How to getthe best out of Octopus Flux
- Thread starter Ron-ski
- Start date
They penalise Go with a low export rate and penalise their solar+battery users with high import on flux. Said before their winter offering is not great if you exclude IOG which most cant get on.
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Associate
They'll surely have to remedy this soon. Eon do 6.9p import and 16.5p export and Good Energy do a 6.75p import and 15p export. Others will follow as both EVs and solar become more popular.
have had solar and batteries since April - currently on octopus fixed export at 15p
Now heading into winter should i be swopping to octopus flux and set batteries to charge overnight?
13.01p 2am - 5am import (charge battery)
14.58p export day rate
Now heading into winter should i be swopping to octopus flux and set batteries to charge overnight?
13.01p 2am - 5am import (charge battery)
14.58p export day rate
Soldato
There is no right answer on tariff.
The first consideration is your likely generation vs storage before you can make a call on the best tariff.
FWIW flux is realistically only a good option or people with large solar arrays, very low usage, or very large battery storage systems.
@The_One
With an 8kW inverter and 29kWh of storage I struggle through the winter, perhaps struggle isn't the correct word, but an 8kW inverter can only charge the batteries at most 24kWh in three hours. I get plenty in the batteries to see me through the day, but there is not much to export in the peak period to try and offset costs, that's the struggle part. There's also very little excess solar to export during the day, Thursday (5.09kWh) and Friday (7.31kWh) reminded me how bad winter is, the batteries just discharged all day long, with solar not even covering baseloads apart from now and again.
I do wonder if something like Agile would be better for me, but its more complicated to take advantage of, and then I may have issues swapping back to Flux in the summer, anyway another 6.5kWp of panels coming on line soon, so that should help quite a bit.
With an 8kW inverter and 29kWh of storage I struggle through the winter, perhaps struggle isn't the correct word, but an 8kW inverter can only charge the batteries at most 24kWh in three hours. I get plenty in the batteries to see me through the day, but there is not much to export in the peak period to try and offset costs, that's the struggle part. There's also very little excess solar to export during the day, Thursday (5.09kWh) and Friday (7.31kWh) reminded me how bad winter is, the batteries just discharged all day long, with solar not even covering baseloads apart from now and again.
I do wonder if something like Agile would be better for me, but its more complicated to take advantage of, and then I may have issues swapping back to Flux in the summer, anyway another 6.5kWp of panels coming on line soon, so that should help quite a bit.
Soldato
Probably go would be great for you. 5 hours of 8.5p units with your setup and batteries would mean you could fully charge the batteries in the 5 hour charge window.
Basically ensuring all your energy was 8.5p
Export is 8p so if you get good days other than a little DC to AC conversion you have added (assuming your batts do DC to DC from panels) its near enough the same price.
Your not making money but its so predictable.
I'm doing go Sept-March and Agile April-August. Must admit its nice having a little predictability for a change. No thought needed.
Agile is awesome in the summer though
Edit of course powerups mean there is fairly often free power when agile is cheap anyway.
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Probably go would be great for you. 5 hours of 8.5p units with your setup and batteries would mean you could fully charge the batteries in the 5 hour charge window.
Basically ensuring all your energy was 8.5p
Export is 8p so if you get good days other than a little DC to AC conversion you have added (assuming your batts do DC to DC from panels) its near enough the same price.
Your not making money but its so predictable.
I'm doing go Sept-March and Agile April-August. Must admit its nice having a little predictability for a change. No thought needed.
Agile is awesome in the summer though
Edit of course powerups mean there is fairly often free power when agile is cheap anyway.
you need an electric car to go onto go though?
Soldato
In theory but its not very well gatekept.
Eg we have a hybrid but they have never asked for any proof.
Potentially, but no EV, although that's not always a problem.
That's good to hear.
This...
, plus my 27kWh of storage will start running out about 8pm in the winter.
Can't remember what battery you have but take a look at Wonder Watt for automation of Agile charge windows.
@darkblade My 29kWh usually lasts ok, even dumping some to the grid in peak time.
Thanks, I'll probably stay on Flux although probably not the absolute best option. Batteries are DIY build and inverter is Victron, so highly flexible.
Thanks, I'll probably stay on Flux although probably not the absolute best option. Batteries are DIY build and inverter is Victron, so highly flexible.
Associate
The New Flux pricing just come in here and its quite disappointing. Import has risen as expected from 1st October, but they've chopped off 2p from the standard export rate 14.2p to 12.2p. Import at 2-5am is now 14.1p, so its a 4p swing in the wrong direction. With losses it will be a poor deal to charge in the early hours unless you can export loads from 4-7pm, which in winter for most is unlikely.
Luckily I'll be getting off it in a week or two when my EV comes.
Luckily I'll be getting off it in a week or two when my EV comes.
Associate
I looked at the new flux pricing and it made up my mind for me.
I just jumped ship to Tomato, at least for the 6 winter months the 6hrs at 5p/kWh and 41p standing charge was too tempting. My small amount of solar doesn't earn me much in export over winter anyway.
I just jumped ship to Tomato, at least for the 6 winter months the 6hrs at 5p/kWh and 41p standing charge was too tempting. My small amount of solar doesn't earn me much in export over winter anyway.
Are Octopus's new post-price rise tariffs available somewhere to compare? Have had the Flux prices through and obviously the new prices makes me wonder whether it's worth switching to a different tariff, is fixed export still 15p after the price change for instance? Wondering if Agile Import and Fixed Export may now be a better deal (no EV here).
Yes its still 15p. Over winter it (should be!) a far better combo than flux. It was last year anyway.
Soldato
yup my fixed export is still 15p until november 2025