Solar: Export Octopus 15p Rest 1p /kwhr ? Does the grid want this energy ?

MickO57

Posting in this thread as people have mentioned different tariffs/rates. Just wondering if anybody has recent experience switching from Octopus to EON Next?  I am currently on Agile and the 15p fixed export tariff. I have 14.4kwh of battery storage and 4.8kw of solar so could charge overnight at 6.7p and export through the day at 16.5p. In particular I am wondering about the timeline, import usually swaps over pretty quickly (or it did to Octopus) but how about export, I presume EON would use the MPAN I already have so no delay in applying for a new one, or is that a wrong assumption? I have noted you need import from EON to get the 16.5p export rate so maybe have to switch import first and then apply for export? This approach would mean taking a hit on export as I think Octopus would reduce what they pay me if they don't supply. Advice, recent experience welcome.

Spies

Switch then apply

michaels

QrizB said:

michaels said:

Qyburn said:

michaels said:

You would think there would be long term tariffs on offer to support investment in batteries and heat pumps.

Electricity has been set up as a competitive market, the sort of subsidy you're suggesting would need to come from somewhere if these tariffs aren't profitable.

Not asking for subsidy, just a long term (5-10 year) fix so that a sensible investment decision can be made.

I think the gas market only looks three years ahead. I'd be surprised if the electricity market was much longer than that.

I've seen three year fixes on offer, so that ties in.

And say for example that one of the big energy companies offered a ten year electric fix at 25p/kWh, increasing annually by CPI. Would anyone sign up to it? If they did sign up, would they then complain bitterly in say three years time if prices had fallen back to 15p? How large would the exit fees have to be, to cover the energy supplier's costs in purchasing power that far in advance? And what if the account holder dies, or wants to move house? Ten years is a long time, the average person doesn't spend that long in a property.

PV is not really something you can take with you when you move house and batteries possibly so making an investment in these technologies you are doing it for a 5-10 year horizon minimum so why would you not want to lock in a price to support that investment?  based on your argument that you would not want a long term commitment then you would not be buying solar/battery in the first place.

Nick_Dr1

michaels said:

QrizB said:

michaels said:

Qyburn said:

michaels said:

You would think there would be long term tariffs on offer to support investment in batteries and heat pumps.

Electricity has been set up as a competitive market, the sort of subsidy you're suggesting would need to come from somewhere if these tariffs aren't profitable.

Not asking for subsidy, just a long term (5-10 year) fix so that a sensible investment decision can be made.

I think the gas market only looks three years ahead. I'd be surprised if the electricity market was much longer than that.

I've seen three year fixes on offer, so that ties in.

And say for example that one of the big energy companies offered a ten year electric fix at 25p/kWh, increasing annually by CPI. Would anyone sign up to it? If they did sign up, would they then complain bitterly in say three years time if prices had fallen back to 15p? How large would the exit fees have to be, to cover the energy supplier's costs in purchasing power that far in advance? And what if the account holder dies, or wants to move house? Ten years is a long time, the average person doesn't spend that long in a property.

PV is not really something you can take with you when you move house and batteries possibly so making an investment in these technologies you are doing it for a 5-10 year horizon minimum so why would you not want to lock in a price to support that investment?  based on your argument that you would not want a long term commitment then you would not be buying solar/battery in the first place.

Not quite as straightforward as that. Adding PV can also add value or saleability to the house. This depends on many factors and is not a given though. Just slapping solar panels on where not appropriate wont cut it! However, solid data showing how much less energy the house has to buy will have a direct influence on the annual running costs, and this will make a difference, especially in a rental market.

Exiled_Tyke

Nick_Dr1 said:

michaels said:

PV is not really something you can take with you when you move house and batteries possibly so making an investment in these technologies you are doing it for a 5-10 year horizon minimum so why would you not want to lock in a price to support that investment?  based on your argument that you would not want a long term commitment then you would not be buying solar/battery in the first place.

Not quite as straightforward as that. Adding PV can also add value or saleability to the house. This depends on many factors and is not a given though. Just slapping solar panels on where not appropriate wont cut it! However, solid data showing how much less energy the house has to buy will have a direct influence on the annual running costs, and this will make a difference, especially in a rental market.

I remember a few years back estate agents and researchers were saying that PV could actually reduce the value of house - probably because of lack of knowledge and scepticism.  Fortunately now (having had a quick internet search) most a suggesting premiums of at least 2% on average for having PV. Which seems reasonable. 

michaels

Exiled_Tyke said:

Nick_Dr1 said:

michaels said:

PV is not really something you can take with you when you move house and batteries possibly so making an investment in these technologies you are doing it for a 5-10 year horizon minimum so why would you not want to lock in a price to support that investment?  based on your argument that you would not want a long term commitment then you would not be buying solar/battery in the first place.

Not quite as straightforward as that. Adding PV can also add value or saleability to the house. This depends on many factors and is not a given though. Just slapping solar panels on where not appropriate wont cut it! However, solid data showing how much less energy the house has to buy will have a direct influence on the annual running costs, and this will make a difference, especially in a rental market.

I remember a few years back estate agents and researchers were saying that PV could actually reduce the value of house - probably because of lack of knowledge and scepticism.  Fortunately now (having had a quick internet search) most a suggesting premiums of at least 2% on average for having PV. Which seems reasonable. 

Hmm - that would be 20k on our very ordinary semi in the SE!

JKenH

Well, solar panels didn’t add much value to this house. 

Don’t shoot the messenger. I say this as a keen advocate of domestic solar and it is the first time I have heard of solar panels causing a fire - my guess is it would have been the wiring rather than the solar panels. Before anyone piles in about the Telegraph, the connection between solar panels and a serious house fire was made by the fire brigade. 

Solar panel blaze rips through £1.5m home

“I think the owners spent a lot of money renovating it and they put solar panels on the roof a month ago.”

A spokesman for Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service said the solar panels were the probable cause.

“We believe the fire started accidentally and suspect the fire started from solar panels,” the spokesman said.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05/13/solar-panel-fire-destroys-mansion-dorset-wiltshire/

Exiled_Tyke

JKenH said:

Well, solar panels didn’t add much value to this house. 

Don’t shoot the messenger. I say this as a keen advocate of domestic solar and it is the first time I have heard of solar panels causing a fire - my guess is it would have been the wiring rather than the solar panels. Before anyone piles in about the Telegraph, the connection between solar panels and a serious house fire was made by the fire brigade. 

Yeah but the Telegraph chose to report it and in that way.  

JKenH

Exiled_Tyke said:

JKenH said:

Well, solar panels didn’t add much value to this house. 

Don’t shoot the messenger. I say this as a keen advocate of domestic solar and it is the first time I have heard of solar panels causing a fire - my guess is it would have been the wiring rather than the solar panels. Before anyone piles in about the Telegraph, the connection between solar panels and a serious house fire was made by the fire brigade. 

Yeah but the Telegraph chose to report it and in that way.  

But that is the job of a newspaper. Are you saying they should not have reported it? Shouldn’t be concealed from the public that a house caught fire a month after having solar panels installed and the fire brigade said that “solar panels were the probable cause”.

When I had an electric car I charged it in my garage. Subsequent reports of EV fires have made me concerned that doing so was a risk to both life and property. The risk may be low but it is better to be aware of it than it be swept under the carpet. 

ed110220

JKenH said:

Exiled_Tyke said:

JKenH said:

Well, solar panels didn’t add much value to this house. 

Don’t shoot the messenger. I say this as a keen advocate of domestic solar and it is the first time I have heard of solar panels causing a fire - my guess is it would have been the wiring rather than the solar panels. Before anyone piles in about the Telegraph, the connection between solar panels and a serious house fire was made by the fire brigade. 

Yeah but the Telegraph chose to report it and in that way.  

But that is the job of a newspaper. Are you saying they should not have reported it?

Would they have reported it if it was caused by a fridge or a washing machine? Would the fridge or washing machine be in the headline? It's pretty disingenuous to justify this agitation as "just reporting". 

It's also a bit puzzling today what the point is - the energy transition is happening whether one likes it or not. It's an odd hill to choose to die on now. Perhaps there is a romanticism to promoting a lost cause?