Octopus Flux

[Joeboy]

I would love to participate on this new merry go round.
Been out to check and we've only exported a small amount since meter installation Dec 21 (21 months).



I applaud all the lads that can actively engage in this new wrinkle in power sharing.

I'll run the sums although pretty certain the assumed export of FIT in comparison to actual counted won't work to our advantage.

Genuinely looking forward to reading how the knights of Camelot will adjust and slew to maximise over the coming months, years, decades. Game on!

Seeing your meter display pic made me check mine, 23784kWh exported over 44 months.

That says a lot and we're only about 5 miles apart?
32kWh per month exported v's 540kWh per month.

[Joeboy]

Had a thought on this through the night.

Does the VPP owner have control of when his plant is being discharged, does he have a say in the % limit it is discharged to, at what rate and also time?

If the four conditions above could be met then i'd see a benefit in becoming part of the Octopus Virtual power plant for the good of the realm type thing.

I'll edit with some sums later.



Later...

I'm not sure of my deemed export figure. I'll have a look at the next BG cheque which should be on its way. For the moment i'll go on Nowtys figure, i think mine is less, nonetheless.

3,800kWh/2 x 4.81p = £91 ( )

With no active timing or attempt to control export my meager 685kWh export becomes 391kWh pa @ 15p per kWh = £58.65

£32 short of the current break even.

This is rough as hell but I guess I lose about 25% generation in Summer (May to Aug, 4 months) off of Victron system due to the stack topping out and the Victron system switching off. That 25% is worth around about 500kWh. (£75)

We would be £43 better off than with deemed export IF Octopus were taking power from my stack (May to Aug), keeping the stack below 100% and the Victron system stayed on.

We'd then proceed to the gaming (Sept to April, 8 months). At its simplest I have about 25kWh stored power which is useable (a shame I can't involve the EV in this game). Fast & dirty with no allowance for PV generation would be 60% to grid and 40% retained by us for day operating. There'd have to be a further shift to night use for heavy load gear but no big deal. going on 7.5p in & 15p out that would be £1.125 per day. That would be £273 pa.

We'd end up £316 pa better off which is nice but it would all come down to the controllability of the export. Do I have it or do they have it? As i've seen with another beta product (IO) it doesn't always work as expected which is fine for the EV, not so fine if they suck the stack dry and i'm left paying 30p per kWh that day and SWMBO decides to run the washing machine ALL day (they do that you know).

Further edit- I CAN get the EV involved as it has export capacity. But that leads to the path of madness, commando sockets and all sort of shenanigans and SWMBO will give me one of those looks, I'll get distracted and electrocute myself. Its just not worth it!

That I could get this to work bodes well for bigger exporters.

[Fintray]

Had a thought on this through the night.

Does the VPP owner have control of when his plant is being discharged, does he have a say in the % limit it is discharged to, at what rate and also time?

If the four conditions above could be met then i'd see a benefit in becoming part of the Octopus Virtual power plant for the good of the realm type

My experience with the Octopus Tesla tariff was that the battery was charged during the cheap rate period/s and was force discharged during the peak period. It did also discharge during the day if solar wasn't sufficient, the point of that tariff was to minimise your electricity bill.
I was on the tariff for 403 days from 25/09/2020 to 01/12/2021 and my total electricity charges were £152.97 or 38p/day, there was no standing charge for this tariff.

[Joeboy]

Had a thought on this through the night.

Does the VPP owner have control of when his plant is being discharged, does he have a say in the % limit it is discharged to, at what rate and also time?

If the four conditions above could be met then i'd see a benefit in becoming part of the Octopus Virtual power plant for the good of the realm type

My experience with the Octopus Tesla tariff was that the battery was charged during the cheap rate period/s and was force discharged during the peak period. It did also discharge during the day if solar wasn't sufficient, the point of that tariff was to minimise your electricity bill.
I was on the tariff for 403 days from 25/09/2020 to 01/12/2021 and my total electricity charges were £152.97 or 38p/day, there was no standing charge for this tariff.

Are you signing up for it Iain, looks good?
I don't have the export figures to make it worth while. I'll happily forego the few hundred quid for peace in the kingdom and focus on gas reduction over Winter.

[Fintray]

Flux seems to be working out well at the moment, from 02/05/23 to 30/06/23 (60 days) has resulted in a credit of £453.34 or £7.55/day.
However my smart meter readings went awol from 11th July till 25 August.

[nowty]

Export has now been upped from 4.1p to 8p / kWh for those on Octopus Go.

[Krill]

I've just recieved the new tariff levels for Flux. Critically, the cost of both import during the main period of the day is now greater than the export during peak, and cost of overnight import is greater than export in main part of hte day. Therefore there needs to be a greater level of risk aversion, both in terms of limiting discharge and overnight import so that generation during the day doesn't max out the battery. This is the point when Go becomes better in all conditions, and Intelligent Flux remains folly.

Electricity (Export)

Old/New prices

Unit rate - peak (per kWh) 30.451p 26.594p
Unit rate - flux (per kWh) 6.765p 5.112p
Unit rate - day (per kWh) 18.608p 15.853p

Electricity (Import)

Old/New prices

Standing charge (per day) 52.320p 52.320p
Unit rate - peak (per kWh) 41.451p 37.593p
Unit rate - flux (per kWh) 17.765p 16.112p
Unit rate - day (per kWh) 29.608p 26.852p

[John_S]

I have had a look at the Octopus export terms and conditions.
https://octopus.energy/policies/export- ... onditions/

I don't like term 4.5.1(i):
4.5.1 We are not obligated to make Export Tariff payments to you:

(i) for any ‘Brown Export’ – i.e. exported electricity not generated by an eligible generation asset, (including standby generators, batteries and technologies not supported by the Smart Export Guarantee; or

If they were to decide not to pay for export derived from batteries it would kill any application of vehicle to grid once it becomes mainstream for CCS EVs.

Anyone else concerned about this?

[openspaceman]

I suspect they will be pragmatic as the prices will be determined on the profit they can make on the arbitrage.

[richbee]

I have had a look at the Octopus export terms and conditions.
https://octopus.energy/policies/export- ... onditions/

I don't like term 4.5.1(i):
4.5.1 We are not obligated to make Export Tariff payments to you:

(i) for any ‘Brown Export’ – i.e. exported electricity not generated by an eligible generation asset, (including standby generators, batteries and technologies not supported by the Smart Export Guarantee; or

If they were to decide not to pay for export derived from batteries it would kill any application of vehicle to grid once it becomes mainstream for CCS EVs.

Anyone else concerned about this?

I thought they were trying to use people's batteries to avoid peak demand.
I can understand they don't want electricity generated by a diesel genny tho.