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.

 

[ringi]

I not convinced importing wood to burn is better then burning coal.

 

[Js1977]

I not convinced importing wood to burn is better then burning coal.

This is what a friend of mine said...

That is what I thought. Being that some of my council tax goes to the village church and Im an atheist, I thought I would balance the books with the Vicar's pile of logs... I still get get shivers thinking about it.

 

[NewbieT]

At least the carbon in the coal is locked away and the fast grown timber is taking CO2 out of the air. No idea what the carbon emissions of the transport boat/train adds. If we’re going to burn stuff while we work on net zero, surely wood is better than coal?

 

[Js1977]

If we’re going to burn stuff while we work on net zero, surely wood is better than coal?

I'll be honest, have no Idea. Having said that, I only ever burned coal for cooking instead of gas.

This year's goal is to split between electricity for cooking and coal by adding an induction hob.

 

[Adopado]

At least the carbon in the coal is locked away and the fast grown timber is taking CO2 out of the air. No idea what the carbon emissions of the transport boat/train adds. If we’re going to burn stuff while we work on net zero, surely wood is better than coal?

Even setting aside the nastier pollutants coal is always going to be worse. It’s adding CO2. Whereas, so long as the trees are replanted, there is at least the hope of the CO2 being taken up again when we burn wood. The problem we have with that is that it may take 50 years or more to complete the cycle… and that’s too long when we need the reductions now to avoid tipping the climate balance beyond the potential for recovery.

 

[thewishy]

I don't have a huge problem with burning locally grown wood. Coppicing is good for biodiversity, moderate carbon neutrality (-chainsaw -landrover to take the wood home, etc), energy security, etc...

Cutting down trees in the US, heavily processing them and using bunker oil to transport them over the Atlantic to burn in the UK... I'm really not convinced that this can be seen as "carbon neutral" and needing a heavy subsidy. If the wood is truly waste, burn it in the states...

 

[ringi]

At least the carbon in the coal is locked away and the fast grown timber is taking CO2 out of the air. No idea what the carbon emissions of the transport boat/train adds. If we’re going to burn stuff while we work on net zero, surely wood is better than coal?

I would much rather use the cheaper option of burning coal with all the saved money used to increase wind/pv/battery and long distance HVDC links as we are increasing world wide wood demand by importing prime wood to burn. There are very large payments for burning the wood, yet they give us no lasting benefits unlike investing in true renewables.

If the UK had a functional planning/legel system that enabled new build nuke power stations like senible countries then I woukd say some of the money should be spent on nuclear power.

 

[Oxid8ter]

all the saved money used to increase wind/pv/battery

The problem is as much with people as it is with the money I think. Where I live there is a plan for a large Solar Farm and Battery Storage - getting opposition from most in the area (I'm all for it personally) - the issue with the UK is the number of NIMBY's, they'll go "WE NEED ACTION NOW", and then when they get action it become "THE COUNTRY NEEDS IT, just not here."

Many moons ago I worked for a local authority in a rural area, saw similar behaviour all the time. They'd campaign to get something or another built, lets say a youth club for instance, and then when it went through all the locals would complain about where it was (normally as it was inconvenient for them)

as per usual, just my 2 pennies worth.

 

[ringi]

Its NIMBY's that destroyed HS2 by greating increasingly costs by continuing demandung more tunnels etc to protect views, making the line take a much longer route and slowing down all process by demanding every possible type of assessment and consultation they can dream up.

Yet all political parties in the UK use blocking development as a primary tool to win local and byelections, while claiming they will build more then the Tories.

 

[Zilla91]

Well the leader of the opposition is on record saying he's going to ignore local opposition and get things built. Whether there's any truth to it or not will be seen if he gets into power.

I remain skeptical but he has such a huge poll lead you'd hope he'd burn some of that to follow through with his promise to tell the NIMBYs to ef off.

 

[Js1977]

Last session results are in (for me anyway)

 

[NewbieT]

Well the leader of the opposition is on record saying he's going to ignore local opposition and get things built. Whether there's any truth to it or not will be seen if he gets into power.

I remain skeptical but he has such a huge poll lead you'd hope he'd burn some of that to follow through with his promise to tell the NIMBYs to ef off.

Ignore people that vote? Happens all the time but just sometimes they get cold feet.

Saturday post deliveries - who honestly needs them? Hold out for it and there won’t be a Royal Mail left because no one will pay the prices.

 

[Pink Duck]

41 GW demand and 7.8 GW margin making Mon 29th look more probable for next Saving Session.

 

[Pink Duck]

Suspect it will be on for either 17:00–18:00 for maximal demand or 17:30–18:30 for minimal margin.

 

[Pink Duck]

Looks like there’ll be no DFS event today after all.

Possibly this morning’s 3 GW lower margin forecast for 5th Feb put them off.

 

[Warriorb0y]

I would much rather use the cheaper option of burning coal with all the saved money used to increase wind/pv/battery and long distance HVDC links as we are increasing world wide wood demand by importing prime wood to burn. There are very large payments for burning the wood, yet they give us no lasting benefits unlike investing in true renewables.

If the UK had a functional planning/legel system that enabled new build nuke power stations like senible countries then I woukd say some of the money should be spent on nuclear power.

if only it worked that way.....we'd be sitting on a large sovereign fund from the revenues from North Sea oil (like Norway has).
Your energy bills have for years had green levies added, where have these gone? To actually subsidise the fossil fuel companies or to pay for tax cuts for the rich.

'Our' renewables aren't even owned by the state or even UK based companies, their investment was done cos of the way our broken energy system has been built where producers get guaranteed rates per KWH, low carbon sources get even more, and the whole pricing is based on the most expensive producer.....and guess who foots the bill for this....?

 

[cryo]

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.

 

[Pink Duck]

The calculator site you used isn’t correct as it includes previous ineligible baseline values from earlier Saving Session event days.

Also this year export is a factor in net event usage values, so should be comparing import-export average vs import-export for net points.

 

[cryo]

The calculator site you used isn’t correct as it includes previous ineligible baseline values from earlier Saving Session event days.

Also this year export is a factor in net event usage values, so should be comparing import-export average vs import-export for the net points.

Its always been fairly accurate within a few pence plus or minus for me and gives me this info days ahead of Octopus.

 

[Pink Duck]

They may have fixed both issues potentially. If so, leaves me at a loss for why Octopus aren’t calculating correctly. They have been within 8 OctoPoints of all my own calculations to date. Plus just noticed I am in Gold position for the League of 17th Jan