Octopus saving sessions

Chrysalis

masonic said:

SuzeQStan said:

Savings sessions expected to kick off anytime now…

There have been some interesting changes to the scheme. It looks like a shift towards short-notice announcements in the morning for sessions in the evening. Individual opt-ins are no longer a requirement, with a default opt-in and individual opt-out arrangement being allowed - might be helpful to those who relied on Octopus notifying them rather than going direct to the DFS site. It also looks like the service isn't likely to be needed to maintain supply and sessions will be focused on spreading peak demand.

Glad they seen sense on the opt in issue.

MouldyOldDough

Chrysalis said:

masonic said:

SuzeQStan said:

Savings sessions expected to kick off anytime now…

There have been some interesting changes to the scheme. It looks like a shift towards short-notice announcements in the morning for sessions in the evening. Individual opt-ins are no longer a requirement, with a default opt-in and individual opt-out arrangement being allowed - might be helpful to those who relied on Octopus notifying them rather than going direct to the DFS site. It also looks like the service isn't likely to be needed to maintain supply and sessions will be focused on spreading peak demand.

Glad they seen sense on the opt in issue.

Same here 
I. Missed most of the free sessions through not being aware of them 

wakeupalarm

Slinky said:

I made sure the battery was fully charged up to full beforehand and discharged it back during the savings session.

What was the average price they paid per KWh for the savings sessions last year?

Slinky

wakeupalarm said:

Slinky said:

I made sure the battery was fully charged up to full beforehand and discharged it back during the savings session.

What was the average price they paid per KWh for the savings sessions last year?

Early days was £4, later reduced to £2.25.

mmmmikey

Just had an email from Octopus about this:

"As one of the customers who joined Saving Sessions last winter, I wanted to give you an update on it, and ask for your help.

 

Saving Sessions’ future is in jeopardy.

This Friday 22nd November, the energy regulator Ofgem are deciding:

 

- Whether the service should continue at all
- How much reward customers should receive for taking part

 

The proposal they’re assessing would reduce the reward you receive by ~90%. Where previously, we typically paid you £2.25 per unit you saved, it would be more like 22p per unit instead."

"Why might the Saving Sessions rewards change or end?  

Saving Sessions is part of an initiative from the government owned “National Energy System Operator” (NESO): the Demand Flexibility Service. That means that NESO factor in your efforts when balancing the grid, and they give us (and all energy suppliers) the funding to reward you for taking part.

They’ve arrived at the lower reward because that’s the sort of amount they pay a gas plant to turn on to cover the busiest time of day (it does vary - as would future Saving Sessions rewards). But it’s not a fair comparison – they pay the gas plants a lot of money “just in case”, as well as the per-usage costs. There’s no proposal to do the same for customers.

 

Saving Sessions has proven that our energy system can be more self-sufficient, sustainable, and rewarding for citizens. It’s not the time to stamp all that progress out.

 

The UK energy system needs to invest in that future, instead of relying on more of the same imported fossil fuels that triggered a once-in-a-generation energy crisis just a few years ago.

 

We think Saving Sessions has been a massive success: saving a small gas-powered station’s worth of power each time the grid needed it, and hundreds of tonnes of carbon emissions. 

 

Closer to home, it reduced your bills by £10 million over the past two winters, and raised £400,000 in donations for customers struggling with their bills, and not to mention potentially thousands more family board games played, books opened, dogs walked, hobbies picked up (and, lets be honest, pints downed)."

Thoughts anyone?

born_again

Well if it went down to 22p a unit. Then to most people other than doing it for the fun of it, it would not be worth it. 

Would make more sense to stop the reward for upload. As that is not really in the spirit of saving energy.
If they want to encourage battery users to do this, then set up bonus payments for certain high use periods just for them.

Personally I have made more £ from the free hours offered, then all the energy saving sessions.

EssexHebridean

Yes - realistically I wouldn't be interested on going to the lengths we did before for that sort of gain - and as Agile customers we would already be about as low as we can realistically achieve during the sort of peak times that those sessions are at anyway. 

t0rt0ise

I haven't had the email so I'm guessing they sent it to those who made a lot. I only made £15 over the ten or so sessions, so cutting that by 90%. All that effort for £1.50 but then they probably won't be doing as many sessions either so even less. I wasn't just in it for the money as shows by how little I got, but it was a minor factor.

masonic

They say they are asking for our help. What do they want us to do?

(I've not had the email either, and I was one of the ones who historically made a lot)

Edit: now received the email

Slinky

They want you to email Ofgem with your own version of their suggested text copied below.

emails addresses are

consumeraffairs@ofgem.gov.uk, box.customerservice@nationalenergyso.com, Bcc: Octopus Energy (octopus.energy)

Email title

Ofgem Please save the Demand Flexibililty Service

Hello Ofgem,

I'm an Octopus Energy customer, and last winter I took part in Saving Sessions. I believe that Saving Sessions and the Demand Flexibility Service are a great thing for the country, and customers should keep their reward for helping make the energy system cheaper and greener. Please make sure customers are rewarded fairly.

Kind regards,