Outgoing Octopus

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Octopus Tracker.

RolandFlagg

Can some please explain the Outgoing Octopus Fixed tariff to me, and tell me if it's worth switching the electric side of my tracker tariff to it?

15p fixed compared to variable which lately has been higher seems a good deal, especially as we use more electric than gas.

Is it as simple as that?

We have 16 solar panels. Not hooked up to a battery. All I know is that BG contact me 4 times a year for a reading and we get on average £850 a year back. Would going to the Octopus Outgoing Fixed affect that payment?

As you can see I'm totally in the dark (no pun intended) about all this works.

Just stay on the tracker for both, or swap leccy to Outgoing?

Thanks.

https://octopus.energy/smart/outgoing/

QrizB

RolandFlagg said:

Can some please explain the Outgoing Octopus Fixed tariff to me, and tell me if it's worth switching the electric side of my tracker tariff to it?

Your question is not related to the thread subject. I've asked for it to be split off to its own thread.

RolandFlagg said:

Can some please explain the Outgoing Octopus Fixed tariff to me ...

Octopus pay you 15p/kWh for every kWh you export. It's as simple as that.

RolandFlagg said:

... and tell me if it's worth switching the electric side of my tracker tariff to it?

It has no bearing on your import tariff.

RolandFlagg said:

We have 16 solar panels. Not hooked up to a battery. All I know is that BG contact me 4 times a year for a reading and we get on average £850 a year back.

Uness each of those panels is as big as your house, it sounds as though you're receiving FIT payments from BG. Your FIT is in two parts; a payment for every kWh you generate, and (most likely) a payment for the 50% of generation that you are deemed to export.
The actual amount of electricity you export is irrelevant for deemed FIT payments, it could be more or less than 50%.

RolandFlagg said:

Would going to the Octopus Outgoing Fixed affect that payment?

In order to switch your export to Octopus Outgoing, you'd give up your deemed esport payments from BG and instead be paid by Octopus for metered export.

Now some questions for you.

• Do you have a smart meter?
• Is it recording your export in a separate register?
• Are you taking regular readings of your export register?
• Are you taking regular readings of your generation meter? (I assume you are, these are the readings BG ask for.)
  
• Do you know how many kWh a year you typically generate, and how many of those you export?

RolandFlagg said:

Just stay on the tracker for both, or swap leccy to Outgoing?

You can't swap your electricity import (currently Tracker) to Octopus Outgoing. Hopefully I've made that clear by now!

IanCr

Octopus, from a phone call to them -not on line, agreed my change to Tracker. After 6 weeks and no bill when I chasedthey pointed out that Tracker wouldn’t work with Economy 7 . We , like 40% , have historically Economy 7. 

They, Octopus( without any other options and not to my knowledge) changed our Tariff to Flexible!

Having had a Smart Meter installed earlier this year I queried why they had tried to come back twice after a Third Party Meter reader read our meters a few months ago . He also said this would be a once a year meter reading check. Following my phone call to Octopus, after they emailed me to tell me I wasn’t allowing a Meter reading person to check our meters, the Octopus guy instigated( his choice not mine ) a complaint. This after weeks of problems, unanswered queries, broken links to alternative tariffs, is still ongoing. I even escalated it to the resolution and Greg CEO teams. All they both keep doing is referring this back to the employee who transferred me to the Flexible tariff. Quite unbelievable and  I have( naturally) used their phrase’ Outstanding Customer Service’ back at them .NOT.

So Economy 7 is not a good fit with Octopus and their approach(eg not changing the Meter) is at variance to the other main Energy players.

Hope my experience helps somebody . No doubt Martin is aware of Octopus’s problems and restrictions with Economy 7.

QrizB

IanCr said:

Octopus, from a phone call to them -not on line, agreed my change to Tracker. After 6 weeks and no bill when I chasedthey pointed out that Tracker wouldn’t work with Economy 7 . We , like 40% , have historically Economy 7. 

They, Octopus( without any other options and not to my knowledge) changed our Tariff to Flexible!

I'm very confused by your post.

You have Economy 7? And you want to stay on Economy 7? So why did you try to switch to Tracker, which is not an Economy 7 tariff?

IanCr said:

Having had a Smart Meter installed earlier this year ...

If you have a smart meter, it can be remotely switched from Economy 7 to single-rate (and to other options, for that matter).  Can you clarify whether you intended to remain on E7 or not?

IanCr said:

So Economy 7 is not a good fit with Octopus and their approach(eg not changing the Meter) is at variance to the other main Energy players.

But they did physically change the meter, when they fitted your smart meter earlier this year. Is this not what you mean?

IanCr said:

No doubt Martin is aware of Octopus’s problems and restrictions with Economy 7.

Octopus have no known Economy 7 problems or restrictions. Martin sold this website years ago and does not read the forum.

IanCr

Octopus admit they were wrong and have confirmed that their Tracker tariff works( and is now working) with Economy 7. 

Complaint submitted in October, sorted in November and they eventually paid £30 compensation in February.Ian