Solar panels , would you ?

PJ87

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
21,830
Location
Havering
Visit site
No EV and in flux.

Export is a little higher than import, just avoid grid from 4-7 pm.

Flux seems to be the most popular on the forums aswell

Even some EV owners swap in the lighter months to flux then back to intelligent for winter

Personally it doesn't work for me but can see the benefits
 

larmen

Head Pro
Joined
Nov 2, 2015
Messages
2,754
Visit site
If you can programme your system to charge at the cheap rate, then dump as much as possible at the peak export rate you are laughing
Not really worth the forced export, at least not with a 5 kWh battery.
Octopus saving sessions being the exception, of course.

But over summer we should be full at 4pm and then keep exporting excess at a good rate.
 

PJ87

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
21,830
Location
Havering
Visit site
Not really worth the forced export, at least not with a 5 kWh battery.
Octopus saving sessions being the exception, of course.

But over summer we should be full at 4pm and then keep exporting excess at a good rate.

This is why I like intelligent octopus, got my 7.5p night rate to run the house off then anything I can export is just a winner at 15p

Especially with 2 extra cheap hours at night now means winter I should always avoid that pesky day rate

13.5kh battery tho does help
 

cliveb

Head Pro
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,728
Visit site
Given we don't have a battery or EV, the sensible option is Tracker for electric as well as gas. Average import rate is about 17p. Since we get 15p for export, there's no anguishing over whether to try and use as much of our generation as possible. If it gets exported and as a result we have to import, we're only paying net 2p a unit. Not worth worrying about.
 

PJ87

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
21,830
Location
Havering
Visit site
Given we don't have a battery or EV, the sensible option is Tracker for electric as well as gas. Average import rate is about 17p. Since we get 15p for export, there's no anguishing over whether to try and use as much of our generation as possible. If it gets exported and as a result we have to import, we're only paying net 2p a unit. Not worth worrying about.

Not like you to not worry about the pennies of the system .. surely affects the payback and % 🤣
 

larmen

Head Pro
Joined
Nov 2, 2015
Messages
2,754
Visit site
The Octopuss app has updated and the estimates in there are good enough now that I can run monthly numbers on the 1st. We also had our 1st complete month last year in March, so we have a like for like as well.


Load: 245 kWh which on price cap of 29.4p would be £72
Import: 159 kWh at £31 on an average of 19.2p
Export: 131 kWh at £26 on an average of 19.8p
Net: 28 kWh at £4.70 on an average of 16.7p

Saving of £67, generation of 229 kWh, or 93% of our usage. The tariffs are so close together, it basically works like net metering at the moment.
But we also got £6.69 account credits for exports during saving sessions in March. The only forced exports for us, rest is just surplus generation.
This takes us to a gain of £2.

Last year we pulled 412 kWh from the grid for £146. Our biggest saving factor is usage. We dropped our average usage from 11.7 to 7.7 kWh a day.
Daily standing charges are not in this above as they "zero out" against each other and are not avoidable anyway.
 

Mudball

Assistant Pro
Joined
Sep 21, 2017
Messages
4,745
Visit site
Have switched to Tracker.. was pretty simple.. went into App and hit switch. it said upto 2 weeks to switch, but it did it within 2 days..

Gotta luv Octopus ... why are other companies like that. Previously Bulb was very similar, but it went under. Hopefully Octopus is too big to fail and it does not become complacent and stop innovating
 

cliveb

Head Pro
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,728
Visit site
Have switched to Tracker.. was pretty simple.. went into App and hit switch. it said upto 2 weeks to switch, but it did it within 2 days..

Gotta luv Octopus ... why are other companies like that. Previously Bulb was very similar, but it went under. Hopefully Octopus is too big to fail and it does not become complacent and stop innovating
Hmmm. I was with Bulb for many years and as far as I can see the only thing they had in common with Octopus was a desire to sell energy to the consumer at a fair price.
They only ever had one tariff - variable rates, that were regularly amended to reflect canges in wholesale prices, passing on savings to customers when appropriate. (A bit like Tracker, but only reacting every few months rather than every day).

Octopus is a much more diverse company, with fingers in all manner of pies. They also have loads of different innovative tariffs to suit different types of customer. Right now they are the good guys. But I do wonder if they become overly dominant in the marketplace whether that could change. (A bit like Apple or Google).
 

PJ87

Journeyman Pro
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
21,830
Location
Havering
Visit site
Screenshot_2024-04-06-13-29-38-17_c0dc27f5c07cb0fb3541d6073dfd6932.jpg

Really good day for wind and solar today , the grid only using 5.1% gas to power is remarkable

Don't always get these days ofc

Agile octopus paying people to use energy ATM I believe
Screenshot_2024-04-06-13-31-24-71_5931d2a3fd9765a002f51ff155af3899.jpg
 

Crazyface

Tour Winner
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
7,304
Location
Cheshire
Visit site
I'm over in the Algarve at the mo. We heard on the radio yesterday that for the first time ever they produced more electricity (solar), than they used. They did say the figures but we didn't catch them but minus 0.1 something or other was said.
 

Mudball

Assistant Pro
Joined
Sep 21, 2017
Messages
4,745
Visit site
Unfortunately I think I m slowly developing Solar envy…

Out on a walk yesterday and saw a big newly built house. Instead of admiring the usual bits and bobs, I counted 52 panels on top!!

I m generally happy with my size, but his must be charging a few batteries .
 
Top