Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)

9 percent with a new boiler? Interesting

My boiler is (I think) as old as the house.


Thinking about it I don't think 9 percent is worth it. As it would be a full refit. (tank removal etc)
9% is ideal conditions with full condensing mode. Something most people don’t even get the benefit of, certainly not all the time.
 
I’d be inclined to keep a hot water tank going forward. You’ll want to future proof against a post gas world and the best options all utilise hot water tanks.

Plus they are very useful now for diverting excess Solar etc if you have it or want to get it in the future.

I was actually going to ask this. Is it actually better to keep it? And you're probably right! If we are going to 24/7 type low+constant on a tank is probably essential.
 
keeping hot water tank -
aforesaid parents have an insulated copper tank in airing cupboard, next to boiler and want to keep it - warm place to keep laundry and if there is some heat escape it goes into the house anyway,
other than cost of the tank I can believe using the condensing boiler once a day to re-charge that maybe more efficient that erratic calls on the boiler for instant water,
yes - if the boiler is on for the heating anyway, probably don't loose much efficiency ( giving instant water), tank enables multiple users too.
 
My parents have a very efficient setup, solar panels, and a wood stove that has a heat exchanger into the hot water tank. Think they have a small turbine now as well.

Between the solar and the wood burner heating the house and hot water, they use barely any electric.

Yeah, i'd definitely recommend keeping a hot water tank. Gives you access to so many options:

- heat with gas
- heat via immersion off peak (or generator when we get winter brownouts)
- hot water solar
- PV solar - excess into immersion
- stove / backboiler
- rubbish incinerator

With an old gravity fed one you can also tailor how powerful you want your taps and showers etc by just choosing a pump to suit, & don't just have to settle with what you're given.
 
I think I have had a stay of execution.
My fixed price finished on 30th June but the last payment went in on 27th June so if I pay in advance monthly then I have paid for July .
The display for smart meter is still showing old price.
Is it my lucky month ??
 
I think I have had a stay of execution.
My fixed price finished on 30th June but the last payment went in on 27th June so if I pay in advance monthly then I have paid for July .
The display for smart meter is still showing old price.
Is it my lucky month ??

Nope your bill will split out payments and charge for units used, you don't prepay for units, so I expect you'll get charged at the new rates after 30/06.

If you have a smart meter it will automatically send readings.

Essentially you've added credit, and it will offset against future usage at the rate of the day.
 
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I think I have had a stay of execution.
My fixed price finished on 30th June but the last payment went in on 27th June so if I pay in advance monthly then I have paid for July .
The display for smart meter is still showing old price.
Is it my lucky month ??
Lube up ready for August.
 
Octopus had an error meaning I didn’t get a renewal. As an apology I get the same tarrif until June 2023.

25p standing charge and 12.93p a unit (5p between 00:30 and 04:30).

Given the costs and where everything is going, I’ve upped my payments and am building credit. I’ve got well on excess of £700 on the account now and they aren’t going anywhere. Hopefully this will offset costs in the future or I’ll get a nice chunk back to invest in to measures to save a bit on the heaving come winter. Solar is looking like a good shout in preparation for this. If I can get a tank in place I could even go solar on water to a degree as I believe you get dual purpose panels now. I’m not sure how that would work with a combi though…
 
Octopus had an error meaning I didn’t get a renewal. As an apology I get the same tarrif until June 2023.

25p standing charge and 12.93p a unit (5p between 00:30 and 04:30).
Damn, lucky!!
Given the costs and where everything is going, I’ve upped my payments and am building credit. I’ve got well on excess of £700 on the account now and they aren’t going anywhere. Hopefully this will offset costs in the future or I’ll get a nice chunk back to invest in to measures to save a bit on the heaving come winter.

However this makes no sense - you'll still pay for the energy you're using so you'll just end up with a huge +ve balance on the account?
 
Octopus had an error meaning I didn’t get a renewal. As an apology I get the same tarrif until June 2023.

25p standing charge and 12.93p a unit (5p between 00:30 and 04:30).

Given the costs and where everything is going, I’ve upped my payments and am building credit. I’ve got well on excess of £700 on the account now and they aren’t going anywhere. Hopefully this will offset costs in the future or I’ll get a nice chunk back to invest in to measures to save a bit on the heaving come winter. Solar is looking like a good shout in preparation for this. If I can get a tank in place I could even go solar on water to a degree as I believe you get dual purpose panels now. I’m not sure how that would work with a combi though…
Tbh that £700 would probably be better in your bank account than theirs. You can even get interest paying ones now...
 
Damn, lucky!!


However this makes no sense - you'll still pay for the energy you're using so you'll just end up with a huge +ve balance on the account?
Essentially if I’m lucky enough to avoid the bending and exam at this time, I figured I may as well pay in towards the inevitable bending and exam that will hit me in July of next year.

Based on what I use (circa 800 units a month), the current “go” costs if I was to sign now would see me increase my expenditure to 260%. With the expected rises touted for the autumn I would see costs increase to circa 380% relative to what I currently pay. I’m just creating a bit of a buffer before my premature exam is all.
 
Home energy deals/loans
think you need to be confident in the warranty of the solar/battery products and that you will remain in the property for the duration of the loan period.
https://electriccarhome.co.uk/battery-storage/whats-the-lifetime-of-a-home-battery/ lot of due diligence required.


UK offers for cavity wall/loft insulation /boilers - father wanted to know if it was worth while updating a 20 year old boiler -
turns out the government cost cutting figures are optimistic versus reality

52186036404_a52084cc67_o_d.jpg

Research published by DECC last month showed that home insulation measures deliver half the savings that are claimed. A study of homeowners installing a package of cavity and loft insulation and a new boiler in 2010 indicated a 19% reduction in energy use, and a likely saving of about £140 at current gas prices.
(gas prices increased since then but the percentages remain the same)

Household Energy Efficiency detailed release: Great Britain Data to December 2020 18 March 2021
Where is double glazing on that list. Its so bizarre the measures offered by the government dont do replacement windows.
Also the schemes I checked dont offer a replacement boiler, they just offer a boiler to those who dont have one.

I did my own maths, my gas usage would drop 60-70% with a new boiler. As the pilot light is the majority of my gas usage.
 
9% is ideal conditions with full condensing mode. Something most people don’t even get the benefit of, certainly not all the time.

I was told by gas engineer friend not to bother changing a boiler until it breaks anyway. As the outlay is never recouped in efficiency. Especially if your old boiler never goes wrong.
 
For those on Octopus without a EV, Agile might be worth considering.

So SVR goes up in October, then again in December, and After in April.

The new electric Ofgem rate is 41.88p unit in October (with regional variances not taken into account). Dont know the new SC rate.

Current unit rate is just under 28p and 45p SC day
Agile is capped to 35p unit, fixed for 12 months and has only a 21p day SC. You may also get cheaper electric outside of peak hours but of course this isnt assured.

Here is recent tracker data. Not great but during spring it was temporarily better, so it is best to assume you paying 35p unit all the time. http://mysmartenergy.uk/Prices/East-Midlands

I calculated for my usage, half of the higher cost before October is wiped out by the lower SC, but then for the 9 months after I will be better off, so this is much better than the current fixed deals that Octopus currently offer.

Post from here from a Octopus rep stating its for 12m.


I am assuming prices arent going down again any time soon, so for those who think they wont go up again in December it might not be for you, but thought I would post as its considerably better than the fixed deals been offered.
 
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