New Octopus Go tariff and off peak options?

[JupiterMan]

I switched December 15th, still waiting for the meter. Now complained as costing more due to charging i3 until Tesla arrives. So dont hold your breath for the 6 weeks. could be 6 months

It sounds like its based on location, I'm with Octopus and called up on the Friday to get my SMETS2 smart meter installation and was offered slots the following Monday.. I couldn't make that day so instead got it installed on the Friday (last week) - 7 days after making the request.

 

[Tony Hoyle]

FIT is unrelated, you keep your export meter & report it to your FIT provider as normal.

 

[philgods]

It sounds like its based on location, I'm with Octopus and called up on the Friday to get my SMETS2 smart meter installation and was offered slots the following Monday.. I couldn't make that day so instead got it installed on the Friday (last week) - 7 days after making the request.

Did they say when you would get switched to the Go tariff? I've been waiting 10 days since the new meter was installed. When I call/email, they just say they're waiting for the new meter to 'talk' to them

 

[Tony Hoyle]

If you have a successful install it's a few days IIRC.

Alas they don't know if the meter actually works until talks to them.. if that happens it's wait for another engineer.

 

[JupiterMan]

Did they say when you would get switched to the Go tariff? I've been waiting 10 days since the new meter was installed. When I call/email, they just say they're waiting for the new meter to 'talk' to them

I'm with Octopus Super Green tariff currently, and have not yet switched to Go tariff - I wanted the smart meter install done ready for when my car arrives (whenever that may be), so I can then switch to Go at that point...

 

[DrBobM]

I'm on Go and thinking about Agile. I have solar and a Powerwall2 along with the Model S and on many days can avoid using the off-peak electricity altogether, in which case savings on Agile would be minimal and I guess could actually work out more expensive when the night time electricity isn't so cheap.

I was thinking about setup for the Powerwall and although I could set a cheap rate, a peak rate and an intermediate rate, my main worry is that as my solar ramps up I end up preserving too much in the Powerwall to get past the 4-7pm peak and end up exporting during the daytime.

I feel sometimes as if I'd be better off if I could manually program the Powerwall! Pity Tesla are unlikely to incorporate looking at flexible rates in the Powerwall algorithms.

Anyone share their experience of using Agile with a PW2?

 

[Battpower]

FIT is unrelated, you keep your export meter & report it to your FIT provider as normal.

Actually, I think (based on my recent research) that this is not correct.

I am a very technical, clued up engineer and did my own solar PV and self-use system several years ago.

Eon (my fit supplier) just told me categorically that my FIT payments would not change based on having a SMETS2 meter. Only a FIT Export meter would require them to use those actual export readings rather than 50% deemed export and that a SMETS2 meter is NOT such a device.

However, the EDF application for a current smart meter includes a statement that FIT Export will change to an actual basis. On investigation, a very knowledgeable specialist with EDF's green team explained that OFGEM have already advised that where a device exists that provides actual export values, this will be used rather than the 50% deemed value. This is not the case as of today, but in the next 6 - 12 months it is expected that the change will be implemented.

I expect that the trick is that as of today, a smart meter is not listed as a suitable export measurement device, so is not used for providing that info, but in due course that definition can (and most likely will) be changed.

In my case, that could cost me £150 pa.

The other point made was that in dues course it will be decided that the existing standard / E7 meters are end-of-life and must be replaced. So eventually PV owners with self-use systems (zappi, power wall, EV day charging, Immersun / diverter immersion heater etc) who have high self use and lower actual export will be worse off.

 

[Battpower]

I'm on Go and thinking about Agile. I have solar and a Powerwall2 along with the Model S and on many days can avoid using the off-peak electricity altogether, in which case savings on Agile would be minimal and I guess could actually work out more expensive when the night time electricity isn't so cheap.

I was thinking about setup for the Powerwall and although I could set a cheap rate, a peak rate and an intermediate rate, my main worry is that as my solar ramps up I end up preserving too much in the Powerwall to get past the 4-7pm peak and end up exporting during the daytime.

I feel sometimes as if I'd be better off if I could manually program the Powerwall! Pity Tesla are unlikely to incorporate looking at flexible rates in the Powerwall algorithms.

Anyone share their experience of using Agile with a PW2?

It is a very difficult line to tread from my experience. The main reason I have battery storage is to avoid exporting energy. Since (lithium) batteries are (typically) warrantied for a maximum energy throughput, there is a real cost of energy that passes through the battery. Having invested in PV panels, obviously I need to make optimal use of energy from them, and this means using that energy myself in some useful way. My heatpump can make worthwhile use of 2.5kw, and I can charge batteries at about 4.5kw. Once the batteries are charged, I shut off the heatpump and can charge cars at 7.5kw directly off solar.

I have a total of 9.5kw of inverters so most of the time I can charge a car, run the house and heatpump.

When the days get longer, there is a difficult sweet spot to hit where you keep enough energy in batteries for daytime needs while also having capacity to charge from PV generation. If I'm not careful I charge batteries overnight only to find that I'm stuck in the day with no available storage capacity.

 

[Fly.guy]

Are there any Agile account (or others with SMETS2 meters) and solar PV getting FIT payment's who can confirm how their export payments are handled? I am concerned that while Agile might have benefits, it could also take me from 50% deemed export on to actual export.

As long as you are just importing electricity via Agile your existing export deemed 50% arrangements stays the same. My FIT is still administered by Ecotricity as they were my supplier when our PV was installed.

You only need to give up FIT if you want to move over to one of the new export tariffs.

For us, the combination of self consumption and Powerwall time shifting means we used 96% of our PV production in 2019. So the 50% deemed export is quite the deal.

 

[Battpower]

As long as you are just importing electricity via Agile your existing export deemed 50% arrangements stays the same. My FIT is still administered by Ecotricity as they were my supplier when our PV was installed.

You only need to give up FIT if you want to move over to one of the new export tariffs.

For us, the combination of self consumption and Powerwall time shifting means we used 96% of our PV production in 2019. So the 50% deemed export is quite the deal.

I agree that is how things work today. However, it seems very clear that in the near future the ground is set for this to change and I believe the catalyst for the change will be that once you have a meter that can measure exactly your exported energy your existing FIT agreement will require you to use it. (I'm going to check in detail my FIT agreement with Eon.) Eon even assured me that my FIT will stay at 50% but they did qualify 'as long as I don't have an energy export meter'. So that still leaves room for a SMETS2 meter to become a recognised acceptable export meter. It did not matter that my FIT is with EON and supply with EDF. In fact, the EDF smart meter terms clearly require me to advise EON that I have a smart meter installed.

EDF confirmed that if I switched to a smart meter today, I would most likely keep the 50% deemed export for several months, but that this most likely will not continue.

I do find it very confused that a new agreement with one supplier (EDF) can 'require me' to notify a separate supplier (EON) that I have a smart meter - but knowing how these things go, and since all this is goverment driven, I expect they will get whatever terms they want.

 

[Tony Hoyle]

It might, but they're not going to start insisting on things like that until all smart meters can do it - not even all smets2 smart meters can (the bulb one I had couldn't, export was always 0). *maybe* the octopus one can? Haven't managed to get it to tell me very much.

There's no requirement to tell your FIT provider you have a smart meter.. why would they care, that's not the meter they're using (and no process to do so either. Bulb for example know I had one as they fitted it. But I could change my FIT provider tomorrow and they don't ask).

 

[Battpower]

I hope that is the case, and I do not understand the statements to the contrary in the EDF application process. If you look in their online application, it clearly states that if EDF is not the FIT provider, the FIT provider must be advised that a smart meter has been intalled and that in future 50% deemed export will no longer apply.

 

[Epico]

Does anyone else have one of those glow stick monitors. Is there any way to download the usage data? Want to use it to compare usage on go currently Vs converting to agile.

 

[Noel83]

Did they say when you would get switched to the Go tariff? I've been waiting 10 days since the new meter was installed. When I call/email, they just say they're waiting for the new meter to 'talk' to them

I’m two months in and the meters aren’t right!

 

[kevuwk]

Does anyone else have one of those glow stick monitors. Is there any way to download the usage data? Want to use it to compare usage on go currently Vs converting to agile.

Can’t you just download the data off the Octopus website or use the watchdog app

 

[Epico]

Can’t you just download the data off the Octopus website or use the watchdog app

Can you.get it from the octopus website...I only use their mobile app/site and can't see any option...and what's the 'watchdog app' when it's at home

 

[kevuwk]

Can you.get it from the octopus website...I only use their mobile app/site and can't see any option...and what's the 'watchdog app' when it's at home

You can use their APIs

Octopus Energy APIs — Octopus Energy API 1.0 documentation

or the watchdog app is called “Octopus Energy Watchdog” and for 99p I believe it will do the job for you (at least on iOS anyway)

 

[Tony Hoyle]

I’m two months in and the meters aren’t right!

Give them a poke.. they might need to send an engineer out to swap the meter.

 

[Leilani]

Did they say when you would get switched to the Go tariff? I've been waiting 10 days since the new meter was installed. When I call/email, they just say they're waiting for the new meter to 'talk' to them

18 days post install..........am still waiting for the switch. It's quite annoying now.

 

[philgods]

18 days post install..........am still waiting for the switch. It's quite annoying now.

Hmmmm. What are they telling you?

I’m two months in and the meters aren’t right!

Wow! This sounds like a record.