Octopus Agile

JKenH

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81958966#Comment_81958966

I wish I understood this better. Perhaps someone can explain it to me. As I understand it under CfD contracts from AR4 onwards solar and wind farm operators do not receive payments for any period if day ahead prices go negative so it is a positive for the consumer if day ahead prices are negative. However they can receive constraint payments when NESO ask a generator to stop generating because of network constraints or excess generation.

How do we get to a situation where prices are significantly negative? Why would a wind or solar generator elect to submit a price that is negative? I can see how, with no marginal costs, renewables generators may bid as low as zero but not negative. However, I can understand a gas/nuclear/biomass generator may do so because it is cheaper than shutting the plant down and restarting it, so is it non renewable generators who are causing the prices to go negative when there is the potential for more solar or wind generation than the grid can handle/use? If this is what drives the market price then why do renewable generators not just shut down rather than accept a negative price? There should then be no need for constraint payments. The market should in theory sort itself out at a price close to zero but this doesn’t seem to be happening.

Answers on a postcard please.

Newbie_John

I think it's quite complex thing, as you say it's not beneficial for nuclear etc to switch on/off constantly so they choose to run, renewables on the other hand still make money by various incentives even if the price is negative - and as both compete with each other they decide to produce energy.

And as with all types of competition, if renewables simply decided to switch off - there won't be any push for improving grids, improving storage, add more renewables, encourage consumers / electricity providers to change habits and run more when there's too much electricity.

MikeyPGT

According to my daily figures on both the app and the web I finished yesterday with a consumption of 84.38 kWh at cost of -£5.11, however my weekly chart shows just 6.17 kWh and a cost of 12p, The half hourly figures all show on the daily chart. should I be panicking that Octopus are going to decide they didn't have the information from the smart meter and charge me at SVT for the day?

KevinG

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81959697#Comment_81959697

No. Weekly usage doesn't show the last day.

Netexporter

The actual numbers usually appear at about 19:00 the following day, on your usage graph. Sometimes there will be the standing charge and some random small amount showing, prior to that.

MikeyPGT

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81959751#Comment_81959751

Thanks for that - my hope is that with yesterday and today's profit I should end up having covered the cost of the whole week and possibly tomorrow and Tuesday too …

QrizB

Tomorrow's not looking great - a ~40p evening peak 😕

Qyburn

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81959214#Comment_81959214

Any developments receiving ROCs or FIT will still get paid for everything they generate where it's needed or not. OK those aren't available for new systems but older systems are going to be receiving those payments for years to come.

TroubledTarts

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81959999#Comment_81959999

Rough with the smooth. That's the agile life Wed and Thursday look decent

silverwhistle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81960026#Comment_81960026

I get quite pleased with the negative prices and do what I can (PS heating the garden is a joke guys..) but I don't keep a concurrent tally. I wait until receiving the bill and take the average which is printed on it and add in the requisite standing charge per unit. Agile is working for ME at the moment, with no battery but solar and EV. Apologies for the caps but it is important in any discussion of Agile, or other tariffs for that matter..

I've just been debited for my electricity (bill to arrive) and it's £30 to the 10th, not including the two big negative days, which is pretty good considering it covers my motoring as well. The annoyance is my gas bill of around £10 which is basically the standing charge, which is the case for the next 6 months, so I'm taking steps to address that.

Agile is dependent on personal circumstances and whether you have the ability to effect behavioural changes which I have found easy enough but appreciate others will not.