New Octopus tariff for solar and battery users - Octopus Flux

Ron-ski

Sorry, misread the context of the question.

As you can imagine, it gets very complicated very quickly. How much will the DNO let you export - you could be restricted to just 3.68kW. How much can you're batteries cope with charging or discharging etc.

Yes, the size of the inverter, or more to the point how much it can charge the batteries restricts the amount of power going in to the batteries. If it can charge the batteries at 5kW then that is 15kWh over three hours. There will be some efficiency losses, and you may not be able to utilise the full amount of the battery as well. Just to baffle you, in theory I could charge my batteries at 12.74kW, 8 from the inverter and 4.74 from the connected panels, but that would be a lot of amps, and a bit pointless.

Optimal size batteries depends a lot on what you're aiming for, there are different tariffs, with different length cheap rates, or Agile which constantly varies every 30 minutes and sometimes goes negative, so you get paid to use electric.

sln8458

@Ron-ski,

Your image of export is not the complete picture, in that it ONLY shows the export, but does not show the IMPORT costs.

I have assumed that your 429.5Kw is solar generated export & that the 481.9Kw is your battery export

Assuming your batteries disharge at the highest rate and that import=export:

charging import cost is equal to the exported power x import unit cost (15.65p/Kwh?)

481.9 x 15.65p = £75.42

So the actual (my est) income is £116.80. Still not to be sniffed at (£1401.63/yr)

Ron-ski

@sln8458

For completeness:

1. We have charged you

Based on your meter readings. VAT included.

Electricity 6th May 2024 - 5th June 2024 - £114.76

Gas 6th May 2024 - 5th June 2024 - £28.71

So exports less cost of imports: £192.22 - £114.76 = £77.46

pensionpawn

Over the last 4 days: exported 128 kWhrs (21 during peak) with 17 import, batteries not included 😆 £22 export, £3.40 import 🙂

Qyburn

superuser19375 said:

I dont have an export meter, so am waiting for that to process.   

Octopus will read export from your smart meter. If you've not had metered export before thry may have to apply for an export MPAN before they can read it.

On another note did you need to get DNO permission for the Powerwall? In our original design SSEN included the PW output in the total system size, even if it wasn't programmed to allow export.

superuser19375

Qyburn said:

superuser19375 said:

I dont have an export meter, so am waiting for that to process.   

Octopus will read export from your smart meter. If you've not had metered export before thry may have to apply for an export MPAN before they can read it.

On another note did you need to get DNO permission for the Powerwall? In our original design SSEN included the PW output in the total system size, even if it wasn't programmed to allow export.

Is it the same meter that is currently installed or does it require a new meter?

No, didn't need to do anything regarding the PW - the company (Egensys) came out, did a quick survey of where the battery was to go and the state of the switchboard and electric box and that was it.  

It was installed yesterday and already saving me money.

For those with a PW and Octopus Agile, if you install the NetZero app, you can connect that to your Tesla account and download the tariff through the backdoor (as it were) it will save having to do it manually daily.  So i should be getting the advantage of that Tariff before i get the Export tariff in place

Screwdriva

Newly published Flux rates for Q3 2024.

Interesting to note that the non-peak solar export window remains unchanged, presumably to keep Flux attractive vs. the Outgoing fixed 15p tariff.  (I've always suspected Octopus has been subsidizing their smarter export tariffs). Looks like net exporter households won't be switching away from Flux anytime soon.

Alnat1

Rates not so good if you're not in London. 65p Standing charge for me in Yorkshire.

pete-20-11

Screwdriva said:

Newly published Flux rates for Q3 2024.

Interesting to note that the non-peak solar export window remains unchanged, presumably to keep Flux attractive vs. the Outgoing fixed 15p tariff.  (I've always suspected Octopus has been subsidizing their smarter export tariffs). Looks like net exporter households won't be switching away from Flux anytime soon.

Unless they have a Tesla power wall - some might switch to IOFlux once that's ready. 

(Plus GivEnergy customers already). 

Screwdriva

pete-20-11 said:

Unless they have a Tesla power wall - some might switch to IOFlux once that's ready. 

(Plus GivEnergy customers already). 

Absolutely. Flux cannot compete with IOF (by design). For the rest of us who import very little and lack a battery or have an incompatible battery, it would appear that the blended/ effective Flux tariff still beats 15p per kWh for the next quarter.