Drew57
Active ember
I haven't investigated how it works but suppliers like Octopus do have variable payback schemes which have replaced the FIT for new installations. For peace of mind maybe worth checking out.
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Octopus smart meter installation
- Thread starter Pagemakers
- Start date
Drew57
Active ember
Octopus Outgoing for anyone with solar PV installed post FIT scheme. A bit like Agile in reverse, you can choose when to sell back to the grid based on peak pricing - gives the opportunity for canny exporters to maximise their payback. This sort of scheme is in its infancy but possible to beat the payback from some of the later FIT schemes (can't have both so to participate the customer would have to forego their FIT first)
You can check out regular Octopus Outgoing here: https://octopus.energy/outgoing/
From an email sent me by Octopus:
...We also have an Agile Outgoing tariff rate that ranges from 4p (outside peak hours) to around 12p/kWh at peak (4-7pm), compared to a flat 5.5p rate on the Fixed Outgoing tariff. Like our Agile consumption tariff, it rewards customers who use their energy outside peak times. As we are paying you for the excess electricity that you are not using, if there's a lot of this when other customers need it, we pay you more for it. This tariff works best if you have battery storage built into your solar system, so you can choose when you're exporting....
You can check out regular Octopus Outgoing here: https://octopus.energy/outgoing/
From an email sent me by Octopus:
...We also have an Agile Outgoing tariff rate that ranges from 4p (outside peak hours) to around 12p/kWh at peak (4-7pm), compared to a flat 5.5p rate on the Fixed Outgoing tariff. Like our Agile consumption tariff, it rewards customers who use their energy outside peak times. As we are paying you for the excess electricity that you are not using, if there's a lot of this when other customers need it, we pay you more for it. This tariff works best if you have battery storage built into your solar system, so you can choose when you're exporting....
MrBadger
Badger out
Hmmm, solar generation or approved battery export between 4-7pm is a bit of a limitation for us if we ever lost our FiT.
I moved to Octopus on the 4th of this month. Yesterday, 22nd, had a call from them asking if I would like a meter installation tomorrow. Installed today 23rd, up and running by 1130. I was not expecting installation to happen so quickly. Now to decide which tariff
West Midlands area.
West Midlands area.
c7carl
Member
Masklin
Member
On checking account this morning it says I’m now on Octopus Go June 2018, but the unit rate makes no mention of the 5p four hour rate overnight. Would have thought it should have and have emailed Octopus for clarification. Just wondering if this is what others on Go see or whether something else on the account still needs to be done to activate the 5p rate? I can see thirty minute readings now in my account.
Masklin
Member
Masklin
Member
Is a lag on seeing the thirty minute readings in your account normal?
Fitted on Tuesday, readings for Wednesday and Thursday showing, but nothing since. Or is that an indication of an issue already? All the lights on the meter are flashing green as they should.
p.s. re my post a couple above, just found out that using the new dashboard also shows the 5p tariff rate.
Fitted on Tuesday, readings for Wednesday and Thursday showing, but nothing since. Or is that an indication of an issue already? All the lights on the meter are flashing green as they should.
p.s. re my post a couple above, just found out that using the new dashboard also shows the 5p tariff rate.
Masklin
Member
Interestingly, or perhaps not, the IHD doesn’t show the Go tariff. It shows the one I was on before switching, so all the budget information it purports to give will be inaccurate.
12Pack
Member
My IHD did switch to the Go 13.98 after my account had it activated. Perhaps turn if off using the button on the back and restart? Or it could just be that it takes a couple of days.
Yes I saw a gap for a couple of days about 3 days after I started receiving readings in my account. This seemed to resolve itself with the missing readings later being populated, but this might also have been influenced by a DM to Octopus on Twitter - although they didn't say they had fixed anything, it was passed to the smart meter team (with no follow-up).
I expect you’ll find gaps quite frequently. I do. Sometimes they take a week to catch up too. They get there in the end!
When you get a pdf Bill, don’t print it all, it’s 90+ pages. One for every day of the quarter plus a couple of header sheets.
Masklin
Member
Just tried restarting the IHD a couple of times, it’s come back with the old tariff both times.
Will keep an eye on both meter readings in account and IHD, and drop them an email and see what they say.
Will keep an eye on both meter readings in account and IHD, and drop them an email and see what they say.
The Bright app from Hildebrand gives you remote access to real-time usage. You need their IHD
Bright
And it also has the accurate Agile rates
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FYI for anyone who finds, like we did, that after waiting months, your area doesn't have a strong enough WAN signal yet for smart meters: a complaint to octopus netted me a £25 credit on my account. I told them that would go some way to offsetting the fact that I'm stuck on a more expensive tariff than I want to be...
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