Octopus Agile

NedS

I find the average unit rate on Agile as somewhat of a misnomer, as when the rate is very low or negative, I use electricity I would not have otherwise used, and that has the effect of lowering the average unit rate so it seems cheaper than a comparative tariff may be.

akh43

On checking my last bill it says my average unit rate per kilowatt-hour is 27.58p/kWh, which seems high to me when I see what others quote, but I don't have a battery so maybe that is why. For some reason my last bill has 2 different parts for electric 2Aug-6Aug 22.3kwh (average rate 25.02p), but it also says your average electricity usage during this bill period was 4.58 kWh/day one the second part I used 119 kwh in 7Aug-1Sept. I made £31.96 with exporting 266.4kwh out of approx 397kwh generated.

I seem to struggle when we get the negative prices as the sun always seems to shine so clearly I don't save that much with the negative prices unless the weather is bad. I still have 2 hrs of happy hours to take as I keep putting off taking as the weather nice and I don't always manage to save power in the saving hours average of 0.20kwh, but half say I saved nothing, probably because I usually avoid using 6pm-7pm due to the price.

I was interested in a battery but was told what it would save me I would never make back as it would take me so long on my usage so not cost effective.

Doesn't help DS seems to use a lot on his days off and I don't feel I can tell him not to use as he pays his share of the bills.

NedS

@akh43 wrote:

I seem to struggle when we get the negative prices as the sun always seems to shine so clearly I don't save that much with the negative prices unless the weather is bad. I still have 2 hrs of happy hours to take as I keep putting off taking as the weather nice and I don't always manage to save power in the saving hours average of 0.20kwh, but half say I saved nothing, probably because I usually avoid using 6pm-7pm due to the price.

If the prices are negative, you can turn your solar off (just turn the panels off at the black DC isolator) so you pull from the grid. Then use as much electricity as you are (safely) able.

akh43

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82154618#Comment_82154618

I didn't know that, I assumed if I turned the isolator off I would still be using the solar generated as default so never tried. What happens to the solar generating at that time? I have only had solar just over a year so still learning how it all works.

QrizB

What happens to the solar generating at that time?

Any solar electricity that would potentially have been generated during that period, isn't generated. It never exists.

greenbee

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82154753#Comment_82154753

But you may well earn more for export than for negative import - so only turn off the solar if the negative import will earn you more. I rarely do well out of negative days in the summer as I'm generating up to 9kW and can't use it all. But the winter is a different matter entirely.

Domnhallaich

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82154047#Comment_82154047

perhaps I conflated them then. I decided to fix for 18 months anyway - I don't have solar/batteries and cant easily move my my usage around so easily and I don't think the negative consumption windows will be enoigh to offset the 50p+ high windows - at least I wont be in a position to take advantage of them easily.

RavingMad

I was running my usage through the Octopus quotes to see what the October rates are and I noticed that there's no exit fee for the Flexible tariff. So I could move from Agile and sign back up in a month's time if I wanted to?

And the Flex rate should be the same until Jan?

QrizB

... there's no exit fee for the Flexible tariff

That's pretty much universal across UK domestic energy suppliers. The variable tariff is the one you're automatically put on if you don't choose anything else, so it would be unfair (not to mention against the rules) to have an exit fee.

So I could move from Agile and sign back up in a month's time if I wanted to?

In principle, yes.

And the Flex rate should be the same until Jan?

Also yes.

RavingMad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82156024#Comment_82156024

Thanks. My average unit rate this month has only been possible because I've used the electric heating during the negatives. Take that away and I'm a little worse off. I'll see how the weekend goes and decide from there. I didn't want to tie myself to a 12 month contract as I like being on Agile