@Welshman Unfortunately Octopus Aid is only on Apple, however Octopus watch is starting to show my exports, and I've seen screenshots of peoples exports, I think its just Octopus's slow systems.
How to getthe best out of Octopus Flux
- Thread starter Ron-ski
- Start date
I use the Bright App, which gets the data from the DCC, it currently shows 30 minute values up to 5:30am this morning (there will be no grid draw after that), to my surprise Octopus app is showing a little for today, 0.44kWh compared to Bright which shows 14.796kWh. Octopus normally lags more than that, and often has holes in the gas data, where Bright doesn't.
I suspect that Octopus does batch updates, it does have circa 5 million customers data to process, although not all will be on smart meters.
I suspect that Octopus does batch updates, it does have circa 5 million customers data to process, although not all will be on smart meters.
Absolutely
@Welshman I have electric data up to 5am yesterday, after that there won't be anything anyway, but nothing for this morning yet. Gas shows up to 8pm last night, but nothing for today.
@Kill_Phil Hope you put some charge in from the grid before the peak period.
@Welshman Octopus app shows import and export for yesterday, Bright has yesterdays imports, Octopus Watch has imports for yesterday, but no exports, Octopus Website shows no exports for yesterday, but has the imports.
Amazes me how the Octopus App shows one thing, whilst the website is different, I changed my DD on the website as the app wouldn't let me, but the app took about a week to catch up. Its almost like they have two different data sets, and they are not in sync.
Amazes me how the Octopus App shows one thing, whilst the website is different, I changed my DD on the website as the app wouldn't let me, but the app took about a week to catch up. Its almost like they have two different data sets, and they are not in sync.
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I may well buy the IHD from Bright/Hilderbrand, that communicates directly with the smart meters, it means you can see exactly what is happening without relying on cloud sources, but it probably needs Home Assistant or similar to get the best out of it.
Only downside is that then the Bright data comes directly from your IHD, so you don't know if the DCC is actually receiving it via the network, but I think you can switch the source in the app.
I have gas showing in all of them for yesterday.
I think its just one of them things we need to accept being unreliable, as long as it appears in the end.
Only downside is that then the Bright data comes directly from your IHD, so you don't know if the DCC is actually receiving it via the network, but I think you can switch the source in the app.
I have gas showing in all of them for yesterday.
I think its just one of them things we need to accept being unreliable, as long as it appears in the end.
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Thats what I will do, I'll probably have another go at setting up home assistant at some point, and use that to record my data, it can log from the IHD and the Victron system. Last time I setup HA I kept having login issues, but my password would work if I used a different browser or a private session - it doesn;t inspire much confidence if the login doesn't even work properly
I did read on another forum that someone had the same problem, they phoned up and in the end Octopus emailed the T&C which they had to accept, others have said they still had to supply the info.
It should switch over pretty quick as you're already being paid for export by Octopus.
Once the second battery is on-line which will give me 29kWh of storage, I'll double the charge rate from the grid, and decrease the minimum SOC probably to about 50% as I'd like to keep some in reserve just in case of a power cut.
At the moment I draw 15kWh from the grid every day, and need to export 12 at the day rate to have zero electric bill for the day, so far I've done much better than that.
- I set my battery to charge between 2 and 5am, which takes me to about 85% SOC
- After 5am house runs off the battery until solar kicks
- At around 98% battery charging slows and export starts
- Between 16:00 and 19:00 I discharge the battery to no less than 65%
- Battery will then see me through to the 2am charging slot.
Once the second battery is on-line which will give me 29kWh of storage, I'll double the charge rate from the grid, and decrease the minimum SOC probably to about 50% as I'd like to keep some in reserve just in case of a power cut.
At the moment I draw 15kWh from the grid every day, and need to export 12 at the day rate to have zero electric bill for the day, so far I've done much better than that.
I've found solar forecast to be very unreliable, and I just find it so much easier/convenient to charge the battery in the off peak period. Todays solar forecast was supposed to be much better than yesterday, but just looking at the weather showed that was not going to be there case.
That's the thing, especially with a system that has the capacity, just set the charge, set the peak export, and hopefully it just works with minimal user intervention, and the battery is always charged at the cheap rate, so if the weather is bad at least you're using cheap rate electric.
I'm hoping that in the winter I'll still be at zero or negative cost due being able to peak export enough.
I'm hoping that in the winter I'll still be at zero or negative cost due being able to peak export enough.
Other option is a separate inverter for the battery as others have done, but each install is different, swapping out some inverters is very simple, others more complicated, also could be an old FITS system, so as you say possibly not simple - I doubt it will be a hybrid inverter.
You can get a 3kW Solis AC charger inverter for about £700, couple of forum members are using them.
What wattage panels?
They appear to do different power versions of the S5, but the most it will be is 3.6kW.
@Welshman if you're getting someone to do it, I would suggest looking at both options, AC coupled and changing the inverter, DC to DC batteries is more efficient
You can use an app, either Octopus Watch or Octopus Aid, then you can usually see the next day.
Tuesday was my first day on Flux export, although it shows in the Octopus App, Octopus Watch doesn't show any export, but I actually exported 19kWh on Tuesday, so usage should be zero, cost will depend on the export/import prices.
Fairly safe to say my bill for the last week is -£16 roughly.
Do you have to log into separate accounts, or do they both show in the same web account?
Octopus watch uses the API key, so if its different web accounts it will be different keys.
Octopus watch uses the API key, so if its different web accounts it will be different keys.
I find it better to just charge between 2 and 5am, then run off the battery until solar takes over.
I think for people with smaller batteries it will probably be better to switch tariff come late autumn, I'll have circa 28kWh of storage though, so will still be able to force discharge a bit.
They didn't back date mine, but then my export wasn't with them.
In the end I decided to charge the battery between 2am and 5am, with my current settings it doesn't fully charge, and still won't when I add the second battery, currently charging is limited to 70A, I'll up that to 140A when the second battery is installed.
Then from 5am to 16:00, I run off the battery until the sun takes over, then the battery charges until its full, then it exports
At 16:00 I discharge until the battery reaches 60% SOC. Once I add the second battery I'll lower the SOC setting. The battery often stops discharging to the grid before 7pm, so I may get a tiny bit of grid draw at peak, looking at the other day it was 1.5p worth.
The above is working well for me, I'm always left with enough to run through to 2am without drawing from the grid, between 2am and 5am I always draw just under 15kWh
I like to keep some back, just in case there is a power cut (its very rare but would be so frustrating to have empty batteries!), and I think once efficiency losses are taken into account its mere pennies that I'll be making/losing per kWh. Import day rate is 34.18p, and export peak is 36.85p. Even at 90% efficiency that 36.85 becomes 33.165p, which is less than the day rate, so I don't think its worth emptying the battery on the peak export and importing later.
My last weeks electric has cost me -£20.81
Then from 5am to 16:00, I run off the battery until the sun takes over, then the battery charges until its full, then it exports
At 16:00 I discharge until the battery reaches 60% SOC. Once I add the second battery I'll lower the SOC setting. The battery often stops discharging to the grid before 7pm, so I may get a tiny bit of grid draw at peak, looking at the other day it was 1.5p worth.
The above is working well for me, I'm always left with enough to run through to 2am without drawing from the grid, between 2am and 5am I always draw just under 15kWh
I like to keep some back, just in case there is a power cut (its very rare but would be so frustrating to have empty batteries!), and I think once efficiency losses are taken into account its mere pennies that I'll be making/losing per kWh. Import day rate is 34.18p, and export peak is 36.85p. Even at 90% efficiency that 36.85 becomes 33.165p, which is less than the day rate, so I don't think its worth emptying the battery on the peak export and importing later.
My last weeks electric has cost me -£20.81
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