Agile Octopus is it worth it

Cazzamiller78

I'm with octopus after being switched from Avro energy last night year & had my smart meter fitted a couple of days ago. Today I've had an email confirming its all up & running OK & the option to switch to Agile Octopus? Having read their website it seems like a good thing but has anyone done it or can offer any advice? Thanks 

[Deleted User]

Agile is a time-of-use tariff. Unit prices change every 30 minutes but, at the moment, are subject to an Octopus voluntary Cap of 35p/kWh. All billing is carried out using 30 minute data that Octopus pulls from your meter once a day. The loss or corruption of just one of the daily 48 segments will stop automatic billing. If this happens you will need to contact Octopus and ask them to attempt a manual data pull. If smart meter connectivity fails, then Octopus reserves the right to transfer you to its flexible tariff. It is also worth pointing out that your IHD electricity cost will be incorrect as Octopus just sets an average kWh rate in your meter.

Agile is described as a beta tariff. You need to proactively manage it. For example, last year after a meter firmware update, my smart meter - along with many others - stopped populating the XML usage file that accompanies the index reading. Octopus was unable to bill accurately for 7 months whilst it waited for the meter manufacturer to build a series of firmware updates.

Agile doesn’t suit me at the moment but I wouldn’t hesitate to switch back to it if daily unit costs became more variable. 

Chrysalis

The tariff can be looked at it in two ways.

The complex way is its a futuristic model of billing where using actual 30 minute readings it can charge you different rates based on the time of day energy is used.

The least complex way its a 35p unit, 21p a day tariff.  Which may occasionally drop unit rates below 35p.  In this simplification view of the tariff its a good idea to switch to it, as its very likely the SVR tariff in October will be much higher than 35p unit and even the current SVR has more than double the daily charge of agile.  Also consider the next SVR is only for 3 months instead of 6 so the advantage grows again in December, and then again next April.  The tariff is substantially better than the current fixed rate deal Octopus are offering.

Mstty

If I had not fixed in April I would have joined Octopus for electricity a couple of months ago to move to Agile. 

At the moment it is capped (so max rate whatever happens to wholesale prices ) at 35p kWh.

My opinion of what Octopus may do with Agile moving past the August price cap announcement from Ofgem into October.

I believe they will serve the 30 days notice for the price cap to increase

I believe they will release Agile V2 for October with a higher SC and higher cap rate but will honour the 12 months for those moving to it now.

If I am right only time will tell but the gamble isn't really a gamble unless you believe tracker v3 has a higher change of being replaced with v4 so is protected and you think Agile won't be protected. Either way both products allow you to move freely to the standard variable price capped tariff.

MWT

Chrysalis said:

There is an alternative billing method for people not using smart meters where they will assume you fit a common usage profile for energy, so your unit rates would be adjusted for that, but that is still at a max 35p unit.  So it would only affect how much of your energy is at off peak rates (which currently are usually at 35p or very close to it anyway).

No, this does not apply to Agile, you are confusing it with the Tracker tariff.

Agile 100% requires a smart meter and you cannot move to it without a working smart meter already delivering 30 min data to Octopus...

Chrysalis

MWT said:

Chrysalis said:

There is an alternative billing method for people not using smart meters where they will assume you fit a common usage profile for energy, so your unit rates would be adjusted for that, but that is still at a max 35p unit.  So it would only affect how much of your energy is at off peak rates (which currently are usually at 35p or very close to it anyway).

No, this does not apply to Agile, you are confusing it with the Tracker tariff.

Agile 100% requires a smart meter and you cannot move to it without a working smart meter already delivering 30 min data to Octopus...

The profile thing is on the Agile confirmation page, I read through it god knows how many times when I wasnt able to confirm the t&c.

Although I do also remember having to confirm I had a smart meter, so if you are right then the website has an error by showing the profile data on the Agile confirm screen.

Since I am unsure now, I edited out that part of the reply.  It may it just meant they use the profile if they fail to take the readings.

milgo

@[Deleted User] "The loss or corruption of just one of the daily 48 segments will stop automatic billing"

Is there an easy way to know if the above has happened, hence prompting contacting the Octopus Agile Team?

Chrysalis

milgo said:

@[Deleted User] "The loss or corruption of just one of the daily 48 segments will stop automatic billing"

Is there an easy way to know if the above has happened, hence prompting contacting the Octopus Agile Team?

You can check your dashboard, but I expect Octopus would also very likely contact you if it happens, as its a tariff designed to work with these regular readings.

MWT

Chrysalis said:

Since I am unsure now, I edited out that part of the reply.  It may it just meant they use the profile if they fail to take the readings.

If they can't get the half-hour data then this is what they will do...

So there would be no estimation of the half-hour usage, and hence no use of the calculated and capped Agile rates, just a switch to the standard variable tariff for the period of the missing data.

Fortunately it doesn't happen often, but it has happened to a few people who have mentioned this on forums...

Xbigman

You can see below my usage for the 30th of June is showing as zero because the data is missing. This is one way to tell there's a problem.


Darren 

[Deleted User]

As above, there are various ways. Personally, I like the App ‘Octopus Watch’.

There is no need to shout out immediately. I have missed one month’s bill only to get a two month bill a month later. My last two monthly bills have come through on time.