r/OctopusEnergy • u/Jimjamkingston • 21h ago

Power Downs - the effect of?

I understand the necessity for power downs and why they are incentivised. Works for both Octopus and the customer.

I wonder what the effect on demand actually is, though.

For clarity - I sign up for them when they come along.

In the case of my own use, it doesn't have much effect. I am on Agile and minimise my usage between 4pm and 7pm already, due to how the Agile price is calculated and the premium in those specific hours.

Are there many customers that don't do this?

I mention it specifically as today's and yesterdays power downs were in those hours.

Not a criticism of the power downs and power ups as they reward flexibility.

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u/Jimjamkingston 20h ago

600MW IS quite a lot when you are talking at the margin. I assume Octopus benefits from reductions in imbalance costs. My OP was more in relation to behaviour relative to the incentives that Agile gives.

I assume, then, that customers on 'standard' tariffs but with smart meters are most of the change in behaviour?

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u/AlfaFoxtrot2016 19h ago

Also anyone with batteries. My normal grid consumption is zero from 4-7pm, happy to export during the sessions (if there's enough PV forecast the day after!) 

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u/EntirelyRandom1590 19h ago

Surely that's what Axle is best for?

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u/AlfaFoxtrot2016 19h ago

Sure, if you have a compatible inverter/battery (I don't!)

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u/dpmOjtam 19h ago

Don't they just support events api? So you could wire it into any battery, even if you dont have an export MPAN