Octopus Tracker

tlcgrantham

Don’t rush to change to Tracker from Agile as tomorrow we get paid up to 18pkw/h for 8 hours from 8am

Foxy16

I had a 'you're are ready to switch' to Octopus tracker e'mail today. First line: Good news  -  we’ve checked your smart meter and we’re ready to start your switch to Tracker.

Only problem with that is, I haven't had smart meters fitted yet! So don't know what they checked. 

masonic

mmmmikey said:

masonic said:

scobie said:

Xbigman said:

SJMALBA said:

Xbigman said:

masonic said:

Is everyone on a smart tariff being told that they need to be on Flexible for a few days before switching to Tracker?

No.

I had my invite 10 minutes ago to switch from Agile straight to electric Tracker (I'm keeping gas on flexible) and it states the same as above, backdated to the 1st. No electric flexible switching requirement mentioned.


Darren

Out of curiosity, why gas on Flexible rather than Tracker?

There are risks with the Tracker tariff's where you might be on a high rate for an extended period. Being on both Gas and Electric Trackers increases that risk. Now with electric I can average down in the good months by enough to make it worthwhile even if I have a whole month at 100p a kwh. My gas usage however is only 1 unit a month in the main summer months so I can't average down in the same way. I expect that in a mild winter those on both will get a lower average than myself, whilst in a cold winter I would do better. I believe the phrase is 'hedging my bets'.


Darren

Interesting. 

I’m taking a different approach. I’m staying on Agile for electricity and moving to Tracker for gas.  I’ve looked at the gas prices on tracker over the last 8 months and it never got more than today’s lower Flex price, mostly being 20-40 per cent lower.  

Tracker for electricity has frequently spiked although it came down quickly.

I'm not sure there's any advantage being on Agile elec vs Tracker, other than being able to get off it quicker

Doesn't it depend on the time of day you use electricity? Agile looks to be cheaper than Tracker at certain times if I've understood those charts correctly?

Yes, you've understood correctly, and the general Agile vs Tracker evaluation depends on your ability to load shift. From personal experience, heavy use in the early morning and avoiding use at the peak 4-7pm period has allowed me to almost get my bills down to the level of Tracker. During price plunges I do better on Agile, while the rest of the time I'd be better on Tracker. The average p/unit line is probably the most relevant for comparison - some will sit slightly above it due to early evening use, while others will sit slightly below it. If there is no clear winner based on average usage, and it goes to a tiebreaker on what happens during price spikes, then there isn't much between the average Agile price and the Tracker price. From experience, when prices are high, the only cheap periods on Agile occur between 2-5 am, when few can take advantage. And if you cannot appreciably load shift out of the 4-7pm period, then Agile would be a very bad place to be during a price spike.

Choosing Agile over Tracker because you are concerned about price spikes is not making a great deal of sense to me.

masonic

Chrysalis said:

masonic said: It's going to leave me a few quid out of pocket, and it doesn't seem to be necessary. If it is in fact necessary, then so be it, but I'd like to understand when and for how long I'll be billed on Flexible. Also why others can have Tracker billing backdated and I can't.

No idea, but it seems a lottery in which rep you get, I think its probably not necessary, you might find if you ask again they just move you without flexible.

What's bizarre is this is an official update sent out to all customers in my situation. Wondering now if reprogramming the smart meter to be single rate will automatically end my current tariff and move me to the default of Flexible, which is not ideal.

SpanishBlue

Foxy16 said:

I had a 'you're are ready to switch' to Octopus tracker e'mail today. First line: Good news  -  we’ve checked your smart meter and we’re ready to start your switch to Tracker.

Only problem with that is, I haven't had smart meters fitted yet! So don't know what they checked. 

I got the same email.

The only issue with me is I am already on Tracker (for both gas & Electricity) and have been for months!

gener8or

Hi guys.
Been on tracker gas since start of the year and electric last couple of months since my go tarrif expired.
Paying about the same as go even though I have an EV.

How do you guys know the rate for next day?
Thanks

[Deleted User]

gener8or said:

Hi guys.
Been on tracker gas since start of the year and electric last couple of months since my go tarrif expired.
Paying about the same as go even though I have an EV.

How do you guys know the rate for next day?
Thanks

You can sign up to this website and get a daily email. The site name is slightly misleading as both gas and electricity prices are available:

https://gcccc4f6c5ed303-gtxk2uqiyag1cro2.adb.uk-london-1.oraclecloudapps.com/ords/r/gastracker/gas-tracker/home

gener8or

[Deleted User] said:

gener8or said:

Hi guys.
Been on tracker gas since start of the year and electric last couple of months since my go tarrif expired.
Paying about the same as go even though I have an EV.

How do you guys know the rate for next day?
Thanks

You can sign up to this website and get a daily email. The site name is slightly misleading as both gas and electricity prices are available:

https://gcccc4f6c5ed303-gtxk2uqiyag1cro2.adb.uk-london-1.oraclecloudapps.com/ords/r/gastracker/gas-tracker/home

Thanks mate.
Didn't know until I read this thread you can see tomorrow's rate
Electric double for tomorrow.

Doc_N

Interesting piece on the Radio 4 Today programme about this just now:

Energy boss says prices might spike this winter

Energy prices could spike this winter forcing governments to step in and subsidise bills again, the head of the International Energy Agency has said.

If the Chinese economy strengthens quickly and there is a harsh winter, gas prices could rise, putting pressure on consumers, Fatih Birol said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66061853

[Deleted User]

Doc_N said:

Interesting piece on the Radio 4 Today programme about this just now:

Energy boss says prices might spike this winter

Energy prices could spike this winter forcing governments to step in and subsidise bills again, the head of the International Energy Agency has said.

If the Chinese economy strengthens quickly and there is a harsh winter, gas prices could rise, putting pressure on consumers, Fatih Birol said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66061853

The relevant section of the IEA report is this:

• Russia cut deliveries sharply in 2022 but nonetheless supplied some 60 bcm by pipeline to the European Union over the course of the year. This included 30 bcm by pipeline during the April-September period when gas storages were filling, contributing either directly or indirectly to storage injections. It seems highly unlikely that Russian deliveries will reach these levels in 2023. And Russian pipeline supplies could cease entirely.
• Europe’s success in increasing LNG imports was enabled in large part by lower import demand from China because of slower economic growth and Covid-induced lockdowns. A recovery in Chinese LNG import demand would intensify competition for cargoes in 2023 and limit their availability to European buyers. 
• Unseasonably mild temperatures in October and the first half of November 2022 effectively delayed the start of the European heating season by around a month. Natural gas consumption in the residential and commercial sectors was around 30% lower during those weeks than in the same period in 2021, leaving a stronger storage buffer for the remaining winter.

Despite a series of measures adopted by the European Union and by individual European countries (see box below) to increase security of supply, a supply-demand gap could open up in 2023 that – if not addressed – could provoke a renewed period of intense price volatility and turbulence in gas markets.’