Best value charger with Octopus

[Gomev]

QQ: I have the Octopus Tracker, and my Hypervolt will soon support Octopus API integration (they seem to be implemtenting my feature requests from 12 months ago!) - Can I continue nbow get a cheaper rate for my EV charging, and stick with a reasonable rate for my other charging?

I don't think Go is for me, as the daytime cost would be higher, and I don't have solar panels to make it more economical.

How much higher would your day rate be on Go, mostly it's not much different to the cap (SVR).

 

[GaryMG4]

I've just switched to Go, the premium on peak cost is 1.3p above the cap for my location. Now its got me thinking about a Zappi to maximise my solar excess usage although I'm not sure how much of the time my excess is above 1.4kW, Is there an app that accesses the Octopus API that would tell me that?

 

[johnb80]

I've just switched to Go, the premium on peak cost is 1.3p above the cap for my location. Now its got me thinking about a Zappi to maximise my solar excess usage although I'm not sure how much of the time my excess is above 1.4Kw, Is there an app that accesses the Octopus API that would tell me that?

If youre considering a Zappi, why not move on to Intelligent Octopus GO too at 7p per kWh for 6hrs plus and 22.28p peak ? In addition you can have their export too at 15p unless you have FIT etc.

 

[GaryMG4]

If youre considering a Zappi, why not move on to Intelligent Octopus GO too at 7p kWh for 6hrs plus and 22.28p peak ? In addition you can have their export too at 15p unless you have FIT etc.

That was part of the reason for the Zappi so that I could use IOG, and yes I do have FiT. The peak rate here is 24.39p for go and IOG.

 

[johnb80]

That was part of the reason for the Zappi so that I could use IOG, and yes I do have FiT. The peak rate here is 24.39p for go and IOG.

Add some house batteries and get your average price down to 7p per kWh, works for me !!

 

[GaryMG4]

Add some house batteries and get your average price down to 7p per kWh, works for me !!

I am going to investigate we have local guy I plan to meet to see if it will work, I just need more data about our usage, BTW I see on an older post you mention Octo-aid, do you still use it, is it any good?
We have a relatively new oil combi boiler so my time shift options are relatively limited. At my current FiT rates my generation payments cover the cost of our electricity so I guess our average price is approaching 0p per kWh and would cover the standing charge on a good year.

 

[johnb80]

I am going to investigate we have local guy I plan to meet to see if it will work, I just need more data about our usage, BTW I see on an older post you mention Octo-aid, do you still use it, is it any good?
We have a relatively new oil combi boiler so my time shift options are relatively limited. At my current FiT rates my generation payments cover the cost of our electricity so I guess our average price is approaching 0p per kWh and would cover the standing charge on a good year.

Yes I still use Octo Aid and it's a useful app.

If you add an AC coupled battery that wont affect your FIT payment, you havent changed the Solar / FIT in any way. You could however export all of your generated power and run from the battery alone, the battery being charged off peak etc.

 

[GaryMG4]

Yes I still use Octo Aid and it's a useful app.

If you add an AC coupled battery that wont affect your FIT payment, you havent changed the Solar / FIT in any way. You could however export all of your generated power and run from the battery alone, the battery being charged off peak etc.

I still find that hard to get my head around, I get paid for generating 3.7-4.2 mWh per annum but I can use as much of that as possible for free and still get paid the same amount. The idea that by adding a battery, which is only there to to store cheap rate electricity for use instead of the 'free' solar so that I can sell the same electricity again doesn't seem right.

 

[Bam Bam]

I still find that hard to get my head around, I get paid for generating 3.7-4.2 mWh per annum but I can use as much of that as possible for free and still get paid the same amount. The idea that by adding a battery, which is only there to to store cheap rate electricity for use instead of the 'free' solar so that I can sell the same electricity again doesn't seem right.

Yeah I couldn't believe when my neighbour told me he gets paid for half his generation whether he uses it or not. Because in the early days they couldn't tell how much was self-consumed they just assumed 50%.

If he got an EV, eddi or house battery he could use all the solar and still get paid for 50% of it! It is too good to be true, but he wasn't planning to do it last I heard.

 

[johnb80]

FIT is an incredible bonus system especially early adopters that got very high rates on all what was generated, it really wasnt well thought out.

 

[Rolfe]

It's great to have solar, but if you can't for some reason, a house battery could be a very good addition to the mix to get pretty much all your consumption down to 7p/unit. (On Intelligent Go.)

 

[Bam Bam]

It's great to have solar, but if you can't for some reason, a house battery could be a very good addition to the mix to get pretty much all your consumption down to 7p/unit. (On Intelligent Go.)

Yes, presumably everyone on here has an EV or is planning to get one soon.

Except maybe a few weird haters who will be a few years delayed!

 

[GaryMG4]

FIT is an incredible bonus system especially early adopters that got very high rates on all what was generated, it really wasnt well thought out.

I think the scheme did what was intended, it encouraged enough people to 'invest' in something expensive when electricity prices were relatively low that allowed for competition to help bring the prices down. At the time domestic metering couldn't really cope with two way traffic so the only option was to add a separate meter for generation. A friend who was an early adopter reckons it was the best £15k he spent as his 3.8kW array now generates around £3k+ of income a year.

 

[MG Fred]

I am going to investigate we have local guy I plan to meet to see if it will work, I just need more data about our usage, BTW I see on an older post you mention Octo-aid, do you still use it, is it any good?
We have a relatively new oil combi boiler so my time shift options are relatively limited. At my current FiT rates my generation payments cover the cost of our electricity so I guess our average price is approaching 0p per kWh and would cover the standing charge on a good year.

I got a quote from a local electrician and was going to get a 2nd hand zappi charger but Octopus quoted me less for supply and fit of a new Zappi and did a very good job. They even accommodated a lightning surge protector extra and thicker 10sqmm cable for less heat loss, for a very reasonable price.

 

[johnb80]

I got a quote from a local electrician and was going to get a 2nd hand zappi charger but Octopus quoted me less for supply and fit of a new Zappi and dud a very good job. They even accommodated a lightning surge protector extra and thicker 10sqmm cable for less heat loss, for a very reasonable price.

Great news and very, very good choice.

 

[Spinynorman]

I have a Zappi 2 which I got from Octopus who sorted the install too.
Competitive price at the time and the Zappi 2 is a very versatile unit. My only criticism is that the app for it doesn’t configure all the settings on the unit - just the type of charge & scheduling. Things like the unit lock/passwords etc you need to program from the front display on the unit itself.
That said, it’s been very reliable - just pull up to the wall box, plug it in and forget it…

 

[Rolfe]

Well, not if there are charging periods set on your phone apps that you don't know about! But I've got these turned off now and I know where the functions are, so it's all good.

 

[yellowking]

I got Octopus to supply and fit my Ohme. They even applied for and dealt with the £250 grant.

It cost me around £700 altogether.