Octopus Energy reviews: Give your feedback

bristolleedsfan

niktheguru said:

Telegraph_Sam said:

"Agile is not about an artificial comparison, it's about load shifting. Can you get your usage during the peak hours down to zero? " The implication is that if the answer is no, or anywhere near no, then these clever tariffs are best avoided. Partly on account of the difficulty of making comparisons and instead guessing at the consequences of rates in the 20 p - 35 p region.

If you don't have an EV, or if you are someone who uses a lot of electricity during peak hours (so 4-7pm is when their kwh charges are highest) then its unlikely you'll save.

This random posting from Twitter illustrates cannot be assumed that kwh rate starting with number "3" will only occur between 4pm-7pm

"What cheap rates? That's the point. Of late it's been cheaper to not charge overnight as night prices weren't much lower than day rates.
It's getting complex with high Agile prices..
Tonight ...what was expensive 12p, now seems cheap Vs 30p all day tomorrow"
7:00 PM · Jan 12, 2021·Twitter for Android

doningtonphil

Grumpy_chap said:

MWT said:

Agile is designed to encourage and reward changes in behaviour that reduce peak demand, so if you are not already at least heading in that direction it is probably not a good choice for now. 

These load-shifting tariffs will eventually become compulsory and punitive.  As they are for industry (known as TRIAD) - I know at least one user that faces charges of £70 / kWh during peak demand.  Yes - SEVENTY POUNDS - not a typo.  The trouble is, it has not encouraged load-shifting as intended but the site simply operate from the back-up generators during these hours.  Entirely counter-productive in terms of environmental impact, but it does reduce load on infra-structure so avoiding brown-outs.

I used to work at a Data Centre of a Major Bank and they used to run 2x great big Caterpillar generators during Triad peak periods and would save massive amounts of money.  It's not as if they could turn off the computer floor and its accompanying cooling during peak hours is it.
I might go and buy myself a diesel genarator....

Telegraph_Sam

Taking a mini step backwards:  If to benefit you have to be monitoring rate fluctuations in sync with daylight / nighttime hours then to me it becomes a self-defeating exercise - unless the advantages are so clear cut that the user need not bother about the decimal places. I certainly would not want to risk being held to 30 p (let alone £70 !!) for daylight hours whatever the saving is from off peak.
On the parallel thread I asked if anyone could guide me to the rates / rate bands or whatever for the GO FASTER tariffs since these are not obvious from googling in the normal way, or indeed the Octopus website from what I can see.

MWT

Telegraph_Sam said:

Carrot or Stick???

Both.

Stick between 4-7pm and carrot when the price goes negative from time to time, so they pay you to consume energy and help balance the grid.

Like I said though, you have to want the stick to go down this path and not view it as a problem, just as a reminder that it is unhelpful to consume too much in the 4-7pm period.

Telegraph_Sam

I don't know how often and  for how long the price goes negative. I am more attracted to the Go Faster tariff where it looks like the prices are fixed and not excessive.and you don't get hit for consuming between 4 and 7 pm, if I have understood correctly.

MWT

Telegraph_Sam said:

I don't know how often and  for how long the price goes negative. I am more attracted to the Go Faster tariff where it looks like the prices are fixed and not excessive.and you don't get hit for consuming between 4 and 7 pm, if I have understood correctly.

Yes, you have understood correctly.

With Go Faster you choose 3,4 or 5 hours priced at 4.5p/5p/5.5p respectively and a start time, earliest 8:30pm, and the end cannot be after 6:30am, so the latest start time depends on how many hours you picked.

Go Faster is limited tariff and not all time slots may be available, but you can ask them if what you want is available, just email CS.

bristolleedsfan

Telegraph_Sam said:

. I am more attracted to the Go Faster tariff where it looks like the prices are fixed and not excessive.and you don't get hit for consuming between 4 and 7 pm, if I have understood correctly.

You were also considering Tracker Tariff- Standing Charge is just over 8p per day ( nearly £30 per year) less than Go Tariff (25p per day)

Thursday 18th Tracker Tariff rates my region      13.41p/kWh16.88p/dayAll rates inc. VAT)

Wednesday 17th Tracker Tariff rates my region 13.47p/kWh16.88p/day All rates inc. VAT)

Tuesday 16th  Tracker Tariff rates my region  13.79p/kWh16.88p/day All rates inc. VAT)

Monday 15th Tracker Tariff rates my region 14.11p/kWh16.88p/day (All rates inc. VAT

Sunday  14th Tracker Tariff rates my region 13.56p/kWh16.88p/day  All rates inc. VAT)

Saturday 13th Tracker Tariff rates my region  13.87 p/kWh 16.88 p/day  All rates inc. VAT)

georgd84

Octopus Energy have been informed their customer (my mother) has passed away. They asked for death certificate and probate which I sent. I explained that paying the bill would take some time as banks have a lengthy process of ID etc before they will release the frozen account. Today I received a message from a debt collection company who are attempting recover funds on behalf of Octopus from my deceased mother. Words fail. I recommend EDF who we had already switched to at the time of Mums death, they sent a very kind message and gave the executors six months to sort out the finances. Will be telling anyone who will listen about Octopus's terrible behaviour.

MWT

Something clearly went wrong there, email the CEO Greg Jackson (greg@octopus.energy) and I expect it will get sorted out.

Telegraph_Sam

bristolleedsfan said:

You were also considering Tracker Tariff- Standing Charge is just over 8p per day ( nearly £30 per year) less than Go Tariff (25p per day)

Thursday 18th Tracker Tariff rates my region      13.41p/kWh16.88p/dayAll rates inc. VAT)===

Are these rates for your region and not for mine - the North East?
It's real swings and roundabouts stuff.  I am gradually coming round to the view that the Go (not Faster) might be the best deal since their peak time tariff is "only" 12.93 p and this compensates for the 25p daily charge. But do you need a smart meter for Go (as well as for Go Faster) and Tracker?