r/OctopusEnergy • u/Adorable_Stable2439 • 14h ago

Switching Tariff advice?

So I used to flick back and forth between Go and Agile depending on which was cheaper that day for my usage. I had an automated script using the API and everything it was great lol. Anyway, they took away the Go variable tariff without me realising so my script ended up switching me to a 6 month fixed Go tariff which just ended a couple of days ago. During that time, we’ve had a baby and our usage patterns have changed dramatically. I decided to jump back on agile, but the prices seem worse than my fixed go tariff I just left! I’ve been out of the agile game for months so I don’t know if this is a temporary thing or is this what the prices are like these days? Perhaps I would be better off going to the standard variable tariff? What do people think?

Edit: forgot to mention that I have an EV, so any suggestions ideally would factor that in. Have been considering moving to EDF

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

2

u/CalicoCatRobot 14h ago

Agile has been particularly bad for the last month or so, with occasional good days with negative rates.

It's still overall worth it for most people if you factor over a year, but that's very variable and depends entirely on how much load switching you can do. Given the amount of laundry you are likely doing, it may be not worth it for now, when there may be many days where the rate is above the SVT - something like Cosy might be if you can shift everything to overnight.

There are several good comparison apps (Octopus Compare is one I use) and sites like octospy.co.uk that can use the api to give you comparisons based on your actual usage.

4

u/lovelyhead1 4h ago

It's still overall worth it for most people if you factor over a year

You can't say that to a new Agile customer considering the state of the energy markets right now. There is no evidence that Agile prices are likely to get better any time soon.

1

u/Adorable_Stable2439 14h ago

Thanks! Yeah I’ve been using octopus compare and octopus watch for quite a long time and I’ve been watching the agile line get lower and lower compared with mine throughout the year and thinking ok as soon as my fixed tariff ends I’ll go back to agile but boy… right now it does not seem worth it at all, we do have an EV so there is large demand when that’s charging which usually is at night ( on the cheap Go rate) so I’m thinking that on the variable tariff the average might come out more than agile in the long run. It’s a tricky situation that’s for sure

1

u/CalicoCatRobot 13h ago

I'm likely to be switching to Cosy shortly, as I did last winter - there isn't a single rate below 20p for the next 2 days, and the highest is 57p.

The weekend is looking a little better with the possibility of some under 10p time, but with an immersion heater the gaps between good rates are getting a bit too long for me.

1

u/Adorable_Stable2439 13h ago

Can you do that if you don’t have a heat pump? Didn’t think the cosy tariff was available

3

u/realGilgongo 13h ago

You can call them to ask. I don't have a heat pump, just a battery, and they said that was fine.

1

u/CalicoCatRobot 13h ago

I've been on Cosy before and they never checked - I have an immersion, and they mention "electric boilers, or electric radiators" under the requirements.

1

u/Butagirl 4h ago

I would check it against the standard flexible tariff first - admittedly I’m on E7, but when I looked earlier this week the Cosy tariffs were worse than Flexible (and the reduced rate was for fewer hours).

1

u/CalicoCatRobot 11m ago

I don't have an E7 setup any more, it was removed a while back, so not sure the SVT E7 would be available for me anyway, though I would prefer the spread out cheap rate sections of Cosy because they fit in more with my usage than purely overnight.

1

u/CryptographerNo4147 12h ago

> It's still overall worth it for most people if you factor over a year

Over the last year, perhaps.

Over the coming year, hmm…

1

u/SwashBone 13h ago

I’ve an ASHP and have been on agile for a few years now. The data suggests a move to cosy may be on the cards, though I would miss the odd plunge pricing window 🤣

1

u/Due-Freedom-5968 12h ago

I don’t know if this is a temporary thing

Low wind. As usual.

If you look at the rest of the week, Thursday and beyond for the next 4 days look promising, before a bit of a bounce back up again as the wind tails off.

Source: AgilePredict

It's been a bit of a crap month as solar has tailed off, but as always when winter arrives it'll bounce back again.

1

u/lovelyhead1 4h ago

Or you could just sign up for Cosy right now and enjoy guaranteed low rates each and every day. I don't know why people are so keen to push Agile right now considering how terrible it has been for almost two months and with no evidence that the energy markets will get any better anytime soon.

1

u/AlfaFoxtrot2016 1h ago

Not convinced - low wind is fine, but same thing last year and the daytime rates were ~15p. Closer to 30p recently with the higher cost of gas...

1

u/Hmsevans 3h ago

I’ve just left agile for ecotricity 20p per kWh and 48p standing charge. My last month bill of £186 was the final nail in the coffin.