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.

 

[ACarneiro]

To me, it's looking mild and windy right now, so wasn't expecting anything this week. Will be happy to be proved wrong! The sessions ran until late march last year, hopefully the grid will see value in what we've collectively achieved and move forwards with the scheme

Yes, quite surprised as well. The forecasted carbon intensity for tomorrow is fairly low all day long so if there is strain on the grid it may well be for transmission rather than generation. I believe there is a well known choke point moving power from Scotland down to England.
No Advanced Notifications as yet, so may well not materialise tomorrow....

 

[Pink Duck]

Exciting stuff, discovered Octopus support do have access to a separate Export ‘nudge’ and that worked quickly to restore my missing 5 days of data from November. A manual export read only recovered the last couple of weeks previously. Slightly more promising at receiving OctoPoints for first three events.

 

[phil4]

Emoncms - app view dashboard

emoncms.org

Seems to show wind meeting demand on 22nd Dec, and apart from a dip morning of 19th, it's pretty healthy at the moment. Tomorrow morning, there's a dip early on, but by 9:30am wind is rising with the demand.

That said, a test is just that, doesn't always need a reason. But if I were going on the above, I'd expect an early morning one... but they'd have comms'd that already if they were doing it.

 

[Fred2]

Exciting stuff, discovered Octopus support do have access to a separate Export ‘nudge’ and that worked quickly to restore my missing 5 days of data from November. A manual export read only recovered the last couple of weeks previously. Slightly more promising at receiving OctoPoints for first three events.

I wouldn't hold your breath - I'm missing some power up credits from last month - by the time they'd sent the email saying that they didn't have the meter data it was already visible on the octopus home page. They now claim it must have been missing when the calculations were done & are refusing to recalculate on the basis of the data they now have (I am continuing to hassle them - at least with that it's straightforward for me to see how much i am owed). I've no idea if it's the same people/systems, but perhaps indicative of attitude

 

[ACarneiro]

I wouldn't hold your breath - I'm missing some power up credits from last month - by the time they'd sent the email saying that they didn't have the meter data it was already visible on the octopus home page. They now claim it must have been missing when the calculations were done & are refusing to recalculate on the basis of the data they now have (I am continuing to hassle them - at least with that it's straightforward for me to see how much i am owed). I've no idea if it's the same people/systems, but perhaps indicative of attitude

Is all that hassle worth it for a couple of quid?

 

[Pink Duck]

It’s worth this for me if I find a willing support agent:

Thu 16th Nov (17:30–18:30)
Saved 18.5526 kWh
OctoPoints 33,394

Wed 29th Nov (17:00–18:30)
Saved 24.7654 kWh
OctoPoints 79,249

Fri 1st Dec (16:30–18:00)
Saved 18.2623 kWh
OctoPoints 58,439

 

[Lord Farquad]

It’s worth this for me if I find a willing support agent:

Thu 16th Nov (17:30–18:30)
Saved 18.5436 kWh
OctoPoints 33,378

Wed 29th Nov (17:00–18:30)
Saved 24.7654 kWh
OctoPoints 79,249

Fri 1st Dec (16:30–18:00)
Saved 18.2623 kWh
OctoPoints 58,439

24kWh? Are you powering a small town???

 

[phil4]

24kWh? Are you powering a small town???

at < 20kW (24/1.5), it's within the realms of 100Amp main fuse possibility. I'm unclear what kit is used, but 4 Tesla powerwalls would output 20kW, minus the bit that the house uses, and you could do those numbers with ease.

 

[Lord Farquad]

at < 20kW (24/1.5), it's within the realms of 100Amp main fuse possibility. I'm unclear what kit is used, but 4 Tesla powerwalls would output 20kW, minus the bit that the house uses, and you could do those numbers with ease.

I know. Those of you who can support the grid are great. We’re just cutting demand down and hardly save a fraction during the savings sessions. Mores the pity.

 

[phil4]

I know. Those of you who can support the grid are great. We’re just cutting demand down and hardly save a fraction during the savings sessions. Mores the pity.

Examples like that are extreme and quite few and far between. Most people have enough of a battery to support their daily use with little to none left over, and with hybrid solar, restricted to the DNO and inverter, or even G98, so export 2-3kW max. And some poor sods, like me aren't even allowed to export from battery, so I'm sort of like you, except my normal baseline usage is 0... so unless I decide to start using grid every day in case there's a session, I literally can't save any. I gave it a go for the first session and got 8 octopoints I figure it was a rounding error somewhere.

 

[Js1977]

I know. Those of you who can support the grid are great. We’re just cutting demand down and hardly save a fraction during the savings sessions. Mores the pity.

Thats exactly how I felt last year mate.... if you cant beat them, join them

 

[WllXM]

I know. Those of you who can support the grid are great. We’re just cutting demand down and hardly save a fraction during the savings sessions. Mores the pity.

Seeing @Pink Duck potentially clearing £100 in Octopoints per Saving Session is definitely an incentive
Pity there isn't more during the year.

 

[Pink Duck]

Just that…

 

[Js1977]

Just that…

View attachment 1000693

think you've been a bit short changed there for the 17.70KWh ..... Edit....Forgot that was "half price"

 

[PITA]

It’s worth this for me if I find a willing support agent:

Thu 16th Nov (17:30–18:30)
Saved 18.5526 kWh
OctoPoints 33,394

Wed 29th Nov (17:00–18:30)
Saved 24.7654 kWh
OctoPoints 79,249

Fri 1st Dec (16:30–18:00)
Saved 18.2623 kWh
OctoPoints 58,439

But... HOW are you exporting so much?

Is it over multiple homes or something?

 

[94jdh]

But... HOW are you exporting so much?

Is it over multiple homes or something?

Not forced to be exporting that much - he could be exporting 7-10kwh and saving the difference, with a net reduction of 17kWh.
Plenty are getting IO slots on trickle charge daily during the times that the current savings sessions have run, upping their average daily use by charging batteries etc at the same time.

 

[ACarneiro]

Have a feeling there could be a 17:00–18:00 event tomorrow (Tue 19th), but not certain.

Would mean 8/12 sessions before 2024 then 4 in Jan, which looks higher average demand at present - so they might reserve 9th one until then.

Right again!
Anticipatory Notice has just been published for today!

 

[ACarneiro]

Test session for all providers today between 17:00 and 18:00 has just been published

 

[Pink Duck]

Only aiming for 350 MW reduction this time, the lowest yet per half-hour.

 

[ACarneiro]

I wonder if they’ll reduce the Points per kWh saved to modulate behaviour…