New solar and battery install - best Octopus tariff

Niv

Qyburn said:

I don't really understand how people without a battery (like Screwdriva) manage on Flux over Winter. Even now production is tailing off by the time you're into the peak time. Ours is a new install so it's guesswork just now, but I don't think we'll see any generation at all during peak time over the Winter.

Like any time of the year, I avoid high demand devices between 1600-1900. When we do cook in that time etc, it is actually not very much, certainly not enough to worry about faffing around moving tariffs etc.

pete-20-11

Last winter I was on intelligent flux and tended to have a hot meal at lunchtime and a nice sandwich for dinner. 

I'm not sure of my plan for this winter, tempted to move to agile import and fixed export, but I worry it'll be a hassle to rejoin IOF in the spring. 

I had some setup issues initially, mainly tariff change issues, but a few people are having onboarding issues with IOF these days (I think mostly people with newer hardware and/or multiple inverters). 

Niv

Screwdriva said:

Qyburn said:

Thank, that's a clear answer. 

Looks like Flux has just been substantially revised to become far less lucrative, with the day export rate falling below the 15p mark for the first time. Import prices have risen too! Looks like it'll have to be Agile incoming/ Outgoing 15p for me for the next 3-6 months. 

 

Based on last Oct-Feb as just as a back of a fag pack calc I used only the day rate, it would reduce my export income by ~£8. Just not motivating enough to switch tariffs for at this point. 

Screwdriva

Did you combine that with the savings on incoming Agile? That’s where it gets interesting. 

I’ve just switched away from Flux for the first time since the tariff’s launch. Hopefully it will return to being lucrative again next Spring. 

Niv

Screwdriva said:

Did you combine that with the savings on incoming Agile? That’s where it gets interesting. 

I’ve just switched away from Flux for the first time since the tariff’s launch. Hopefully it will return to being lucrative again next Spring. 

Just had a quick look on agileprices.co.uk and seems average import is ~20p this month countered against the flux rate of 23.52p (soon to be 25.68p). Very rough calc based on import Oct23-Feb 24 and using the 25.68p new flux figure and the 20p sept agile figure gives me a saving of £74 if I move to agile, coupled with the other £8 would give a potential saving of ~£82. 

So, a question (I may have already missed the answer), can I have agile import plus fixed export? Or what combo do you think works best?

charles_b_2

Niv said:

Just had a quick look on agileprices.co.uk and seems average import is ~20p this month countered against the flux rate of 23.52p (soon to be 25.68p). Very rough calc based on import Oct23-Feb 24 and using the 25.68p new flux figure and the 20p sept agile figure gives me a saving of £74 if I move to agile, coupled with the other £8 would give a potential saving of ~£82. 

So, a question (I may have already missed the answer), can I have agile import plus fixed export? Or what combo do you think works best?

Yes.  That's what I have and average of 20p is only if you import during peak hours. With a battery, you should get close to and probably under the fixed export of 15p on all of your import if you ensure your battery is full before 4pm

Screwdriva

Niv said:

So, a question (I may have already missed the answer), can I have agile import plus fixed export? Or what combo do you think works best?

My rough calculations now suggest savings in excess of £100 till Spring '25.

Yes, you can combine them (many have). I would apply for Outgoing fixed online as I did and it should take a week before you are on the 15p rate. I just hope they do not scrap it. 

I expect incoming Agile's average rate to drop as the weather cools and windspeeds increase. And then there's plunge pricing which is a nice cherry on top.

greenbee

Screwdriva said:

Niv said:

So, a question (I may have already missed the answer), can I have agile import plus fixed export? Or what combo do you think works best?

My rough calculations now suggest savings in excess of £100 till Spring '25.

Yes, you can combine them (many have). I would apply for Outgoing fixed online as I did and it should take a week before you are on the 15p rate. I just hope they do not scrap it. 

I expect incoming Agile's average rate to drop as the weather cools and windspeeds increase. And then there's plunge pricing which is a nice cherry on top.

How has this worked for you so far?

I've just been looking at the data and think I've reached the point in the year when switching from Flux to Agile makes sense due to minimal export. I'm just a little concerned about how much effort might be involved. I don't use much at peak rate (I'm working most days, and the load is such that it is pretty much all supported by the battery). I'm reasonably good at scheduling things to run in the Flux cheap rate period, and using the 'free' hours, but a little nervous of having to be more organised.

Other concerns are whether the 15p export is still available with Agile (I recall seeing something suggesting they were only making the 8p option available, although realistically in the winter it's not necessarily so much of an issue), and whether Flux will still be available in the spring (but then again, there may be something even better!). Both of which seem less of a problem when written down!

ETA - the first is definitely not a problem as I've finally found the matrix that says what import/export combinations are available. 

Alnat1

We have managed to get into an after dinner habit while we have a coffee of checking prices and weather forecast, setting battery fill time if needed, dishwasher run time and deciding if we need washer on overnight.

There have been odd times I've forgotten and the battery has done the previous nights settings but it's not the end of the world, might have lost out by a few pence.

Screwdriva

greenbee said:

How has this worked for you so far?

I've just been looking at the data and think I've reached the point in the year when switching from Flux to Agile makes sense due to minimal export. I'm just a little concerned about how much effort might be involved. I don't use much at peak rate (I'm working most days, and the load is such that it is pretty much all supported by the battery). I'm reasonably good at scheduling things to run in the Flux cheap rate period, and using the 'free' hours, but a little nervous of having to be more organised.

Other concerns are whether the 15p export is still available with Agile (I recall seeing something suggesting they were only making the 8p option available, although realistically in the winter it's not necessarily so much of an issue), and whether Flux will still be available in the spring (but then again, there may be something even better!). Both of which seem less of a problem when written down!

ETA - the first is definitely not a problem as I've finally found the matrix that says what import/export combinations are available. 

So far, it's been relatively seamless. We have had 5 "plunge pricing" days where we were paid <2p per kWh to run the immersion heater, washer/ dryer and dishwasher on their respective timers. 

I believe 15p Outgoing Fixed is still available (for now) and I plan to review the Spring Flux rate card before switching back.