Has anyone used Octopus for a home solar/battery installation? (2 Viewers)

[stevec]

As above. I'm considering a solar install, not necessarily as an economic measure. Hoping to do a little bit towards saving the planet! I've had an online quote which seems competitive against one I had last year from a local company (but prices may have changed). Octopus seem to have a confusing amount of tariffs which I am wading through. We do not have an EV! Will be changing over to Octopus from Shell Energy (who are moving their customers to Octopus anyway!)

 

[mikebeaches]

We have been with Octopus for a couple of years and have large domestic solar and battery storage, but not supplied by them.

We've been very happy with the company and found a tariff that works well for us - 'Flux'

Like you, we don't have an EV. And also like you, we didn't install the solar purely as a financial investment - however, it has worked out quite well so far from a financial perspective.

My advice would be to go for the largest set up you can accommodate and afford.

Cheers, Mike

 

[Wombles]

Don't forget your Funster Friends for Octopus £50 referral credit each! Broken Link Removed
Also for Shell Energy customers Broken Link Removed

 

[starquake]

Octopus pay the best for outgoing solar/battery regardless (their rates on export are stunning, and they have paid £4 a kw outbound during 4 of these winter saving sessions to date too)
-> so it's a no-brainer aiui to use them regardless of your import tariff.

 

[Abacist]

I am a long term user of Octopus at home and their service and admin is excellent.

I am a trustee of a charity which moved to them last February when we had a big solar system installed with lithium batteries and again they have been excellent with the best feed in tariff but we have had to pay a large deposit of about £1,250!

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[MisterB]

Another fan of Octopus who has solar and battery. Just as an aside, I paid around £4k for a 14.3kw battery and 3.6kw inverter Inc installation by buying independently and getting a local electrician to fit it. Happy to discuss further if you want more info. We are all electric and use Octopus low rate tariff to charge up overnight.

 

[Two on Tour]

We had 6.8Kw of solar and a 7.2Kw battery installed 2 and a half years ago through the Solar Together scheme and soon after transferred to Octopus.
I changed over to the Octopus Agile incoming tariff a couple of months back as the solar harvesting is pretty poor over the winter months and the Agile allows me to see the next day 1/2 hourly pricing so I can program our inverter to pick the best prices for the overnight and at times in the coming day to charge our battery.
I have just added another battery to our pack so I can buy in more electricity when the rates are good.
With being on the Agile tariff, the prices sometimes go negative and Octopus are then paying us to charge our battery, which I then charge up and then discharge our battery back to the grid and we get paid for that as well.

 

[ManTheVan]

We are with Octopus and have solar, a 13.5kWh battery and an EV, so are on the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff (30p peak/7.5p off peak). That means we can't get the flux rate for export. After applying to Scottish Power in April, I heard today (!!) that we'd finally been accepted for their SEG scheme, which pays 12p/kWh exported. I think that's the next best export rate if you can't get the Octopus rate.

 

[ziaulh]

Another fan of Octopus who has solar and battery. Just as an aside, I paid around £4k for a 14.3kw battery and 3.6kw inverter Inc installation by buying independently and getting a local electrician to fit it. Happy to discuss further if you want more info. We are all electric and use Octopus low rate tariff to charge up overnight.

Could you please let me know more details please?

 

[lorger]

We are currently in the process of having 7.7kw of Solar along with 10kw batteries and 6kw inverter, we are using a local company as Octopus don’t yet do fitting in our area. However we’ve changed our supplier over to them so we can hopefully get the best deal for export, would be interesting to hear how others are doing it with octopus.

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[starquake]

We are currently in the process of having 7.7kw of Solar along with 10kw batteries and 6kw inverter, we are using a local company as Octopus don’t yet do fitting in our area. However we’ve changed our supplier over to them so we can hopefully get the best deal for export, would be interesting to hear how others are doing it with octopus.

Worth checking the "excellent" https://energy-stats.uk/octopus-agile-outgoing-export-eastern-england/ -> and change to your region for data for last week, month and year for what may be best for you.

Most of my friends on Octopus with Solar + no FIT or FIT either are using Intelligent Go + assoicated export tariff (fixed 15p)
OR using Agile alongside Agile export for the enhanced export at peak rates. We have no battery but use Intelligent Go at moment.

Even my heat pump owning friend never used Flux, as they found their battery + solar + Intelligent Go a better bet.

In the former case, it's a force charge overnight, run on solar + grid during day doing export of any unused solar. FORCE export only for saving session periods as self-use should be prioritise.

In the latter case, it's a diferrent setup, they are using home automation to import at cheapest hours, but only exporting at peak periods. They prioritise peak times, as those are only times it's above the 15p rate (and they can import for less than 15p at any time other than peak typically). This minimises their own use to nil during the peak hours effectively, but does result in a net zero bill at all other times. (They initially went with a manual charge schedule 3-4pm for the battery for non-solar days alongside a force export command from 4-7pm)). Warning here, 10kw of battery may not be enough at peak export to last the 3 hours...

You will need a BEV or a plugincar (PHEV etc) of any typeto be eligable for the best "optimal" Intelligent Go tariff + compatible charger (ideally Ohme or Zappi).

(Worth noting what we do ourselves is have a share via www.rippleenergy.com of 2 of their wind turbine projects, of which one has been actively generating for 1.5 years, other to come online this or next month, and are about to invest in their 3rd wind project). This is because it's somewhat more portable than panels on roof as can follow us through the next house move which we are planning for 2-3 years time, hence no solar/battery until that house).

Should add I expect rates to fall in 2024-2025 on export to being only high in peak on all tariffs, as the wind income is down to 6p a unit this year, from 28p last year. - This is the current wholesale rate, we are not being ripped off here. Peak time there is still high prices this year, but offpeak prices are very low wholesale, down to 2-3p regularly.

 

[MisterB]

Could you please let me know more details please?

What is it that you wanted to know more about?

 

[Bessy765]

We are Octopus agile, during the winter we make use of their off peak rates and have even been paid to use power. We have 7 kw of solar and 11.6 kw of batteries. We dont export as our original system pays 68 p over unit from the old scheme.

 

[ziaulh]

What is it that you wanted to know more about?

It's more about which battery / inverter did you go for and where did you buy it from? Which electrician did you use. If they cover Hampshire area, may be I will go with the same . I am from Basingstoke

 

[2bob]

who uuse the rewards free drink ect

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[MisterB]

No probs. I used a local electrician from Harwich, Essex.
The inverter I have is a Sunsynk 5.5kw hybrid ECCO (eBay bargain!) and I have used Seplos batteries from Fogstar.
If I was starting from scratch I would get an 8kw Sunsynk hybrid inverter, prob from somewhere like TradeSparky or similar (lots of places sell them) and buy the ready built Fogstar batteries (@15kw). That inverter plus batteries would come to around £7k. Then you need to add electrician cost and the 'bits' he would need. Depending on where you site your inverter and batteries etc, I would allow £1k
It is important though to follow the rules ! As a rough guide, up to 3.6kw inverter only requires you to notify your local power network and above that you need permission. If you're going to need permission and then to notify them if commissioning tests, do it BEFORE you start spending.

You tube has lots of stuff on the subject. It was videos from Stuart Pittaway that set me off on my journey and gave me the confidence to go ahead with a,DIY install.
Start with DIY Battery Build # 1 and then follow the sequence. His other projects are above my head, but his battery build videos will let you see what's involved for a 3.6kw inverter. I originally had the same inverter, but after a while realised I needed something that would charge my batteries within a shorter time period. The 5kw does that but I think I am at its limit, so the 8kw might have been a better option with 28 6kw of battery!

I am no expert, there are some on the forum that really understand their stuff, I just know what works for me ...I think the money being charged for systems is ludicrous when you can do it yourself at half the price usually quoted and get a system with twice as much power!! Find a friendly competent electrician and you're half way there!

 

[starquake]

who uuse the rewards free drink ect

I don't think the Saving Sessions rewards are that, it's more the fact the export rates during those are £2 to £4 per kwh you export in those sessions. Very easy to make £12-£20 an hour apparently.

 

[Bolti]

I don't think the Saving Sessions rewards are that, it's more the fact the export rates during those are £2 to £4 per kwh you export in those sessions. Very easy to make £12-£20 an hour apparently.

What tariff do you need to be on for those returns, I thought they were fixed at 15p?

 

[Cobra]

I have just completed my installation:
Victron Multiplus II inverter/charger
Fogstar 15.5kwh battery

With all the bits etc it has come to just over £4k but I have done it myself
The one problem that I found was that the 3 hours for most of Octopus' tariffs is not enough to fully charge my battery - So I'm going onto the old Economy 7 tariff which, although not as cheap, will give me enough time to charge the battery
I'm still trying to work out if I spend another £1k on a second Multiplus (which will give me lots of charge together with the existing one) and go onto a different tariff will it be worth it.
All new atm so I have plenty of time to decide

Andy

 

[MisterB]

We are Octopus agile, during the winter we make use of their off peak rates and have even been paid to use power. We have 7 kw of solar and 11.6 kw of batteries. We dont export as our original system pays 68 p over unit from the old scheme.

In an attempt to explain to others, albeit in a long message, using the term exporting can be a bit misleading. We also have a FiT system, but are on deemed export. The FiT (Feed in Tariff) scheme, sadly no longer available, is made up of two parts, Generation and Export. On our less well rewarded scheme, we receive a sum based on how much we generate and then a further amount for what is called 'deemed export'. It was set up like that because without a smart meter it was difficult to determine how much was fed back to the grid, so they just arbitrarily decided on a figure if 50%, irrespective of how much you actually returned. The sum that we receive per KW is around 5p. And that's where it requires further investigation!
If I change my terms with the energy provider and decide to have my feed back actually measured, I could earn around 15p for everything I feed back. it doesn't affect how much I receive for generating!
So I can buy all the electricity I would usually use through the day at 7.5p per KW overnight, use that throughout the day and feed back ALL my solar energy rather than use any of it. At current prices (which increase every year) I have calculated that it will give me around an additional £440 per year by changing from deemed to actual export. I cannot feed back my battery power to the grid, but as I understand it, there are other avenues open depending on your system/tariff/supplier and
on what tariffs are available so everyone needs to work out which one is best for them.

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[starquake]

What tariff do you need to be on for those returns, I thought they were fixed at 15p?

Any -> but you have to be enrolled for "Saving Sessions" and opt in on the day, sometimes with a few hours notice. Last one was yesterday, but don't expect more than 3-4 opportunities a month, and only in Winter. (Octopus are paid by the grid for the scheme).

You do have to pay via direct debit to be eligable however, it's Octopus's "reward" scheme effectively.

Without any batteries or solar, I've made £15 on it this winter just by reducing demand partly by using doing jobs in the motorhome for the 12 I think sessions to date this winter. (You are paid similar rates for "reducing demand", but if you export, demand is 0 + you also make extra on the amount you export -> ON TOP of the normal 15p a unit.

 

[starquake]

The one problem that I found was that the 3 hours for most of Octopus' tariffs is not enough to fully charge my battery - So I'm going onto the old Economy 7 tariff

Get an EV to be eleigable for Intelligent -> think its 6 hours 11:30-5:30am every day, and if you need longer, if you plan you car charging effectively you can get more hours, as it is 7.5p whenever the car is deemed to be charging as long as it's a "smart charge". Economy 7 is a bit of a risk as you also dont get enhanced export rtes.

 

[MisterB]

I have just completed my installation:
Victron Multiplus II inverter/charger
Fogstar 15.5kwh battery

With all the bits etc it has come to just over £4k but I have done it myself
The one problem that I found was that the 3 hours for most of Octopus' tariffs is not enough to fully charge my battery - So I'm going onto the old Economy 7 tariff which, although not as cheap, will give me enough time to charge the battery
I'm still trying to work out if I spend another £1k on a second Multiplus (which will give me lots of charge together with the existing one) and go onto a different tariff will it be worth it.
All new atm so I have plenty of time to decide

Andy

Which is one reason we bought a plug in hybrid electric car! We are now on 2330 - 0530 7.5p tariff. It works great for us because we also have overnight storage heaters. We needed a new car (pre loved) so it worked out worth getting, though we could have spent less, got an older car and still have gone into the intelligent octopus go rate.

We are very close to moving all our 'bought electricity' to 7.5p per KW, no matter when we use it, due to increasing the size of the home battery to 2 x 14.3kw batteries.

 

[Bessy765]

Our system is made up of two parts, the original which is 1.12 kw on the roof of the house facing due south. This was installed when panels were just picking up and qualified for the 25 FIT scheme. We then had a 5.8 kw system fitted on the roof of our garage, it is only inclined at ten degrees because of planning restrictions and faces just east of south. As we did not want to lose the FIT which currently brings in over £500 a year. As the larger system is only slightly inclined so does not generate a lot outside of the summer months we decided to not export from this so not to lose the larger per unit price.

 

[BobJayne]

Which is one reason we bought a plug in hybrid electric car! We are now on 2330 - 0530 7.5p tariff. It works great for us because we also have overnight storage heaters. We needed a new car (pre loved) so it worked out worth getting, though we could have spent less, got an older car and still have gone into the intelligent octopus go rate.

Speaking of which, did you read my reply on your post about using the Ohme Home Pro charger with Intelligent Octopus?

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[MisterB]

I'm having issues at the moment still, so waiting for their response. I might have to follow your suggestion if I don't get any progress!

 

[Bolti]

I have just completed my installation:
Victron Multiplus II inverter/charger
Fogstar 15.5kwh battery

With all the bits etc it has come to just over £4k but I have done it myself
The one problem that I found was that the 3 hours for most of Octopus' tariffs is not enough to fully charge my battery - So I'm going onto the old Economy 7 tariff which, although not as cheap, will give me enough time to charge the battery
I'm still trying to work out if I spend another £1k on a second Multiplus (which will give me lots of charge together with the existing one) and go onto a different tariff will it be worth it.
All new atm so I have plenty of time to decide

Andy

Have you considered octopus agile electric tariff, it cheap period is usually at least 5 hours overnight.

 

[Bessy765]

The good thing about the Agile tariff is you don't need to have an electric car’

 

[starquake]

The good thing about the Agile tariff is you don't need to have an electric car’

Agree entirely however I would warn that for only last 3 months and a period of 2020 was it consistently cheaper than "Go" as it was then and Intelligent Go now.

I can fully remember months in 2020 when we consumed 800kwh, and paid sub £30/mo at a time when people without Agile were paying 17p a unit, and we thought THAT was expensive as pretty much day 1 Agile customers. I think our lowest average rate has been something ridicolous like sub 8p a unit back then.

Given even I, an long time Go or similar stalwart for ~ 3.5 years now (we moved late 2020 to Go) am considering moving back to Agile says just how good it is right now. And market rates for 2025 look even better at moment on futures contracts at present, as a lot of the reasons for the 2021 issues no longer are factors (French Nuclear all fixed, 2 key interconnectors to EU = Fixed (one burnt down!), gas supply unknown). With wind increasing, we should be back to low unit rates for at least next 1.5 years, so Agile in my opinion has a very low "downside"..