Soldato
You have to contact Octopus support to request the Agile tariff (requires smart meter). Tracker via this link - https://octopus.energy/smart/tracker/
Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)
- Thread starter DXP55
- Start date
Do I go for a smart meter or not ? I'm with octopus , I do manual readings and submit on last day of each month and my direct debit goes in on 1st each month
Some questions simple questions
- is the smart meter going to be a new gen one ? Are there any faults/bugs/etc
- once installed will bills go up or will it not make a difference ..when I login to my octopus account it says "you could pay less".
What's everyone doing with fixed Vs variables at the moment ?
Some questions simple questions
- is the smart meter going to be a new gen one ? Are there any faults/bugs/etc
- once installed will bills go up or will it not make a difference ..when I login to my octopus account it says "you could pay less".
What's everyone doing with fixed Vs variables at the moment ?
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Soldato
I was highly sceptical of smart meters but after the shock to the system over the last 18 months, I had them installed last year and joined Octopus in May this year and with little changes to when I use the supply, I'm still making considerable savings against any SVR or fixed tariffs offered by any other supplier. I'm a dual fuel household with no solar / EV. I believe, any meter installed today is smets2.
Soldato
Why would your bills go up?. Its giving octopus the same data you would, but digitally rather than waiting for you to give a monthly manual reading
Soldato
Well there are some advantages.
You wont have to go to the agro of having to send a monthly reading.
You will get 48 daily readings by default typically available the following day.
So its possible to get some semi granular data that way.
If you want you can request an octopus mini which is almost real time data.
You also open up the possibility for some tariffs that are unavailable for non-smart meters.
They may or may not suit you, but its difficult to be worse off with a smart meter.
The only thing you cannot do is lie about your meter readings when prices change.
That says "Sign ups to Octopus Tracker are currently closed. We'll be re-opening the tariff in early July."
Not even sure it would be that much cheaper, use so little gas this time of year. Plus it's a volatile tariff.
Soldato
Well quite. However, I still use it for heating water and today for instance it is 4.39p per unit compared to the SVR of 8p. With no exit fees, if it does go haywire, can also move to SVR, fixed or another supplier.
Soldato
Been moved to tracker for my gas but electricity still showing flexible yet the blurb for both says "Prices follow wholesale costs". Pinged them an email as I definitely requested both to be switched on the form.
Thanks I will look to see if I can get one installed
My readings have always been accurate
I DM's them through twitter and they fixed it within 2-3 hours
Soldato
Yeah I've just had a reply to say they've both been changed and now both showing tracker prices.
Will wait for my first months bill to see what my DD should go down to.
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Considering the price cap is due to rise slightly in October, do those on Octopus Tracker reckon this winter it will end up being more expensive than the standard tariff? I've just moved to it and prices are virtually half that of the standard tariff at the moment, but I'm not sure it will last come winter.
It's really difficult to say, I was wondering the same thing myself and was trying to do some research for myself. It's really difficult to see any data more than 12-18 months behind. But you have to take into account that the last quarter of 2022 was highly unusual and not representative of general wholesale prices. This year should be more stable and not repeat the previous year.
I would really like to hear from someone whose been on the tracker more than a couple of years and for them to let us know what previous winters were like, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 etc before everything went ape-****
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Soldato
I don't think it matters much.
With tracker you are going to see a far faster reflection of changes in market price.
Where as capped price is highly smoothed over a much longer period.
If prices jump you could move to capped and see a lower value before they catch up with tracker, but you cannot move back to tracker for 9 months if you do so.
TLDr when prices are falling you want to be on tracker but it will only save you money for so long, when they are rising you want to be on the capped one, but it will only save you money for so long
With tracker you are going to see a far faster reflection of changes in market price.
Where as capped price is highly smoothed over a much longer period.
If prices jump you could move to capped and see a lower value before they catch up with tracker, but you cannot move back to tracker for 9 months if you do so.
TLDr when prices are falling you want to be on tracker but it will only save you money for so long, when they are rising you want to be on the capped one, but it will only save you money for so long
Soldato
Problem with SVR is that it's capped at an artificially high price for a long time now. Even if prices on tracker do go up over winter, you'll have saved so much over the rest of the year that it won't matter, unless we have something catastrophic happen again like nuclear war.
If it was 20-25% above tracker prices it'd be more difficult but at 100% like it currently is, it's a no brainer to be on tracker or agile.
If you can manage most of your consumption around peak times to boot it makes even more sense.
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Soldato
When is the next billing cycle, a month from now ?
Soldato
Would be when you get your bill so could be any day (IMO)
Tracker electric 18p/kWh average and SVR 30.1p/kWh
Tracker gas 4.3p/kWh average and SVR 8p/kWh.
You can move off tracker onto SVR anytime you want. You can see daily price movement in app and online through octopus app or your online account.
Can’t understand why people dilly dallying about saving £££ money.
Also standing charge is cheaper on tracker. 37p vs 57 for leccy.
Our house hold leccy and gas use is very standard. About 8kwh for leccy and 5kwh for gas per day that’s a saving of over £30/month.
Tracker gas 4.3p/kWh average and SVR 8p/kWh.
You can move off tracker onto SVR anytime you want. You can see daily price movement in app and online through octopus app or your online account.
Can’t understand why people dilly dallying about saving £££ money.
Also standing charge is cheaper on tracker. 37p vs 57 for leccy.
Our house hold leccy and gas use is very standard. About 8kwh for leccy and 5kwh for gas per day that’s a saving of over £30/month.
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Unless you have solar and/or batteries (or work regular night shifts) then the tracker really is a no brainer at this time of year (perhaps all year). As a dynamically changing flat rate for each day it consistently performs better than the Agile or similar tariffs.
Right now I don't see a reason to change. Might reconsider that coming up to winter depending on the noise around word wide gas supplies and the issues with Russia at which point getting a fixed might be the way to go.
It's crazy that when I changed to Tracker at the start of the year the representative on the phone was talking about the benefits of Agile pricing every 30 mins but I pointed out that on average the tracker was always cheaper which they didn't understand.
Right now I don't see a reason to change. Might reconsider that coming up to winter depending on the noise around word wide gas supplies and the issues with Russia at which point getting a fixed might be the way to go.
It's crazy that when I changed to Tracker at the start of the year the representative on the phone was talking about the benefits of Agile pricing every 30 mins but I pointed out that on average the tracker was always cheaper which they didn't understand.