Agile Octopus with Economy 7

booksandbikes

I've just had smart meters installed and had an email inviting me to join the Agile Octopus tariff. How does this work if my storage heaters and immersion heater is 'wired up' (probably not the right term) to Economy 7? 

For example, my immersion heater switch is always in the ON position, but it only heats up between 00:30am and 7:30am. If I move onto Agile, will it still heat up at those times but at the Agile rates?? Or do I have to use the other immersion heater switch, which I would only use if I run out of hot water during the day (never happened yet). I have a separate consumer unit for the things which turn on during the E7 time. I had 2 electricity meters, now replaced with the one smart meter. I'm worried that swapping to a non E7 tarrif will somehow cut off the electricity to my storage heaters and immersion heater!

QrizB

You can join Agile.

You can to ask Octopus to keep your meter set to energise your E7 circuits during E7 hours. Other people have previously reported on the forum that they can do this. Make sure you get them to confirm this to you before accepting the Agile switch.

Your other option is to use a timeswitch (or smart switch) to activate a contactor and energise your E7 circuits at a time of your choosing. This will be simpler if you have a four-terminal meter and an external contactor, rather than a five-terminal meter with an internal contactor.

Do you know which sort of meter you have?

Edit to add:

Example of a four-terminal meter with external contactor here. Contactor is the Proteus box in the middle.

booksandbikes

Thanks. I believe I have a five-terminal meter, as I heard the installer say that he just needed to check the fifth terminal was working. Below is the type that was installed. 

I am going to monitor Octopus Compare for a few days and see if it worth switching (based on the last 2 days data it looks like it is). If so I will contact Octopus, but will confirm that they will still use the E7 circuit. I take it this will still use the Agile rates even during E7 hours?

QrizB

booksandbikes said:

Thanks. I believe I have a five-terminal meter, as I heard the installer say that he just needed to check the fifth terminal was working. Below is the type that was installed.

The pictured meter is an EDMI ES-10B, which is a four-terminal meter:
https://www.edmi-meters.com/europe/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ES-10B-Factsheet-English.pdf

There are other EDMI meters with five terminals. Is yours definitely an ES-10B?

booksandbikes said:

I am going to monitor Octopus Compare for a few days and see if it worth switching (based on the last 2 days data it looks like it is). If so I will contact Octopus, but will confirm that they will still use the E7 circuit. I take it this will still use the Agile rates even during E7 hours?

When you are on Agile, the only energy prices charged are the Agile ones.

If your meter energises your E7 circuits from eg. 0000-0700, your E7 appliances will charge/heat using the Agile rates that apply in that period.

booksandbikes

QrizB said:

booksandbikes said:

Thanks. I believe I have a five-terminal meter, as I heard the installer say that he just needed to check the fifth terminal was working. Below is the type that was installed.

The pictured meter is an EDMI ES-10B, which is a four-terminal meter:
https://www.edmi-meters.com/europe/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ES-10B-Factsheet-English.pdf

There are other EDMI meters with five terminals. Is yours definitely an ES-10B?

Ah, no you are right. That is not our model, it just looks the same. Ours is ES-12B, which is a 5 terminal meter.

Thanks for the clarification on the rates.

booksandbikes

Just jumping back into this thread to say that I have successfully swapped over to Octopus Agile from Economy 7. They asked for a photo of my meter set up, confirmed that it would all work ok and I made the switch, hassle free.

dave_dph

How long have you been on Agile now? As an E7 customer with 87% of my annual electric used on night rate I'd be very interested to hear your experience?

booksandbikes

I have been on Agile since the 7th February, so early days still. Under my E7 tariff my night rates were around 14p/KWh and my day rates were around 36p/KWh. 

If you download the Octopus Compare app, you can compare your existing tariff against Agile (or any other tariff you want). As an example, for the past week under E7 I would have paid £37.70 but under Agile it is only £23.77. If I had been on Agile since I had my smart meter installed (23rd January), my usage from that date to today's date would have cost me £95.61 as opposed to £157.78 under my E7 tariff. So, well worth it for me.

My highest usage is between midnight and 2am when the immersion heater kicks in, and the rates in Agile are below the 14p I was paying with E7. I turned off storage heaters when I saw how much they were costing under my standard tarrif but haven't had to turn them on again (because not been too cold). 

I know it can fluctuate and go the other way as well, but so far I am very happy with it. I suggest you download the Octopus Compare app....it is super useful in comparing tariffs and also seeing upcoming rates for the next 24 hours.