Octopus Agile review: why I left the tariff that can PAY YOU to use electricity
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video, Danny explains why he left Octopus Energy's Agile tariff as well as sharing some helpful tips on choosing the right energy tariff that works for you and your electric vehicle.
Octopus Agile is a revolutionary energy tariff which tracks wholesale prices. It can mean very cheap energy and even free electricity. Sometimes, you even get paid to use electricity!
So, why would anyone in their right mind stop using such a brilliant tariff?
In this video, Danny explains his experiences using Octopus Agile and what it was like for charging his electric car. He also describes his general experience of the tariff in the last year and why he reverted back to using Octopus Go instead.
Octopus Agile is a very popular tariff with many EV drivers. That's no surprise given how low the prices can be. If you're interested in Octopus Agile or energy tariffs aimed at EV drivers in general, then definitely watch this episode as Danny gives an honest account of his experience and provides some tips on choosing the right energy tariff for you.
Timeline:
00:00 - Intro
00:42 - Peak and off-peak energy rates explained
01:30 - Octopus Go introduction
02:01 - Octopus Agile introduction
03:35 - Making the switch from Octopus Go to Octopus Agile
04:13 - Why Danny reverted back to Octopus Go
06:39 - Things to consider when choosing an energy tariff
08:03 - Conclusion
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I've just got my first EV and looking to switch to a better (EV) tariff but somewhat snookered by not currently having a SMETS2 smart meter. I have a SMETS1 and apparently they stop being smart if I switch to a new supplier and those alternatives suppliers can't supply a SMETS2 meter as yet. So I seem stuck where I am. Any solutions out there for to this Catch 22?
@@rigbyphoto I have to be honest and say I'm not familiar with this particular issue.
I would say your best bet is to speak to the customer service of one of the energy companies. Or better still find one that will install the new meter.
I'd recommend speaking to Octopus Energy as they are always happy to help.
Danny Morgan - editor at Smart Home Charge
@@SmartHomeCharge Many thanks. I spoke first ti Octopus and they said I couldn't use their Go tariff without a SMETS2 meter and they didn't know when they would have any. Nor did they know when my current provider would adapt SMETS1 to remain smart on changing provider - although I've read somewhere that this should be done by end of 2021.
Also tried ringing EDF but got passed from one team to another and gave up after being on hold for too long.
You and others on youtube are clearly paid or sponsored by Octopus, own up. My experience has been deliberately misleading rates. They give a spreadsheet showing Agile rates over 2019/20 when you sign up to ts and cs. I worked out average rate was 5 to 7p off peak. Then as soon as I sign up access to that spreadsheet magically disappears and unfortunately did not save it. They then give current rates once signed up showing average 15 to 16p!!!! Over 3 times more in some cases. This company is disgraceful and cannot believe there aren't more complaints.
@@rigbyphoto The info I gave was incorrect, sorry.
Already did this 2 years ago but situation has changed (thanks Vlad). All videos like this need a huge date stamp on screen throughout.
Thank you for a very clear explanation of the pro's and cons of the two tariffs
Thanks for the informative video. Interesting to know that the developments I anticipated would be driven by smart meters is here already and available to the public.
A really usefull addition ( if it doesn't already happen) is an audible alert which your meter or phone can give when the price reaches a set point high and low to prompt you to use or switch off appliances using electricity. Thanks again
Great video and well explained. I've just changed to Agile from Ovo and am pleased with it. We are a couple in our 70s and don't have an electric car at the mo but it seems that Agile will save us quite alot. During the pandemic we've eaten at home, almost every day, and have made lunch our main meal. Dishwasher/washing machine on at low rates and the average price per day is less than we would pay any other supplier. If we were younger we would feel as you do about our lives revolving around electricity prices but, for the moment it's working and we're saving with not too much effort.
That is great to hear Janet. Yes, if I were in your shoes and not had a baby recently (!) I probably would have stuck with it. Glad it is working out for you :)
Thanks for watching and the lovely feedback.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
Good, useful, open and honest experience - thank-you. Will probably stick with Octopus Go until I'm ready for solar/battery options or even V2G or Vehicle to home options in the future.
Thanks very much, glad it was helpful.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
Very well explained and very useful. Thank you
Well done very informative thanks.
A very practical summary of Agile.
Agile only works for majority of people if paired with battery storage so that you can not worry about the peak times as you’ve filled the battery during low cost periods
Very informative. Thank you
Hi! Thanks for the clip.
My question is about Outgoing Agile. What procedure do you follow with your SP batteries to ensure that stored charge is released at particular times i.e. between 4.00 and 7.00p.m.
Thanks Mike Wood
It's been great so far in April 2024, 1.79p/kWh for the car and 10p/kWh for the house. Absolutely agree with everything said in this vid tho, in the long term will take a view on saving vs hassle.
With Agile for over 9 months now. Agile Negative pricing hasn't happened all that often. Also, the one day when there was a stretch of negative pricing (25th Dec) was followed by several days (1 week and counting) of high Nocturnal pricing, we're talking well over 10p/kwH
Bottom Line, will switch over to Go soon
Yes, it is fair to say you very much have to take the rough with the smooth on Agile. Some people will do that, while others (like us) won't want to. Both outcomes are down to personal choice.
I will say, which I did in the video, that solar and battery storage would make a huge difference. Storing cheap energy in the battery and being able to use that when prices are high would remove the inconvenience of high prices element for me. Maybe I'll go back to Agile if I ever get a battery pack for the home.
@@dmorgsev thanks for the prompt response and informative video
Will stick it out for another few months 🤞
I recently signed up to Agile last August. Have I enjoyed plunge pricing? No! But I have enjoyed very attractive export prices with my 9kw solar array. One time I this September was getting paid £2.40 per kWh! Trouble was, it was 6.30pm, and it was a tiny quantity of exported electricity.
That said, it’s the end of September now, and the export surplus is dwindling with the recent purchase of my new EV. I’ll be switching to Go within the next couple of weeks. But come the springtime, I’ll be back on the Agile tariff.
Thank you this is really big help.
Good points made in clip. We have ipace and do 200 mile a week. We find it easy to move white good use beyond 4to7 and have dinner about 8 generally as an older couple.
We are not too fanatical about avoiding 4to7. If we want meal earlier we will. With all that our dual fuel bill is 100 pm less than BG fixed price rate. That incudes charging the car. So a fuel saving over the diesel pre decessor of over £350 a month.
Wow, that is a great saving. What I didn't make clear, and perhaps should have in the video, is we were definitely saving on Agile compared to a "standard" tariff.
But we had already experienced the predictability of Go before and missed it. Even if it means our bill goes up compared to Agile (though I don't think it will), then we are happy with that in exchange for the simpler pricing.
@@dmorgsev its a fair point in the video about working around peak 4-7 hours but it doesn't cost that much to use an electric oven for an hour cause the energy consumption would be quite low anyway right?
I presume long run you'd be saving a lot though with an EV charging overnight too.
@@vo5man possibly. But that is precisely what I didn't like about Agile. I found it complicated to work out if we were really saving money across the year. With Go it is much much easier to compare pricing with existing tariffs.
As I say elsewhere and in the video, even if Agile was cheaper overall we still wouldn't choose it now. We prefer the predictability and convenience of Octopus Go.
Others prefer Agile for very good reasons too. That is why Octopus and other energy companies offer more than one tariff, right? 🙂
The calculation for a retired couple is different because they can use the washing machine, spin dryer, tumble dryer, dishwasher etc. outside the peak early evening slot.
Snap. I've been on Agile for nearly a year but have just swapped back to Octopus Go for the very same reasons. If it turns out a little bit more expensive then my wife and are okay with that. The 4-7pm peak times were very frustrating especially at 35p per kw. I know the hardliners on Agile are saying not to worry about the peak time charges and to just use Agile as you would any other tariff but we are far more happier on Go. Knowing you have a fixed charge of 5p for 4 hrs each night also turns out better than Agile throughout the year as Agile prices in the off peak periods weren't always cheap.
That is exactly it. And kind of the point of my video - it doesn't matter what it is like on paper or even for somebody else. What's important is if/how it works for you and nobody else. I prefer Go personally but knows lots of people who get on great with Agile
I could cope with limiting use from 4-7pm, but when the rest of the day is averaging 20p/kWh, it's just not fun any more.
@@gazzaman28 I do think it can average out cheaper over the year, but that does mean taking the rough with the smooth. I just personally didn't want to make room for Agile in our life tbh.
Deliberately misleading rates. They give a spreadsheet showing Agile rates over 2019/20 when you sign up to ts and cs. I worked out average rate was 5 to 7p off peak. Then as soon as I sign up access to that spreadsheet magically disappears and unfortunately did not save it. They then give current rates once signed up showing average 15 to 16p!!!! Over 3 times more in some cases. This company is disgraceful and cannot believe there aren't more complaints.
@Peter Hicks It's all about that 16.00-19.00 peak, that's when all the oil, gas, coal & hydro stations have to kick in to keep the power on. If more people can avoid high usage during that peak then it makes power generation much easier for the grid & cheaper for us in the long term.
How come you don't want a smart meter? I'm on Octopus Go Faster (5.5p/kWh 20.30-01.30; 16p/kWh the rest of the day) and even car charging more than ever, my bills have never been cheaper in the last 5 years. I don't expect it will last, prices are going up and up, but the quicker everyone gets into smart meters the more balanced the grid will be. Even without a financial penalty I still try to avoid usage during that 3hr peak for the sake of the planet.
A god explanation and he’s rite, agile is best if you have solar and batteries, our batteries charge during the cheap period and discharge during the expensive period. We don’t really have to adjust our life’s other than we have 2 main periods for the washing machine, 1300-1500 and 0100-0300. Using the oven for a half hour even during peak isn’t a concern as instead of 35pkwh we are using the 18p kWh we bought earlier. We don’t have a car yet, but we we do we thing go will be the better option due to the mega Low rates.
Very useful information
a good balanced view of Agile thank you.
In the North East of England, the base price of octopus go for me was 12.87 p per kwhr. It is post code dependant
The day rates are postcode dependent but there isn't much between them on the whole. We just try to keep it simple with a rough average price. But you're right and people should check the price in their region when they go through to Octopus or any other provider.
Thanks for the video. I'm with Octopus Go, and have solar power and a battery. My main issue is smart export tariffs as I'm not able to benefit from Outgoing Octopus, with Octopus Go. Bulb offers 5.57p per kWh if I am their electrcitiy supplier, and 3p per kWh if I'm not with them. Simply put, who would you recommend for smart export tariffs when I'm with Octopus Go? I appreciate any feedback :)
To be honest I am not 100% up to speed on export tariffs. Not having solar, battery or an export tariff myself, I prefer not to recommend anything unless I've tested it. Sorry I can't help much.
I do know EV Man on TH-cam has solar, battery and export tariff. I THINK he has Octopus Agile export but I could be wrong. Worth checking him out on TH-cam and Twitter to see.
All the best and thanks for watching.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
@@SmartHomeCharge Thank you Danny, I will check out EV Man :)
The 4pm to 7pm slot is the catch however with Agile.
Yes, it all depends on whether you can/want to avoid those peak hours. If you're happy to then Agile will probably work out for you. But, for me, I want to use my electricity whenever I feel like so that was the primary reason for leaving.
Thanks for watching.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
Hi, I was thinking this tariff would suit a bidirectional charging vehicle. Using it as a battery during peak hours and then recharging it during low cost periods.
The GO tariff is NOT ALLOWED since Autumn 2021 unless you PROVE you have an EV. As I discovered Jan. 2022, when I ordered a battery/solar system. I can opt for Octopus Agile instead of a 'fixed'' or 'variable' tariff. I too can recommend the company though.
Well agile octopus works great for people who have battery storage then you don't have to worry when the time isn't as much of an issue
At last! Some common sense. 👍
Thanks for this, about to get an EV and looking at tariffs. With 2 young kids this sounds really inconvenient, even though working from home would benefit from cheaper rates during the daytime hours.
Feel like Agile is a perfect fit for solar users, which alas won't be us for many years.
Thanks for watching, glad it was helpful. We've had a baby since I made this video and I'm extremely pleased I decided to switch away from Agile and back to Octopus Go.
Because even if Agile worked out cheaper, I can't be doing with the hassle of working around the peak times and I don't want to think about it.
Go is much simpler to live with and it still means I can benefit from off-peak rates overnight.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
Great feed back , I talked to uswitch about octopus and they highly recommend, I take possession of an electric car in a couple of weeks so need to sign up at some point to gain a home charger.
Anyone WITH any advice , I would be very grateful, ps my new car will be 64Kw
I've been looking at this and for us I think it seems better to be on Agile in the Spring Summer and Go in the Autumn/Winter. Think Agile all year round might be worth it if you have a battery to store cheap/cheaper electricity
That could be a very good strategy, Robert. We've seen others mention this online so certainly worth trying.
@@SmartHomeCharge they block you from frequent switching.
Have you considered whether Air Source Heat Pumps might actually be the killer app for Octopus Agile, rather than electric vehicles?
I have had an ASHP installed this year, and the Agile tariff looks like it will save me £500 per year compared to my previous Elec+Gas combined bills.
I have beem able to disconnect from mains gas and cease that bill completely. I predict my annual elec consumption from grid will increase from around 4500kWh to around 9000kWh. So, all i need to do is program my Nest thermostat to back-off home heating during peak hours.
We have a four bedroom family home and small children, so i am prepared to overlook the lifestyle change you found uncomfortable. The heat pump is our primary concern.
I use a normal split unit air con as a air source heat pump, and I wish the Gov would wake up to this. I still have gas but it rarely comes on. I have my air con on heating all winter almost 24/7 in my ground floor lounge, it uses around 500W and heats most of the house. I turn it up way higher via a timer for the Octopus Go 4h cheap rates, which boosts the heat in the morning so the aircon can go off for a few hours and I save the standard rate. I also have it timed to turn off about 1030pm because the cheap rate is coming soon.
Using apps such as Ocopus Watch have shown me that the cost 4-7pm are not that much of an issue for me. The question I want an answer to is will Go and other flat tariffs go up?
I will have to check out that app. Sounds useful, but after a year of experiencing all the prices Agile can offer I know what to expect. If you use it right, I'm sure it is cheaper but I didn't want to use it in the way it needs to to work out cheaper. So switched to Go, which is easier and more predictable.
I doubt the off peak prices will go up. I could be wrong but the energy provider market is so competitive that I think we will see more EV, off peak, and time of use tariffs. More competition should mean better prices.
Great video but i agree that you need a battery that has a high cost and limited life span to replace in next 10 years (at another cost) and if you go further to solar panels then again another cost and a year on year derating return from them as their power drops over 15 years (Replace and another cost). I guess we have to do the Sums 6k power vault system and 8k Solar array (if house cam hold them). So at cheapest you pay a upfront cost of 14 to 15K.. Then have to replace it in 10 to 15 years (Maybe a bit longer) Is it worth the loans and and savings spent now for this or wait till it stream lined. What could you do now in this money crisis with 15k now verses worrying about a place where you are living in which in next 15 to 20 years you will move from and start the cycle again? New homes and people moving to last retirement homes makes sense to me. Heat pumps in anything but a new build insulated home makes no sense to me (heat pumps use electricality to work and in colder months they pull on that hard to work for a lower average temp plus the 4 to 15k to install) . Investment verses return depending on circumstances, family, age, renting, if moving in next 3 o 5 years and so may factors.
What happened to green hydrogen production and usage? Natural renewable energy changing water in to Hydrogen fuel and when burnt is carbon neutral and emits only water? Low effort and cost to change for all cars, boilers and power stations to use and produce only water vapour from sea water?
Seems a big drive to go eclectic to me that had not been well thought out. suspect some of the big companies may want the quicker profits now than then the longer term global change.
I am a very big advocate for green energy but building a 10,000 of them off shore (with a great government tax incentive to the companies but high sea / land licence / Royally tax charges) and limited infrastructure to be able to distribute that energy is a issue as it can only go locally. They turn them off because the grid infra can not handle them and we have to pay for their down time at a standard production rate. Brexit and rising tax and prices are seeing the dirty and green energy companies all backing away from investment and actively stopping investment.
Electric power UK wide infra has to be increased for these to work or will only supply local demand, Other systems like water pumped up to high land and dropping as hydro power needs to be looked at to take out peek coal fired power stations.
All the new north sea oil and gas projects are now being given the go ahead like the Bentley oil fields and new Nuclear rushed plants as there is a realisation after 25 years warning that we need all utilities infra focus (Maybe halted with new government depending on which comes in). (But private companies now own them want profits not wasting on investment unless for profit - New power station is investment is not an immediate profit or requirement for them)
Sadly my view for now is we do need immediate nuclear and new gas and oil field nationally owned with refineries to become energy / utilities efficient until we can solve this Green energy blockage on distribution and high licence tax for the plots. Though a long game is being played here with how the energy companies need to keep making money (And out pensions ae linked to it too these also and so change will be slow as no one wants to be poor in retirement).
Did you now that we only have one gas and oil refinery in the UK in Scotland and it is set to close as can not compete and refine the oil and gas too make a profit and so everything gets shipped to other countries to refine. Zero benefit to UK bills from UK of shore gas and oil apart from the licensing and tax per barrel (Mind you they are private companies and so not working in UK interest but theirs and share holders.... If it was you how where would you spend your money right now... Bit more seeing where the Gov and people want to go but all are stuck with oil and gas for now and decommissioned power stations now and upcoming. No one will wake tomorrow and be fine with no power or heating (Though many of us just turn it off till necessary to cook or heat but that lovely standing charge raise (that did not drop) makes sure they continue the profit as people suffer with cutting back). But its great going green and seeing the benefits if you have the money to spent on a green electric car, solar panels, Battery Storage, Fuse board upgrade, Electric heat pumps and install the installation to keep warm running in all day at its lower output temperature to keep it constant (And spend more on electric when in cold weather when it needs to boost the heat).
this was true, but when I looked at this, you are looking around around 35p during the day, and 7.5p during the night, and also you have a higt standing charged.
Thanks Danny, good vid. It would be interesting to know what the difference in £££s was between Agile and Go per month? Good point about usage times too, getting other members of the household to get on board with this may not be easy!
Hi Edward, I will have to look at my octopus account for a breakdown, but October on Agile was around £60 which was high for us.
I think it is quite hard to compare them. You have to use each to its advantages to truly make the most of them. We found Agile quite hard to live with, so we stopped shifting our usage around the peak prices hence why our bill was so high.
So for us it made sense to move to a tariff with a more predictable pricing pattern that suited our home lifestyle. :)
We are on Agile and find it easy to avoid using much during the 4pm to 7pm slot. We charge a car most but not all nights, and have an electric storage heater in my workshop as well as an electric underfloor heater in the kitchen both of which are on from midnight to 7am.
During the summer months we were averaging less than 8p per KWh (obviously with no heating) and during this winter less than 10p per KWh.
We don’t always avoid using electric ovens during the expensive period and don’t get silly over the kettle etc but remain satisfied with the Agile tariff. I might add that the price is very sensitive to how much wind is blowing and this winter we have had some very long periods with high pressure and cold static air, more than in previous years (I’m a sailor and notice these things).
I like the flexibility of Agile and though we could change to Go am unlikely to as I think we are doing better (but I could be wrong).
What if you had a home battery?
Thinking of changing to EDF now as you get 5 hrs at 4.5p
They certainly have some competitive tariffs now.
I’ve been using GO for over 12 months never fancied agile
If I could afford the £4,500 cost of having an inverter and battery installed and if my housing Ass. would let me I would defo go for it(pun intended). At 7.5p off peak electric usage I would be using only £1.25 ish every day maximum. I wonder if there is a grant available for renters(but I doubt I would get permission from the housing ass.)?
If you don't have at least solar pv, and even moreso battery storage, I can't imagine why you'd ever go on the OtcpousAgile tariff - I cannot see how it could ever be better in your situation than one of their "Go" tariffs...
I am inclined to agree (especially with prices the way they are now) which is why I switched back to GO.
Did you have a battery?
am i right in thinking that you can join Agile without an EV?
Found your video of interest. However, it would be good to hear about innovative solutions for EV users who do not have easy access to home electricity ie Victorian houses which front roads where Councils have not yet added charge stations. Is there any elegant, safe way to charge over the pavement? At the moment we have to rig up a cable, covered by a yellow case to avoid people tripping.... not at all ideal and certainly negates using cheap off-peak tariffs as night time would be asking for safety issues and vandalism. Would welcome your comments. Thanks
Hi Molly, thanks for watching and glad it was helpful even though the info is a little old now!
Regards to your question - in short, no there isn't any one ideal solution currently. There are firms who offer lamppost charging solutions and other on-street solutions, such as Connected Kerb. There is even a portable charge point called ZipCharge - the idea being you charge it inside your home when electricity is cheap (tariff dependent of course!) and then plug it into your vehicle as and when needed. It looks like a large carry-on suitcase, but I'm not sure if it's available yet.
I know some public charge point providers are exploring the possibility of variable rates to encourage off-peak use of public chargers. I understand Electric Universe by Octopus Energy is at the forefront of this. I don't know if it's live yet, but you can sign up for the Electric Universe card for free using the link below and get £5 free charging credit courtesy of Smart Home Charge, so hopefully that helps a little!
electroverse.octopus.energy/lp/shc?cid=shc
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
@@SmartHomeCharge Thank you - very helpful, Danny. I'll explore the options you mention.
Agile has gotton too expensive since January.
However as I have joined octopus outgoing i have managed to reduce my costs.
*My Powervault battery failed in Mid May
April bill was £5
May should be. £11* would have been a negative bill otherwise
However in the Winter I will move to Go Faster
I think you do have to take the rough with the smooth on Agile. Octopus itself says it is best for those who can shift their energy usage outside of peak hours.
That said, if you have battery storage, as you do, then that should definitely smooth out the bumps.
I'm on Go, so interested to know how you get on with "Go Faster".
Thanks for watching,
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
@@SmartHomeCharge update My Shitty Powervault died once again and I am now in the process for getting a refund so been without a battery for 2 months.
So have been on Agile and Agile Outgoing but will move to Go Faster or the new Intelligent tariff in September.
I am fairy happy with my bills as Solar exports are bringing my costs out on 21st July my current bill sits at £3 all you need is one bad day and that can add £3 in a day..
Agile Outgoing pays anything up to 20p a kwh and Go Faster pays you 3p a kwh
It’s now 30p per kWh during 0430-0030.
Octopus Energy as of the 1st October 2022 on their flaxable plan has not bothered to set the rates for gas and electric as in the government allowance. They are just charging the full whack of 51.71p per Kwh for electric and 14.85p per Kwh for gas!
Yep interested in this...waiting for my EV to come, I do 500 miles per week, so need a decent off peak tariff.....any other recommendations?
Just editing a video that looks at EV tariffs more generally, so look out for that.
Otherwise, the main ones drivers talk about are Octopus Agile and Octopus Go.
I think EDF's two GoElectric tariffs unfairly go under the radar. Off peak not quite as cheap, but many more hours of it including all weekend.
There's always our tariff comparison tool, too: www.smarthomecharge.co.uk/guides/energy-tariffs-how-to-keep-ev-charging-costs-low
It hasn't got all of them on there, but enough to get you started. The Go Ultra Low website also has a decent comparison page of different tariffs aimed at EV drivers.
Sounds like you could do with a battery?
Why did you not use a battery for peek times instead
Quite simply because I didn't have one at the time, nor could I afford one. And I still can't afford one now. 🙃
But the whole point of Agile is to buffer your usage with big batteries.
Absolutely - and I explained exactly that in the video.
The other point to mention is when I was testing Agile (nearly two years ago), the energy market was very different and the prices were much more attractive than they are now, so even without battery storage some homeowners/EV drivers might have benefitted from Agile.
But yes, I agree, as I said in the video, that battery storage is where Agile really comes into its own.
Thanks for watching,
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
They have stopped taking customers on Agile as of today. I will be getting solar and batteries. Shame non EV users can’t use Go
Just moved to OVO Drive from Agile after 18months. Octopus has been rather expensive over that period.
Part of, though not the main, reason we switched back to Octopus Go from Agile. But the great thing is the market is very competitive and lots of options about including OVO Drive. All the best with it.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
I recently switched from tracker and the agile tariff has been a very bad joke. Most days the average *off-peak* price is higher than the tracker price. The maths serve to severely punish any peak use while giving only small scope to benefit from even significant off-peak use. Very few people could gain over the tracker tariff, even if switching their home off at the mains during peak hours.
I sent a complaint and request to be put on tracker due to the outright inaccuracy of their description. The tariff simply isn't fit for the purpose it was designed for. The reality is that you only get to subsidise those on tracker to use power at any time of day.
Your summary is probably pretty accurate in the current climate. This was filmed over two years ago when the energy market was very different the Agile _regularly_ paid customers for using electricity, or it was free, or it was very cheap, except at the peak time when it was very expensive.
It was always designed to incentivise shifting usage away from peak times, as well as being very rewarding for those with solar and/or battery storage.
However, it's become a lot less attractive now due to the lack of regular low prices as you state. I think Octopus recognised this a long time ago which is why it has rolled out several new tariffs since.
The most popular currently (for EV drivers at least) is Intelligent Octopus Go - we've just reviewed it, and I've been on it for over a year now and very happy with it. Worth taking a look
th-cam.com/video/XfcQ5N0OVSs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=X8UwFcplCeRDQGV1
Thanks for watching,
Danny - editor
@@SmartHomeCharge yes, for me the only more intensive use that would significantly benefit from short super cheap spells would be cooking and an electric radiator for one room (I mostly use gas). If it's better in the summer then I don't have anything sufficiently significant to benefit from then, anyway.
The description on their page is grossly misleading and doesn't even mention what the equation for calculation is based on in the terms and conditions. For today, the average price is about 29p while the tracker is just 21p. I'm going to be furious if they insist on applying the 9 month wait, rather than let me back on tracker. They're clear about the fact prices fluctuate but not about the fact you probably won't even be better off if you avoid peak periods entirely- ie the exact basis that they sell it upon.
Octopus Go is a con.
Your night rate might half but your day rate will increase and cost more than the "saving".
For example, my economy 7 rate is 14.7p and day rate is 20.6p with standing charge at 23.85p/day.
Octopus Go is 7.5p, day rate 30.23 and daily charge of 23.76p.
Charging car on Economy 7 rate costs £30.66/month and on Go tariff costs £16.59 but my daily usage last month of 421 units has cost an extra £44.66, wiping out any saving.
Also, it's only 4 hours of cheap rate, not 7 hours and with 25% of my bill being night usage, it's an even worse deal as the other 3 hours will be charged at the ramped up daily rate.
It may not be the same for all but for my household (5 bed, family of 4, working from home, cooking on electricity) it doesn't work. Check your past bills and work out how much it will really cost, you'll be surprised.
This was a very long way of saying agile is better for people who have solar+battery. Of course it is. why would anybody without batteries would think its such a good idea to switch to agile?
Because when the video was made (in 2020), Agile frequently offered very low prices and often paid me as a customer to use electricity (usually in summer). So, back then, it was a compelling offering even without solar or battery. The situation now, of course, is very different. But the video should be seen in the context of when I made it.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
A battery storage system - even without solar - will solve all of these problems.
Hi Phil, it would help and I think I mention battery storage in the video. But it is quite a significant investment just to make a time-of-use tariff more convenient and more cost effective.
Obviously if someone wants battery storage anyway, then something like Agile is a bit of a no-brainer.
Thanks for watching.
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
It is for people with Solar and Batteries really?! And then EV overnight
My personal opinion is that Agile works best if you have solar and battery storage, as they would allow you to generate energy/draw from grid and store it when prices are low. When prices are high, you can then use your solar or the cheap energy stored in the battery and avoid pulling from the grid.
That's just my view. I know plenty of other Agile users online who manage without solar and batteries and still bring their energy costs down. Like I say in the video - if you can make it work for you then go for it. I couldn't make it work as well as I had hoped for our household, so we switched back to Octopus Go.
Thanks for watching,
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
Even cooking dinner in peak times works out cheaper than GO or other tariffs. Just don’t do washing machine, tumble dryer at peak times and it will likely work out cheaper. No “Faff” at all, just common sense needed
All I can say is we were on it for 12 months and we just didn't like it. We preferred Go. Different strokes for different folks that is all.
Agreed. Agile is only slightly cheaper than Go for us but when we get to drive more we'll be charging more and the difference will be greater.
@@dadjv1926 that's great. As I said, I'm not sure it worked out cheaper for us but that wasn't the reason we switched. We personally found it a pain to shift our energy usage. Some people won't mind and that is who Agile is aimed at. But it isn't always about price and the convenience of Go just suits our lifestyle better.
Brilliant to have these options though!
@@dadjv1926 The big issue I feel with Agile is that the really cheap prices are during the middle of the night which should be fine for charging an EV but the hours aren’t long enough for me. EDF (I think it was that one) had a much longer cheap tariff time which included the weekends.
@@SirHackaL0t. If I were to consider anything else other than Go or Agile it would be the EDF GoElectric. It has the most off peak hours including all weekend. Handy if you have a family probably
now would it turn out cheaper just doing what you do at the time you do it. total bill amounts
why put on whole oven to cook meat get a halogen which cooks faster in a smaller space there for is cheaper.
but back to go or agile can you not show the prices / units used during the time with them over the time to show that it really was more expensive.
there are things like your fridge that need to be on 24 / 7 so makes no difference on cost. the high price is then the rest of the time off set by a lower charge.
the better idea would be not to use very high items at peak cost time. but why are you using your oven every day why cant you cook outside the peak time the meat and you could always just warm it up just before eaten it.
may be you have not got the house set up to use less energy. low powered items like led bulbs etc
Hi David, thanks for watching. All valid points RE shifting energy usage outside of peak hours. That is what is needed to make the most of something like Agile. But I think I explained in the video that we just didn't want to do that. Having a young family also makes shifting energy usage more of a luxury that we don't have anymore - not on something as variable as Agile.
Whereas Go is predictable, so we can easily shift things like car charging, dishwasher etc to overnight without being "penalised" if we do need to use those items during peak hours.
All your other suggestions are good ones but require time and having a newborn baby has meant we don't have very much of that anymore haha!
Ultimately, it comes down to choice and as I say in the video, it has to work for you. I personally felt like I was bending over backwards to make Agile work for us and I didn't want to.
For others, it is perhaps not a chore at all and very easy for them, and I think that is fantastic. We need more innovative tariffs like Agile and more competition to keep electricity prices down 😀
Danny - editor at Smart Home Charge
Being payed to use electricity is very rare
It’s just talking shit how they charged me for 26 days £200 it’s more expensive than my old supplier wel shit OctopusEnergy !!
Octopus GO is not available to the vast majority of people
You're worrying too much. Just put the kettle on and the oven for 1/2 hour.
Haha, hardly worrying. The whole point of switching to Agile was to save money. In practice, we didn't find it cheaper and it was less convenient. Octopus make it extremely easy to switch to their other tariffs, so we did.
Octpus are a nightmare in my experience.
Very informative, thanks