It has been a crazy few weeks. Trying to keep the family warm while keeping one eye on the cost isn’t always easy but at least this week it has been a little warmer.

We have been doing our daily routine as normal load shifting as much energy as possible to the evening. This way we keep the average price we pay for electricity below the Energy Price Guarantee. I think last month we managed to load shift around 55% of our energy use to the nighttime.

We have also been taking part in the National Grids, Demand Flexibity Service. We took part in the trials at the start of 2022 with Octopus Energy and the National Grid. Now the sessions are for real. The National Grid called on consumers twice last month to reduce the amount of energy they use to help balance the grid. It was quite a historical moment and stopped coal fire power stations from coming online.

Five minutes of fame – News at 10 pm.

I was on the News!! To be precise I was on Channel 4 News at 7 pm., ITV News at 10 pm, BBC News at 10 pm and BBC News online. It all got a little busy after I took part in a phone on Radio Wales. My phone went slightly crazy and I ended up with two camera crews in my house watching me taking part in the Octopus Saving Sessions.

I was hoping that with the lights out I wouldn’t get much of a spotlight but they had me turning lots of appliances off ready for the 6 pm start of the Saving Session which lasted for an hour.

I hated seeing myself on the news BUT it really helped to get the message across about the Demand Flexibility Service. You don’t need to sit in the dark, although lots do. It is just a case of shifting energy use of large appliances or simply not using them during a particular window of time.

Without the camera crews in attendance, I usually take advantage of a quiet hour when the kids aren’t nagging me for food.  With their devices charged, they are more than happy to just watch some kiddie’s TV while I put my feed up. It really is as simple as that.  Most of the sessions have been in the evening and have involved pushing back or bringing forward dinner by an hour.

Why take part in the Octopus Saving Session?

When you take part in an Octopus Saving Session you will get paid for not using electricity. So by not cooking the kid’s tea during the session or not putting on a load of washing you will get paid for doing nothing! This helps are you will be playing your part in putting less demand on the National Grid during a period they are concerned demand will force them to flick the big dirty switch on. So you’ll save money and help the planet.

Personally, I don’t take part just to save money I am more concerned about helping make the grid greener. I was brought up in the South Wales valleys where coal dust was everywhere. The sides of mountains would smoulder. Coal really is a dirty business!

This was opposite my school. The school was there first and they built this phenacite plant after. Everything was black. The cars the windows, even your hair had dust in it! So I really don’t mind doing absolutely anything to stop coal fire power stations from coming online! We need to try harder to make the grid greener.

You can still sign up if you are an Octopus customer and have a smart meter. You will get a notification 24 hours before the session starts and you just have to opt-in. Octopus has gamified the sessions by awarding customers points based on how much energy they have managed to offset. You can then redeem these points and add the credit to your energy bill or donate them to a fuel poverty charity.

Energy Price Guarantee.

On the 8th of September, the UK government announced measures to help reduce soaring energy bills.  The energy price cap which was due to increase by 81% on the 1st of October 2022 will be replaced by the energy price guarantee. There will also be deductions applied to energy bills that have a high fixed rate per kWh. (clarification is needed)

@sarah_go_green This is how much you will pay per kWh on #energypriceguarantee it’s replaces the #energypricecap from 1/10/22. It is the cheapest #energytariff #gas ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

How much will you pay if you are on the energy price guarantee? (Stanard variable tariff)

10.3p per kWh for gas.

34p per kWh for electricity.

Standing charges seem to remain unchanged.

The energy price guarantee will remain in place for 2 years.

This is the average price you should expect to pay on the energy price guarantee. It may vary depending on your location.

If you are on a fixed tariff you could also get a discount.

Under the government’s energy price guarantee, you could also get a discount of;

17p per kWh for electricity

4.2 per kWh for gas.

The wording on the .gov website isn’t very clear.

If you’re on a fixed tariff at a higher rate caused by recent energy price rises, your unit prices will be reduced by 17p/kWh for electricity and 4.2p/kWh for gas.

These unit prices have been passed to suppliers to ensure that they are used to calculate bills on time for 1 October.

Energy suppliers will adjust fixed tariffs automatically. Customers on fixed tariffs do not need to take any action to get the benefits of this scheme.

For Octopus Energy I can see this being quite a challenge with smart tariffs but time will tell. It is just a case of waiting to see what happens.

Octopus Agile Price Increase.

Yesterday, at 4 pm the Octopus increased the maximum price you will pay on the Agile tariff. The cap on the Agile tariff increased from 55p per kWh to an eye-watering 78p per kWh.

The Octopus Tracker tariff also increased to a maximum price of 78p per kWh for electricity and a whopping 22p per kWh for gas.

Wholesale energy prices have been increasing at unprecedented levels and this month has been no exception. It isn’t really a surprise to see the maximum price increase but non the less it does feel like a wake-up call!  The energy market seems to be getting a whole lot worse!

@sarah_go_green @Octopus Energy ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

As ever Greg Jackson, the CEO of Octopus Energy isn’t holding back and has urged the government to take action and keep the energy price cap as it stands.

I feel relieved to be with Octopus even though prices are increasing. They are forward-thinking and even visionary in their approach to energy. The government really needs to take a leaf out of its book and start implementing change!

October 2022 Energy Price Cap.

Today, Ofgem announced the new energy price cap that will come into effect on the 1st of October.  Prices were predictable but still felt like a low blow as autumn quickly approaches.

From the 1st of October 2022, for those on the energy price cap prices will rise by a staggering 80%. This time last year gas was just 3p per kWh but from 1st October this will rise to 14.8p per kWh.  Electricity will rise to 51.9p per kWh from 28.34p per kWh.

My prediction was out by around 1p per kWh for gas, the rest I got on the nose! Martin Lewis has been tweeting the Cornwall Insights prediction for the last few weeks. The question is if a middle-aged housewife can predict these rises and worry about the impacts why can’t the government!!!

I have been worrying about the energy crisis for at least the last year! I couldn’t have predicted they would rise this far. I didn’t envisage Russia would invade Ukraine but someone with some foresight in Whitehall must have! They should have, in my view, made provisions for this!

@sarah_go_green Th #energypricecap has been announced for October 2022. Prices are rising. I’ll share #energyprice information and info #howtosavemoney. #gasprices ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

Greg Jackson the CEO of Octopus Energy has suggested that the UK public shouldn’t be expected to foot the bill for a war-like situation with Russia and I agree!! I hope in 10 days’ time when the government reconvinces I hope we see some action!!!!

Batch Cooking is a great way to save energy.

I love cooking, but as energy prices rise, I am mindful of how and when I use my oven. Each time it is switched on I add to the amount of kWh I have added to my Octopus Energy bill. At 40p per kWh for electricity, every kWh counts! So I only use the oven when I know it is going to be full.

Batch cooking is a great way of getting the most out of your oven. I grow my own vegetables and love roasting them if I get a glut. Even vegetables that have seen better days get roasted and frozen. I just can’t cope with food waste1!

I make sheets of frozen vegetables by freezing them flat. It is ideal if you want to make lasagna on a day when time is limited or when you need a meal in a hurry.

@sarah_go_green Home made #lasagna. Reduces food waste and uses less energy. #foodwaste #ukmum #costoflivingcrisis #moneysavingtips ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

It isn’t a new idea. Batch cooking and only using every shelf on the oven is how it used to be as I was growing up. I think we have just all been too comfortable using energy without really considering the consequences.

How much energy does an oven use?

An electric oven uses around 2000 to 2200 watts an hour. So that would add 2kWh to 2.2kWh to my energy bill each use. I am currently paying 40p per kWh (the price cap is 27p per kWh) so that would cost me somewhere between 80p and 96p. It doesn’t sound like a lot but when you add all the extra kWh hours up at the end of the month it really can make a big difference to your energy bill.

I don’t have a gas oven but as I am paying using over 7p per kWh that would obviously work out cheaper.

My favourite method of cooking has to be by slow cooker!! If you don’t have one get one!! They are great for batch cooking curries or stews and for very little effort and money you have great-tasting food!! It is estimated that a slow cooker uses 1.3 kWh over an 8-hour period. So it could cost as little as 52p to cook a delicious meal.

Why get a smart meter?

This is an update to a previous blog post where my mother asked me the question below. 

My mother asked me this question a month ago. I switched to a smart meter when I moved home. I had to have my old one removed and a new SMETS 2, smart meter, added. My mother, on the other hand, has been reluctant but due to the energy crisis, she is looking at all possible ways to save money on her energy bill.

@sarah_go_green I have a #smartmeter and this month i told my mum to get one too. You should apply NOW as there are savings coming this winter. #moneysavingtips ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

My answer was quite straightforward, change is coming!!  I took part in an Octopus Energ trial into time-of-use tariffs at the start of 2022. It was a joint trial between Octopus and the National Grid. I was sent a text advising me I could save money if I didn’t use energy on a specific day at a set time. I usually had around 24 hours’ notice. Without question, I did all I could to avoid these times as much as possible so I could get a credit on my energy bill.

Fast forward to winter 2022.

There is an energy crisis where supply looks like it will fall short of demand. Putin is restricting the supply of gas so that the west suffers. In order to stop blackouts, the national grid will have to manage supply somehow. How about using the same strategy as used in the Octopus Energy trial and paying people not to use energy at specific times?

I didn’t specifically guess this would happen but I imagined something very similar would happen. This is why I urged my mother to get one.

Last night an article appeared on BBC business news, Plans to cut energy bills if peak-time use avoided. I hate being right in such circumstances but it was inevitable some action would be needed.

There isn’t much information available yet online as to how the National Grid will implement they say this should be available in the next 2 weeks.

On that basis, my advice would be either to watch this space if you already have a smart meter or apply for one now if it’s something you would be happy to have in your home.

Research EV Tariffs –  It could save you hundreds of pounds a year!

If you are buying an electric vehicle or already have one, in my opinion, the most important thing you need to research is how you will charge your EV.

So many dealers sell electric vehicles without fully explaining how finding an off-peak tariff can drastically reduce the running cost of your electric vehicle.

@sarah_go_green When you buy a new EV the most important thing to get sorted is an off-peak rate for home charging! #octopusenergy #evtariff #evhokecharging #newev ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

My neighbour recent bought an EV and commented how expensive he was finding home charging. After a conversation, I realised he was just charging his EV using his regular tariff.  If you have a driveway or a way to plug in at home switching to an electric vehicle tariff can save you hundreds of pounds a year.

Some basic maths on EV charging.

An electric vehicle has a battery that powers it.  Not all electric vehicle batteries are the same size. The battery capacity is measured in kWh. A Nissan leaf can hold 40 kWh, a Mini 32.6 kWh and a Tesla Model Y 75 kWh.

1 kWh can provide around 4 miles of driving.

If we take the Tesla Model Y. A typical rapid charger at the EV charging point on the motorway will current charge around 48p per kWh.

75 kWh x 0.48p = £33.75 to fully charge the Tesla Model Y at a motorway rapid charger.

If you have a home charger or even use the 3-pin plug charger that comes with your EV you can charge your electric vehicle off-peak for much less. Octopus Energy currently has 2 smart tariffs that offer an off-peak tariff for EV owners. They are Octopus Go and Intelligent Octopus. (There is also a variation on the Go tariff called Go Faster) These both offer an off-peak rate of 7.5p per kWh.

75 kWh x 0.75 = £5.63 to fully charge a Tesla Model Y at home. The only downside is that it is slower than a rapid charger so you may have to do it over more than one evening.  I tend to keep mine topped up to 80% and just add an extra few miles every night. It is, however, a massive saving over the course of a year.

Do you need a home charger?

A home charger is helpful as you can get 7 kW into your EV battery in an hour. The 3-pin plug gives you around 2 kW in an hour so it is much slower.  I have recently been using a 3-pin plug to charge at home and as I wasn’t doing many miles a day worked out fine BUT this was while my home charger was being fixed. I much prefer my home charger for the speed and the safety element.

Using an EV repaid charger is still cheaper than petrol.

If you don’t have the space to charge at home then don’t worry as charging an EV is still cheaper than filling up at the pump and is better for the planet. Plus you can always grab a free charge using a kWh EV charger that Tesco!!