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I’m planning to get solar panels for my bungalow. I have a lot of south east facing roof space, an air source heat pump, and an electric car (low mileage). We are ‘at home all day’ and I am hoping to not need battery storage.

The word on the street is to get as many PV panels as can fit on the roof, 24 would fit and the DNO is ok with that. 
How do I decide just how many panels to get ? Any advice would be gratefully received.

I'm confused. I've just checked the Octopus flexible tariff (the standard variable tariff) and it's showing as 34.18p per kWh.

 

Are the figures you're being quoted after the end of the government price guarantee?


I'm confused. I've just checked the Octopus flexible tariff (the standard variable tariff) and it's showing as 34.18p per kWh.

 

Are the figures you're being quoted after the end of the government price guarantee?

Perhaps you are quoting the rate for the single rate electricity tariff? 

Perhaps @juliamc may be quoting the peak rate on E7?

For my postcode 

 


Hmm… that’s very different! The quote was given today, 5th June. It is via the ‘recommend a friend’ link… so they dole out £50 each to the recommender and the recommendee


Hmm… that’s very different! The quote was given today, 5th June. It is via the ‘recommend a friend’ link… so they dole out £50 each to the recommender and the recommendee

Use this page

https://octopus.energy/tariffs/

Don't click on get a quote. 

Just type your postcode in the box below it. 

Then you can see and filter all the current OVO tariff. It is the easiest way to compare. 

 

 


Update!!! I’m being a complete pillock 🤦‍♀️ those numbers I gave are the standing charge. 


Update!!! I’m being a complete pillock 🤦‍♀️ those numbers I gave are the standing charge. 

Easily done 😊

That makes sense now. 


Simpler Energy - dual fuel, my annual electricity use on the OVO plan is 8332 kWh and gas just 284 kWh so maybe a ‘normal’ customer may do better.

elec unit rate   OVO 32.54p : Octopus 34.18p

gas unit rate    OVO 9.84p  : Octopus 10.34p

Sorry, in the current parlance ‘my bad’ 🙄

Still more expensive though…


Simpler Energy - dual fuel, my annual electricity use on the OVO plan is 8332 kWh and gas just 284 kWh so maybe a ‘normal’ customer may do better.

elec unit rate   OVO 32.54p : Octopus 34.18p

gas unit rate    OVO 9.84p  : Octopus 10.34p

Sorry, in the current parlance ‘my bad’ 🙄

Still more expensive though…

Is the ovo rate including VAT?

The rates on the OVO plan page are ex vat for example.

https://account.ovoenergy.com/plan

The rates on the OVO bills are also ex VAT. 

The rates on the ovo renewal page are inc VAT

https://products.ovoenergy.com/journey/renewal/energy-renewal

The Octopus rates on the Octopus tariff page are including VAT 


Good grief, you’d think I’d never paid a bill before !!! I didn’t even consider that 🤦‍♀️. Your patience is never ending @Jeffus 

Of course - the OVO plan page does say (at the bottom) the prices are ex vat, however the octopus page doesn’t mention vat at all !!!!! I’ve been wrong before as we know, but how do you know they inc vat?

I’ve searched through the octopus website and there is no mention of vat anywhere that I can see. 


Good grief, you’d think I’d never paid a bill before !!! I didn’t even consider that 🤦‍♀️. Your patience is never ending @Jeffus 

Of course - the OVO plan page does say (at the bottom) the prices are ex vat, however the octopus page doesn’t mention vat at all !!!!! I’ve been wrong before as we know, but how do you know they inc vat?

I’ve searched through the octopus website and there is no mention of vat anywhere that I can see. 

On the tariff page it mentions inc vat

https://octopus.energy/tariffs/

Quotes with OVO and Octopus and other suppliers have the rates including VAT. 

When you see rates on the OVO plan page, your  OVO bills, the OVO usage page they are ex  VAT

When you look at your IHD the rates are inc VAT with any supplier. 

So i suspect you need to add vat to the ovo unit rates and standing charges i assume you have taken from the ovo plan page to compare to those octopus rates. 

Did you get the OVO rates from the OVO plan page? 


Yes, I did take the OVO rates from the plan page. I’m just looking at the Octopus Quote pages, tariff info etc. where there is no mention of VAT. 

Now I’ve added the VAT Octopus are £10.82 cheaper - thanks so much !!!

Does seem a bit barmy not to say this on the Quote page. I think I’ll send a strongly worded Contact as they nearly lost a customer. And cheeky of OVO to have that plan not inc VAT.


Yes, I did take the OVO rates from the plan page. I’m just looking at the Octopus Quote pages, tariff info etc. where there is no mention of VAT. 

Now I’ve added the VAT Octopus are £10.82 cheaper - thanks so much !!!

Does seem a bit barmy not to say this on the Quote page. I think I’ll send a strongly worded Contact as they nearly lost a customer. And cheeky of OVO to have that plan not inc VAT.

Tariff Information Labels (TIL) with new quotes are always mean to include VAT.

I agree, Octopus should include a mention that the rates include VAT on the quote page, as well as that tariff page I posted where they do mention it

We get quite a few posts on the OVO forum about the VAT, especially people comparing what they see on the In Home Display and the website, but also between the Renewal page and the plan page. 


One other consideration @juliamc would be if you were going to sign up for a Ripple feed. As it looks like OVO are not going to look at becoming a supplier, you would then have to look elsewhere. I’m also in that boat, having recently purchased shares in their recently launched solar park 


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