I don't think that many of the Octopus tariffs could 'work' without a 'smart' meter, could they?
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Off-peak tariff, does it really save money?
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That is correct. When I moved over (whilst still being on one of the 50year old black rotor meters), I did not have any choice of smart tariffs. Once I got the smart meters, I had access to many more (excluding a few EV specific ones). There is no way of correctly measuring in 30 mins intervals without a smart meter and that is the basis for most of their smart tariffs.
Octopus have been pestering me for months to have a smart meter, emails, phone calls. I said I don't want one, and as my elec is a small part of my total bill, and night usage a small part of that, I'd wouldn't mind paying day rate for all of it. Eventually they agreed, and offered a new tariff on that basis, which came to lower total cost than the previous! So no, the tariff does work without a smart meter.
I thought I'd seen a post from somebody with Octopus who hadn't been pressed to get one, but maybe my memory is failing me.
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Can I ask why? A colleague of mine also refuses.. he says they would force him to switch tariff.. which is not true, as I have gone through it and was not forced to do anything.
it's for free, more accurate, you can monitor live...you don't need to switch.. I see no downside for me at least. They put fresh wires in from the old 100amp fuse, so some safer upgrade as well.
I've heard horror stories, like it being installed but not working (I think somebody on this thread mentioned that), giving wrong readings, maybe not working if you change supplier, can be switched off remotely (perhaps by somebody in Beijing!)
And being a Luddite in some respects.
Fair enough. A plumb standard single-rate tariff obviously can (and, you confirm, does) 'work' without a 'smart' meter, but the great majority of people who go to Octopus do so because of their various 'smart tariffs', which obviously cannot work without a 'smart' meter.
I must confess that I didn't even realise that Octopus offered a single-rate non-smart tariff, and I'm a bit surprised to hear that it's cheaper (for you) than a previous supplier - I thought that all suppliers were currently charging at the Ofgem 'energy price cap' for such tariffs!
'Installed but not working is really no worse than having a dumb meter, and 'giving wrong readings' can happen with either dumb or 'smart' meters.
That was the case with the early SMETS1 meters, but I think it's largely a problem of the past.
That is one of the most commonly voiced concerns, but I believe that all suppliers have 'promised' not to do it - but that obviously theoretically leaves the possibility of Beijing, Moscow or wherever. I've never heard any stories of people actually having been 'switched off remotely' when they shouldn't have been.
However, at least for the time being, you have ability do decline to have one!
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I have tried to read the smart meter, I gave up. Pressing the buttons, there are so many readings, and no instructions. The IHD (in home display) not quite so bad, but without the app, I would be lost. The old meter, easy to read.
I'm pretty sure that while they don't really advertise them, Octopus also have "standard" tarrifs, both for people who are waiting for a smart meter, and for people who have been transferred to them after a supplier collapse.
I have no problem with the one I have. If you look online, you'll be able to get the meter's manual (hence instructions).
Fair enough - but, as I just wrote, won't they currently be charging for those "standard" tariffs at exactly the same price of all other suppliers - namely 'at' the Ofgem 'cap' figure?
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I am on until changed which I hope will not take long, Octopus 12M Fixed 25.37p / kWh and 68.17p per day standing charge. I think that would be the rate without a smart meter.
I am in the process of trying to get changed to Octopus Flux, but this means a higher day rate.
There is also Octopus "Go" which is similar to British Gas EV rate the latter
I compared with Flux, and it seems I will be about £150 per year better off with Flux, but to do that I used the data from the last year, which is not quite right, as started with a 3.2 kWh battery and then went to a 6.4 kWh battery.
I am in the process of trying to get changed to Octopus Flux, but this means a higher day rate.
There is also Octopus "Go" which is similar to British Gas EV rate the latter
I compared with Flux, and it seems I will be about £150 per year better off with Flux, but to do that I used the data from the last year, which is not quite right, as started with a 3.2 kWh battery and then went to a 6.4 kWh battery.
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Not sure about the remote switching, but stories of bad installations I have heard as well and there were various articles on the BBC reporting about it. Mine has worked flawlessly but this is definitely a fair argument to be cautious. I thought it was more based on a specific technical issue or so. A friend of mine had engineers attend to install a smart meter, but given that the old meter was boxed into a structure, there was no space to add the new equipment without much hassle and landlord involvement.. lots of back and forth and in the end he have up, which is also understandable.
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The north/south divide 
means that reports need to say where they are, to be of any use. @nero44 tells us London, that's great, as does @JohnW2 but @plugwash does not tell us, as to @fixitflav not sure, he is close to the dividing line, but it does seem we are talking about the South?
All of Wales, as far as smart meters goes, is in the South, maybe not the best idea, my smart meter works A1, but I hear many are having problems, as mobile phone coverage does not reach all.
But we all want to pay as little as we can for electric. And I can understand the split single tariff all day every day, and a split tariff with off-peak, standard and peak, and also the variable rate. But why is off-peak for 3 hours, more expensive as off-peak for 5 hours? I can see why off-peak for 10 hours more than 7 hours, and 7 hours more than 5 hours, but why is 3 hours more expensive to 5 hours?
It is swings and roundabouts for the user, as lower off-peak also means lower payment for solar. But does not seem to make sense, why is one solar producer paid 27.73p (4 pm to 7 pm) and another paid 8p all per kWh at the same time of day?
To work it all out, you need to have had solar for a year. A new solar installation, with battery, has no idea what will happen in Winter. I have 1.5 kW at the moment, but this time in winter, sun not over the local hill, so nothing. And most of the tariffs have leaving fees, so stuck with it for a year. This is why I am only just leaving British Gas, I was tied in until 4th of April.
Now tied to Octopus in the same way, if I don't like them, basic tough, stuck until next year or exit fee. I ended up with British Gas due to the old provider going to the wall, and we got locked in when I went to the EV tariff (same as Octopus "Go") we were promised payment for export, it never happened. Now looking at Octopus "Go" maybe the export payment was simply not available with the EV tariff, but they did not tell us that, but Octopus "Go" is only 8p per kWh for export, where I will get 13.9p per kWh with Flux.
Solar and batteries have worked well, but getting the right tariff has been a nightmare. And to date still not on Octopus Flux.
means that reports need to say where they are, to be of any use. @nero44 tells us London, that's great, as does @JohnW2 but @plugwash does not tell us, as to @fixitflav not sure, he is close to the dividing line, but it does seem we are talking about the South?All of Wales, as far as smart meters goes, is in the South, maybe not the best idea, my smart meter works A1, but I hear many are having problems, as mobile phone coverage does not reach all.
But we all want to pay as little as we can for electric. And I can understand the split single tariff all day every day, and a split tariff with off-peak, standard and peak, and also the variable rate. But why is off-peak for 3 hours, more expensive as off-peak for 5 hours? I can see why off-peak for 10 hours more than 7 hours, and 7 hours more than 5 hours, but why is 3 hours more expensive to 5 hours?
It is swings and roundabouts for the user, as lower off-peak also means lower payment for solar. But does not seem to make sense, why is one solar producer paid 27.73p (4 pm to 7 pm) and another paid 8p all per kWh at the same time of day?
To work it all out, you need to have had solar for a year. A new solar installation, with battery, has no idea what will happen in Winter. I have 1.5 kW at the moment, but this time in winter, sun not over the local hill, so nothing. And most of the tariffs have leaving fees, so stuck with it for a year. This is why I am only just leaving British Gas, I was tied in until 4th of April.
Now tied to Octopus in the same way, if I don't like them, basic tough, stuck until next year or exit fee. I ended up with British Gas due to the old provider going to the wall, and we got locked in when I went to the EV tariff (same as Octopus "Go") we were promised payment for export, it never happened. Now looking at Octopus "Go" maybe the export payment was simply not available with the EV tariff, but they did not tell us that, but Octopus "Go" is only 8p per kWh for export, where I will get 13.9p per kWh with Flux.
Solar and batteries have worked well, but getting the right tariff has been a nightmare. And to date still not on Octopus Flux.
It's called Loyal Octopus 14M Fixed
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