Electricity Smart Meter

[Kim]

What is the saving compared to? Had a look through FAQ but it wasn’t clear.

Your average use for that time period over the last n weeks.  Yes, this is obviously flawed, but remember it's about reducing peak demand rather than saving energy.

If the "last n weeks" is a rolling average then if you make savings the effect will reduce over time as, presumably, your average that's the target to reduce will diminish thus reducing the chances of effecting savings made by realistic switchings-off . . . .?

Exactly.

[grams]

The National Grid uses the last 10 working days (Page 29 for grizzly details) to calculate their baseline:
https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/286976/download

Previous days where demand-shedding (DFS, or "event days") was in force are excluded.

One may reasonably assume Octopus does the same, or at least very similar.

[Lightning Phil]

Thus worth moving washing machine usage into in peak window (to push average up) outside of savings day.

[robgul]

The National Grid uses the last 10 working days (Page 29 for grizzly details) to calculate their baseline:
https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/286976/download

Previous days where demand-shedding (DFS, or "event days") was in force are excluded.

One may reasonably assume Octopus does the same, or at least very similar.

If that's the case then our action to turn off the coffee machine for the period of saving will probably ensure we get the stated minimum BG payment of £1 off the bill each time (Just had the saving from the Sunday half-price deal for October at £5.15p - quite a bit of planning with washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, oven, ironing etc to maximise saving)

[Mrs Pingu]

Another saving sesh 1630 til 1800 tomorrow.

[robgul]

Another saving sesh 1630 til 1800 tomorrow.

Ditto - must be cold!    Note made to switch off coffee machine after the cup of tea we have at 1600 (it's HW too, no kettle) and not use the oven until >1800.  Should be another quid!

[felstedrider]

I was in the control room of a company that optimises flexible assets today.  The tech is fascinating.  Anyway they look at the same system signals so they have had a very busy few days providing services to the market and National Grid.

I’m just waiting for Skynet to become self aware and the machines to take over.


(I made that joke and they didn’t get it.  Bloody kids.)

[felstedrider]

Incendiary reporting anyone :-

https://news.sky.com/story/cold-weather-prompts-national-grid-to-activate-energy-blackout-scheme-13018206

[tom_e]

That is a particularly shit bit of reporting.  First the over-dramatisation, but then the last paragraph where they appear to be confused and think the whole thing is about "saving" electricity:

The scheme is estimated to have saved more than 3,300MWh of electricity across 22 activations in 2022, which is enough to power around 10 million homes for an hour.

[Kim]

Another saving sesh 1630 til 1800 tomorrow.

Not yet had an email for that one, but I've gone and signed up on the website.

[robgul]

BG peak saver 1730-1830 today, 5 Dec

[Jasmine]

Hmm, I've signed up but I think it's likely impossible to hit my target. I won't even be in during that window, but because the reduction target is in comparison to my typical use in that time window, I think I'd need to turn off stuff like the fridge to hit a reduction. If all the events are likely to be 4.30 to 6.30pm, I'll have to start running the washing machine and oven at 6pm a few nights.

[TimC]

Just hit £120 for a week’s worth of Octopus’ finest electrickery - and we still have the coldest months to come! This is for a 2 bed thatched cottage of 800sq ft.

[Kim]

And I've just found out there was a savings session this evening.  Never got an email about that one.   

[orraloon]

Got messaged via the Octoplus whatsapp update thing, noticed it with 6 minutes to go...  Seems need that app to be in line, emails they claim to be not so immediate.  Or there is a @SavingSessions thing in the Muskrat world, so they say.

[grams]

There was no app push notification either if that makes you feel better.

[robgul]

BG email at 1436 today for 1700-1800 saving deal.

We've just had a bill for the quarter 2 Sept - 20 Nov* . .  the savings listed don't make a lot of sense as the dates recorded don't tally with the dates on which savings were available (that's half-price Sunday and the peak saving, short notice ones) - total discount/saving on the bill was about £16 with biggest savings being the half-price Sundays** which were all between £1.60 and £2.00.

* we're on quarterly bills, paid for consumpption as received by DD (i.e. not monthly payments)
** strategic planning with washing machine, tumble dryer, oven, dishwasher, breadmaker and more running in the save period

[Mrs Pingu]

I got the WhatsApp notification around 3pm.

[Kim]

Fediverse discussion lead me to this:

https://twitter.com/OctopusEnergy/status/1729979004399055070

And poking around the GraphQL API schema thingy suggests that it's possible to get details of, and indeed join, savings sessions from there.


Unfortunately, I'm the wrong kind of programmer, so working out how to interact with the GraphQL API will involve voodoo.  It was hard enough getting the REST API to work.

[mrcharly-YHT]

We are changing supplier.

The 'smartmeter' will become a 'dumb' meter.

Remind me again, what was the point of these things? Generate e-waste?

[toontra]

Finally bit the bullet and had a combined smart meter installed by Ovo today.  Part of the reason was my old leccy meter was in another flat which is often unattended so I had no idea of my usage and couldn't take meter readings.

The new setup seems to be working well.  I'll soon find out if it screws with my (separate meter) FIT payments.

[robgul]

BG email - 1700-1800 Peak Save today, 14 Dec.

[orraloon]

Octopus saving session tonight 1700-1800

[felstedrider]

It's interesting as the Grid doesn't really seem to be struggling and prices are pretty benign.   The whole of Q1 has pretty much collapsed as supply stays healthy and weather has remained mild.

https://bmreports.com/bmrs/?q=transmission/systemwarning

The Elexon website refers to DFS tests so I'm wondering if this is a bit of dry running.

[robgul]

Another BG saver  1730-1830 today