Flexible Octopus tariff

Telegraph_Sam

What is it that sets the price for Flex Octopus customers, elec and gas? Some obscure link to the wholesale price? And is this valid for a certain published time period?

I don't seem to be able to find the "correct" [mains] forum for this query despite searching.

QrizB

What is it that sets the price for Flex Octopus customers, elec and gas?

Flexible Octopus is Octopus's name for their Standard Variable Tariff. It's subject to the Ofgem cap and typically follows the cap, sometimes with a small discount.

Some obscure link to the wholesale price?

Ofgem's cap is calculated by Ofgem, and yes the wholesale price is one of the factors they use. While they publish the calculations, they're long and unwieldy. If you want to wade through a bunch of linked spreadsheets you can download them from Ofgem's website.

And is this valid for a certain published time period?

Ofgem review their cap every three months (it used to be every six months). A new cap comes into effect every January, April, July and October. Flexible Octopus changes at the same times.

I don't seem to be able to find the "correct" [mains] forum for this query despite searching.

You shouldn't need to search; the Energy forum is a top-level forum and is linked directly from the Category list.

Telegraph_Sam

Tks I have now read this.

In the interim I think I opened a dedicated thread for FO, if that is the way to do things, and I wanted to hear other readers' comments