4.8kW panels with 3x3.2kW battery, 3.6kW inverter

Installed in Dec 2022... got about £1k back so far which is about what we have used since joining Octopus in June 21 😁

I'm guessing you may have a Flexi-orb certificate and not a MCS.

So I was exploring options for installation, and why, for instance, a purely battery storage option did not result in SEG payments. After all, time-shifting of energy/power is a valid service. I'm now looking at shelling out just short of £8k for 4kW of panels and an 8kW inverter, so I can (eventually) have an MCS certificate to show; at least I know how to save money on the battery front.

I saw https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/retailers-using-mcs-energy-laundering-marko-cosic on linkedin, where they got the attention of Phillip Steele in the comments (it takes some wrangling to get all the comments shown on Linkedin ... urgh).

Hi Marko, I created our process for export and set MCS as our requirement. Only reason is as per the SEG references on an install being correctly installed according to the referenced standards. We did look at Flexi-Orb too but their documentation has never exited their draft status.
You'll see on Agile import/export, our Works With page, the original Powerloop tariff etc that we actively encourage battery charge/discharge as the wholesale market moves.
There's no use of MCS certificates to make green claims.

and in a later comment

But even so reviewing the policy I wrote in 2019 and revising that is what we're doing.

Remember that you must first exhaust both stages of a complaint against an energy supplier before the Ombudsman will accept your case.

That's tricky if the problem is with the supplier who you wish to move to.

I have already assisted others in similar predicaments, and spoken to staff at the Office of the Energy Ombudsman about it.
You still need to take out the complaint against your existing supplier, in your case citing the failure of the switching process to Octopus.

Of course there's nothing they can do about that, and they'll be upset that you've left them with an unresolvable complaint against them.
However, they may be willing to give you a Deadlock Letter instead of you having to wait the usual 8 weeks for the complaints process to allow a resolution (or not, as in this case!).

Option-2: You can take the matter to your MP, who can intervene and write directly to the Ombudsman.
It depends on your MP as to whether they're will to do so.
The usual route for energy issues is for an MP to refer the matter to the relevant government Minister (DESNZ Minister of State is Grant Shapps MP)

Option-3: The Parliamentary Committee on Energy security and Net Zero has a call for evidence which closes on 15th August.

Look at the four categories for which they want to hear from the public and send them the details.
Remember they require this to be presented as a set of facts about systemic failure.
It needs to read like evidence which you might want to supply to a court.

They cannot intervene in a specific case.
But they can require the Energy Ombudsman's terms of reference to be altered in situations like yours.
Ie they will address the constraints of the existing system.

You can include photos, timelines, graphics within your document, which I'd suggest is sent as a PDF.

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From 1st July the rates have gone down by about 4p in the day and 2p at night. Import and Export prices have fallen by the same amount, so in terms of decision making (i.e. should I export, time-shift, or self-consume), the calculus is the same. Overall if you're a net exporter you'll lose out a bit, but not by much.