can someone help me understand octopus flexible tariffs 24 August 2022 at 8:11PM in Green & ethical MoneySaving 9 replies 271 views

MancMan123

Evening, as I don't have an electric car I am interested in the agile, and the outgoing tarrifs.

I can see that the agile EXPORT can vary on the time of day, and that the outgoing EXPORT is a fixed price.

But I can't seem to find the tarrif to see how much it is to import electricity, either to top up a battery bank at night, or because it is raining and I have no solar during the day

I know the answer is probably staring me in the face, but my brain is getting frazzled and I just want to go for a walk in the lake district

Alnat1

Have a look here  https://www.energy-stats.uk

Lots of info about the tariffs and how they work

Alnat1

The max. price on Agile (for supply) is now capped at 55p/kWh, fixed for 12 months from the date you sign up (not an official fix but Octopus have always honoured this to date) The market price recently has been well over this, so there have been very few slots where it is dropping below the cap.

The prices on Agile outgoing have also been very high, peaking at 80.8p/kWh at 5.30pm today in my region..

QrizB

Flexible Octopus is their standard variable tariff. You'll find a link to their current rates in the post at the "April 2022" link in my signature.

MancMan123

Alnat1 said:

The max. price on Agile (for supply) is now capped at 55p/kWh, fixed for 12 months from the date you sign up (not an official fix but Octopus have always honoured this to date) The market price recently has been well over this, so there have been very few slots where it is dropping below the cap.

The prices on Agile outgoing have also been very high, peaking at 80.8p/kWh at 5.30pm today in my region..

Thanks, this is the bit that was confusing. Screwdriva (i am not having a dig (I am just proving that I having being mulling over your suggestion ))says don't buy a battery, use the grid as your battery and buy back what you need............... but if in the winter I/you/Screwdriva are not generating any solar then is this tarrif the best to be on?

MancMan123

Alnat1 said:

Have a look here  https://www.energy-stats.uk

Lots of info about the tariffs and how they work

bingo, that's what I have been looking for

Alnat1

Screwdriva hasn't got a battery to experience the benefits so finds it difficult to think there might be some. If it's been a nice sunny winter's day, with a battery you can probably cook an evening meal and watch a bit of telly for free and depending on battery size, maybe run the load overnight. For 7 months from Mar-Sep you will be importing very little at all.

This winter, unless you have an EV and can get on the Go tariffs, there won't be any cheap import times.

Agile at 55p/kWh is a good rate compared most standard fixes being offered now, they are at least 60p, many much higher. So if you do chose the Agile tariff you basically have to think of it as a kind of fixed rate for the next few months, the price is unlikely to go below 55p very often. It is not a "fill up your battery" rate, it's a "well at least when I have to use some from the grid it's only 55p" rate. If you pair it with Agile Outgoing, at least you know that any excess solar will be getting the best rate available.

70sbudgie

Alnat1 said:

This winter, unless you have an EV and can get on the Go tariffs, there won't be any cheap import times.

This is not entirely true. Although I have an EV, I also have SEG with Octopus, so can't have any of the Go tariffs. 

I am on the standard import tariff, with E7. So although it isn't as cheap as a Go tariff, I still only pay 20p/kWhr over night. It appears to be the day time rate that is capped, the night rate is about 1/3 lower.

In Manchester, you will be in the same DNO area as me, so you will be able to get the same tariff from Octopus. 

Alnat1

@70sbudgie Will that tariff go up on 1st Oct?

70sbudgie

I expect so as it isn't fixed.