Octopus: EV, have solar and batteries but like export tariff?

slewis1972

Hi

Need some advise, am with octopus, currently on flux as have 15 panels and a 10 kWh battery. Solar split 2 roofs to get Am and afternoon son. Had since July last year and got a good balance of export. Wife, still puts stuff on in day as works from eg washing machine etc. 

We also have a caravan at coast so spend time down there for the 8 months season.

We are now getting a EV. ( Audi Q4 sportsback via work scheme ) Zappi charger being installed next week.

So I now need to think about tariff. We only plan to do approx 10000 a year ( alot to caravan which we expect 25 trips a year approx ). So won't be charging every night at home as work like 5 miles away and only go in 3 days a week. When we goto caravan will charge to 100%. Assume I keep car topped up.

So, as we will be away from home at caravan ( note, 2 kids still at home ) at times eg summer, I am thinking still best to have a export tariff.

Intelligent does not have a export option I gather. But octopous Go does.

Do I got for Go plan with the export lite tariff as think that maybe a balance. Or any others I should look at.

Any advise appreciated.

QrizB

All of Octopus's permitted import and export combinations are in a table here:

https://octopus.energy/help-and-faqs/articles/which-export-tariff-can-i-combine-with-my-import-tariff/

Looks like you have a good choice of export tariffs with Intelligent.

slewis1972

Thanks, have seen this and have quoted to octopus cs via email. I assume I am still correct, EV and a export, main option is fixed lite with go. Or have I missed an option?

QrizB

slewis1972 said:

Thanks, have seen this and have quoted to octopus cs via email. I assume I am still correct, EV and a export, main option is fixed lite with go. Or have I missed an option?

If your EV or charger are compatible with Intelligent, Intelligent plus Outgoing (Fixed or Agile) seem a better option than Go plus Lite.

If they aren't compatible, Go and Lite might be a better option than Flux but the devil's in the details.

powerful_Rogue

Zappi is compatible with Intelligent Go. So go for that, 7.5p per kWh to charge your car and battery. You can then also have an export rate of 15p per kWh.

noitsnotme

You can 100% have Intelligent Octopus and Octopus Outgoing.  You will qualify for IO with the Zappi charger and I have found the integration works really well.

I fill my 13.5kWh house battery up over night at 7.5p/kWh which lasts all of the following day.  I sell all of my solar production throughout the day at 15p/kWh.  The EV gets topped up overnight in IO off peak window as and when needed.

I’m 20 days in to the current billing month and my off peak usage is at 99.6% with an average rate of 7.6p according to the Octo-Aid app.  I’ve also exported 150kWh at the 15p rate.

Oscarmax

noitsnotme said:

You can 100% have Intelligent Octopus and Octopus Outgoing.  You will qualify for IO with the Zappi charger and I have found the integration works really well.

I fill my 13.5kWh house battery up over night at 7.5p/kWh which lasts all of the following day.  I sell all of my solar production throughout the day at 15p/kWh.  The EV gets topped up overnight in IO off peak window as and when needed.

I’m 20 days in to the current billing month and my off peak usage is at 99.6% with an average rate of 7.6p according to the Octo-Aid app.  I’ve also exported 150kWh at the 15p rate.

I am on Octopus Agile and Flux for export (originally on Flux), I have a PHEV which uses about 200kWh a month.

I did not realise you could charge up your batteries on Intelligence tariff, I am considering upgrading my 5.8kWh Solax battery with another 2 additional 5.8 slave batteries.

slewis1972

noitsnotme said:

You can 100% have Intelligent Octopus and Octopus Outgoing.  You will qualify for IO with the Zappi charger and I have found the integration works really well.

I fill my 13.5kWh house battery up over night at 7.5p/kWh which lasts all of the following day.  I sell all of my solar production throughout the day at 15p/kWh.  The EV gets topped up overnight in IO off peak window as and when needed.

I’m 20 days in to the current billing month and my off peak usage is at 99.6% with an average rate of 7.6p according to the Octo-Aid app.  I’ve also exported 150kWh at the 15p rate.

Many thanks, have asked octopus and go from there. I export via flux at the moment. Question, I assume you set your batteries to drain to a certain percentage before cheap rate kicks in. What sort of schedule do you use if you dont mind me asking.

powerful_Rogue

slewis1972 said:

noitsnotme said:

You can 100% have Intelligent Octopus and Octopus Outgoing.  You will qualify for IO with the Zappi charger and I have found the integration works really well.

I fill my 13.5kWh house battery up over night at 7.5p/kWh which lasts all of the following day.  I sell all of my solar production throughout the day at 15p/kWh.  The EV gets topped up overnight in IO off peak window as and when needed.

I’m 20 days in to the current billing month and my off peak usage is at 99.6% with an average rate of 7.6p according to the Octo-Aid app.  I’ve also exported 150kWh at the 15p rate.

Many thanks, have asked octopus and go from there. I export via flux at the moment. Question, I assume you set your batteries to drain to a certain percentage before cheap rate kicks in. What sort of schedule do you use if you dont mind me asking.

I just set my batteries to charge between 2330 and 0530 hrs when it's 7.5p kWh. Can't see the point in draining them.

Alnat1

@Oscarmax I've seen posts on another forum where people had moved to Agile and had their export accidently left on Flux. It is a mistake as Flux is an import and export tariff and you shouldn't have one without the other. 

Octopus have caught up with some of these mistakes and several customers had reported that all their import has been rebilled at Outgoing Fixed rates, from the date they moved off Flux. Just thought I'd warn you.

noitsnotme

slewis1972 said:

noitsnotme said:

You can 100% have Intelligent Octopus and Octopus Outgoing.  You will qualify for IO with the Zappi charger and I have found the integration works really well.

I fill my 13.5kWh house battery up over night at 7.5p/kWh which lasts all of the following day.  I sell all of my solar production throughout the day at 15p/kWh.  The EV gets topped up overnight in IO off peak window as and when needed.

I’m 20 days in to the current billing month and my off peak usage is at 99.6% with an average rate of 7.6p according to the Octo-Aid app.  I’ve also exported 150kWh at the 15p rate.

Many thanks, have asked octopus and go from there. I export via flux at the moment. Question, I assume you set your batteries to drain to a certain percentage before cheap rate kicks in. What sort of schedule do you use if you dont mind me asking.

I have a Tesla Powerwall 2 and just flick it over to “Export Everything” at around 10pm.  It then gradually exports whatever is left (up to the backup reserve) until 23:30 when it starts importing at cheap rate.