Octopus Labs: Sync up your smart home tech

Want to sync your solar, battery or EV with the cheapest times on your smart tariff? With Octopus Labs, it's easy — and a great little rainy day job to sink your teeth into. Phil Steele, our "Tech Evangelist," is here to tell you more.

Short on time? Skip ahead:

What is Octopus Labs and how can it benefit you?

Octopus Labs is our very own research and development platform. It’s where the magic happens, and where prototypes for things like Intelligent Octopus and Octopus Fan Club were born. And the best part? It's open to you, the public.

Once signed up, you can set schedules for multiple devices, get a detailed view of your energy use, and see your carbon emissions — super cool techy stuff that would suit anyone wanting to become a more active participant in their energy use.

Plus, it’s free to use!

Here are some of the ways it could help you:

  1. Optimise your solar and battery to charge based on the best Agile Outgoing prices.
  2. Got an EV? Schedule your battery to charge on your super-cheap Intelligent charging rate.
  3. Got two EVs and a GivEnergy EV charger? Get both cars synced up with low price periods on Intelligent Octopus Go.

The ability to make changes on the fly or at the last minute has been a game-changer for me. The application has made it easier to optimise my energy usage and ensure that my battery is always charged when I need it.

Francois, Maidenhead

How to create an account

You might be wondering why you can't access this stuff from your Octopus account— there's a good reason. Octopus Labs is where we try out ideas before they go mainstream. As it's a beta site and things are constantly evolving, there might be a few bumps along the way. But keeping it separate from our main website means Phil and the gang can test and experiment even more speedily. It's a bit like the Octopus Wild West, dive in and see for yourself!

Create a free account

Follow these steps to create an account:

  1. Log in to your Octopus energy account and find your API key under Personal Details > Development Settings
  2. Copy your API key
  3. Go to the R&D platform
  4. Click 'Sign up' and follow the steps
  5. Once on your dashboard, click the little book icon in the top right-hand corner for tips on how to use the platform!

Once you've set up an account, here's how to add a device:

To get started with Octopus Labs, you'll need to link your smart home tech to the platform. It’s quick and easy, but first, you’ll need to grab the API key or 'token' for your devices. Think of it as a digital handshake — a string of numbers that connects your device to our tariffs. Not sure where to find it? Your device account settings are usually the best place to start.

Follow these steps to add a device:

  1. Go to the menu
  2. Click on 'Devices'
  3. Choose 'Add brand'
  4. Fill in the details of your device then click 'Create brand'
  5. Go into your device account settings to find your API key or token
  6. Paste your API key or token into the 'Brand Authentication' box
  7. Press 'Confirm' to add your device to the dashboard

How to set a schedule for smart tech:

This is the fun part. On Octopus Labs, you can set a ton of schedules and optimisations based on the cheapest price periods on your smart tariff. There's the basic stuff: like setting times and dates. And then there's the cool stuff: like telling your solar and battery system to export when you'll get the most bang for your buck.

Follow these steps to create a schedule:

  1. Go to the menu
  2. Click on 'Scheduler' and a calendar will appear
  3. Click a time on the calendar to create an event
  4. Choose the title, start and end date, and frequency
  5. Select your device from the drop down
  6. Set your optimisation criteria (when you want it to charge and discharge!)
  7. Click 'Create'

If you're optimising your tech on the Agile tariff:

  1. Follow the steps above until you set the optimisation
  2. Where it says 'Optimisation to use,' toggle the button to 'Octopus'
  3. Choose your charge rates e.g. charge if rate is lower than...
  4. Click 'Create'
  5. Now you've set your device schedule!

What devices are compatible?

Currently, Octopus Labs works with the following brands: GivEnergy, LuxPower, SolarEdge, Nibe, Airex, Voltaware, SolaxPower and Tado.

Phil and his team are adding more devices to the platform all the time, so if yours doesn't feature at the moment, there's a good chance it will soon.

Here's what customers are saying...

As a homeowner with solar panels and batteries, I rely heavily on my inverter scheduling API to manage the charge and discharge of my battery.

However, when the server for my API Inverter went down for a few days, I found myself in need of an alternative solution. That's when I discovered OctopusEnergy Labs.

I was pleased to find that the OctopusEnergy R&D Labs web application offers more flexibility in scheduling the charge and discharge of my battery. The ability schedule or to make changes on the fly or at the last minute has been a game-changer for me. The application has made it easier to optimize my energy usage and ensure that my battery is always charged when I need it.

Francois, Maidenhead

I am a confirmed fan of Octopus and especially R&D, what else can I say?

I like the agile system and try to make best use of the rates, not always successfully but reckon that I am saving enough to get a five year payback on my SV/battery system which can’t be bad. There are occasional hiccups but your response and support has always been excellent, most impressed.

Graham, Bicester

Help us spread the word

Found a nifty way to programme your home devices on Octopus Labs? We'd love to hear about it and think others would too. Tag us on social media sharing your experiences (and experiments) to help more people save by syncing up smart home tech.

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