Octopus Go Faster without electric vehicle

Hi all,

We have just installed a solar array with battery storage and were intending to sign up for Octopus Go Faster, but Octopus are no longer offering this to customers who don't have an electric vehicle - which is a shame!

As I understand it, part of the intent of tariffs such as this is to move load from times of peak demand to the small hours of the morning, which we're doing regardless of whether we charge a vehicle battery or a home battery.

Regardless:

1. Is anyone else getting the same story from Octopus?

2. In the absence of access to the Go Faster tariff, what other options are there out there?

Thanks in advance,

Simon
«13

Comments

  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 16,972 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 5 August 2022 at 7:47AM
    1. Yes, it's been like this for six months or more.
    2. Other time of use tariffs are available, although few are as generous as Go. There's boring old Economy 7, for example. Green Energy UK have a tariff called Tide which was looking quite attractive a month ago; I don't know if they're still offering it.
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 33MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Not exactly back from my break, but dipping in and out of the forum.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • 70sbudgie
    70sbudgie Posts: 842 Forumite
    500 Posts Third Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 5 August 2022 at 7:56AM
    On their tariffs, Octopus list "Intelligent Octopus". It seems to be a variable time of use tariff (ie you have an option of the start time of your cheap hours). It doesn't seem to be restricted. But, I don't know how you get it. I have been trying (admittedly not very hard) to get onto the Agile tariffs, but Octopus won't let me change my tariff.

    Edit: they seem to be developing a battery tariff and there is Agile.
    4.3kW PV, 3.6kW inverter. Octopus Agile import, gas Tracker. Zoe. Ripple x 3. Cheshire
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 16,972 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    70sbudgie said:
    On their tariffs, Octopus list "Intelligent Octopus". It seems to be a variable time of use tariff (ie you have an option of the start time of your cheap hours). It doesn't seem to be restricted. But, I don't know how you get it.

    Intelligent Octopus is an EV tariff that requires a compatible charger and/or vehicle.

    I have been trying (admittedly not very hard) to get onto the Agile tariffs, but Octopus won't let me change my tariff.

    Agile shoild be open to every Octopus customer with a working smart meter. But it's debatable whether it is going to offer much in the way of cheap off-peak periods in the next year.
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 33MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Not exactly back from my break, but dipping in and out of the forum.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • 70sbudgie said:

    Edit: they seem to be developing a battery tariff and there is Agile.

    ... developing a battery tariff; interesting - do you happen to know anything more about a possible timeline or rates?

    I did ponder Agile; is it worth sucking up the higher incoming costs to benefit from the higher Agile Outgoing prices, for example?
  • 70sbudgie
    70sbudgie Posts: 842 Forumite
    500 Posts Third Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    70sbudgie said:

    Edit: they seem to be developing a battery tariff and there is Agile.

    ... developing a battery tariff; interesting - do you happen to know anything more about a possible timeline or rates?

    I did ponder Agile; is it worth sucking up the higher incoming costs to benefit from the higher Agile Outgoing prices, for example?
    The Octopus website says not, but you would have to do your own calcs.

    If you are more computer literate than I am, you can get API data and overlay recent Agile prices onto your consumption. (If you have a smart meter with Octopus). 
    4.3kW PV, 3.6kW inverter. Octopus Agile import, gas Tracker. Zoe. Ripple x 3. Cheshire
  • QrizB said:
    2. Other time of use tariffs are available, although few are as generous as Go. There's boring old Economy 7, for example. Green Energy UK have a tariff called Tide which was looking quite attractive a month ago; I don't know if they're still offering it.
    For reference, I just spoke to Green Energy UK re: Tide and they say they are not taking any new customers at the moment.
  • 70sbudgie said:

    Edit: they seem to be developing a battery tariff and there is Agile.

    ... developing a battery tariff; interesting - do you happen to know anything more about a possible timeline or rates?

    I did ponder Agile; is it worth sucking up the higher incoming costs to benefit from the higher Agile Outgoing prices, for example?
    It is not necessary to be on Agile (import) to be in Agile outgoing, apparently. You can be on their price capped tariff (presumably the E7 one too) which may be lower than Agile, and then pair it with Agile outgoing. I plan to switch to Octopus after my fix expires and they confirmed this is possible to me over Twitter DM. What you can’t do is combine agile outgoing with Go or Intelligent as the arbitrage opportunity is massive and they’d lose a ton from people buying low overnight and selling high at peak. 
  • Alnat1
    Alnat1 Posts: 3,785 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 5 August 2022 at 1:31PM
    I can confirm re Octopus tariffs.

    I've been on Agile outgoing for export since I switched gas/electric to them in April. My supply electric started on Flexible, I then switched to Tracker for a month and am now on Agile for in and out.

    I luckily got on Agile just before the cap was raised in July, so it seems I'll get a year with a max. of 35p/kWh. It's now a 55p cap .

    The Outgoing has paid me an average of around 24p/kWh for my exports over that last couple of months.
    Barnsley, South Yorkshire
    Solar PV 5.25kWp SW facing (14 x 375) Lux 3.6kw hybrid inverter installed Mar 22 and 9.6kw Pylontech battery 
    Daikin 8kW ASHP installed Jan 25
    Octopus Cosy/Fixed Outgoing 
  • 70sbudgie said:

    Edit: they seem to be developing a battery tariff and there is Agile.

    ... developing a battery tariff; interesting - do you happen to know anything more about a possible timeline or rates?

    I did ponder Agile; is it worth sucking up the higher incoming costs to benefit from the higher Agile Outgoing prices, for example?
    It is not necessary to be on Agile (import) to be in Agile outgoing, apparently. You can be on their price capped tariff (presumably the E7 one too) which may be lower than Agile, and then pair it with Agile outgoing. I plan to switch to Octopus after my fix expires and they confirmed this is possible to me over Twitter DM. What you can’t do is combine agile outgoing with Go or Intelligent as the arbitrage opportunity is massive and they’d lose a ton from people buying low overnight and selling high at peak. 
    Do you happen to know if you can be on an Economy 7 tariff without an Economy 7 meter?

    We do have a smart meter (SMETS2) if that helps?
  • mrmajika
    mrmajika Posts: 987 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker Photogenic
    My recent experience of signing up of Octopus Go (Which was largely instructed over Twitter DMs) is that you have to confirm to Octopus that you have an Ev.  There were no further checks to have to prove that this was accurate. 
    Whilst my posts do not constitute financial advice, I am always, without fail, 100% right! :D
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