Netzero - Dynamic Electricity Pricing
Introduction
Netzero enables dynamic electricity pricing (also known as dynamic tariffs, day-ahead pricing, or wholesale pricing). These utility plans have pricing that reflects the variation in wholesale electricity costs due to changes in supply and demand. The prices change frequently (as frequently as every 5 minutes) and are usually forecast for the next 24 hours.
Powerwall uses the utility rate plan to optimize its Time-Based Control. Netzero adds the ability to automatically update dynamic tariffs (based on the published prices), thus ensuring optimal Time-Based Control.
By shifting usage based on dynamic pricing (e.g. reducing usage during expensive peaks), users can save on electricity costs. A Powerwall system in combination with accurate rate plans is a great way to achieve that goal!
Supported Plans
Netzero currently supports the following plans:
- Agile Octopus (Octopus Energy, UK)
- Tibber (Sweden, Norway, Germany & the Netherlands)
- Amber Electric (Australia)
- ComEd Hourly Pricing (ComEd, Illinois, US)
If you are in a region with a supported provider, you will see a “Utility Rate Plan” option in the main menu.
We will add support for additional plans and utilities in the future, let us know if you’re currently on a dynamic plan and would like to participate.
Agile Octopus Configuration
If you’re currently on an Agile Octopus plan, configure your region, import and export tariff, and check the “Automatically update rate plan” checkbox. This will result in a few changes:
- Your prior tariff configuration will be overridden. In the future, the app will allow restoring the original plan; for now, make sure to separately store your existing rate plan if you created it manually and might need it in the future.
- Your new tariff configuration will reflect the current pricing schedule. You can confirm the pricing using the Agile Dashboard.
- As new tariffs are announced (usually around 4pm), the tariff configuration will be automatically updated. You do not need to keep the app open for that.
Note that the Tesla app’s Utility Rate Plan section doesn’t display dynamic tariffs properly:
We will work with the Tesla team to make sure this gets corrected. For now, you can instead use the Buy and Sell charts (shown by scrolling down under the Grid chart) to display the dynamic prices:
Note: for plans with fixed outgoing (sell) prices, the sell prices are adjusted to never exceed buy prices. This results in better Powerwall behavior (more cycling when required), due to a limitation in Tesla’s Time-Based Control algorithm.
Tibber and Amber Electric Configuration
Tibber and Amber Electric plans can be configured by providing your API token from the provider. Follow the instructions in the app.
ComEd Hourly Pricing
ComEd Hourly Pricing does not require any configuration, just turning on automatic updates. PJM day-ahead prices will be used for the forecast, and the ComEd Current Hour Average will be used to update the real-time price for the current hour.
Notes
- Tesla allows a limited number of slots for configuring tariffs, which can only be set for a 24-hour period. As a result, slots corresponding to times that have already passed today are filled with tomorrow’s prices, while future slots for today will contain the correct prices. For example, if checking pricing at noon, prices from noon to midnight will reflect today’s prices, while prices from midnight to 11:59 AM will reflect tomorrow’s prices. This approach gives the Powerwall a broader view of future pricing, enabling better decisions for charging and discharging.
Disabling Automatic Updates
If you wish to stop updating your dynamic tariffs, uncheck the “Automatically update rate plan” checkbox under “Utility Rate Plan”. Make sure to also configure a new fixed rate plan with the Tesla app, using the Start Over button.