Best Tariff

So people, what tariff are you on? What is the best tariff out there?

David Drage
Octopus Compare app is useful for comparing various tariffs using your own consumption data.
It shows me as being several hundred pounds better off since switching to Octopus Agile from Flux

Tenkaykev Octopus Compare app is useful for comparing various tariffs using your own consumption data.

But unless your usage is already aligned to a tariff, it is unlikely to recommend it. Even if you're happy to adjust your usage to exploit any tariff's features.

My year so far after switching from Flux to Agile.

Tenkaykev I'm currently on IOG. Most days, the comparison shows it's better than agile. Sometimes, agile wins, but that's almost always because there was a bonus charging slots outside of the usual hours, and the compare thought that 30-min slit cost me a lot.

David Drage I think it depends very much on your circumstances. If you have an EV the targeted tariffs can be good. If you have a lot of production, or an AIO, flux might be good. (AIO combines big battery with high generation, so you can dump lots of energy during peak rate.)

Some here report that Eon will allow you onto their "drive" tariff, which is supposed to be ev-only, if you have solar panels+battery.

There's been a few flux evals on YouTube recently.
"The EV puzzle" did one comparing IOG with flux, and found it too close to call

Agile is probably particularly good if you can set up home assistant to fully exploit pricing. Though I think wonderwatt.com can also do it externally? But you can probably make it work even without all that if you avoid importing during peak rate.

Tenkaykev Just for interest sake, how does it compare for export?

TimHutchings
I will have a dig around in the Octopus Compare settings and see how I do that and report back.
I have considered switching to IOG but have read a few accounts that seem to indicate that Octopus are tweaking things to benefit themselves rather than the customer. I know Gary does Solar, and Tim and Kat are on IOG so I was going to wait for their feedback.
Looking at my figures, since installation I have generated about 2,800kWh and consumed 1,600kWh

Octopus have sent me an email this morning dropping my IOG rates (w.mids) from Jul 1st. So that also may be a consideration.

As DD mentions, the correct tariff depends on you, if you have a high or low demand, if you have shifted to electric car and heat/water, capabilities of your PV setup and storage, the amount of personal effort you want to put into optimisation.

For me, no EV, still on combi for heat and water and enough battery storage to run the house for a day, happy to get involved in tuning import/export. It's Agile Mid September to Mid May, Flux Mid May to Mid September. Tracker for gas.

Octoprice is also very useful for comparison and timing of tariff changes if you are already on Octopus.

Just rejigged the tariffs on Octo Compare, I think I have selected the correct ones ?

Replying to myself, not IOG, as we don't have an electric vehicle ( or any vehicle for that matter unless you count an electric bicycle 😉 ) It's IOF I believe?

Tenkaykev I have considered switching to IOG but have read a few accounts that seem to indicate that Octopus are tweaking things to benefit themselves rather than the customer. I know Gary does Solar, and Tim and Kat are on IOG so I was going to wait for their feedback.

I wonder if you mean IOF (Intelligent Flux) ? IOG (Intelligent Go) is the EV tariff.

Tenkaykev Just rejigged the tariffs on Octo Compare, I think I have selected the correct ones ?

I think the question was more about the export side of things... it's one thing to compare import prices, but the main benefit of Flux (or IOF) is the higher export rate, and so it's really both import and export as a pair that you need to optimise.

Import on IOF could well look worse than Flux since it doesn't have a cheap-rate period.

Tenkaykev Sorry, I know I keep saying this, but presumably on fixed outgoing, you don't make any effort to focus your exports between 4-7pm. If you were to do so, you might be able to make flux pay a little more ?

(Though of course for IOF you don't get to choose whether that happens...)

Hook
Not had an email yet from Octopus.
I assume I will get the same one though. Good to see they reduced the tarrifs but genuinely feel the overnight rate should have been lowered slightly more to encourage people too not use peak rate power.
I've been told that EON drive offer a better rate overnight?
Shan't be switching but Octopus need to remain as market leaders in green transitioning.

DD
Yes, I completely get that and know I need to dig deeper. With Agile I do monitor the rates and will do a forced discharge to empty the battery in order to take advantage of the low ( and sometimes negative) rates. I'll be happy to switch if it works out for me, and I am always willing to experiment.
Sorry if I am coming across as vague, heads a bit fuzzy and I just did a test that shows I caught Covid a couple of days ago🥲

Slarti I suppose the difference with Octopus is the whole house gets the cheap rate.

That's more useful to me as I'll put the washing machine or dishwasher on during those times as well as charge up my home battery.

Also getting extra slots can come in useful for me as I only have a granny charger for my EV.

Hook I suppose the difference with Octopus is the whole house gets the cheap rate.

I think Eon is also whole-house. OVO do one which is only car charging.

Eon is not only slightly cheaper than IOG for overnight, but it's all cars whereas IOG is only if they can control car or chargepoint. And has longer standard cheap rate. And is more generous for export.

(I keep wondering why I've not switched, but I do like Octopus...)

You don't get the extra cheap slots. For me, those are a bit more of a pest than a bonus, since I don't need the extra power, and have to work around them for exporting.

IOG 7p/ 24.4p (new rates)
Fixed export 15p
Gar tracker

99-100% off peak yearly usage here with a Tesla, panels and battery. No heat pump yet though !

@DD - didn’t you have to have got your GivEnergy equipment installed by EON to benefit from their “really good” rates ? I thought someone mentioned that on another thread (or maybe it was on the Tesla forum). Can’t remember. Maybe someone can chip in on that…

Comparing tariffs is a bit mis-leading, as it doesn’t take into account changed usage patterns or the future flexible prices.

Pete UK idn’t you have to have got your GivEnergy equipment installed by EON to benefit from their “really good” rates

Ah, no, that was for their really really good rates.

Pete UK I've had my panels since 2011 I've just added the battery, I picked an independent company.

Tenkaykev I hope you get well soon💪

DD for me using home automation, octopus apis are useful for controlling my home battery in conjunction with charging my Ev.

I don’t have manually ness about with anything.

Hook Yes, I've finally got round to automating the workaround for the extra charging slots. Did take me a while.

But since Eon has fixed hours, that wouldn't need anything special.

DD

I’m still using the “ready by 05:30” with no automation. Which is working well for us. Rarely get any slots outside the cheap window and if I do it’s before and only if I need a full charge. So maybe 5 days a year and I’m aware of when it happens, so I can tweak the overnight battery charge start times.

For us, with no heat pump, pretty much 100% is off peak usage at 7.5p; soon to be 7p. So IOG is the best tariff by a long way for us. Plus the export at 15p. 12 months electricity bill should be zero. (Looks on track but will find out for sure come September).

We're on IOG, fixed export and gas tracker. 19kwh of batteries, 10.1kwp panels and fairly low use EV. We also run two A2A heat pumps. We used Flux last year but converging rates mean IOG and fixed export is nearly as good for us and the batteries don't get thrashed as much. We should still be net neutral for overall power bills this year. The new triple dip Cosy rate also looks interesting for winter. We just about get through on the batteries with the A2A on cold winter days but it's close, so that extra slot on Cosy may be handy. Costs a few pence per unit more but nothing too painful.

I don't have an EV and no gas either. Last year I was on Flux then Agile for the winter which was the best tariff for our high ASHP heating consumption - our daily heat pump usage was way more than the battery capacity and I didn't like the day-time rates with Cosy.
Worked very well, even when I lost my 9.5 battery leaving just the 5.2 (4.2 usable), that was enough to shield us from the worst of the Agile peak rates.
For the summer I decided against going back to Flux as the benefits would be marginal if any, so was sticking with Agile. Trying to go to IOF though for the improved export rate but its stuck somewhere in the enrolment process.

Overall I'm on track to be a zero bill for the year.

DD

Hook those prices aren't bad, I will look into that, thanks.

geoffreycoan just a pity about the standing charge 😩

David Drage Yea that was one of the reasons I stuck with Agile than going to Flux.

IOF I think I will make about £100 a month more from export during the day so its worth having

I’m off to Heathrow tomorrow at 6.30am and didn’t get to charge at work so plugged the car in at 4.30pm.

As I have a 2kw granny charger, it gave me slots until 6.30am.

Predbat sees that and charges my home battery during the same time to stop it being discharged to the car. I had already manually discharged the battery for when I got home.

geoffreycoan can I ask, what do they pay you to export.

David Drage I’m currently on Octopus Agile import and 15p fixed export.

I thought I’d shared this before on this thread, but here’s my historical usage & finances:

We have a large array with lots of excess solar in summer so IOF should pay me more than the _£150 a month we’re currently getting.

David Drage https://agile.octopushome.net/dashboard shows the rates for the last week.

Resurrecting an old thread I know but it is still on topic.

To try to answer this question I used the spreadsheet from Tim and Kats Green Walk YouTube channel and modified it to include Agile alongside Go, Flux, Cosy and Flexible. For the Agile tariff I used the average monthly unit price from my Octopus bills. The spreadsheet assumes your battery will cover the whole day, that you only ever import and charge during the lowest price periods and power the house and export solar during the other times.

I moved from Flexible to Agile in March and over the Summer the best tariff has been Agile for 4 months and Go for 2 months. I can't actually get Go (no EV) but Cosy would also have been better in those 2 months (May and July). Flux just didn't cut it. Results for September to March will be added to my spreadsheet from the Agile bills when I get them but I suspect that Agile will be worse than even Flux.

I am on the Eon export tariff of 16.5p per unit.

My import/export profile in KWh.

Windy Miller That’s very interesting, I did something similar last October using a Tim & Kat spreadsheet to work out which tariff to move to for the winter. Mine was based on daily average consumptions and for each tariff I worked out what kWh would be imported to the battery or home at what period/rate of the day. I didn’t do it on actual figures, just too complicated

Windy Miller A couple of clarifications. Flexible didn't include any export as I was interested in the cost if I didn't have solar/battery (£1300! for the year). The higher import peaks in April and August were when my son's family stayed for the week and we charged his Kia EV6 using a 2KW Granny charger.