Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)

BUDFORCE · 11 Jun 2022 at 08:18

dcsarge said:
I thought growing grass used a lot of energy, that's why they always bypass the meter.

Wasn't necessarily to avoid paying the bill, that was a bonus though.

Mainly because it would flag up that a domestic property was using a lot of electricity, power companies might turn up thinking there was some issue.

But yes LEDS apparently are the way to go these days.

Vita · 11 Jun 2022 at 08:23

Our bill for gas and electric last month was £1.92. Thank god for solar and a battery. I’m not looking forward to October at all. Whilst I’m on a low tariff I expect it to triple if not quadruple on the kwh charge. Still, may as well make the most of it.

TNA · 11 Jun 2022 at 09:59

Vita said:
Our bill for gas and electric last month was £1.92. Thank god for solar and a battery. I’m not looking forward to October at all. Whilst I’m on a low tariff I expect it to triple if not quadruple on the kwh charge. Still, may as well make the most of it.

No standing charge?

Pottsey · 11 Jun 2022 at 10:23

TNA said:
No standing charge?

With some solar setups you can make enough money to cover the standing charge as well as the bill. Depends on the type of setup.

Vita · 11 Jun 2022 at 11:02

TNA said:
No standing charge?

That’s including standing charge. Our unused elec goes back to the grid.

413x · 11 Jun 2022 at 11:07

Vita said:
Our bill for gas and electric last month was £1.92. Thank god for solar and a battery. I’m not looking forward to October at all. Whilst I’m on a low tariff I expect it to triple if not quadruple on the kwh charge. Still, may as well make the most of it.

Impressive!

How much was your solar setup if you don't mind me asking?

My relatively cheap tariff ends in 2024 so if prices are still high I'd like solar up and running before then

jpaul · 11 Jun 2022 at 11:10

If you have the original feed in tarif then in summer could be a net income ?
but really need the figures in context of the write off of initial solar investment -

was discussing with relation the 'saving' from changing a 20 year old non-condensing gas boiler(&storage tank) for a newer condensing boiler rated at 70% & 90% SAP efficiency,
Simon ~~Martin Lewis~~ says a pilot light vs electric ignition alone might cost £90gas/year , I'm sceptical on that told them to monitor it with IHD.
Equally the pre-heat on the 'modern' instant heat condensor we have is burning gas itself lol , although it is turned off during the day.
(It's the same deal with electric vehicles Kwh/mile is not the complete story.)

Vita · 11 Jun 2022 at 11:20

413x said:
Impressive!

How much was your solar setup if you don't mind me asking?

My relatively cheap tariff ends in 2024 so if prices are still high I'd like solar up and running before then

Previous owners installed it, so it came with the purchase of the property.

I think it cost them around 15k. The battery alone (Tesla) was circa £8k if I remember right. In all honesty its one of the best investments someone can do atm. It’s only a 6kw set up for the solar. Though on the recent sunny weather it can generate 25-30kw a day. Which is reasonable for the location/south facing.

Edit: Just for interest in the month of May the solar generated 643kwh, compared to April at 599kwh. That’s going by the app, it’s not 100% accurate but close.

HungryHippos · 11 Jun 2022 at 11:42

Vita said:
Previous owners installed it, so it came with the purchase of the property.

I think it cost them around 15k. The battery alone (Tesla) was circa £8k if I remember right. In all honesty its one of the best investments someone can do atm. It’s only a 6kw set up for the solar. Though on the recent sunny weather it can generate 25-30kw a day. Which is reasonable for the location/south facing.

If you have the Tesla battery I think you can also get onto the Tesla energy plan as well with Octopus which gives you cheap electric and pays better for generation as well.

Are you on that?

Tesla Energy Plan from Octopus Energy

The Tesla Energy Plan is an energy tariff specifically designed for homes with solar and Powerwall, offering 100% clean electricity. Calculate your savings now.

octopus.energy

I looked into it because upfront cost is insane but it makes both usage and generation cheaper whilst also giving you a whole home UPS in case of power cuts. However I did not wish to be so tied into one eco-system, if they ever adjusted it negatively you'd have no choice but to accept it.

Battery alone was around £8K minimum and I think there is some kind of waiting list now to get one.

Vita · 11 Jun 2022 at 11:45

HungryHippos said:
If you have the Tesla battery I think you can also get onto the Tesla energy plan as well with Octopus which gives you cheap electric and pays better for generation as well.

Are you on that?

Tesla Energy Plan from Octopus Energy

The Tesla Energy Plan is an energy tariff specifically designed for homes with solar and Powerwall, offering 100% clean electricity. Calculate your savings now.

octopus.energy

I looked into it because upfront cost is insane but it makes both usage and generation cheaper whilst also giving you a whole home UPS in case of power cuts. However I did not wish to be so tied into one eco-system, if they ever adjusted it negatively you'd have no choice but to accept it.

Battery alone was around £8K minimum and I think there is some kind of waiting list now to get one.

Yes, we have the tesla plan. Our renewal is in October so I may go back to the cheapest tariff going depending on what the tesla plan offers. I’m not holding my breath but the savings atm are what I’m making the most of.

HungryHippos · 11 Jun 2022 at 11:49

Vita said:
Yes, we have the tesla plan. Our renewal is in October so I may go back to the cheapest tariff going depending on what the tesla plan offers. I’m not holding my breath but the savings atm are what I’m making the most of.

Currently paying £0.10 - £0.12 per kwh which is about 30% of the cap, plus you get the same for the generation which is more than double the next highest paying SEG rate.

I think previous homeowner did you a solid with the panels and the battery setup you have to be honest!

I'm adding solar soon (4.4KW and 8.2KWH battery) but I think it will only reduce my average bill considerably rather than making it basically free

Vita · 11 Jun 2022 at 11:54

HungryHippos said:
Currently paying £0.10 - £0.12 per kwh which is about 30% of the cap, plus you get the same for the generation which is more than double the next highest paying SEG rate.

I think previous homeowner did you a solid with the panels and the battery setup you have to be honest!

I'm adding solar soon (4.4KW and 8.2KWH battery) but I think it will only reduce my average bill considerably rather than making it basically free

Yes compared to other properties we considered, area location and price (paid over the odds to be fair due to market being crazy inflated), it was a no brainer.

I think import is 0.1176kwh and export is 0.12xkwh. It’s helping a lot, I won’t deny that.

purplesky · 11 Jun 2022 at 12:15

Vita said:
Our bill for gas and electric last month was £1.92. Thank god for solar and a battery. I’m not looking forward to October at all. Whilst I’m on a low tariff I expect it to triple if not quadruple on the kwh charge. Still, may as well make the most of it.

And how many years does this £8k battery last before it is knackered?
Assuming a high number of cycles, could end up more expensive.

Vita · 11 Jun 2022 at 12:44

purplesky said:
And how many years does this £8k battery last before it is knackered?
Assuming a high number of cycles, could end up more expensive.

I think they have a 10 year warranty. After that, luck of the draw I guess.

Uther · 11 Jun 2022 at 12:44

purplesky said:
And how many years does this £8k battery last before it is knackered?
Assuming a high number of cycles, could end up more expensiv

Well when there's someone further up the thread looking at a 9k energy bill next year...

gpuerrilla · 11 Jun 2022 at 12:47

The question will be what is the process when one fails?

Its alright saying the manufacturer stands over a 10 year warranty but what involvement does the installer have, is it directly speak with manufacturer? Will they have gone bust/disappeared etc.

Vita · 11 Jun 2022 at 12:51

gpuerrilla said:
The question will be what is the process when one fails?

Its alright saying the manufacturer stands over a 10 year warranty but what involvement does the installer have, is it directly speak with manufacturer? Will they have gone bust/disappeared etc.

Lies with the manufacturer as far as I’ve been told by a Tesla rep. Installer is certified by Tesla to fit.

HungryHippos · 11 Jun 2022 at 13:00

Yeah the Tesla one looks good but I rejected the idea as you're very much tied into Octopus and Tesla with that battery, and you have a much higher cost of entry so more ground to make up with the solar returns.

Stuff like this is always a risk but you pay your money and take your chances I guess!

gpuerrilla · 11 Jun 2022 at 13:03

Vita said:
Lies with the manufacturer as far as I’ve been told by a Tesla rep. Installer is certified by Tesla to fit.

What about those getting less known brands? I mean like the panels, some have not been about tried and tested so its quite a minefield which is why I am interested in people and their battery selection.

Brutal biff · 11 Jun 2022 at 15:50

Minusorange said:
Fuel prices: London petrol station sells diesel at nearly £2.50 a litre

Motoring group the RAC says the station has one of the highest prices for fuel in the UK.

www.bbc.co.uk

Good case for working from home, even if it's going to cost more than during the pandemic to work from home

I am surprised more companies are not insisting on a wfh for office workers to save money on power

Before we was being ripped off I was on a monthly basis putting in around £800 a month on diesel £1300 this month and I don't think I've done many more miles than usual