Octopus Energy Saving Sessions

[Stranger Dings]

Does anyone know how the Octopus ”Power Hour” energy saving sessions are actually calculated?

I’ve taken part in all of them, but the results just seem totally random.

I’ve had sessions where we’ve switched off as much as we can and gone out, only to be told that we didn’t manage to save anything.

Some sessions, we’ve made very small savings, Including one where virtually everything was switched off and the whole family was in another country.

One session I forgot it was happening despite signing up, only to be told I’d managed to save 93% of my normal usage and be credited with over £16 off!

I’ll continue to sign up for them and don’t really do it expecting to save much as we are already quite energy efficient. It all just seems so random.

 

[Jason71]

I've always thought so...

only this time YOU were the one getting paid!

 

[PITA]

only this time YOU were the one getting paid!

Oh I dunno... bag of chips still counts

 

[Pink Duck]

Demand forecast for the coming weeks:

National Grid need to select 4 days, so would they really go for 15th–18th Jan in a row?

Suspect not, so perhaps Wed 10th a Test event, Mon 15th Live, Wed 17th Test leaving one spare.

 

[ACarneiro]

Does DFS end in January? Surely there will be plenty of very cold days coming up in February?

 

[Pink Duck]

It runs until March like last time but the grid demand essentially falls away progressively after the 18th Jan from the long-range models.

OctoPlus itself has the freedom to continue beyond March if it wishes.

 

[ACarneiro]

OctoPlus itself has the freedom to continue beyond March if it wishes.

Can't see that Octopus would pay people to help the grid out if they didn't get compensation from "up above".
Do you know if Octoplus would also be the framework for any possible future "free electricity" events to avoid renewable curtailment?

 

[Pink Duck]

While the DFS is a bit of a special case there is the usual National Grid market-like environment for generators and demand drivers - so in theory Octopus could take part in that with last minute or API-driven charge/discharge events to cover the cost. Time will tell.

Tesla recently made Powerwall available through their new FleetAPI SDK, so hoping for smarter Flux tariff too.

 

[NewbieT]

Demand is one thing but surplus is another. Can I place a bet for 12th and 16th Jan?

2-14 Day Ahead | BMRS

 

[Pink Duck]

You can, but historically they’ve only decided upon demand forecast exceeding 41 GW.

They might reduce candidate days by surplus margin, however.

 

[NewbieT]

Makes sense as a demand side intervention to want to take the peak out of demand. But if the chips are down and margin is going to be a sqeezed a DFS even definitely helps.

 

[thewishy]

Nothing so far. Every time so far they've put in an anticipatory notice at 9 or 10am for a same day. Looks like wind is covering tonight's peak

 

[Pink Duck]

Suspect Tue 16th if they are simply waiting out 10 working days from first working day back to rule out all the Christmas/New Year oddities.

Today’s forecast 47.3 GW evening peak actually greater than next week’s 45 GW.

 

[ACarneiro]

… and we’re actually exporting 2GW to France at the moment.
What a weird day.

 

[Js1977]

… and we’re actually exporting 2GW to France at the moment.
What a weird day.

It has to go there ..... and then to Channel islands

 

[thewishy]

… and we’re actually exporting 2GW to France at the moment.
What a weird day.

We had 13gw of wind on the grid at peak time yesterday. The November DFS sessions had much less...

France has a lot of electric heating (large estate of nuclear keeping prices predictable and generally reasonable. Not sure how much of the ancillary costs (decommissioning, reprocessing, disposal) are reflected in the cost of electric vs government funded), so they tend to need to import when it gets cold.

 

[Pink Duck]

    Demand  Margin
Mo 45.0 GW 15.0 GW
Tu 43.6 GW  9.5 GW
We 44.0 GW  6.7 GW
Th 44.9 GW 10.6 GW
Fr 44.5 GW 11.3 GW

So suspect there could be Live DFS events on Tuesday and Wednesday, that I’ll be able to opt-into this time.

Still awaiting outcome from Octopus as to whether I’ll get any compensation for not being able to opt-in the first three.
6 days response wait suggesting not a No? Maybe.

 

[thewishy]

Well, on the nuclear side we've only got Sizewell at full power, and Torness and Heysham 2 running 1 reactor each. (The AGRs are getting old and the availability is declining.. ), but 15gw from wind would seem to be getting in the way of our fun...

 

[Pink Duck]

Exciting news! Heard from Octopus Energy’s Brooke M. on X/Twitter this evening that their team has approved credit for those first three Saving Sessions that I was unable to opt into due to the unexpected metering issue. Also caught sight of the radio transmitters on nearby 3/EE cell tower flashing away again just yesterday. Excellent customer service, benefiting from consistency of assigned agent - worth a 5* TrustPilot review. Referral link in my profile detail, naturally

‘Customer service gesture’ for the missing 169,872 OctoPoints gratefully received - keeping the zero bills potential going for another month

(I’ll donate the excess to their OctoAssist fund once that becomes available, got to keep the 3× 800 Missing Readings bonus too)

 

[Pink Duck]

National Grid ESO may publish a DFS Service Requirement for a Test event today.

Is on for 17:30–18:30 (all providers) at usual £3k/MWh rate.

 

[thewishy]

Requirement published. 17:30-18:30. £2.25/kWh