Hi All. I signed up to Octopus flux several weeks ago and can ‘see’ no information about my energy exports on the Octopus app, the Giv energy app (which I set up with the flux tariff info). And my smart meter only indicates the number of kW I am exporting but no actual monetary value. I did email Octopus but heard nothing back.
Regards
Hi, I am in the same boat I think. Signed up, new to solar/battery at the end of March and went on to a standard tariff for a day then Flux.
Now over 2 weeks in loads exported but no sign of £ so I phoned Friday and was told that although I sent Mpan it was for import and they need to raise one for export that takes 2 weeks!
Worse, no backdating so I lose the power to grid so far!
On the up side, better weather is coming and my 2 weeks is up next week.
Emailed twice and got cut & paste answers in the middle of the night (make of that what you will) hence phoning in.
Good luck.
Watcher they need to raise one for export that takes 2 weeks!
Hopefully you will be lucky and it'll all be sorted in good time. The MPAN is issued by the DNO at the request of the SEG Tariff provider. However, AFAIAA, while the DNO is obliged to supply the MPAN, they receive no fee for doing so and if there's a backlog or the person who does it is on leave, it could take longer. Once you have the MPAN, switching to a different supplier is as quick as any switch.
Applying for your initial SEG Tariff is a useful thing to do as soon as your installer has provided the MCS certificate and the DNO letter of agreement. It doesn't matter that a better deal may spring up soon, it's getting the MPAN from the DNO that's the in-line activity.
Tim
My Installer sent me an email DNO confirmation quoting my MPAN from SSEN on the 4th, sent it to Octopus and then followed up as above….they told me “one for import one for export”??
Mid March I had no solar/battery and was an eon basic electricity customer so this is all new to me!
Thanks for your time to comment.
Pinnell9908 Mine is taking a long time to process as well (just over 4 weeks so far), got an email response to a query last week saying it takes a few weeks to process the export MPAN request and to keep checking my account for the new MPAN and to look out for a confirmatory email from Octopus.
I've seen on other forums that its been taking 5-6 weeks to set up.
I'm also waiting on my export MAPN and its now been three weeks. By the time we do get it, summer will be over! 🤣
I would recommend whenever you apply for any SEG that you take pics of your meter readings. If you include these images in your application email then there should be absolutely no reason for them to refuse to calculate your export from the that date.
If you have a meter like ours then you can access your export reading by using the secret code (I wish I was kidding about this took us several days to figure this out.... LOL)
Press Button A Twice
Press & Hold Button A for 3-4 seconds
Press Button A 9 Times
Waiting for my DNO to supply export MPAN for 5 weeks now. Stuck on Octopus Flux import only since early March.
Watcher DNO confirmation quoting my MPAN from SSEN
Yep, that's the import MPAN, same as on your electricity bill. It's the reference used by the installer so that the DNO knows which connection is being referred to.
We are also moving from Eon to Octopus flux, import sorted, export is still through Eon, at 5.5p. Its been 2 weeks. You do have 2 MPANs, one for import and another for export.
pacemaker took about 7 weeks for mine to come through.
I got on to my DNO direct to check progress. They were able to give me my export MPAN and I then supplied it to Octopus. Octopus were 'still waiting for the DNO' - I think my intervention got things moving a lot quicker.
I'm getting on to my DNO as we speak (UK Power Networks) ... hopefully it can speed it up...
Well worth contacting DNO directly. Ours is UK Power networks, and they are great. They have got all their solar stuff automated, and were really helpful, much easier to deal with than the installer ! Now got my panels, my export MPAN, my smart meter....if only octopus could connect to it 😭😭😭
justpassing odd its taken this long if its all automated. I wonder if something has gone wrong as UKPN seem to think I'm still on Bulb (since migrated to octopus) - maybe it fell through the cracks!
I have been waiting since 24th February for my export MPAN from Octopus Energy.
Having read this thread, I've just phoned UK Power Networks directly and sent an email.
So now more waiting.
Is there an easy way (using the GivEnergy desktop app) to prove how much electricity I have exported to the grid since having the system installed?
netty If your smart meter has an export register, you can read that. That is what your SEG Tariff supplier will be wanting to see anyway. Export register works whether you have an export MPAN or not.
netty I have been waiting since 24th February for my export MPAN from Octopus Energy.
Yeeesh I won't hold out much hope then! Keep us posted
I have a completely different issue to the OP, In my case my meter says " welcome to octopus" and has the right import tariffs, but octopus cant see it, or display the data on their web site. However for I do have the export MPAN direct from the DNO, as I/my installer applied for it on install, not octopus.
My comment about automation was UKPN. Their G98/G99 process is really slick, ( they give instant "yes" to a G99 for 5Kw if you use their system) and when I prompted them on the export MPAN my installer miraculously got an email that night.
I didn't think the DNO cared who your electricity supplier was, in so far as the MPAN is house based, not supplier or even customer based ?
netty if you previously had nothing installed then you should be able to. You will need to access the export meter value from your electricity meter.
It will depend on your meter how you access this. If your meter looks like ours
Then you can access this by using the button press code:
Your meter reading should now show you the export amount. Take a picture for your records.
Whether you get your entire export amount credit backdated will mostly depend on your SEG company of choice (and or whether you submitted proof of this with your SEG application).
Thought this was a great comparison of Flux versus Go (current price)
Essentially the numbers he worked out were:
So converting to FLUX he would be £120 worse off each year.
I have just had a further update to say that your export MPAN is due on supply from tomorrow, we will then be in touch to request an export meter reading in the next few days.
Guess a few pokes to Octopus and the DNO helps 🙂
dragon2905 What about doing 6 months of Go and 6 months on Flux? If I was on flux all year round I would be worse off. But so far this month Octopus owe me £50 something which will be credit for the winter. I intend to switch back to Intelligent October time.
THALL I am not suggesting that there aren't ways of saving money and everyone's personal setup, circumstances and ability to proactively adjust their lifestyles to ensure the optimal benefit from an electricity tariff.
Generally (at least historically) you want to switch tariff's in summertime as winter will generally see demand, aka prices, increase. Obviously we have been in a very weird situation for the last few years.
Ofgem will announce the new price cap in June 23 for the period July-September, and Sept 23 for the period October-December. So I guess you will have more information in June??
If you are already manually entering your tariff in the GE Portal there is nothing stopping you creating Custom Tariffs that reflect the Flux Import/Export pricing and then doing the same for Go (at the current new pricing) and generating your own numbers to work out if you could/would save money.
My own personal feeling around Flux was that the night time, Flux, rate was either too high or the saving period too short. They could literally reduce the export to 0 as far as I am concerned as long as they reduce the import to around 15p. Plus the Day Rate (import & export) rate was maybe 5-10p too high.
So would maybe look like
Import
Day Rate Import: 27.4 Export: 16.4
Flux Rate Import: 14.44 Export: 0 (01:30 - 05:00)
Peak Rate Import: 45.36 Export: 34.36
But the reality is that they will have analysed their consumption, imports, long term forward pricing and estimated other pricing cost data to come up with numbers that they have whilst still making money.
Here's a general FYI, when Octopus first started offering their Wholesale Tracker product you could switch ONLY gas to this. We tried and were told that there was a 6month-ish waiting list and then they further announced that only 50people per day would be able to switch.
Roll forward to now and we would have saved around half of our monthly gas bill so about £30/month in December, Jan, Feb, £25 in March, £15 April (£130) but now we are eligible to switch we have been informed that we MUST take both Gas & Electricity. Which would cost us a big chunk of cash moving from Go.
Just worth bearing in mind that the goal posts are always moving and that Octopus are in the business of making money.
dragon2905 What I mean by lacking data is I added a lot of extra PV at the end of october and only got my EV last July. If I had it I could do a sheet showing 6 months on Go/Intelligent and 6 months on Flux. Predicted obviously. As you mentioned goal posts move, Flux prices are not 12 month fixed like previous smart tariffs. Actually just looking at the current smart tariffs from Octopus none of them say 12 month anymore? Will be interesting to see what happens in June.
dragon2905 But the reality is that they will have analysed their consumption, imports, long term forward pricing and estimated other pricing cost data to come up with numbers that they have whilst still making money.
that's true of all their tariffs though surely? None of their tariffs will be giveaways. But really it's about what tariff is right for you. I think the sensible thing might be to change for autumn/winter... use Flux in the spring/summer?
dragon2905 Octopus are in the business of making money.
That's true but I'd like to think that they are also trying to make a better value market place for customers.
Hi all
Today my flux export apparently gets supplied. I received an email from Octopus asking me to supply a meter reading. Am I supplying an export meter reading? Their email is pretty useless. The meter reading section of their website is just a "Sorry" error screen. I have a smart meter too... so a bit confused how I proceed - anyone gone through the motions?
pacemaker if you have a smart meter that they are getting the data from you shouldn't need to supply a reading - I don't recall doing so. They only wanted the MCS certificate and for me to tick a box in their T&Cs
pacemaker hi, yes I am going through the same. Received the same email asking for meter reading which I supplied. Now my Octopus account just shows “Uh Oh, somethings wrong, contact support” I have tried contacting through twitter and email and so far not resolved, will have to call.
They're responding to me at the moment on twitter, and I can provide the reading to them via there. But - how/where is the export meter reading? My meter just shows "Rate 1 Import" and the reading. I have two buttons "a" and "b". "a" shows me "Credit Mode Bal" and "b" shows me "Do you want to Boost?"
Confused!
I think because it's my first export they need it? no idea...
pacemaker it depends on the meter type! Suggest you Google “Export meter reading for xxxxxxx” with your meter type replacing the x’s and you will find a sequence of A’s and B’s will show you the export value. I had to take a photo of this and submit as part of my application to Octopus.
ah thanks - OK figured it out - thank you!
pacemaker glad you sorted it, for anyone else with ACLAR Smets2 meter then here are instructions....
This also helped me for my smart meter: https://help.so.energy/support/solutions/articles/7000065404-how-do-i-take-an-export-reading-from-my-smart-meter-
pacemaker ah, yes the first export they do say they want a reading, but for me it was 0 and they confirmed that on the smart meter. So much for them being "smart"
Cdent Does your web portal show any export? I have experience of the portal under-reporting for both import and export compared to the smart meter. If the portal does show export but the smart meter doesn't, I'd be watching that like a hawk. What does your MCS meter say?
Tim both the portal and Octopus show my export, however the portal shows 12.2kWh vs Octopus 12.136kWh for Monday this week, so they are similar but I think the portal is rounding up, even though 0.136 should really round down!
My MCS meter has never worked, only shows the total generation into the inverter and not what has come out of it.
Cdent I have one of those meters too, but it's wired the other way round; only shows energy from the inverters, which is something. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have asked the installer to put one in that at least has two buttons on so I could see the different register contents, or ideally, one that could communicate over wifi. Mine does have Modbus, but I can't be bothered to connect it to a Modbus over TCP/IP interface.
Tim I'm tempted to get the Hildebrand CAD which can connect to Home Assistant over MQTT to get actual real time data which I can monitor. It's £70 though so not something I desperately need
dragon2905 But the reality is that they will have analysed their consumption, imports, long term forward pricing and estimated other pricing cost data to come up with numbers that they have whilst still making money.
Possibly also, in the short term, to take advantage of the EPG - the weighted average of the rates is very close to SVT, so I guess they qualify for the govt. handouts. Once that ends, the pricing profile might be quite different.
THALL Actually just looking at the current smart tariffs from Octopus none of them say 12 month anymore?
They became variable when the EPG came in, so that they would qualify for the payments.
Cdent Hildebrand CAD which can connect to Home Assistant
Yes we’ve got the dongle which works really well but while the SMETS1 meter has Time of Use tariffs, periods, rates and export register which can all be read by EDF, only the “Total import” is reported via the Glow app/MQTT. I don’t know why EDF can read these data but the Glow app can’t and because EDF can read the meter’s ToU registers, they’re not inclined to put a SMETS2 meter in which would give me the data I want. Hey ho!
I applied for flux 2 weeks ago and am still waiting for the export tariff to start. Import started the day I applied. I am an octopus SEG customer so they have my export MPAN. I have sent 3 emails and made 2 phone calls to octopus asking why I'm not yet switched to flux export. All I got back so far is bear with us we are working on it. Any clues as to how I can make the switch from Octopus SE to Flux go quicker?
Sound s a similar experience to my set up. The email requesting the read didn’t specify import or export, and the thing is, they can see it. My other half works for them, pulled the read directly from the meter and I was up and running the next day.
I “lost” about 100kwh of export from commission to then...
aniseedvan I “lost” about 100kwh of export from commission to then...
I feel ya on that! Been trying desperately for a month+ to use up as much as I can but its impossible
SteveGibbs Did you speak to the same person both times? I would say call again, I find some people at octopus are brilliant and can just do things instantly. Others basically take a message!
aniseedvan Me too. I got a welcome email asking for meter readings when Flux kicked in even though I was already with Octopus for import and export. Help desk said to ignore it because they were getting the half hourly readings.
Just an FYI, I went full flux imp/exp today after multiple email/phone calls. There is a delay in getting the exp MPAN from my SEG, don’t know why. Between signing and today I have unwittingly been on flexible (flex which I probably did not spot as not being flux!) spoke to a guy today who said we have just got your Mpan I will switch now….2 hours later job done.
Might be worth checking and making a call?
Best.
Just had an email from Octopus with the prices from 1st July in Yorkshire:
Quite a bit of a reduction, 3-5p off each ToU band
Prices for Southern area
Export
Peak - 31.413 Day - 19.295 Low - 7.177
Import
Peak - 42.413 Day - 30.295 Low - 18.177
south west ( L )
Electricity (Export)
Current prices until 30th June 2023 New prices from 1st July 2023
Unit rate - peak (per kWh) 34.935p 30.451p
Unit rate - flux (per kWh) 8.686p 6.765p
Unit rate - day (per kWh) 21.811p 18.608p
Standing charge (per day) 52.320p 52.320p
I'm in Gloucestershire, and here's the new prices:
i just got my MCS certificate and have applied to be moved to Flux. I realised that the DNO have no additional incentive to issue an MPAN while it is in their benefit for delaying as much as possible. We can not stop energy flowing into the grid so they are enjoying free profits from our generations. Unless someone files a case in court fighting them for the backdated payment, this is not going to change,
deepanshus challenge this with Octopus, as your supplier they have to account for every kWh that passes through your meter, either import or export. This happened to me and I got a backdated bill for the export between install and the MPAN being created.
deepanshus the DNO have no additional incentive to issue an MPAN while it is in their benefit for delaying as much as possible.
The DNO has no financial interest in your energy consumption or supply. Their role is to ensure you have a secure and safe connection to the local distribution network. Assessing the impact of G98 and G99 applications on their distribution network is a distraction that they have to service, hence the charge to do so. It makes no difference to them whether you get paid for your export or not, they're just interested in how much you import/export because of the local distribution network stability. Some energy companies (who are interested in selling you energy or buying energy from you) are owned by businesses that also have distribution networks to look after, but they would be completely separate businesses, albeit with similar names.
I sent off my MCS certificate on Saturday as the document I had attached wasn't the correct one. I hope this doesn't further delay in getting export as so far I've exported over 1100kWh since our system was installed on 01 May this year.
Based on other people's timelines and a friend who waiting 3 months after install before getting export (not sure if Octopus though) I'm prepared that it might be beginning of August before we get ours. 🙁 Shame because even at some of the new rates above, we would have already covered November, December and most of January based on last year's use.
I expect we will just charge the battery (9.5kWh) during Flux cheap period in winter as this should take us through the day since we typically use about 7kWh in winter. Any export will then be a bonus (provided we've banked enough between when we get export and winter!).