Smart electric tariff

[Marvin]

On 05/07/2025 at 09:26, ReedRichards said:

Would it be such a sacrifice to trade-in your existing car for an EV?  I'm on the EON NextDrive tariff and it meshes very well with my other electrical items, ASHP, solar PV with battery. 

Hi @ReedRichards

 

Yes we have similar. We don't do many miles but we must have spent a total of about £100 over the last 2 years buying electricity for the EV. We use the 13amp charger and leave the vehicle plugged in when home and it only charges when the PV produces over 3.5kW. Of course this wouldn't work if the car was parked at work all day...

 

 

[joth]

3 hours ago, sharpener said:

 

I have a similarly complex charging regime but have been considering just charging battery to 100% every cheap period. The thinking is that every unit bought off the grid at 12.65p liberates a unit of PV which can be exported for 15p. Is there a flaw in this?

 

 

This is exactly what I've been doing for a couple years. I hear the argument that charging it to full every day is worse for longevity, but if I get drawn into that argument the only winner is never charging the battery at all.

I'm buying at 7p overnight and selling PV at 15p so even stronger argument. I do still redirect some PV to ashp (setpoint boost) and the battery. Financially I shouldn't do any those but they're more a nod to sustainability (and improving my home assistant self-sufficiency score) really

 

 

 

[JohnMo]

10 minutes ago, joth said:

ashp (setpoint boost)

I do that as well, found in the shoulder months on a sunny day, all the heating was done via PV at a warmer day temperature. It would be zero at night and heat pump stayed off. Not sure how you square that with potential export. If I get export accepted, I will import at 12.65p, and export at 15p. So it may be more beneficial to run ASHP in the day, better CoP and no defrosting.

[MikeSharp01]

28 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

I will import at 12.65p,

Where do you get a tariff like that we are on 25.97p import!

[JohnMo]

8 hours ago, MikeSharp01 said:

Where do you get a tariff like that we are on 25.97p import!

Octopus Cosy, 3x periods at 12.65p, 1 at about 33p and the rest at normal rate

[Thorfun]

22 hours ago, joth said:

For me I'd pay the £250 regardless anyway as it feels rewarding to be getting something back for the export but I know others that don't care. 

Getting paid for export on Octopus also means you don’t have to care what the forecast is for the day as you get paid more for export than on the cheap rate. So we just charge the batteries every cheap period on Cosy and if we export during that time then we’re still getting paid. 

[Thorfun]

13 hours ago, sharpener said:

 

I have a similarly complex charging regime but have been considering just charging battery to 100% every cheap period. The thinking is that every unit bought off the grid at 12.65p liberates a unit of PV which can be exported for 15p. Is there a flaw in this?

 

 

Exactly what we do. I also tried to find a flaw in it but couldn’t but my maths is not great! 😂

[Dave Jones]

On 30/06/2025 at 19:26, JohnMo said:

Currently have no smart meter that works due to a poor signal, after talking with a smart meter installer I now know how to get a working meter. Will explain for any one in a similar position.

 

Electric supplier has to have 3 unsuccessful smart meter installs. You then request the case is raised with the DCC. 6 weeks later they allow a 4G meter to be installed. Problem fixed.

 

So to my dilemma 

Have ASHP, GivEnergy 13kWh battery, PV but don't get paid for export. What is the best tariff to be on

 

Standard tariff make no sense with a battery.

E7 currently on that, easy to manage, but may not be most cost effective?

Cosy, seems easy to manage?

Agile, GivEnergy has controls built in, but expects export from what I can tell.

 

Any suggestions or users doing anything different?

Should I just pay octopus the £250 to allow export and be paid?

 

could you not get the octopus smart meter wifi bridge ?

 

We have one as mobile signal is non existent. Works great.

[JohnMo]

On 12/07/2025 at 08:50, JohnMo said:

Firstly now have a 4G smart meter, commissioning time was about 10 mins.

 

11 minutes ago, Dave Jones said:

could you not get the octopus smart meter wifi bridge ?

 

You must have missed above. We now have a 4G smart meter, all working. Now on Octopus Cosy. We are have an octopus mini instead of home display.