Octopus 12M fixed - Day and Night electricity rates

dosh37

I have just switched from Octopus flexible to this fixed 12M tariff but am puzzled by the electricity unit rates.

I have a dual electricity meter (not a smart meter).

On the flexible tariff there was no difference in unit price between the day and night rates.

On the 12M fixed tariff the rates are different:-

Day: 26.92p

Night: 12p

The day rate is actually higher than the flexible tariff.

Am I able to get things changed on the fixed tariff such that the day and night rates are the same?

What happens when the Radio Teleswitch system is turned off in 2025?

EssexHebridean

When you were previously on the SVT (Octopus flexible) were they adding your two readings together to create a single use figure for each month? How were you giving them the readings?

Do you actually have a radio teleswitch?

Have you done the sums to work out whether you can make the split rates work for you? If you can switch enough use to overnight, that 12p rate could be an absolute winner, but a lot depends on how you heat your home and your water. 

Gerry1

Presumably they've defaulted it to the Economy 7 rates because it's a two-rate meter.  It's normal for the day rate to be higher, it's like a see-saw: the lower the night rate the higher the day rate will be.

If you've done the sums it and E7 works out more expensive, just call them and ask to be billed at single rate.

You're likely to be offered a smart meter to replace your RTS unit

Howevever, the RTS switch-off has been postponed umpteen times and it's more than likely to keep happening.

nologo

That would usually be known as"economy 7" type tariff & yes the lower nightime rate is offset by a more expensive daytime rate, to make this tariff viable about 60% usage needs to used at night IE heating, hot water, dishwasher, washing machine, battery charging ect, hth
regards.. nologo

dosh37

EssexHebridean said:

When you were previously on the SVT (Octopus flexible) were they adding your two readings together to create a single use figure for each month? How were you giving them the readings?

Do you actually have a radio teleswitch?

Have you done the sums to work out whether you can make the split rates work for you? If you can switch enough use to overnight, that 12p rate could be an absolute winner, but a lot depends on how you heat your home and your water. 

I gave two readings (Day & Night). As the rates were the same for each it made no diiference. I assume Octopus added the two together.

Obviously the meter incorporates a radio teleswitch to allow it to distinguish between Day and Night. It does not have a built in realtime clock with battery backup or a user interface to set the time. There is no separate switch to automatically control appliances such as storage heaters etc.

I can't really analyse my day and night time usage without a smart meter. As a pensioner living alone I tend to go to bed early in the winter because it's too cold to stay up and watch TV. I don't have an EV or a tumble dryer and I don't do cooking or washing late at night.

Gerry1

nologo said:

...to make this tariff viable about 60% usage needs to used at night

Not necessarily.

It depends on the spread between the day and night rates and your usage pattern.

Before the energy crisis some E7 tariffs could be cost effective with night usage as low as 15% - 20%.  When switching suppliers I often flipped between E7 and single rate.

molerat

I can't really analyse my day and night time usage without a smart meter.

Yes you can, that is what the 2 different rates are doing.  You need to find out when they are active and do the sums from there.

What heating do you have ?  If storage heaters then E7 is likely better for you.

What was your unit rate on the previous tariff ?

EssexHebridean

dosh37 said:

EssexHebridean said:

When you were previously on the SVT (Octopus flexible) were they adding your two readings together to create a single use figure for each month? How were you giving them the readings?

Do you actually have a radio teleswitch?

Have you done the sums to work out whether you can make the split rates work for you? If you can switch enough use to overnight, that 12p rate could be an absolute winner, but a lot depends on how you heat your home and your water. 

I gave two readings (Day & Night). As the rates were the same for each it made no diiference. I assume Octopus added the two together.

Obviously the meter incorporates a radio teleswitch to allow it to distinguish between Day and Night. It does not have a built in realtime clock with battery backup or a user interface to set the time. There is no separate switch to automatically control appliances such as storage heaters etc.

I can't really analyse my day and night time usage without a smart meter. As a pensioner living alone I tend to go to bed early in the winter because it's too cold to stay up and watch TV. I don't have an EV or a tumble dryer and I don't do cooking or washing late at night.

My BiB above

No - a radio teleswitch is separate to the meter. A photo of your meter setup might be handy here - make sure to block out the actual meter number, but show any paraphernalia around the meter which cables run into. Our old flat had the meter and then a separate control box to control the switch to the off-peak rate at night, and the switch back in the morning. 

How do you heat your home - you mention storage heaters, is that what you have?  And the water - is that heated via an immersion heater? 

Have a look back at old bills - you may well find that they tell you what you have used on the peak and off-peak rates - as if you were giving two readings octopus may have been adding them together, but then again, they may not. 

Gerry1

dosh37 said:

I gave two readings (Day & Night). As the rates were the same for each it made no diiference. I assume Octopus added the two together.

Don't make assumptions, just look at the statements.  It'll probably show the day and night kWh usage separately but charged at the same single rate.

dosh37 said:

Obviously the meter incorporates a radio teleswitch to allow it to distinguish between Day and Night. It does not have a built in realtime clock with battery backup or a user interface to set the time. There is no separate switch to automatically control appliances such as storage heaters etc.

Nope.  Some modern non-smart electronic meters DO have a built in clock preset to E7 times.  The E7 times are never user adjustable for obvious reasons.

A Radio Teleswitch is usually a bulky separate unit next to the meter and labelled as such, although there were some meters with an RTS built in.  Again, they were labelled e.g. Radio Telemeter.

EssexHebridean

Gerry1 said:

dosh37 said:

I gave two readings (Day & Night). As the rates were the same for each it made no diiference. I assume Octopus added the two together.

Don't make assumptions, just look at the statements.  It'll probably show the day and night kWh usage separately but charged at the same single rate.

dosh37 said:

Obviously the meter incorporates a radio teleswitch to allow it to distinguish between Day and Night. It does not have a built in realtime clock with battery backup or a user interface to set the time. There is no separate switch to automatically control appliances such as storage heaters etc.

Nope.  Some modern non-smart electronic meters DO have a built in clock preset to E7 times.  The E7 times are never user adjustable for obvious reasons.

A Radio Teleswitch is usually a bulky separate unit next to the meter and labelled as such, although there were some meters with an RTS built in.  Again, they were labelled e.g. Radio Telemeter.

Ahh good info - I had thought they were always separate! Thanks Gerry! 

dosh37

I contacted Octopus.

Apparently the 12M fixed tariff DOES have a non Economy 7 option (equal day and night rates).

I was not made aware of this when I switched.

I think Gerry1 was right - it defaulted to Economy 7 rates because I have a two-rate meter.

Octopus have now updated my tariff accordingly so all is well.