Octopus Tracker

Telegraph_Sam

It still seems to be smoke & mirrors with Savings Sessions and Tracker (leccy only not gas?). It's almost as if Octopus is encouraging us, at least part of the time, to shift consumption into the critical peak times = a volte face compared with the traditional mantra. Is there any particular significance of the 5 - 6, 4.30 - 6.30 slots? Having the washing machine and lawn mower on at these times and not others? Are these times perhaps singled out for setting the benchmark yardstick for the following SS when it has been decided on?
If my logic isn't failing me then Tracker is NOT for load shifting EV-drivers (as opposed to Agile and Go fans)?

PennineAcute

We need to cut our peak usage.  Intentionally increasing peak usage, so it can be decreased on a saving day, is not why saver days have been introduced. 

I was on Agile before I moved to Tracker.  I did not really make any massive changes, as heavy usage (besides shower) was mainly done on weekend mornings. 

After a month on Agile, I calculated that I would be 8p a day better off on Tracker and made the move.  The times of day which I used heavy usage items have not really changed.  The only thing that uses 300+w that can be used at any time is my fisktank heater.

We have become used to being able to use electricity on demand, and this now needs changing.  Just like we we used to just using one dustbin for all our rubbish, and now have four bins.

In theory, if we remove as much usage as possible for peak times, our bills should decrease, no matter what tariff we are on.

masonic

Telegraph_Sam said:

It still seems to be smoke & mirrors with Savings Sessions and Tracker (leccy only not gas?). It's almost as if Octopus is encouraging us, at least part of the time, to shift consumption into the critical peak times = a volte face compared with the traditional mantra. Is there any particular significance of the 5 - 6, 4.30 - 6.30 slots? Having the washing machine and lawn mower on at these times and not others? Are these times perhaps singled out for setting the benchmark yardstick for the following SS when it has been decided on?

The purpose of the DFS scheme that Savings Sessions utilises is to encourage people to reduce usage during specific times when there are extremes of imbalance between demand and generation through renewables. The scheme is operated by National Grid, not Octopus. There is no particular guidance to consumers on how they should go about participating, other than to reduce their usage (or export energy) during the events. 

The formula used to calculate savings, which is again devised by National Grid, not Octopus, works in such a way that usage at other times can impact the outcome. Last year, it unwittingly incentivised load-shifting to a period 1-4 hours prior to the event (the so-called in-day adjustment). Extra usage at this period of time is likely almost as bad as during the event, as demand between 9am-4pm is normally only about 10% lower than the peak 5-6:30pm period. Unsurprisingly, IDA was dropped this year, likely due to the fact that it incentivised 'wasting' energy during that period, since the payback for each extra unit used was far greater than the cost of the energy.

For those on non-TOU tariffs, this year the formula incentivises load-shifting to the same time period on different days. This will be better than before, as the rolling average renewables supply will be much higher on the days leading up to an event. Take 1st December as an example, only about 1 GW was being produced by renewables during that event, whereas over the 2 weeks prior, it averaged somewhere in the region of 10 GW at the same time of day, coupled with lower demand.

Tracker is the ideal tariff to participate in the scheme, as others such as Agile and Go already disincentivise usage in the peak period, so participants on those tariffs will have very little potential to reduce their usage. Although they may have the ability to export. Participation in the scheme involves load-shifting, even if you are on a tariff that doesn't ordinarily incentivise load-shifting, such as Tracker.

It may be possible to further improve the formula, but there is no perfect solution and all will have unintended outcomes. In the end, people need to be adequately compensated for load-shifting away from the crisis period, and this will cause increased usage at other times. Providing enough people are convinced to take action, and the grid can cope with those secondary effects, then it is objective achieved.

Telegraph_Sam

I have studied the above two extensive replies, thank you. I still cannot get away from the feeling that for simple folk like me, on Tracker but without a crystal ball, Savings Sessions are an admittedly low stake gamble, but an example of Unintended Consequences. I'm struggling to see any net benefit from Load Shifting, limited in my case.The Grid will have little to thank me for.

masonic

Telegraph_Sam said:

I have studied the above two extensive replies, thank you. I still cannot get away from the feeling that for simple folk like me, on Tracker but without a crystal ball, Savings Sessions are an admittedly low stake gamble, but an example of Unintended Consequences. I'm struggling to see any net benefit from Load Shifting, limited in my case.The Grid will have little to thank me for.

If you are ordinarily a low user at peak times, then that's already good for the grid, the planet, and probably your own wallet. You may as well continue to pick up some Octopoints for opting in and anything you do save.

QrizB

Telegraph_Sam said:

I'm struggling to see any net benefit from Load Shifting, limited in my case.The Grid will have little to thank me for.

Ad discussed on the other, more appropriate, thread; the goal is to encourage heavy peak-period users, domestic and commercial, to use less. Light users are not the target audience.

northernstar007

2 washings done @15.99pkw (aprox 1.6kw), nothing left to wash 
looking back i was on a fix @28.5kw, wished i transfered onto tracker earlier

InvertedVee

I've just switched from Octopus Agile to Tracker, having analysed four weeks of use in November:



I was surprised that Agile beat Tracker only once. 19 November was a mild and windy night so Agile's early hours prices were negative. We didn't use the oven in the peak rate evening period on that day either.

The net saving for me would have been £8.55 over the 27-day period.

We're light users (annual usage: 1922kWh) and only used the dishwasher and washing machine at the cheapest Agile rates.

masonic

northernstar007 said:

2 washings done @15.99pkw (aprox 1.6kw), nothing left to wash 
looking back i was on a fix @28.5kw, wished i transfered onto tracker earlier

There was a brief moment when I was looking at a fix available just prior to the October price cap change which was pretty much equal to the current SVR and wondering if it would be the safer option. So far I'm very glad I dismissed that idea and took the risk.

Telegraph_Sam

Navigation:
I seem to be participating in more than the original "Tracker" thread without consciously taking this step. The problem isn't helped by the difficulty in seeing the details / name of the thread whilst typing my contribution.