Dear Martin Lewis, why are you not switching people on market tracker tariffs?

[Deleted User]

born_again said:

MWT said:

Chrysalis said:

However Octopus have already shown they prefer these tariffs to not be mass market by adding a waiting list and in the past have also temporarily pulled tariffs.

I don't blame them though, too many cases where people just grab the name of a tariff off a 'savings' website and dive in without a clue about the risks and then complain later...

Exactly. Just as the people that complained last year with the price cap, as they would have been paying more, but never muttered a word when they were saving money.

Swings you win, roundabouts you lose. Can't have it both ways. Fixed term should mean just that. 

Fixed term means exactly what it says on the tin. I have been on Octopus time-of-use tariffs for nearly 5 years. I have frequently recommended them to others with the comment that they require constant oversight and, on occasions, a change to usage patterns. I have saved a lot of money.

I am now on Octopus Flux. As I post my electricity bill is standing at a credit of £102.83 for May. I will probably switch to either Go or Agile come October. Fixing for 12 months may suit some but it is not me.

CSI_Yorkshire

Quite right - I took a fix in late summer 2022 and did not think that the EPG should apply to me unless I chose to leave it.

D924

The fun thing about Octopus Tracker is you can switch back to the Ofgem capped rate at any time so really Octopus is taking on all the risk despite the idea that "potentially your energy prices could spike for the winter!"

I am pretty sure if everyone were on tracker tarriffs the energy companies would go bust due to cashflow issues though.

Spoonie_Turtle

D924 said:

The fun thing about Octopus Tracker is you can switch back to the Ofgem capped rate at any time so really Octopus is taking on all the risk despite the idea that "potentially your energy prices could spike for the winter!"

I am pretty sure if everyone were on tracker tarriffs the energy companies would go bust due to cashflow issues though.

You can, but:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80072735/#Comment_80072735

Major T&Cs change here is that you can't go back on it until 9 months later at the earliest.  They also say it can take up to two weeks to come off it; possibly that's just to cover themselves if loads jump ship and they can't switch everyone to Flexible as quickly as they normally would, but it does mean deciding to leave isn't guaranteed to protect you within a couple of days.  And the 9 month exclusion means you have to be sure you want to leave.  Makes it tricker to gauge, and much more of a gamble than it used to be with the current 30p gas/100p elec unit rate caps.

Scot_39

That 2 weeks an interesting point.

But at least the Octopus tariffs had and still have to a lesser extent a reasonable cap at £1, cf Texas $9 wholesale link.

I do wonder what the tracker price would have been during events like the Beast from the East and with excess snow nationwide and even more fall in South as that mixed with humidity brought in by Storm Emma in SW / Wales etc.

And it wasn't just UK - it impacted Southern and Central Europe - so possibly impacting energy import pricing too - with snow in Italy and French Riveira etc.

Daytime high temps of -11C in Scotland, -5 as far South as midlands here - and -3 at best - many had frozen pipes - loads lost gas boilers as condensor drain pipes froze overpowering gas service teams and plumbers alike - and very windy widespread.

Made worse towards end as 20in of Snow from Emma interaction  reaked havoc on large parts of SW, SWales etc..

And if locked in for 2 weeks - Hartmut/ Beast from East lasted 11 days, Emma snow dump c48 hrs.

The Texas incident 9 days.

Both in part due to unstable / distorted flow of polar vortex - reaching further south than usual.


 

debitcardmayhem

[Deleted User] said:

born_again said:

MWT said:

Chrysalis said:

However Octopus have already shown they prefer these tariffs to not be mass market by adding a waiting list and in the past have also temporarily pulled tariffs.

I don't blame them though, too many cases where people just grab the name of a tariff off a 'savings' website and dive in without a clue about the risks and then complain later...

Exactly. Just as the people that complained last year with the price cap, as they would have been paying more, but never muttered a word when they were saving money.

Swings you win, roundabouts you lose. Can't have it both ways. Fixed term should mean just that. 

Fixed term means exactly what it says on the tin. I have been on Octopus time-of-use tariffs for nearly 5 years. I have frequently recommended them to others with the comment that they require constant oversight and, on occasions, a change to usage patterns. I have saved a lot of money.

I am now on Octopus Flux. As I post my electricity bill is standing at a credit of £102.83 for May. I will probably switch to either Go or Agile come October. Fixing for 12 months may suit some but it is not me.

Do you send in export meter readings, or do trust Octopus to pull the correct amount? I ask because I have been on flux for two weeks and Octopus say I have exported twice the amount my inverter says and also twice what the meter register says? I checked one of your posts from octopus watch says with mine for the same period and your figures were what mine said, give or take your panels 6.9 kwp vs my 4.8 ,but my meter and inverter say 1\2 of that… Hmmm.

[Deleted User]

debitcardmayhem said:

[Deleted User] said:

born_again said:

MWT said:

Chrysalis said:

However Octopus have already shown they prefer these tariffs to not be mass market by adding a waiting list and in the past have also temporarily pulled tariffs.

I don't blame them though, too many cases where people just grab the name of a tariff off a 'savings' website and dive in without a clue about the risks and then complain later...

Exactly. Just as the people that complained last year with the price cap, as they would have been paying more, but never muttered a word when they were saving money.

Swings you win, roundabouts you lose. Can't have it both ways. Fixed term should mean just that. 

Fixed term means exactly what it says on the tin. I have been on Octopus time-of-use tariffs for nearly 5 years. I have frequently recommended them to others with the comment that they require constant oversight and, on occasions, a change to usage patterns. I have saved a lot of money.

I am now on Octopus Flux. As I post my electricity bill is standing at a credit of £102.83 for May. I will probably switch to either Go or Agile come October. Fixing for 12 months may suit some but it is not me.

Do you send in export meter readings, or do trust Octopus to pull the correct amount? I ask because I have been on flux for two weeks and Octopus say I have exported twice the amount my inverter says and also twice what the meter register says? I checked one of your posts from octopus watch says with mine for the same period and your figures were what mine said, give or take your panels 6.9 kwp vs my 4.8 ,but my meter and inverter say 1\2 of that… Hmmm.

Octopus pulls export data from your smart meter. If you use the solar then you will produce a smaller amount of export. Ignore your total generation/ generation meter. My smart data for yesterday shows 33.44kWh of export and my solar system monitor shows 33.5kWh of export.

debitcardmayhem

[Deleted User] said:

debitcardmayhem said:

[Deleted User] said:

born_again said:

MWT said:

Chrysalis said:

However Octopus have already shown they prefer these tariffs to not be mass market by adding a waiting list and in the past have also temporarily pulled tariffs.

I don't blame them though, too many cases where people just grab the name of a tariff off a 'savings' website and dive in without a clue about the risks and then complain later...

Exactly. Just as the people that complained last year with the price cap, as they would have been paying more, but never muttered a word when they were saving money.

Swings you win, roundabouts you lose. Can't have it both ways. Fixed term should mean just that. 

Fixed term means exactly what it says on the tin. I have been on Octopus time-of-use tariffs for nearly 5 years. I have frequently recommended them to others with the comment that they require constant oversight and, on occasions, a change to usage patterns. I have saved a lot of money.

I am now on Octopus Flux. As I post my electricity bill is standing at a credit of £102.83 for May. I will probably switch to either Go or Agile come October. Fixing for 12 months may suit some but it is not me.

Do you send in export meter readings, or do trust Octopus to pull the correct amount? I ask because I have been on flux for two weeks and Octopus say I have exported twice the amount my inverter says and also twice what the meter register says? I checked one of your posts from octopus watch says with mine for the same period and your figures were what mine said, give or take your panels 6.9 kwp vs my 4.8 ,but my meter and inverter say 1\2 of that… Hmmm.

Octopus pulls export data from your smart meter. If you use the solar then you will produce a smaller amount of export. Ignore your total generation/ generation meter. My smart data for yesterday shows 33.44kWh of export and my solar system monitor shows 33.5kWh of export.

Yes but my meter and my solar monitor produce exactly (give or take .5%) but octopus reckons twice that amount. Confused!!

[Deleted User]

debitcardmayhem said:

[Deleted User] said:

debitcardmayhem said:

[Deleted User] said:

born_again said:

MWT said:

Chrysalis said:

However Octopus have already shown they prefer these tariffs to not be mass market by adding a waiting list and in the past have also temporarily pulled tariffs.

I don't blame them though, too many cases where people just grab the name of a tariff off a 'savings' website and dive in without a clue about the risks and then complain later...

Exactly. Just as the people that complained last year with the price cap, as they would have been paying more, but never muttered a word when they were saving money.

Swings you win, roundabouts you lose. Can't have it both ways. Fixed term should mean just that. 

Fixed term means exactly what it says on the tin. I have been on Octopus time-of-use tariffs for nearly 5 years. I have frequently recommended them to others with the comment that they require constant oversight and, on occasions, a change to usage patterns. I have saved a lot of money.

I am now on Octopus Flux. As I post my electricity bill is standing at a credit of £102.83 for May. I will probably switch to either Go or Agile come October. Fixing for 12 months may suit some but it is not me.

Do you send in export meter readings, or do trust Octopus to pull the correct amount? I ask because I have been on flux for two weeks and Octopus say I have exported twice the amount my inverter says and also twice what the meter register says? I checked one of your posts from octopus watch says with mine for the same period and your figures were what mine said, give or take your panels 6.9 kwp vs my 4.8 ,but my meter and inverter say 1\2 of that… Hmmm.

Octopus pulls export data from your smart meter. If you use the solar then you will produce a smaller amount of export. Ignore your total generation/ generation meter. My smart data for yesterday shows 33.44kWh of export and my solar system monitor shows 33.5kWh of export.

Yes but my meter and my solar monitor produce exactly (give or take .5%) but octopus reckons twice that amount. Confused!!

What make and model of smart meter do you have? 

bristolleedsfan

Scot_39 said:

That 2 weeks an interesting point.

But at least the Octopus tariffs had and still have to a lesser extent a reasonable cap at £1, cf Texas $9 wholesale link.

I do wonder what the tracker price would have been during events like the Beast from the East and with excess snow nationwide and even more fall in South as that mixed with humidity brought in by Storm Emma in SW / Wales etc.

And it wasn't just UK - it impacted Southern and Central Europe - so possibly impacting energy import pricing too - with snow in Italy and French Riveira etc.

Daytime high temps of -11C in Scotland, -5 as far South as midlands here - and -3 at best - many had frozen pipes - loads lost gas boilers as condensor drain pipes froze overpowering gas service teams and plumbers alike - and very windy widespread.

Made worse towards end as 20in of Snow from Emma interaction  reaked havoc on large parts of SW, SWales etc..

And if locked in for 2 weeks - Hartmut/ Beast from East lasted 11 days, Emma snow dump c48 hrs.

The Texas incident 9 days.

Both in part due to unstable / distorted flow of polar vortex - reaching further south than usual.


 

More expensive last August and for longer than during snowy,cold period, combination of hot temperatures, lack of wind, high demand for Air Conditioning, cooling, fans etc and countries filling up gas storage ready for winter.




 27 Aug   22.3kWh          Gas          12 Dec 14.9p kWh
 26 Aug   79.1 kWh          E               13 Dec  56p kWh