Octopus Energy reviews: Give your feedback

[Deleted User]

Telegraph_Sam said:

As you say, more properly a topic for a different forum. I have had solar panels for approx 6 years now and am not aware of any changes in tariff - I get FIT's "deemed" export-credited pro rata to my main generation. Sounds like Agile would "fit" - were it not for the financially unattractive storage requirements which I suspect would obliterate any earnings from exporting for most people.

You have the right to retain the FiT payments but forego all export payments under the FiT Scheme if you can get a better rate by going down what is known as the Special Export Guarantee (SEG) payment route. For example, some people with solar and batteries have been getting £s/kWh by exporting stored battery energy during the peak 4 - 7pm period via the Octopus Agile Outgoing Variable tariff.

Consumers/suppliers on the Tesla Energy Plan (TEP) could get up to 11p/kWh for all energy exported to the Grid. Depending on the sun, the PW2 battery is charged up during the day; discharged from 4 to 7pm and charged up again from the Grid in the evening to cover the night load. I say 'could' as the plan would seem to be in the process of change. The advantage of the TEP to the consumer is that energy can be used at anytime in the knowledge that the unit price will only be 8 or 11p (for non Tesla EV owners). The downside is increased battery cycles.

There is a lot more to energy these days than kWhs/year and fixed tariffs.

Telegraph_Sam

There is indeed a lot more .. But the overriding obstacle for most ordinary consumers must be the non-economics of investing in solar batteries in order to benefit from SEG and/or TEP,  especially if not using a EV. The break-even point must equate to decades.

MWT

Telegraph_Sam said:

There is indeed a lot more .. But the overriding obstacle for most ordinary consumers must be the non-economics of investing in solar batteries in order to benefit from SEG and/or TEP,  especially if not using a EV. The break-even point must equate to decades.

Keep in mind that SEG is all there is for new installations as FiT is no longer available so any export at all makes it worth having SEG in place.

For those on a deemed export with FiT if your actual export is higher it may be worth giving up that part of FiT and taking SEG as you still keep the FiT generation payment.

Telegraph_Sam

But if to benefit fron SEG I've got to outlay in the order of 8.5 K and recoup that over net savings not revenue, then the sums just don't add up. Mine would not be a new installation, I don't run a EV and am economical with consumption. It would take a lot to convince me to change! I believe that my deemed export is (only) 50% of actual FIT generation. I don't know what net gain I would make in return for giving it up.

[Deleted User]

Telegraph_Sam said:

But if to benefit fron SEG I've got to outlay in the order of 8.5 K and recoup that over net savings not revenue, then the sums just don't add up. Mine would not be a new installation, I don't run a EV and am economical with consumption. It would take a lot to convince me to change! I believe that my deemed export is (only) 50% of actual FIT generation. I don't know what net gain I would make in return for giving it up.

SEG is also available for existing solar installations. You retain the FiT payments but agree to forego the export payments (for most people restricted to 50% of what you generate). The SEG payer then pays you for all the units that are exported. For new installations, the only available payment is SEG.

It is possible to get a return on investment on a new solar installation and battery. The price of solar has fallen to less than £1000 per kWp. 

Whether SEG works for you or not will depend on your circumstances and how much power you export to the Grid from the battery.

Telegraph_Sam

 I don't think I need to be a whiz-kid with a Casio to work out that it is going to take decades to recoup the cost of a solar battery from SEG payments @ 50%. Not to say that it wouldn't work for different circumstances. But then if you are starting off in a green field you have to factor in the cost of a new solar unit @ 4 x £1000 in addition to the investment in storage. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has net-benefited and how he managed to do it (and on what tariff!)

Telegraph_Sam

I had a quick look at some other threads dealing with solar (storage) in particular. The majority opinion seemed to be that "the payback period would be longer than the life of the battery".

Telegraph_Sam

Looking around for the first time at electricity only tariffs. The only fixed one (no exit fee) that would offer me an advantage over latest Tracker is Nabuh Energy. Never heard of them, no Which? rating or customer score. 

Gerry1

Telegraph_Sam said:

Looking around for the first time at electricity only tariffs. The only fixed one (no exit fee) that would offer me an advantage over latest Tracker is Nabuh Energy. Never heard of them, no Which? rating or customer score. 

Citizens Advice have rated them.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2021/03/british-gas-to-take-on-nabuh-energy-s-36-000-customers---here-s-/

[Deleted User]

Telegraph_Sam said:

 I don't think I need to be a whiz-kid with a Casio to work out that it is going to take decades to recoup the cost of a solar battery from SEG payments @ 50%. Not to say that it wouldn't work for different circumstances. But then if you are starting off in a green field you have to factor in the cost of a new solar unit @ 4 x £1000 in addition to the investment in storage. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has net-benefited and how he managed to do it (and on what tariff!)

Exports are not deemed. You can claim a SEG payment for all the electricity that you export including any electricity exported from a battery. To get the maximum export benefit, people choose the Agile Outgoing variable tariff which has been paying over a £1 per kWh at peak times of the day. If the sun is not forecast to shine, the battery is recharged from the Grid when Agile import prices are low; for example, overnight. 

The cost of PV solar and a battery on SEG alone (that is, no FiT payments) can be recovered in full in about 15 years at today’s electricity prices. It depends on a number of things: the size of the PV array; the size of the battery; the total installation cost; the amount of energy used in the home; the DNO export limit, and the price of electricity. I pay 5p/kWh for the small amount of electricity I import each year and my annual electricity cost per year is MINUS £100. (ie; free electricity plus a return of £100).