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.

 

[Js1977]

Are you not limited to 5kW max by your inverter? Or have I misunderstood?

I also have a 5kW inverter so always thought that was the max rate I could export at?

Powerwall 2 is AC coupled... 5 KW inverter just feed the house and powerwall. You could "technically" discharge 10kw with 1 powerwall 2 plus 5kw inverter... or 15 kw with 1 5 kw inverter plus two powerwalls 2.

Hopefully that makes sense.

 

[notmeguv]

Powerwall 2 is AC coupled... 5 KW inverter just feed the house and powerwall. You could "technically" discharge 10kw with 1 powerwall 2 plus 5kw inverter... or 15 kw with 1 5 kw inverter plus two powerwalls 2.

Hopefully that makes sense.

I think I’ve completely misunderstood how it all works!

I have a single PW2, a 5kW Solaredge inverter and single phase supply. The max I can export at is 5kW. I’ve just checked my DNO response letter which approved an 8.68kW export limit. Should I be able to export at 8.68kW?

Or am I limited to 5kW because I’m only on single phase?

 

[ACarneiro]

I think I’ve completely misunderstood how it all works!

I have a single PW2, a 5kW Solaredge inverter and single phase supply. The max I can export at is 5kW. I’ve just checked my DNO response letter which approved an 8.68kW export limit. Should I be able to export at 8.68kW?

Or am I limited to 5kW because I’m only on single phase?

Your system would technically be able to output 10kW (5kW from he PW2 and 5 kW from the solar inverter).
If you're limited to 8.68kW then you can email Tesla to set a Site Export Limit on your gateway so that limitation is never breached should you happen to be exporting from batteries and getting full sunshine on that one day of the year

 

[notmeguv]

Your system would technically be able to output 10kW (5kW from he PW2 and 5 kW from the solar inverter).
If you're limited to 8.68kW then you can email Tesla to set a Site Export Limit on your gateway so that limitation is never breached should you happen to be exporting from batteries and getting full sunshine on that one day of the year

Ah I see, that makes sense now, thanks.

I don’t think I’ve had it set to “Export Everything” during a solar production period yet. I’ll try it tomorrow and see if it still maxes out at 5kW.

Am I right in thinking you can see the site export limit by logging on to the Tesla gateway?

 

[ACarneiro]

Ah I see, that makes sense now, thanks.

I don’t think I’ve had it set to “Export Everything” during a solar production period yet. I’ll try it tomorrow and see if it still maxes out at 5kW.

Am I right in thinking you can see the site export limit by logging on to the Tesla gateway?

No, you can only set the Site Import Limit using the setup wizard.
A Site Export Limit has to be set by Tesla by emailing [email protected] and letting them know your Gateway Serial Number and what Export Limit you'd like them to set.

 

[notmeguv]

No, you can only set the Site Import Limit using the setup wizard.
A Site Export Limit has to be set by Tesla by emailing [email protected] and letting them know your Gateway Serial Number and what Export Limit you'd like them to set.

I meant log on to the gateway so I can see what it is currently set to. I realise if it’s too low I’ll have to ask Tesla to increase it. I half remember seeing it when I logged on to the gateway when it was first installed. I haven’t logged on again since as I recall it being a bit of a faff!

*edit* I wasn’t going mad! I just found it in a screen shot I made from the gateway settings. It is already set to 8.68kW

 

[ACarneiro]

I’m not sure if it can be set by the installer during commissioning but it certainly isn’t an option when running the Wizard subsequently (I had another look yesterday)

 

[MrBadger]

Because they're collecting data on the effects of active participation and don't want to include noise.

Are they also recording when people do not get notifications ?

I probably receive a quarter of the opt in notifications that are being posted on here. Even if I see a potential event on here that there is likely to be an event and go into the app and specifically look for upcoming notifications I see nothing. I have app notifications on which have worked for some, but I do not do third party apps like wattsapp.

First I typically get to see of an event is the sleeping ghost in the results screen.

I specifically went looking for these as they were being discussed here, but nothing until after the event. I hear some people talking about the web site being overloaded - maybe I just coincide my checks with that?

 

[Oxid8ter]

Are they also recording when people do not get notifications ?

I probably receive a quarter of the opt in notifications that are being posted on here. Even if I see a potential event on here that there is likely to be an event and go into the app and specifically look for upcoming notifications I see nothing. I have app notifications on which have worked for some, but I do not do third party apps like wattsapp.

I get the same for the Octopus App, very hit and miss. I am on the "Broadcast Channel" for saving sessions on WhatsApp, but those seem to be sent last minute.

Maybe I am being a little naïve but I am a bit sceptical about 3 days in a row for 30 mins. With it being average usage in that time period surely any saving/export becomes "the norm" if you do the same session several days in a row...?

 

[ACarneiro]

I get the same for the Octopus App, very hit and miss. I am on the "Broadcast Channel" for saving sessions on WhatsApp, but those seem to be sent last minute.

Maybe I am being a little naïve but I am a bit sceptical about 3 days in a row for 30 mins. With it being average usage in that time period surely any saving/export becomes "the norm" if you do the same session several days in a row...?

Saving Session days and bank holidays are excluded from “average consumption” calculations.

 

[Oxid8ter]

Saving Session days and bank holidays are excluded from “average consumption” calculations.

Good to know, thanks for the heads up

 

[Pink Duck]

Also days containing a time zone change, see definition within BSC P376 of eligible days.

 

[browellm]

Are they also recording when people do not get notifications ?

I probably receive a quarter of the opt in notifications that are being posted on here. Even if I see a potential event on here that there is likely to be an event and go into the app and specifically look for upcoming notifications I see nothing. I have app notifications on which have worked for some, but I do not do third party apps like wattsapp.

First I typically get to see of an event is the sleeping ghost in the results screen.

I specifically went looking for these as they were being discussed here, but nothing until after the event. I hear some people talking about the web site being overloaded - maybe I just coincide my checks with that?

View attachment 1024403

Don't know. I've found the most reliable event "push" notifications to have come from the Octo-Aid app.

 

[yessuz]

Don't know. I've found the most reliable event "push" notifications to have come from the Octo-Aid app.

for me it was Home Assistant

 

[browellm]

for me it was Home Assistant

Yeah the HA automation is superb if you have that set up.

 

[MrBadger]

Don't know. I've found the most reliable event "push" notifications to have come from the Octo-Aid app.

Does that also allow you to sign up, or at least know when the sign up window is?

I was specifically following this forums, especially @Pink Duck’s insights, but when clicking the savings session's link in app, I find nothing about any session or opting in.

It’s a real shame as I was away for some of the earlier Feb sessions so house was hibernating at a level close to what I would set it to on a saving sessions.

Not that I get much financially, but it’s nice to take part in these (sitting in the dark for an hour takes me back to my childhood ) but having no way to get opted, irrespective of having need for third party app (why can’t octopus app do what others do?), and knowing from this forum that a session is likely yet finding no sign up option is a little disappointing. Almost feels like Octopus are excluding us worthwhile % savers even if we don’t save large kWh.

Possibly easier for them to process a small number of large savers rather than lots of us little savers? So don’t bother to tell the little savers?

 

[browellm]

Does that also allow you to sign up, or at least know when the sign up window is?

It tells you exactly when it's scheduled. At that point you should be able to enrol via the Octopus app

 

[MrBadger]

It tells you exactly when it's scheduled. At that point you should be able to enrol via the Octopus app

Where does it take you to in official octopus app?

Is it possible to manually create an app link such as where a notification might take you to?

I’ve been down official app route in the past (from its notifications) and used official app to sign up, but for quite a while now, even knowing that a session is pretty much confirmed from chatter on here, I get no notification and even manually accessing official app takes me nowhere useful - just to results of previous sessions.

 

[KennethS]

Does that also allow you to sign up, or at least know when the sign up window is?

I was specifically following this forums, especially @Pink Duck’s insights, but when clicking the savings session's link in app, I find nothing about any session or opting in.

It’s a real shame as I was away for some of the earlier Feb sessions so house was hibernating at a level close to what I would set it to on a saving sessions.

Not that I get much financially, but it’s nice to take part in these (sitting in the dark for an hour takes me back to my childhood ) but having no way to get opted, irrespective of having need for third party app (why can’t octopus app do what others do?), and knowing from this forum that a session is likely yet finding no sign up option is a little disappointing. Almost feels like Octopus are excluding us worthwhile % savers even if we don’t save large kWh.

Possibly easier for them to process a small number of large savers rather than lots of us little savers? So don’t bother to tell the little savers?

I have found that the app is often slow to offer the sign up. The last couple of sessions I logged into my account via web browser and signed up there. This forum has been excellent (special thanks to @Pink Duck) in giving me notice of a pending session.

 

[Pink Duck]

Octopus did state earlier on that there may be Surprise Sessions announced only via their Social Media (Insta, Facebook, X/Twitter, WhatsApp).

I found myself quickest of all at finding out, then Twitter later and WhatsApp turned out to be surprisingly poor/late.