Just Joined the Intelligent Octopus Tariff

[nowty]

When do Octopus send out bills for their intelligent tariffs? I've not had one since I changed to one some time ago.

Seems to be completely random, sometimes you don't get one for 2 or 3 months, then you get one and then another a few days later. It used to bother me , but they have all been correct and as they are called beta tariffs I just now relax and go with the flow.

[John_S]

Octopus has recently updated the info on Intelligent Octopus on their website, making it clear that it is presently only available for Tesla cars.

The good news is that VW, Jaguar and Land rover vehicles are specifically mentioned as coming soon.

Nothing on when an Android App will be available.

https://octopus.energy/intelligent-octopus/

[nowty]

Totally baffled by the Octopus tonight, wind is increasing and will be maxed out during the night, but Octopus wants me to charge this evening and finish before 11pm whilst the gas is burning brightly, so several more cheap slots for me.

I wonder if they are playing with me and thinking I will be conned into running stuff from the grid in the half hour slot from 8pm to 8:30pm and again from 11pm and 11:30pm. But no, the Sunny Island is already programmed appropriately, and SWMBO is ready armed with two loads of washing to do this evening, the machine is loaded and ready to go.




But it seems a shame to import at such a carbon intensive time.

[Stinsy]

Is there any way to integrate a smart plug with this tariff? I know you can use ITTT with Agile…

[nowty]

Is there any way to integrate a smart plug with this tariff? I know you can use ITTT with Agile…

Dunno, its probably quite difficult as the schedule is only set up when you plug the car in after 5pm and depends upon the current % SOC, what % SOC you want it to be and at what time you need the car. So everyone's schedule might be different and the only place I know where to get the schedule from is the APP and only from a few seconds after the car is plugged in.

So if you don't plug the car in you still get the fixed 6 hrs of 5p / kWh from 11:30pm to 5:30am. But if you plug the car in, it normally schedules it between those fixed hours but if the schedule is before 11:30pm or after 5:30am you get additional half hour slots of 5p for the whole house as the charging mechanism is still via your smart meter.

So at the minute I'm on cheap rate for the 7:30 pm to 8:00pm slot. In a couple of mins I'll be back to peak rate for half an hour but the charging will pause for half an hour, then re-start at 8:30pm until 11pm for more cheap rate. Then back to peak for half an hour, then I hit the 5 hrs cheap rate from 11:30pm straight through till 5:30am but the car will have finished charging at 11pm as per tonight's schedule.

[nowty]

My energy profile for yesterday using Octopus Intelligent with some extra evening cheap slots.
This includes charging two EVs, home battery, all hot water, cooking dinner and all house heating.



Peak rate leccy import from above only accounted for 0.078 kWh (or less than 0.1% of total import).

And gas import (for gas hob) was an additional 0.3 kWh.

[nowty]

I'm convinced the Octopus is winding me up today, insisting on half hour alternate slots between cheap and peak rate. I cannot be bothered trying to re-programme all those slots, so I am just going to ignore the first 4 slots and switch on at 11:30pm. If the battery does not make it to 85% by the end of night it does not matter anyway.

#


Well, having not liked the initial charging plan, I unplugged and re-plugged in just after 10pm. I now like the new plan so just one simple change to the battery inverter and on goes the charging and on goes the dishwasher and storage heater. An extra 1.5hrs and importantly, a continuous 5p slot back to back with the 6 hr cheap slot.

[nowty]

Tonight I need to add 30% to my EV battery, I was going to charge it last night but todays wind forecast might offer me some early extra cheap slots because the current high wind falls off a cliff overnight. So I shall plug in at 5pm and see what the regime will be and if I don't like it, I'll unplug and try again later, closer to my fixed cheap rate period to see if I get a better deal.

[nowty]

Plugged in after 5pm and its getting a bit repetitive now, the Octopus wants to give me additional earlier slots cos the wind is howling, but like last time is only giving extra cheap slots to me alternately every other half hour, until we get way into the fixed cheap rate period.

OK I'll try again a bit later to see if the deal is any better.

[nowty]

Plugged in again and I prefer the newer charge plan just one half hour peak slot to dodge (10:00pm to 10:30pm) so charging on, washing machine on and storage heater boost on.




But I was very naughty again by telling the Octopus App I want the SOC to be 100% but limited it to 85% on the Telsa App.