Solar Panels and Battery Installation Date - switching to Octopus

thriftytracey

Good morning helpful people

We have a date of July 6th for our solar panels and battery installation.  

We are currently with Scottish Power on a fix which ends 30 June 2023.  We have a obsolete smart meter (SMETS1), it has never had the software upgrade and I gave up asking SP and checking with DCC.

I thought I would start the switch after payment of our final direct debit with SP on 8th June.  I have a few questions.

1.  I went on Octopus web site and ran a quote (FlexibleOctopus) for our location.  The monthly quote was £205.  Currently we pay £123.  I know that was a good fix from SP and it would be more, but quite shocked at the price, although hopefully once the panels on presumably I can ask Octopus to reduce the direct debit once the solar panels are running and they will do this immediately or will they want to wait a few months to assess our consumption from the grid? 

2.  Do I apply for the solar panel tariff as soon as the panels are installed?  If this is the case I may only need to pay one high DD.

3.  The standing charge for electricity is 52p a day which I can do nothing about.  It seems really high or perhaps this is now the going rate?

4.  Will Octopus come out and install a new smart meter (or software upgrae) and how long will it take?  Obviously this is a priority as the Octopus solar panel tariff needs a working smart meter.

5.  Should I go for Fixed or Agile?  Fixed pay 15p a unit so is this a no-brainer?

6.  Does the tariff change?

Many thanks

powerful_Rogue

I'll try and answer some of your questions.

1. Ignore the DD amount and work out how much it would actually cost. So for me, 1kWh costs 20.51p etc. Will make it easier to compare the Octopus tariff with what your SP one would be when the fix has finished.

2. You can do, you will need certain paperwork to get the export tariff.

3. Yup, a sign of the times.

4. No idea i'm afraid, guessing they might try a software update first.

5. Look at Octopus Flux

6. Yes, there are no fixed deals at present

Don't forget to ask freinds/family with Octopus for a referal code, you both get a credit of £50.

Grandad2b

My answers:
1. Approximately what I'm paying. The prediction tool shows I need to increase my payment. I disagree, I think I need to reduce it by at least £50 per month. Going to let it ride for now since I can't spend it if it's not in my bank account. If prices fall I'll have a little nest egg for Xmas.
2. I found the online form purely by accident and despite having previously sent in all the paperwork by email nothing happened until the 'proper' form was completed. I then waited about 6 weeks for my export MPAN (the website claims it usually takes about 2). Eventually chased with my DNO and got it sorted within 24 hours. Fortunately this was February and March so the financial loss isn't huge but it's still two things that could and should have been easier and faster.
3. Same.
4. I'm no expert but I think you need a SMETS2 meter so allow a couple of weeks, maybe more, for that.
5. I'm on Fixed, I don't know how to work out whether Flux would be better or whether I'm eligible.
6. Fixed is, as the name suggests, fixed. 

thriftytracey

Thanks for answers so far.  Sounds like I need lots of paperwork to apply for and start getting the FIT payments.  I will switch as soon as I have paid my last cheaper direct debit with SP, if only to start the ball rolling to get the smart meter replaced or upgraded.

I thought energy prices were falling ....

Screwdriva

Hi Tracey!

I would recommend you switch to Octopus and then wait till your solar PV is installed. Once you receive the MCS (which shouldn't be too long), you will be able to apply for Flux tariff.  It's relatively simple once you have the documents from your installer (which should arrive in a few days following successful installation).

As long as you are able to time your large appliances (dishwasher and washer and/ or dryer) to run from 2-5am, and economize consumption from 4-7pm, you should see a substantially more favorable return (export earnings - cost of import) than any fixed deal you are currently on or even the Outgoing Fixed tariff. 

powerful_Rogue

thriftytracey said:

Thanks for answers so far.  Sounds like I need lots of paperwork to apply for and start getting the FIT payments.  I will switch as soon as I have paid my last cheaper direct debit with SP, if only to start the ball rolling to get the smart meter replaced or upgraded.

I thought energy prices were falling ....

You won't get FIT payments on a new install, that scheme finished ages ago. It's SEG now, or look at a tariff such as Octopus Flux.

thriftytracey

It's terribly confusing!

[Deleted User]

Screwdriva said:

Hi Tracey!

I would recommend you switch to Octopus and then wait till your solar PV is installed. Once you receive the MCS (which shouldn't be too long), you will be able to apply for Flux tariff.  It's relatively simple once you have the documents from your installer (which should arrive in a few days following successful installation).

As long as you are able to time your large appliances (dishwasher and washer and/ or dryer) to run from 2-5am, and economize consumption from 4-7pm, you should see a substantially more favorable return (export earnings - cost of import) than any fixed deal you are currently on or even the Outgoing Fixed tariff. 

Octopus also requires the DNO sign off on the completed installation before it will apply to the DNO for an Export MPAN. Some DNOs are very slow at providing commissioning paperwork and providing an Export MPAN. Tye smart meter must be able to provide Octopus with 30 minute usage data.

Screwdriva

I lost my DNO letter years ago. Octopus accepted the MCS certificate and notified the DNO on my behalf. All went well! 

Raxiel

Grandad2b said:

5. I'm on Fixed, I don't know how to work out whether Flux would be better or whether I'm eligible.

Flux isn't as easy to compare than a flat rate tariff, you really need historical 30 minute readings so you can make an educated guess how much you might use in the 'peak'.

But for me it mostly came down to the fact that the 'normal' export rate was 6.4p/kWh more than fixed while the 'normal' import was the same as the SVT, so flux already has a head start.

The only thing that makes or breaks it was whether the ~13p/kWh extra on imports between 4pm and 7pm would wipe it out.

In the winter it might be worse, but unless you're really heavy users in the evening peak, Flux probably wins for 9 months out of the year. Using my own readings for the last 6 months, even the worst month for solar was only £4 worse than SVT/outgoing fixed. This winter we can make better use of the overnight rate and close even that gap.

Jonboy1889

Screwdriva said:

I lost my DNO letter years ago. Octopus accepted the MCS certificate and notified the DNO on my behalf. All went well! 

That’s great - how long did it take out of interest? About 2 weeks as quoted?