Alexa is Amazon’s voice-enabled digital assistant. She comes with any Amazon Echo gadget and a few Alexa-enabled third-party merchandise such because the Sonos One speaker or GE lamps. Calling her identify will make it easier to discover data or carry out quite a lot of duties reminiscent of enjoying your favorite music on command.
In sensible properties, she does heavier lifting, reminiscent of dimming your lights, locking your doorways, adjusting your heating and working smart-enabled home equipment and units you would possibly personal.
As of in the present day, she’s picked up a brand new ability. All you could do is say…
“Alexa, ask Octopus: when is electrical energy most cost-effective in the present day?”
We have built-in with Amazon Alexa to make your vitality smarter – telling you the most affordable instances to make use of energy, letting you understand how a lot you’ve got used, and even linking up with sensible merchandise for reasonable, inexperienced, no-hands vitality.
Slightly background on Agile Octopus
Final yr, we launched a world first: a time-of-use tariff referred to as Agile Octopus – giving prospects entry to dynamic half-hourly charges based mostly on wholesale vitality costs. At 4pm every day we publish the set of half-hour costs for 11pm that evening to 11pm the following day. You’ll be able to see these costs once you log into the Octopus account dashboard.
Agile has an open API, which means techy prospects and fellow vitality innovators alike can hack into low cost, inexperienced vitality pricing and create sensible integrations.
Becoming a member of the Dots to unlock the sensible house
So, you’ve got acquired the dynamic, mega-cheap Agile costs.
You’ve got acquired the means to hack them by our open API.
To really unlock the advantages of those costs, and the sensible tech behind them, you want to have the ability to hyperlink up with sensible merchandise.
That is the place Alexa is available in…
Ask Alexa what time vitality is most cost-effective, or when it is most costly. What the worth is now, or what it is going to be at a particular time in the present day. You’ll be able to even ask how a lot electrical energy you consumed yesterday, this week or this month.
Getting began is straightforward – seek for the Octopus Talent within the Amazon Alexa app, fill in your Octopus particulars when prompted, and begin asking about your Agile tariff costs and consumption.
Our Alexa ‘ability’ consists of assist for display units just like the Spot, which means that whereas Alexa’s speaking, helpful data and figures will present on-screen – like your present vitality consumption, and the way a lot we’re charging you for it!
This integration is for Agile prospects on the forefront of sensible vitality, hacking into our open Agile API, utilizing the half-hourly pricing information to make properties smarter, vitality cheaper, and lives simpler.
Not on Agile? Excellent news: when you’re an Octopus buyer with a Safe sensible meter, Alexa can nonetheless let you know how a lot vitality you’ve got used, every day, month-to-month, and yearly!
This is not our first foray into sensible house integrations… earlier this yr, Agile met IFTTT (If This, Then That). IFTTT is a free web-based service that allows you to create guidelines and triggers so you may get sensible units and functions working collectively. Which means you are actually capable of plan your sensible processes, home equipment and units when the worth of electrical energy is most cost-effective. It’s a ache having to have a look at what the worth of vitality is now, or what it’s going to be in a while to determine, say, if it’s the fitting time to run the dishwasher.
With IFTTT you’ll be able to set an alert in order that when electrical energy is the most affordable, you’ll be able to robotically activate a wise plug or set the new water to warmth (electrical immersion in a scorching water tank) at the most effective time of day. Already an Agile buyer? Try IFTTT now.
I’ve thrown collectively the most typical questions folks have about this integration, together with tips on how to get began!
How do I get began?
×
First you could be an Octopus buyer, and ideally on the Agile tariff. You might be on different Octopus tariffs, however asking Alexa in regards to the tariff will simply offer you your present flat fee worth. The consumption information works for all tariffs however it’s essential to have a Good Meter.
Subsequent seek for the Octopus Talent within the Alexa app and allow it. You’ll be prompted to enter your API key, MPAN and Serial quantity to finish the method.
What’s Amazon Alexa?
×
Alexa merchandise (Echo, Dot, Present, Spot and so forth) are voice-enabled units (a few of which even have a display). Our ‘ability’ works throughout all of those units. Alexa additionally exhibits data on these units with screens — significantly helpful when attempting to hearken to Alexa let you know the worth is at present 9.42 pence per kWh instantly after she tells you that it’s at present between 9:30 and 10am. (Is that simply me?)
What can I ask?
×
To make use of the Octopus ability it’s essential to all the time begin with “Alexa, ask Octopus…” This opens the Octopus ability.
A great place to begin is solely to say “Alexa, open Octopus” and hearken to the prompts.
Alexa’s set of capabilities, for the second, is:
- Electrical energy worth now
- Electrical energy worth at a particular time
- Most cost-effective electrical energy in the present day
- Costliest electrical energy in the present day
- Electrical energy consumption yesterday, this week, this month
The ability recognises numerous variations so simply use pure questions reminiscent of “Alexa, ask Octopus how a lot is my electrical energy now”, or “Alexa, ask Octopus how a lot is my vitality now”, or “Alexa, ask Octopus how a lot am I paying for vitality now” or “Alexa, ask Octopus what’s the worth of electrical energy proper now”.
To get began, attempt these:
- Alexa, ask Octopus when is electrical energy most cost-effective in the present day?
- Alexa, ask Octopus when do I pay probably the most for electrical energy in the present day?
- Alexa, ask Octopus what’s going to I pay for electrical energy at 3.30pm?
- Alexa, ask Octopus what was my electrical energy consumption yesterday?
What occurs if I depart Octopus or transfer home?
×
In the event you depart Octopus, your Octopus Power buyer API Key will now not be legitimate and the connection to Alexa will now not perform.
In the event you transfer house however stick with Octopus, your new house may have a unique set of credentials (once you log into to your Dashboard technically that is your Good Meter’s MPAN and serial quantity), which you will have to re-enter into the Alexa app to get going once more.
If somebody strikes into your previous house and stays with Octopus Power, your Alexa ability won’t be linked to your previous house as a result of the credentials (API key, MPAN and serial quantity) will now not match. The brand new home-owner might want to use their very own API key, MPAN and the meter’s serial quantity in your previous home for their very own Alexa ability to work. You’ll additionally must enter your new house’s MPAN and serial quantity into the Alexa app to stand up and working once more.
Does this work for gasoline?
×
No, the Octopus Agile tariff is just for electrical energy because the UK energy system has extremely variable wholesales prices by they day that we pay. Wholesale gasoline costs don’t actually differ all through the day.
Why doesn’t it present consumption for in the present day?
×
Though the Agile invoice makes use of half-hourly measurements, we accumulate the Good Meter as soon as a day, at about 4pm. Meaning now we have your newest consumption as much as yesterday.
Does the worth embody VAT?
×
The costs Alexa offers are all VAT inclusive. Your Agile electrical energy invoice exhibits the every day 30-minute breakdown ex-VAT, as VAT is utilized to your entire invoice and proven on the invoice’s cowl web page.
Do I’ve to be an Agile Octopus buyer?
×
You do not, however this integration was specifically designed for Agile customers. On another Octopus tariff, asking Alexa in regards to the tariff will simply offer you your present flat fee worth. The consumption information works for all tariffs however it’s essential to have a Good Meter.
