Solar with Battery - Winter alternatives to Octopus Flux ?

arty688

It's all based on individual circumstances. As I have an EV my choices after Flux from Octopus were back to GO or COSY as I have a heat pump. 

FYI Although I do quailify for Drive , they have not asked me to prove I own an EV so far anyway.

pensionpawn

1 week into October (up to yesterday) and Flux has been worth just over £11 and has outperformed fixed export every day, so far. Including generation FiT, electricity, gas and S/C has cost me just 65p in total so far this month. Very interesting experiment!

Screwdriva

This summarize Flux really well, even today is remains very lucrative! 

Magnitio

Screwdriva said:

This summarize Flux really well, even today is remains very lucrative! 

But if you have a battery and use Agile for import and Fixed for export, then the Agile import rates are more relevant. Over the past few weeks my import rate has averaged 3.6p/kWh for 92kWh whilst still exporting at 15p on the sunny days.

Jonboy1889

Magnitio said:

Screwdriva said:

This summarize Flux really well, even today is remains very lucrative! 

But if you have a battery and use Agile for import and Fixed for export, then the Agile import rates are more relevant. Over the past few weeks my import rate has averaged 3.6p/kWh for 92kWh whilst still exporting at 15p on the sunny days.

Yes agree with this - import is where agile is better than flux (at the moment anyway), great to just move your usage around those low points- this week it’s been gloomy most days so have only exported 2kw a day tues-thurs. But averaged 5kw each day import, which means import rate better than export.

altho was kinda weird today with the plunge rates on agile at -2 this afternoon- I realised it was better to not use anything at time for the sake of it, as I would be forgoing the 15p export 

anon_ymous

Alnat1 said:

I've been on Flux over summer and quite happy with the tariff but it won't work well for me over winter. A few days ago I changed to Agile and Outgoing Fixed at 15p.

I'm happy to accept the lower rate for export as there won't be that much over winter. With Agile you tend to get cheaper slots overnight (often in the Flux 2-5am times) but also some early afternoon, so I can top up my small battery again if needed before we hit peak prices.

I've topped up this afternoon at 5pkWh and now the rain's gone, suns out and I'm exporting at 15pkWh. OK, prices might not always be so good but I was on the same Agile/Fixed last winter before Flux existed and made it work. Similar situation to you, summer exports will hopefully cover a lot of the winter's bills.

Agile prices tonight are actually going negative at times, it's all good fun if you like playing with your PV system and are happy to time-shift using appliances.

May I ask how much Flux made you over summer? If you had an EV, would you still use agile in the winter? Do you perhaps use Flux between say March and the end of October? The agile being the beginning of November and the end of February? 

anon_ymous

BossBob said:

Not according to the notification I’ve just received. The flux rate overnight that I can use to charge the battery/do washing etc. is higher than the day rate for normal use. It will be more expensive (only by 0.126p/KWh) than charging the battery during the day! The tarif I was on gave me 0.979p/KWh which helped with inverter losses.

Heya 

May I ask what's giving you the notification? 

anon_ymous

pensionpawn said:

Mikeyboy01443 said:

How big is your battery? Sorry if i have missed this detail... my battery is 11kw and last winter even on days when i had charged my battery overnight, if it was a very dull short winter day then my battery may have emptied by the afternoon and you could hit the afternoon peak rate! 
I have changed to Go for now as I won't be exporting much now, but I'm supposed to be in outgoing lite which pays 8p/kw so that's better than the usual SEG rate...

0 kWhrs! When bi-directional chargers start to hit the market next year I'll look into getting one with four wheels.

Sorry by directional chargers? Isn't that basically what IOF is? 

anon_ymous

EcoScruples said:

I'm going to give Flux a go over autum/winter and make use of the 18p rate which will mean I can use my battery for a while day quite easily.
There's still a saving to be had for the 180 days(ish) I'll need it. 
I absolutely can't be bothered to keep up with agile each day to schedule charging.
If only there was an AI system that could do it all for you.......

I'm guessing that's based on the current inverter you have now? It's kinda why I want GivEnergy tbf 

Jonboy1889

It’s been an awesome December for Agile, (esp for EV, my 200KW has cost c£2) terrible for export too. Unusually warm and windy though.