Octpus flux - how do I get on this?

[MrTWales]

Currently I'm with Shell (following Green Planet falling over) and Octopus Flux looks great. I don't have a smart meter and need my meter box to be re-arranged first as there isn't enough space. I'm thinking that the way to go is:

 

- get the meter box sorted (I have a quote now)

- get a smart meter installed by Shell

- switch to an Octopus tarrif that's available 

- join the waiting list for flux (as an existing Octopus customer) and hope for the best.

 

Is this all I can do? Thanks!

[Rob99]

The only thing I would change is to switch to Octopus first and get them to fit your smart meter

[MrTWales]

10 minutes ago, Rob99 said:

The only thing I would change is to switch to Octopus first and get them to fit your smart meter

That sounds better! I can't think why this order made sense to me, maybe it was just Shell texting me every 5 mins to fit a smart meter so it seemed like I could get it sorted very quickly and then I may have more options with the Octopus tarrifs I can get on before (hopefully) moving to Flux.

[Rob99]

I don't currently have a smart meter but am just about to switch to Octopus and then get them to do the smart meter

[MrTWales]

Good idea. What tarrif are you switch to? Are you looking for Flux too eventually?

 

It looks like referal links mean sharing £100. I think my sister is with them but otherwise perhaps I can agree something with someone here.

[S2D2]

I'd also have Octopus fit the meter, might be worth enquiring with them what the lead times are in your area before switching though?

[ProDave]

Anyone thinking of switching to Octopus, PM me for a referal code to get you £50 credit.

[Pocster]

Anyone thinking of switching to octopus I’ll give them £1000 ( with conditions 😉 )

[Rob99]

4 hours ago, MrTWales said:

What tarrif are you switch to? Are you looking for Flux too eventually?

I'm switching to flexible octopus (basically their standard variable tariff) then having them fit my smart meter and then switching to Flux once my PV and battery system is in, although that could be several months away. 😞

 

I've got my referral code all sorted too 👍

[MrTWales]

Nice. They just replied to me and said this, so it looks like a way forward.

 

"In regards to your query, you can definitely get a smart meter installed before joining Octopus Energy. You can request a smart meter installation by filling out our online form or by giving us a call. Once the smart meter is installed, you can then choose from our range of tariffs, including the Flux tariff.

Please note that the Flux tariff is currently only available to customers with a smart meter, so you would need to wait until your smart meter is installed before joining the waiting list for Flux."

[crispy_wafer]

Had my smart meter installed by EDF before switching to the octopus!  Unfortunately they haven't been able to read from it yet, but EDF could!

[MrTWales]

Blah, scrub the above. Octopus have just told me this:

 

- I can't even get on a waiting list for a smart meter until I'm an Octopus customer,

- The wait time is likely around 6-8 weeks for a smart meter intall.

- Any SMETS2 (?) smart meter should be OK, so I may be better off getting one installed by my current supplier

- If I have a smart meter then I'd start on a non-smart tarrif, but could change to a smart one with a ~ two week timeframe

- There may not actually be a delay to get on the FLUX tarrif, so it could be just the two weeks after signing with Octopus.

 

So the best plan it seems is to see how long it will take to get a smart meter from my local supplier and then call Octopus back when I have this installed.

[Alan Ambrose]

If it helps any, Octopus were by far the most sensible company I've dealt with re smart meters. Time for a 3-phase meter smart meter swap (from a previous 3-phase dumb meter) was 3 months. Some other suppliers don't even know what 3-phase is (or at least the call centre staff don't).

[TonyT]

Just get the meter fitted by shell and then move to octopus, that’s exactly what I did 

[MrTWales]

2 minutes ago, TonyT said:

Just get the meter fitted by shell and then move to octopus, that’s exactly what I did 

Thanks, I am! I booked it though Shell via the app in seconds. 

[Ferdinand]

Not totally convinced by the Octopus Flux pitch.

 

It is marketed as "for solar and battery". but the key feature is charge your battery the previous night, and discharge it at the next day peak.

 

That means that you lose the opportunity to charge your battery from your solar if it is already full, which is the Octopus logic ("top it up overnight"), depending on the size of the battery vs how much you can cram into it in 3 hours.

 

Basically it involves an arbitrage of the price in the cheap 3 hour overnight period vs the price you are paid for solar export during the day. Once the export price you are paid goes below the price you are charged overnight, you are losing. Octopus control both prices.

 

It needs much careful thought, especially about possible loss of flexibility in use of your battery vs the benefit of being paid 15p per kWh (for now) for what is left in your battery as you approach peak period. 

 

One obvious thing is that solar generated energy needs to be used by the house in preference to using battery, or exporting it, during the day. Do these installs do that? 

 

I have been on the Flexible Octopus for energy I use from the Grid, plus Agile Outgoing Export for energy I export (which replaces the export element of my FIT setup, and is linked to wholesale market prices). Currently my export price has settled to about 10p/unit for the last few months.  

Ferdinand

[Ferdinand]

Octopus are really helpful in my experience.

 

But there are hoops including needing extra documentation about your FIT install if your solar install is FIT.

[Pocster]

I’ve not charged from the grid for weeks now . But I do have a pw and se battery . Working very well for me 

[S2D2]

6 hours ago, Ferdinand said:

Not totally convinced by the Octopus Flux pitch.

 

It is marketed as "for solar and battery". but the key feature is charge your battery the previous night, and discharge it at the next day peak.

 

That means that you lose the opportunity to charge your battery from your solar if it is already full, which is the Octopus logic ("top it up overnight"), depending on the size of the battery vs how much you can cram into it in 3 hours.

 

Basically it involves an arbitrage of the price in the cheap 3 hour overnight period vs the price you are paid for solar export during the day. Once the export price you are paid goes below the price you are charged overnight, you are losing. Octopus control both prices.

 

It needs much careful thought, especially about possible loss of flexibility in use of your battery vs the benefit of being paid 15p per kWh (for now) for what is left in your battery as you approach peak period. 

 

One obvious thing is that solar generated energy needs to be used by the house in preference to using battery, or exporting it, during the day. Do these installs do that? 

 

I have been on the Flexible Octopus for energy I use from the Grid, plus Agile Outgoing Export for energy I export (which replaces the export element of my FIT setup, and is linked to wholesale market prices). Currently my export price has settled to about 10p/unit for the last few months.  

Ferdinand

 

As I've said elsewhere, the key battery feature for me is shifting daytime export that would otherwise get 15p to the peak export window at ~30p (new rates). The key feature overall is the higher export rate.

 

The symmetry in rates means you can charge the battery in the cheap window without thinking about it, but nothing says that you have to. Any import is offset by later export, though as I said over in the other thread Octopus just narrowed the inefficiency allowance in their latest price update:

Hybrid inverters always prioritise PV for self-use before pulling from the battery, yes. Even if prioritising feed-in or force discharging, the house still uses the energy first before export takes place.

 

My average export unit rate on flux since March has been a little over 25p. As it is a complex tariff, I agree that it needs careful thought before use.

[Ferdinand]

3 hours ago, S2D2 said:

 

As I've said elsewhere, the key battery feature for me is shifting daytime export that would otherwise get 15p to the peak export window at ~30p (new rates). The key feature overall is the higher export rate.

 

The symmetry in rates means you can charge the battery in the cheap window without thinking about it, but nothing says that you have to. Any import is offset by later export, though as I said over in the other thread Octopus just narrowed the inefficiency allowance in their latest price update:

Hybrid inverters always prioritise PV for self-use before pulling from the battery, yes. Even if prioritising feed-in or force discharging, the house still uses the energy first before export takes place.

 

My average export unit rate on flux since March has been a little over 25p. As it is a complex tariff, I agree that it needs careful thought before use.

 

Sounds like a possible next step for me then, if I go for a battery at some stage - and it doesn't screw the FIT, which is worth about £600 a year to me.

[PhilT]

1 hour ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Sounds like a possible next step for me then, if I go for a battery at some stage - and it doesn't screw the FIT, which is worth about £600 a year to me.

you don't need a battery - apparently many people are on Flux without having a battery, they just fib when ticking that self certification statement which, unlike PV, doesn't require you to submit any DNO or MCS certificate. In my view a battery makes no financial sense with Flux (and I use both), but it might give you some "happy units".

[Ferdinand]

14 hours ago, PhilT said:

you don't need a battery - apparently many people are on Flux without having a battery, they just fib when ticking that self certification statement which, unlike PV, doesn't require you to submit any DNO or MCS certificate. In my view a battery makes no financial sense with Flux (and I use both), but it might give you some "happy units".

 

That's over my line.

 

I will keep stumm and let them make wrong assumptions, but I will not lie to a supplier.

 

My choice.

 

Also - TBF - my generation is heavily morning biased (80% of panels East Facing), so little generation in the peak period, plus my traditional 'overnight time shifted' loads are covered by my heavier AM generation.

 

F

[PhilT]

50 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

I will keep stumm and let them make wrong assumptions, but I will not lie to a supplier.

Give them a call, they may say they know about it and it's not a mandatory requirement

[MrTWales]

Update - I am on Flux! I won't break open any champagne until I see exports working (I can't see how this shows in the app) but the process was very quick.

 

I had a smart meter install on Wednesday (via Shell, or a contracttor should I say)

I called Octopus on Thursday to switch. They said I'd be on the variable tarrif (which was the same rates as Shell, but for the standing charge which is a bit lower) and needed to apply to Flux, but it could take 6 weeks as they need to test that they could communicate with the smart meter etc.

I applied on Friday for Flux, which meant ticking some boxes and providing a G99 letter (to show DNO approval) and the MCS cert number (which they look up and tie to the property).

Now, two says later, they say that I'm Flux.

 

So, I'm very impressed so far - even without being on Flux the app is very good, with usage data easily seen for electric and gas. Fingers crossed that the export works properly.

[MrTWales]

Edit - I think I'm on Flux Import so I can't export yet, I assume anyway. Hopefully not for long!