agile tariff, but ...

... using the API really isn't that hard, they have a good explanation here:

Octopus Energy

 

[Mblack99]

Hi all,
I'm already with Octopus on a normal tariff and just looking to switch to Agile or Go ahead of my Evezy M3P arriving shortly.

I've skimmed through the massive Go related thread but am not sure if there's an easy way for me to choose between Agile or Go?

'Normal' family household, peak use between 5 and 9pm, will have one EV once the M3P arrives.

Go costs would be 14.29p/kwh 0430-0030, 5p/kwh 0030-0430 and 25p/day standing charge
Agile is obviously variable with some info I've seen suggesting an average price as low as 9p over 12 months for some customers, 21p/day standing charge

Not wanting to spending hours on spreadsheets so just wonder if there's any simple rules for me to consider.

Am investigating whether there's a way to delay start our tumble dryer and dishwasher use as that could help whichever tariff we go for.

Cheers in advance

My Tesla 3 is coming soon, so have just done the maths and Octopus Go still coming out better than all of the competition. Have just signed up and had a chat with one their advisors. Once you are on an interim tariff, you use their website to move to go. Once they have moved that (and checked your smartmeter is compatible, they will offer you a choic of moving to Octopus Agile

 

[Adopado]

My Tesla 3 is coming soon, so have just done the maths and Octopus Go still coming out better than all of the competition. Have just signed up and had a chat with one their advisors. Once you are on an interim tariff, you use their website to move to go. Once they have moved that (and checked your smartmeter is compatible, they will offer you a choic of moving to Octopus Agile

BTW - anyone looking to swap to Octopus, please use my referral code to get £50 off your first bill... share.octopus.energyxxxxxxx

Putting your actual code in a post is against the forum rules I'm afraid.

 

[philgods]

Just got accepted/invited to the Go Faster tariff (after emailing and asking them!)
Going for the 5 hour slot from 01:30 as it fits with my other use.

 

[Epico]

Mentioned this in a previous thread somewhere but I looked back at my usage (im on go) since I got the car in September. Compared to the cost in agile from octopus website and it transpires that the difference between the two tariffs over those 6 months was about £1.80, that included standing charges (full disclosure I have solar, no battery storage and a wife who lives to use power in peak periods.

 

[MrBadger]

A quick read of the revised Octopus T&C led me to this link

Market data | Nord Pool

It is the (in this case monthly, but other views ie daily, hourly are available) monthly electricity prices that Octopus use to set their rates from. I have linked it as it shows very clearly the current pricing anomalies vs historical pricing - a heads up to anyone thinking that current pricing is normal. Something to add into the mix.

 

[Mark_T]

This is still the easiest way for a current Octopus customer to compare Agile and the standard 'Go' tariff on a day by day basis.

Octopus Comparison

Here's a recent day for me...

... or one from happier times, in December...

... and a recent one just for fun...

 

[*Adam]

I've used their API to feed into Excel. A simple click of a button and I've got my latest consumption.

I got paid a whole £1.82 on Sat just gone I did manage to get 4 loads of washing done, charge the car, and the kids and wife baked.

Had my car since late nov19. This is a quick summary of Monthly costs;



We put the dishwasher on during the early hours when it's cheap. Other than that we cook at the usual times, and watch too much telly. However I think it's unfair to do a like for like comparison between Agile and Go when my usage habits have changed to match the unit price of Agile.

 

[Yev000]

A simple click of a button

I've been clicking a lot of buttons and still cant do this API report. Adding Web API, advanced, URL in 2 parts, but its kind of waiting for a long time now after hitting ok.

How are you doing it?

 

[opals]

This is still the easiest way for a current Octopus customer to compare Agile and the standard 'Go' tariff on a day by day basis.

Octopus Comparison

Here's a recent day for me...

Interesting; I have only been on Go for 3 months, but looking at that link I would have been 5.8% better off on Agile than Go. Not a lot, but it would have been more had I changed time of use to suit Agile rather than Go.

How much of a pfaff do you find changing EV charging times every day? I also have a Powerwall, and not sure how I would automate charging that up in the best Agile periods.

 

[*Adam]

I've been clicking a lot of buttons and still cant do this API report. Adding Web API, advanced, URL in 2 parts, but its kind of waiting for a long time now after hitting ok.

How are you doing it?

Witchcraft?

Apoligies if some of this is teaching one how to suck eggs...but it might come in useful for others...simple steps.

1. Within Excel navigate to "Data" on the ribbon.
2. Look for "From Web" and hit it.
3. Paste in the following entering your MP serial and MPAN and change the dates if necessary-

   https://api.octopus.energy/v1/electricity-meter-points/**YOUR MPAN**/meters/**YOUR MP SERIAL**/consumption/?period_from=2018-12-13T00:00:00Z&period_to=2021-01-17T00:00:00Z&page_size=25000

   - copy this as used in step 7 : line 3.
4. Enter your API key as username and password (I can't really remember this step, you only have to do it once)..
5. This will hopfully bring you to Power Query where you'll navigate to "Home"
6. Then to "Advanced Editor".
7. Replace what is in there with this -

   let
   [/LIST]
       Source = Json.Document(Web.Contents("https://api.octopus.energy/v1/electricity-meter-points/**YOUR MPAN**/meters/**YOUR MP SERIAL**/consumption/?period_from=2018-12-13T00:00:00Z&period_to=2021-01-17T00:00:00Z&page_size=25000")),
       results = Source[results],
       #"Converted to Table" = Table.FromList(results, Splitter.SplitByNothing(), null, null, ExtraValues.Error),
       #"Expanded Column1" = Table.ExpandRecordColumn(#"Converted to Table", "Column1", {"consumption", "interval_start", "interval_end"}, {"Column1.consumption", "Column1.interval_start", "Column1.interval_end"}),
       #"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(#"Expanded Column1",{{"Column1.consumption", type number}})
   in
       #"Changed Type"

   
   Hit Close and Load. You should now have consumption per HH.
   
   Dates need some work but a simple formula can solve this. Happy to help if anyone needs it, just PM me.