Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)

bigmike20vt said:
it's great that energy prices are falling ....... but unless infrastructure is put in place won't it just happen again? or are Frances nuclear reactors all serviced & online now and the faulty interconnects fixed now so we are past the perfect storm?
how much new renewable energy is likely to be online before next winter (because it's not like we have any new nuclear ready in the next 6 months)
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They falling but they still nowhere near pre crazyness, so we not past the storm. We probably never will be past the storm, its likely permanent. :(
 
SDK^ said:
Octopus has just launched a new Economy 10 tariff for people who have battery storage but no EV.

Unit Prices for my region
44.17p per kWh - 14 hours
16.61p per kWh - 10 hours at night offpeak.

If you have some solar too, then you'll barely touch that 14 hour rate.

No info online yet, but there will be soon !
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That looks decent, Octopus still out of touch though for thinking these tariffs require batteries of some sort to be beneficial. Hopefully they dont enforce checks if own a battery, that would be sad.
 
Anyone else on Shell Energy?

I've just noticed a difference between them and British Gas...



BG would put the money from the government into your bank account, yet Shell put it against your bill...

I would imagine that Shell are making money on the money from the government then, all that money in their account must be making some interest...
 
silversurfer said:
Anyone tempted by a heat pump, large garden people maybe its a dead cert who knows.
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I am not convinced about current heat pumps (not that they work, just size and noise and where to put one) fortunately my combi is only 4 years old with another 4 to go on the warranty. am hoping I get another 10 years out of it. I don't want to buy another gas boiler however so I hope something suitable is out by then . I know a roof mounted heatpump is currently being trialed in Manchester...... IF that is any good it may be good for me.... esp as I have a patch of roof with no solar on where maybe it could fit. failing that there are IR radiators or hot stone boilers.
 
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413x said:
My house would need huge amount of work done in regards to insulation. But the boiler is ancient.

Unfortunately due to the additional work for a heat pump can't justify it
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While the gas price is 3x electricity, a heat pump will be on par with a boiler in terms of running costs.

It's a little bit of a misnomer that you need insulation for a heat pump to work. You can get absolutely massive heat pumps that will more than heat a huge office building or whatever. The issue is that the more energy the house needs (e.g. the greater its heat loss due to a lack of insulation or uncontrolled drafts), the bigger the heat emitters (e.g. radiators) you need to achieve a sensible flow temperature through the heating circuit. That is no different to getting the most out of a gas system.

Older house basically means you just need a bigger heat pump and radiators and that is no different to gas when compared to a property with a lower heat loss.

EDIT: just to say, the biggest cost related to a heat pump is the initial installation and retrofitting everything you need (e.g. water tank and bigger radiators). The heat pumps themselves are more than an equivalent boiler but they don't make up significant proportion of the cost.
 
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wait for next generation heat pumps with the quieter fans and better efficiency higher temperature(for hot water) output, and more economy of scale on manufacture,
could be a false economy to engage now,
it's not like pv's where some of the luck early engagers (mate down pub) got the original lucrative feed in tarif.
 
jpaul said:
wait for next generation heat pumps with the quieter fans and better efficiency higher temperature(for hot water) output, and more economy of scale on manufacture,
could be a false economy to engage now,
it's not like pv's where some of the luck early engagers (mate down pub) got the original lucrative feed in tarif.
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Heat pumps have been in mass production for literally decades, they are not getting materially cheaper.

They already have quiet fans and can already hit temps high enough for hot water.

The units themselves are not actually that expensive. The cost to swap out a heat pump in an existing install is not crazy expensive, it’s all the work to retrofit, re-piping systems, change radiators, add water cylinders etc. that isn’t getting cheaper (the opposite in fact).

There is a massive skills shortage which is only set to get worse as the demand grows.

The biggest issue is making sure you don’t get a cowboy installer as the margin for error on these things is tiny unlike a gas boiler.
 
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b0rn2sk8 said:
While the gas price is 3x electricity, a heat pump will be on par with a boiler in terms of running costs.

It's a little bit of a misnomer that you need insulation for a heat pump to work. You can get absolutely massive heat pumps that will more than heat a huge office building or whatever. The issue is that the more energy the house needs (e.g. the greater its heat loss due to a lack of insulation or uncontrolled drafts), the bigger the heat emitters (e.g. radiators) you need to achieve a sensible flow temperature through the heating circuit. That is no different to getting the most out of a gas system.

Older house basically means you just need a bigger heat pump and radiators and that is no different to gas when compared to a property with a lower heat loss.

EDIT: just to say, the biggest cost related to a heat pump is the initial installation and retrofitting everything you need (e.g. water tank and bigger radiators). The heat pumps themselves are more than an equivalent boiler but they don't make up significant proportion of the cost.
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Its going to be what holds us back.
The sheer cost of getting older properties up to spec.

Soon as you need to do all the extra work the cost is prohibitive for most people.


No idea what will be done to overcome this is if I'm honest. Many people simple wouldn't be able to afford the changes of the UK (for example) just turned gas off by X date. Or banned gas boilers full stop.

Even just new pipe work and rads + boiler to heat pump is crazy expensive
 
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I work on a lot of properties that have heat pumps fitted. They are inefficient, noisy and often hampered by shade etc.

Gas boilers are just better in my opinion.
 
VboIpyb.jpg

Saw this graph.
Doesn't make a good advert for them on cost basis unfortunately.

This assumes change gas boiler after 10 years.
I also think it over estimates the initial gas boiler outlay.

Looks like takes 15 years plus to break even!
 
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