Octopus Octoplus free summer energy sessions don't forget to sign up

SuzeQStan

greenbee said:

Given that my DD is £0.00 and Octopus pays me every month (at least, they have done since March), 

Your direct debit is £0.00?!?!  

Qyburn

cannugec5 said:

I’m pleased with my contribution! 

Good going there. We screwed up a bit and some of the laundry ran on after the three hours.

greenbee

SuzeQStan said:

greenbee said:

Given that my DD is £0.00 and Octopus pays me every month (at least, they have done since March), 

Your direct debit is £0.00?!?!  

Yes - I export significantly more than I consume, so they have set the DD to zero. They are apparently working on a solution to pay for export via automated monthly payments rather than requests for balance refund. I do keep a small balance in my account and will have a clearer idea of what this should be once I’ve been through winter with the additional solar.

chrisw

Qyburn said:

cannugec5 said:

I’m pleased with my contribution! 

Good going there. We screwed up a bit and some of the laundry ran on after the three hours.

Far and away the biggest use of energy is heating the water when the washer's first turned on. The motor, even on spinning, doesn't use much at all. Unless it's a washer/dryer.

SuzeQStan

greenbee said:

Yes - I export significantly more than I consume, so they have set the DD to zero. They are apparently working on a solution to pay for export via automated monthly payments rather than requests for balance refund. I do keep a small balance in my account and will have a clearer idea of what this should be once I’ve been through winter with the additional solar.

Ah that makes sense - we too have effective £0.00 bills April-September (& this year March as well as it was so unusually sunny).  But we still pay £144.00 monthly direct debit. So we have been building a tidy sum to use over the winter (currently standing at £830.00) And then we usually refund circa £600.00 in late May.

That looks & sounds pretty silly now that I read it here.  But I have asked our energy provider if we could reduce our direct debit and they always say we are paying the right amount.

pengbo

greenbee said:

SuzeQStan said:

greenbee said:

Given that my DD is £0.00 and Octopus pays me every month (at least, they have done since March), 

Your direct debit is £0.00?!?!  

Yes - I export significantly more than I consume, so they have set the DD to zero. They are apparently working on a solution to pay for export via automated monthly payments rather than requests for balance refund. I do keep a small balance in my account and will have a clearer idea of what this should be once I’ve been through winter with the additional solar.

Lurking for a number of years but just gotta ask what size solar array do you need to have to effectively be "net zero" (sorry couldn't resist).  Would love to add more solar panels but roof is effectively full and noo one will put them on the gable end   

Alnat1

SuzeQStan said:

greenbee said:

Yes - I export significantly more than I consume, so they have set the DD to zero. They are apparently working on a solution to pay for export via automated monthly payments rather than requests for balance refund. I do keep a small balance in my account and will have a clearer idea of what this should be once I’ve been through winter with the additional solar.

Ah that makes sense - we too have effective £0.00 bills April-September (& this year March as well as it was so unusually sunny).  But we still pay £144.00 monthly direct debit. So we have been building a tidy sum to use over the winter (currently standing at £830.00) And then we usually refund circa £600.00 in late May.

That looks & sounds pretty silly now that I read it here.  But I have asked our energy provider if we could reduce our direct debit and they always say we are paying the right amount.

Contact them and ask to go on Variable DD. You only pay the amount of the bill, if you're in credit they simply reduced your account balance. DD payment is generally taken around 2 weeks after the bill date if required. I've had it set up this way since I moved to Octopus in April 22, haven't paid a DD since as the credit builds up over summer and covers the winter bills.

Lorian

No sausage roll. No car.

SuzeQStan

Alnat1 said:

Contact them and ask to go on Variable DD. You only pay the amount of the bill, if you're in credit they simply reduced your account balance. DD payment is generally taken around 2 weeks after the bill date if required. I've had it set up this way since I moved to Octopus in April 22, haven't paid a DD since as the credit builds up over summer and covers the winter bills.

I will do that - many thanks

greenbee

pengbo said:

greenbee said:

SuzeQStan said:

greenbee said:

Given that my DD is £0.00 and Octopus pays me every month (at least, they have done since March), 

Your direct debit is £0.00?!?!  

Yes - I export significantly more than I consume, so they have set the DD to zero. They are apparently working on a solution to pay for export via automated monthly payments rather than requests for balance refund. I do keep a small balance in my account and will have a clearer idea of what this should be once I’ve been through winter with the additional solar.

Lurking for a number of years but just gotta ask what size solar array do you need to have to effectively be "net zero" (sorry couldn't resist).  Would love to add more solar panels but roof is effectively full and noo one will put them on the gable end   

I think I have 29 x 445. 14 on a single storey garage facing south, 6 on a fairly shaded 2-storey roof facing south, and 9 on 2-storey west-facing roof. Two separate installations (the 14 first, with a battery) means two separate inverters. The shaded panels also have optimisers - probably not a great investment, but it seemed worth trying. 

The first installation was Aug. 24, the second April 25.