Bam Bam
Established Member
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2024
- Messages
- 774
- Reaction score
- 662
- Points
- 234
- Location
- Oxfordshire, UK
- Driving
- MG4 SE SR
Maybe I need to think about this some more, but as far as I can tell Octopus compares your usage to your average usage during that time. So if you usually export then your usage will be -4 or whatever. So if you usage is then +4 then the difference will be 8.I don't actually know which tariffs are included in the offer, only that if you get the email you're eligible. If they're only offering it to people with export tariffs, that's pretty naughty. I did wonder about it being worth it if you're on a feed-in tariff, but I don't know if Octopus even offer such a tariff, let alone whether they've extended the offer to these customers (if they exist).
The half price car charging was worth doing, because my car was literally on 5% at the time, and it was a night-time effort so no solar to lose. I rammed as much as possible into the battery but I think I only saved about £1.85. People with bigger batteries would be able to get more of course, but many people wouldn't have come home almost on their last electron the day before, as I did, so wouldn't have room for so much. But it was a genuine offer.
The mid-day one is very much a two-edged sword if you have significant solar generation, and needs careful calculation as to whether it's really worth it taking into account the export payment that you're foregoing by taking part.
Don't tell Octopus but I was planning to top-up the car tomorrow lunchtime anyway because I do it when the carbon intensity is low. They will just be giving it us for free instead of us having to pay £1.40.
I'm a very happy customer anyway!
Yep, that's it exactly - surplus of solar.It's not a coincidence that Octopus are doing this on very sunny days. They can read the forecast too. They know they'll have more solar than they know what to do with, so they're trying to get rid of it. If people who have solar export tariffs join in the party, so much the better, that's some solar they're not going to have to pay for. But if you have solar with an export tariff, think long and hard before you get into this one.
Last time I did the running around during the hour, and I made only a few pennies.
And there is only going to be more of these surpluses as we have more and more solar each year.
It is just like the winter demand scheme but in reverse.
EVs are great for absorbing this surplus, as are electric hot water heaters.
I think it will benefit those with solar export if this surplus gets used up. Otherwise they will cancel/drop export payments sooner!