Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)

Loving Octopus, great service even before going to the tracker and now it's so much sweeter since I've been on it. Paying two-third of the national average I just feel relief. By monthly bill has gone from over £210 to £90 in a space of 9 months has been amazing. I'm paying in £130 because I want to build up credit for Winter, it'll be interesting to see how the tracker behaves. It's already better than last year as last September it was 50p a kwh but at the moment it's still only 18p
 
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robgmun said:
Loving Octopus, great service even before going to the tracker and now it's so much sweeter since I've been on it. Paying two-third of the national average I just feel relief. By monthly bill has gone from over £210 to £90 in a space of 9 months has been amazing. I'm paying in £130 because I want to build up credit for Winter, it'll be interesting to see how the tracker behaves. It's already better than last year as last September it was 50p a kwh but at the moment it's still only 18p
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My biggest drop was having Solar Panels, going from £110 a month to 80 a month, although they recommend I drop to around £69. Also new heaters for winter should make a big difference!
 
silversurfer said:
What happens when its not working, I presume it still counts up usage

New uses for the kids sandpit
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There are various usages for the stored heat. In a domestic setting they tend to replace the hot water tank, so you end up pulling your hot water through the sand bank and it heats the water.
Charged from grid offpeak (like eco7) or via solar / both.

Some of the commercial ones are touted to drop the hot sand from a height gaining gravity energy in effect and also then "drain" the heat from the sand in similar ways to home, although they could also be used to drive a turbine (gravity works for this as well of course).
The cold sand is then "pumped" (via an auger) back to the top when cheap/excess energy is ready to do so and start the reheating.
 
Hagar said:
I would have expected the sand to be compacted to store most energy. Not dropped and then lifted again. As sand is granular there will be a significant voids ratio ie air
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There is more than one tech, some are static, some are fluid in effect.
Fair amount of energy released from falling so that I guess more than offsets the air voids.
 
heat capacity of high pressure water is greater than sand , was discussed earlier, but if you are storing energy for weeks, as the Scandi countries might want to do from summer solar renewables
you are better off electrolysing green hydrogen, rather than suffering tank insulation losses.
 
Kelt said:
That was quick, asked to be put onto Octopus tracker after my 18 month deal came to an end, and they sorted me within the hour! :cool:
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Got jealous did ya? :cry:

Playing Starfield will be cheaper now ;)
 
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robgmun said:
Loving Octopus, great service even before going to the tracker and now it's so much sweeter since I've been on it.
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When I moved almost 2 years ago, they were great but over last 4/5 months, service has gone downhill. I've had various things i've had to chase but most recently, issues with a tracker move.

After being moved to tracker, they decided they couldn't bill me due to meter changing from 2 rate to single, chased it for a few weeks, got told over and over an expert was looking at it. Suddenly my account gets billed £1800+, they took the old night rate, new single rate, then decided that the difference was my usage and the bill was £lol.

To their credit, I emailed and got a reply back within the hour and the next day the charge was removed. Another week of strange charges going on and off my balance until finally, I get a correct bill issued. Took around 6 weeks and many emails to get it all sorted.

However, my electric for 3 weeks in June was £89 at old rate, since being on the tracker, my electricity for the entirety of July/August was £141 - which is nice :)
 
TNA said:
Got jealous did ya? :cry:

Playing Starfield will be cheaper now ;)
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Well, the tracker unit price is similar (for now) to what I was on, but the standing charge is almost double, so no, it ain't gonna be cheaper, but better than flexible (at the moment).

I know it'll increase the colder the weather gets but hoping by not too much.

Yeh, it's the hope that kills ya! :p
 
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I haven't been billed in 6 months now. I have a smart meter so can see they've been getting readings every day in my account.

The credit is just piling up...

What to do if you get a back bill

Find out if you're covered by our back billing rules, and how to complain to your supplier if you’ve received a bill in error.
www.ofgem.gov.uk www.ofgem.gov.uk

What are the chances they will let it go a year?
 
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muon said:
I haven't been billed in 6 months now. I have a smart meter so can see they've been getting readings every day in my account.

The credit is just piling up...

What to do if you get a back bill

Find out if you're covered by our back billing rules, and how to complain to your supplier if you’ve received a bill in error.
www.ofgem.gov.uk www.ofgem.gov.uk

What are the chances they will let it go a year?
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Who are you with? I'm with EDF and they bill me every 6 months. Personally I don't like the bills being produced so far apart.
 
muon said:
Octopus. Sounds like they might have a problem in my favour.
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Give them a call their wait times are not too bad and set it up to pay what you use each month. Leaving credit around without getting paid interest is madness right now.
 
NZXT30 said:
Give them a call their wait times are not too bad and set it up to pay what you use each month. Leaving credit around without getting paid interest is madness right now.
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He's banking on it going over 1 year and not paying the bill due to the back billing rules.
 
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