Intelligent Octopus Flux Tariff.

sarah chambers Uncategorized April 4, 2024April 4, 2024INTELLIGENT OCTOPUS FLUX

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Intelligent Octopus Flux.

Take the hassle out of exporting excess energy from your home battery with the Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff.

Intelligent Flux is a next-generation tariff that uses Octopus’ Kraken software to optimise your GivEnergy home battery and solar generation. With a little Octo magic, your virtual home power station will help the stability of the National Grid, whilst also providing smarter, cheaper greener energy for your home. 🌍

Intelligent Octopus Flux avoids the need for customers to configure their hardware to get the best deal. This is great if you don’t have the time or are less tech-savvy. Octopus will choose the discharge time that is right for the grid potentially avoiding short-term use of fossil fuels to fill the gaps.

We’ll export the energy you have stored when you’ll make the best return. So you’ll always get the best deal on the sunshine you have stored ☀️ – Octopus Energy.

Am I eligible for the Octopus Intelligent Flux tariff and more importantly do I need it?

To switch to Intelligent Octopus Flux you will need;

To be an Octopus Energy customer.
Have solar PV and a GivEnergy home battery.
A smart meter which provides Octopus with half-hourly readings.
A copy of the MCS document for your solar system.
Confirmation your local energy network was notified of your installation. *

* This will be a letter or email you got from your energy network after they were notified by your solar installer.

If you haven’t had your solar panels and battery storage installed yet you get a quote from Octopus Energy using this online form. (You’ll also see a lovely video of me on the Octopus website.)

If you receive feed-in tariff payments from Octopus or another supplier, they’ll also need a copy of your (Microgeneration Certificate Scheme) MCS certificate.

The Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff is a beta tariff, and at the moment you will need both solar panels and a GivEnergy battery to qualify for this tariff but hopefully, Octopus will add more batteries soon. You can vote if you want your battery to be considered by Octopus.

How much will I pay for importing and exporting electricity on the Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff?

Intelligent Octopus Flux covers both import and export. Unlike its sister tariff Octopus Flux, the intelligent versions of the Octopus Flux tariff not only decide when to sell your energy but also allow you to import electricity at a cheaper rate. So you work less for more with the Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff, which sounds like a very cunning plan indeed.

Intelligent Octopus Flux Import / Export Rates.

From 1st of April 2024.

Off-peak (21 hours): 22.06 p/kWh (10% below the Flexible Octopus Tariff.)
Peak (4 pm – 7 pm): 29.42 p/kWh (Above Flexible Octopus for 3 hours.)

The Octopus Flexible Tariff is the Octopus default tariff that is always 10% below the current Energy Price Cap. It will change on the 1st of July 2024.

For 21 hours of the day, you’ll pay 10% less than you would pay on the Octopus Flexible tariff. Intelligent Octopus Flux is the same price for both import and export. I think Intelligent Octopus Flux has a very impressive export rate even before the boost between 4 pm and 7 pm! However, can you beat it if you decide to manually discharge yourself?

Octopus Flux v Intelligent Octopus Flux.

On the Octopus Flux Tariff, you can have any home battery set up.
On the Octopus Flux Tariff, you have to monitor and control import and export times yourself via your home battery set-up.
On the Intelligent Octopus Flux Tariff, you will need a GivEnergy battery. (More batteries will be added to the list soon.)
On the Intelligent Octopus Flux Tariff Octopus optimises your import and export times using their Kraken software. You just watch the magic happen on the Octopus App.

As a comparison between Octopus Flux v Intelligent Octopus Flux, you can see the current rates for the Octopus Flux Tariff and Intelligent Octopus Go below. (The quote is for South Wales)

	Import rates	Export rates
Intelligent Octopus Flux	Per kWh	Per kWh
Off-peak (21 hours)	22.06p	22.06p
Peak	29.42p	29.42p
Octopus Flux
Day rate	24.51p	15.08p
Flux rate (2am to 5am)	14.71p	5.32p
Peak	34.32p	24.93p
Standing charge is the same for both.	61.19p per day

If you have a GivEnergy battery and qualify for Octopus Intelligent Flux the export rates are better than on Octopus Flux. If you are going to be using Intelligent Octopus Flux as a seasonal tariff for the spring and summer months the import rates are slightly irrelevant. Because if you produce enough solar energy to fill your battery for use after dark, which will be later in the day you won’t need to import hardly any electricty anyway the only figures that are important are the export rate.

“Octopus Energy continues to unlock a grid system that is green, cheap and easy for customers. Next generation smart tariffs like Intelligent Octopus Flux optimise energy tech in people’s homes – passing on savings to customers while stopping the need for dirty fossil fuel plants at peak times.” – Alex Schoch, Octopus Energy.

Why do I need an MCS certificate to switch to Intelligent Octopus Flux?

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is a standards organisation. If you are looking for a comparison it’s similar to Corgi registered (for gas) but the MCS is for low-carbon technologies. Unlike Corgi where gas fitters have to be registered MCS is not a legal requirement. It is more a mark of quality for heat pumps, solar, biomass, wind and battery storage installation and Octopus has decided to make it a requirement in the terms and conditions.

If you are not sure if your system has an MCS certificate or you just can’t find it you can contact MCS at 0333 103 8130, or email: hello@mcscertified.com. If you are looking for an installer you can also check if they are listed as MCS certified.

When Octopus receives your MCS certificate they will apply to the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) for an export Meter Point Administration Number (MPAN ) for your smart meter. Once the MPAN is registered by the DNO Octopus can then start paying you for your exported electricity.

Can I get paid for my solar export without an MCS Certificate?

Octopus Energy is launching a trial where no MCS Certificate is required for solar export but this is separate from this tariff where an MCS Certificate is still required.

I double-checked with Octopus on Twitter and here is their response from 5th August 2023.

Hi, we don’t currently accept export customers without an MCS certificate, but we’re in the very early stages of trialling a solution for non-MCS customers. If you or anyone you know would like to hear if this becomes available, pop your name down here: https://t.co/Rg5R5p4vJy 🐙

— Octopus Energy (@OctopusEnergy) August 5, 2023

How do I switch to the Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff?

You will need to switch to Octopus Energy first on their Octopus Flexible tariff and once the switch is complete you can start the tariff switch to Intelligent Octopus Flux. If you use the linked page below to sign up you’ll get £50 credit after your first direct debit payment. (I’ll also get £50 too so a big thank you if you use my link) As a new customer, you will need to switch to the Octopus Flexible tariff first before moving to any other Octopus tariff.

You’ll need to also set up your export tariff with Octopus. I would suggest signing up for either Octopus Outgoing or Octopus Flux. Once your export is set up, you can request to switch to Intelligent Octopus Flux.

Complete the online request to switch to Intelligent Octopus Flux.
Download the Octopus Energy app.
Connected your GivEnergy battery in the app.

Octopus will send instructions once you have asked to switch tariffs.

How does the Octopus Intelligent Flux tariff compare to other solar export rates?

Octopus is very different from any other energy supplier in the UK. They offer such a wide range of tariffs both traditional and smart that you do need to consider your own energy use to find the best combination of import and export tariffs for your own circumstances. It can seem a little complicated to work out what’s right for you but hopefully, my blog will help.

You don’t need to have your home energy supplied by Octopus to be on an Octopus export tariff but the Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff combines both import and export. You can read about other combinations of SEG and Outgoing tariffs on my other solar export review page.

If you want to ask any questions there is a great community on Twitter and you can always tag me @sarah_go_green.

Here is a list of some of the traditional expert tariffs and prices just to give you an idea. The minimum rate you would get for export is 22.06p per kWh on Intelligent Flux rising to 29.42 per kWh between 4 pm and 7 pm. (This may vary slightly based on your geographical location.)

Octopus Energy Outgoing tariff – 15p per kWh (Have an import tariff too)
Scottish Power – 15p per kWh (Have an import tariff too)
Scottish Power – 12p per kWh
British Gas – 15p per kWh (Existing customer)
British Gas – 6.4p per kWh
EDF – 5.2p per kWh (Existing customer)

The export rates on Intelligent Octopus Flux are significantly higher as you can see.

Is Intelligent Octopus Flux a good all-year-round tariff?

The Intelligent Octopus Flux import and export rates are very interesting especially if you want a hands-off approach to your home energy system.

That being said you should consider having two tariffs, one for winter and one for the summer. It obviously depends on your home set-up and energy needs but I have written a recent blog about seasonal Octopus tariffs that you may find of interest.

In the winter for example when there are fewer hours of sunshine you may want to top up your battery overnight at a low off-peak rate and then discharge energy from the battery. Intelligent Octopus Flux offers an off-peak rate of 10% below the Flexible tariff but Economy 7 is much cheaper at night, whilst Octopus Agile if energy is in abundance will pay you for using and storing energy. So switching tariffs later in the year may help to reduce your energy bills for the winter period. It just depends on the level on involvement you want to have.

GivEnergy All In One Battery.

If anyone considering buying a GivEnergy battery I have just had the GivEnerg All In One Battery installed by Octopus Energy along with solar panels. (You can read about my first steps towards an Octopus Energy solar and battery installation here.) If you have solar panels installed already you could also add the GivEnergy battery if you contact a local installer. At the moment there is no VAT on a home battery. GivEnergy has a list of recommended installers on its website.

@sarah_go_green This battery will work with the @Octopus Energy new Intelligent Octopus Flux tariff. Its a great #homebattery #GivEnergy #allinonebattery ♬ Little Things – Tiqta

Having a home battery can help balance the grid making it cleaner and greener.

The chart below shows a day’s energy use for a home with battery storage and solar panels. The battery is charged at night and discharged throughout the day. The battery works alongside the home’s solar panels to act like a virtual power station.

One of the main benefits of a home battery is being able to import electricty when there is less demand on the National Grid. Even in this example, without any pricing information, you can see that by topping up your battery at night this home has become self-sufficient during the day. This reduces peak demand at times when coal power stations might be forced to come online. For lots of people who are concerned about the environment, this will be a very attractive idea.

It is a win, win if you’re not very techie and want to save money and make a difference. Intelligent Octopus Flux will do all the hard work for you if you have solar panels and battery storage.

There are other Octopus Energy tariffs that could help reduce your energy bills if you have battery storage and solar panels. You must have a look at these tariffs too before making a decision that is right for you.

Should we allow an energy company to control household tech, such as home batteries?

I have added this question as I was contacted by someone who follows my blog today. They are having solar panels and battery storage installed soon but they don’t like the concept of allowing an energy firm to control household gadgets. They worry this will be a slippery slope where energy firms will dictate how and when we use energy. I on the contrary see this as an amazing step forward.

I get emails from lots of people who are buying green tech but worry that they aren’t making the most of them. They don’t fully understand if they have chosen the right tariff or indeed are making the most of the opportunities that Octopus smart tariffs provide. I let Octopus control EV charging at the moment. It’s a similar tariff to Intelligent Octopus Flux but they control my EV rather than a home battery. It is so easy and I know I am using my energy when it is the cheapest and greenest.

I think we need companies like Octopus to shake things up. They need to wake up the industry showing them what is possible whilst also guiding us on the journey. I think the Intelligent Octopus tariff will do that hand-holding very nicely as we all make our own personal attempts to help reduce our carbon footprint and save some money on the way.

octopus heat pump referral code — octopus heat pump discount code £100

OCTOPUS GO VERSUS AGILE TARIFF

sarah chambers compare tariffs, Uncategorized April 4, 2024April 24, 2024

Home » Archives for April 4, 2024

Octopus Go v Octopus Agile

Octopus Go versus Octopus Agile which one is best?

Electric Vehicle owners with moderate to low mileage often wonder which tariff is better: Octopus Go or Octopus Agile. This question is also relevant for higher-mileage customers with solar panels and battery storage. However, the answer depends on various factors such as the time of year, wholesale market conditions, and your flexibility in adjusting your home energy consumption.

You’ll need a smart meter that sends half-hour readings to access any of the Octopus smart tariffs and a willingness to think outside the box in terms of your energy use.

What’s right for you – Octopus Go v Octopus Agile.

It’s important to remember that only you can determine which Octopus smart tariff suits you best. While influencers may offer advice, they don’t know your energy consumption habits, preferences, or priorities when it comes to saving money or using greener energy.

Remember, this is a relatively new area, so no matter which Octopus tariff you opt for, you’re making a conscious decision to choose a greener option that aligns with your current needs and values.

If you’re looking for guidance on selecting the right Octopus Energy smart tariff, here are some details that could assist you in making an informed decision.

The Octopus Energy Agile tariff allows you to use energy when consumption is low bringing down prices to a minimum, sometimes even free. Shift your energy use outside the 4-7 pm peak to save money and use cleaner, greener energy when there is less demand on the grid. Plus “plunge” pricing when wholesale prices go negative could even pay you to use energy!

Octopus Agile April 2024 v 1

The Octopus Agile tariff has a fixed 12-month term. This doesn’t mean that you are stuck on the tariff for 12 months it simply means that the terms of your Octopus Agile tariff will not be changed for 12 months unless you switch to another tariff.

The Octopus Go tariff.

Octopus Go offers a very attractive 4 hours of electricity at 9.0p per kWh between 00.30 and 04.30hrs. You can keep the running costs of your EV down but you can also schedule large home appliances to run during these times, such as your washing machine and dishwasher. When the peak unit price on Octopus Go is 27.12p per kWh (this may vary depending on where you live in the UK) this will make a considerable saving on your energy bill!

You would only really opt for Octopus Go instead of Intelligent Octopus Go if your EV or EV charger isn’t compatible with this tariff.

On Intelligent Octopus Go you’ll get 6 hours off-peak charging instead of 4 hours and your night rate is 2p per kWh cheaper at 7.5p per kWh.

How much does Octopus Agile cost?

The Octopus Agile price per kWh of electricity changes every 30 minutes. The idea is that you shift your energy usage to a time when there is less demand on the national grid. The prices are displayed the day before on the Octopus Energy website. You can find out more information about the Agile tariff on the Octopus website.

Octopus Agile is usually more expensive than Go between 4 pm to 7 pm peak period but cheaper than Go from 04:30 am to 4 pm.

You can look back at both historical prices and current prices for the Octopus Agile tariff on this official Octopus Energy website. This site isn’t widely known but it allows you not only to see pricing but also compare your existing Octopus tariff to Octopus Agile. You can set a time period and it will show you how much you would have paid if you had been on the Agile tariff.

@sarah_go_green @Octopus Energy #agiletariff #smarttariffs #octopusenergy ♬ Little Things – Tiqta

I haven’t found an official Octopus site that does this for any other Octopus tariff but there are lots of third-party apps you can use such as Octopus Compare.

Octopus Agile tariff price on Thursday 25th April 2024

This is the April 2024 v1 of the Agile tariff.

Min: 13.1p per kWh (03.30)

Max: 35.0p per kWh (18.00)

Average: 18.6p per kWh.

Av. Excluding Peak times: 16.6p per kWh

Peak Time 1600 – 1900: 31.7p per kWh.

The prices are based on national average prices per kWh.

Thanks to @energystatsuk for the daily figures

The average Agile price per kWh is 18.6p (25/04/2024)

Points to consider;

Octopus Agile is capped at £1 per kWh with a daily standing charge of around 61.19p. It could rise very sharply as demand increases in the winter but last month as an example customers are being paid to use energy as they have gone negative!
Octopus Go is 27.12p per kWh with an off-peak rate of 9.0p per kWh. (depending on your geographical location)
The intelligent tariff gives 6 hours off-peak at 7.5p per kWh
You need an EV to be on Octopus Go or Intelligent tariff.
You may get less for exporting your excess solar on Octopus Go where you are restricted to Octopus Lite Outgoing..

The Agile price should go up and down in price but it could get stuck at around the £1 per kWh peak price. It is a gamble on the amount of wind and demand on the national grid but prices have recently gone negative. This means customers have been paid to use energy, which includes on 24th March 2024 when prices have gone negative!

The Octopus Go or Intelligent Octopus Go tariff should bring your average price per kWh down if you load shift as well as charge your EV. If you can shift a proportion of your energy use off-peak you could absolutely smash the Octopus flexible tariff! You just need to get into the habit of turning white goods on late at night or invest in a few cheap timers. Lots of washing machines and dishwashers have timers built in. You have just got to use them!

OCTOPUS GO Tariff	OCTOPUS AGILE Tariff. - April 2024 V1.⏰ 25/04/2024
27.12p per kWh	Daily Average Price Cap 18.6p per kWh
9.0p per kWh - Off-peak 00.30 to 04.30 🚘	Min: 13.1p per kWh (03.30)
62.19p per day standing charge.	62.19p per day standing charge.

Octopus Tracker Tariff.

Just to add more options to the mix, if you are considering Octopus Go or Octopus Agile you should also consider the Octopus Tracker tariff which requires no load shifting, is a flat rate which lasts for 24 hours and changes each day and is currently hovering around 14p to 18p per kWh for electricity. You can also combine higher rate export rates when on the Octopus tracker tariff compared to Octopus Go.

Here is a quote for Octopus Go on 24th April 2024. It is a good deal in the current climate for charging off-peak. (The day unit prices on the 1st April 2024 will reduce to around 27.17p per kWh and the standing charge will go up to around 61.19p per kWh. It will vary depending on where you live.)

To find the most up-to-date Octopus Go rates in your area use this link. (If you decide to sign up come out of the quote and use the referral link. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on the £50 credit)

If you switch away from Octopus Agile you can’t switch back for 30 days but that’s fair enough!

So the winning Octopus Smart tariff is……

I won’t take away the last 2 minutes of your life without giving you my opinion. 😆 It’s all very personal to your needs but with any additional equipment such as solar panels or battery storage, if you want to plug your EV in and forget about it Octopus Go or Intelligent Octopus Go is more likely to be the one for you! But it depends on so many factors such as your mileage, market conditions, green tech available at home or smart devices such as home assistant.

You need to make the most of the 4 or 6 hours of very cheap energy. If you get the washing machine whizzing and dishwashers running off-peak this will bring down your average price per kWh quite dramatically.

If you just want a flat rate and significantly lower than the Energy Price Cap make sure you look at the Octopus Tracker tariff for both gas and electric!

If you throw in the battery storage and solar panels the answer would depend on the time of year and how much you export to the grid. You can read more on my Octopus solar export tariff reviews.

Trying to be greener with your energy use.

No one can determine what is best for you. Each person’s living situation and requirements are different, and while some may have the means to invest in resources like solar panels and battery storage, others may not. The key is to make an effort to reduce consumption and shift usage to periods when the national grid is under less strain.

If you have the luxury of solar panels you can think of switching tariffs twice a year and have a spring/summer and autumn winter tariff. If you have battery storage even better make sure you check out Octopus Flux as you can time your export and make some extra money to reduce your energy bill.

When it comes to managing energy usage, it’s crucial to make thoughtful decisions about when and how you utilise it, regardless of any additional equipment you may have. Even small adjustments can have a significant impact on your monthly expenses.

In terms of home energy consumption, Octopus Agile half-hourly pricing seems to be the direction we’re heading in. It’s important to recognise that we can’t simply switch on devices whenever we please without considering the consequences. Even if you have a home battery, it’s essential to evaluate whether using the stored energy is the most efficient choice.

Take some time to reflect on these points. It’s worthwhile to sit down and assess what would work best for you, as the potential savings could be substantial.

Octopus Agile Pricing.

Octopus Agile Tariff.	Average price kWh	Cheapest price 30 minutes.
National Average Price of Energy.	Energy Price.	Energy Price.
Average price per kWh over 7 days.
Thursday 25/04/24	18.6p per kWh	13.1p per kWh (03.30)
Wednesday 24/04/24	17.9p per kWh	13.2p per kWh (00.30)
Tuesday 23/04/24	18.5p per kWh	13.5p per kWh (04.30)
Monday 22/04/24	18.8p per kWh	14.0p per kWh (02.30)
Sunday 21/04/24	17.1p per kWh	11.2p per kWh (05.30)
Saturday 20/04/24	17.2p per kWh.	10.8p per kWh (15.00)
Friday 19/04/24	12.7p per kWh	4.8p per kWh (13.30)

If you don’t own an EV and are using Octopus Agile as an alternative to a standard Octopus tariff it’s still a great way to focus your mind on shifting your energy. This tariff is fantastic for helping to make the grid greener.

Whenever you discover this post if you are asking yourself Octopus Go versus Octopus Agile remember you are asking yourself this question as you are not sticking to the norm and going with a standard tariff. Standard tariffs at the moment are ridiculously high! Switching to a smart tariff at least gives you the freedom to try and bring your overall energy bill down. You may be trying to be greener or save money or both but it’s all a learning curve and one we have to do to give the planet a better future!!

Read both my reviews on the Octopus Agile and the Octopus Go . 💕 I’d also suggest you look at Intelligent Octopus which is a beta tariff.

It’s great to see so many customers on Twitter getting excited again about the Octopus Agile tariff. We have threats of blackouts in the future and time of use tariffs most definatly have their place. If you can shift your energy use to when their is less demand on the grid not only will you save money but you can help stabalis the National grid.

Octopus Watch App

You can find some great apps and devices using Octopus Energy API.

I would strongly suggest looking at the Octopus Watch app. Watch refers to keeping an eye on something rather than needing a smartwatch to access it!! 😁

I would say this is one of the most useful apps to consider if you are switching to the Octopus Energy Agile tariff. This app allows you to download up to 3 months of historical data. You can use it to set Agile pricing alerts and interact with Siri. It’s a good app but the fun really starts in the subscription version.

(Find this app at google play)

(find this app in the app store here) (find this app on the Amazon store)

Octopus Watch with Subscription.
(£1.99 + £7.99 per year/£0.99 per month)

This is really if you want to help shift your usage to make energy greener. You can set alerts so you know when the lowest carbon period is. It really depends on how much you want to play around with your energy usage and shift. The predictive reports are great too. If you want to plan and work out which day would be best to charge your car or do your weekly wash then the predictive option helps a lot. Of course, these energy prices are just predicted. However, they have shown to be 90% accurate, which is good enough for me. Here is the smarthound website.