Caporegime
My mate does this, as no room for a drier until he moves. He endEd up having to use a dehumidifier due to damp and mould.
Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)
- Thread starter DXP55
- Start date
Soldato
I dry my washing inside in all weathers. Put the air vent on window to open. Refuse to dry it outside. As my friend has had washing nicked - including her uniform. Who wants to nick B&M uniform?
Soldato
How Civilizations Fall: A Theory of Catabolic Collapse
This journal article was written in 2004 and published online in 2005 after several attempts to find a peer-reviewed journal willing to consider it. It provides the theoretical structure I use to m…
www.ecosophia.net
People just need to live within their means, it's quite simple.
Instead of having the fridge freezer on all the time, just alternate. So you can have it switched on for say 2 to 3 months, then for the next 2 - 3 months you switch off and eat from tins etc.
Instead of having the fridge freezer on all the time, just alternate. So you can have it switched on for say 2 to 3 months, then for the next 2 - 3 months you switch off and eat from tins etc.
You must be taking the **** with your fridge freezer idea
Where do I put my frozen fish food.
Soldato
I canny belive it 
Soldato
Every post a masterpiece. Have you thought of writing a book about all your adventures, or perhaps a film script?
Soldato
They were crap cars.
I like to read his posts with the voice of Alan Bennett
Too lazy to take a second job - check
Just wants to play computer games and watch TV like a slob, increasing power consumption - check
Expects free batteries for their mythical solar system - check
Doesn't want to make reasonable sacrifices like alternating fridge freezer periods - check
I think some people have a real problem here.
Just wants to play computer games and watch TV like a slob, increasing power consumption - check
Expects free batteries for their mythical solar system - check
Doesn't want to make reasonable sacrifices like alternating fridge freezer periods - check
I think some people have a real problem here.
Soldato
States the guy with no rent/mortgage as owns home outright so is less affected by cost of living increases.
Because I saw the carnage ahead many years ago and prepared accordingly. Most people at the time were wasting money on PCP cars and coffees costing £10 per day.
Associate
I've been weighing up solar since 2020 and never made the costs work so with all the talk here of how it will pay back and how MSE is underestimating payback let's see if you can spot where my calculations have gone wrong.
Exhibit 1: daily electricity usage. Electric cooker, both wfh. Some usage data from winter, then the smart meter conked out and took months to be rebooted. Oil filled radiators used in winter to keep us warm as we work.
We paid £60 in June for Electric and annual usage is approx 3300kWh. Water tank is heated with gas atm as cheaper.
Exhibit 2: annual cycle
The front of the house is south facing but has hipped roofs and a gable above the bay window, so no ideal big expanse of roof. We're near the sea so from autumn to spring everything regularly gets covered with a film of salt. Then dust at other times.
We expect to move in 8-10 years.
Calculation
Assuming a system with a battery as then cooking in the evening is covered, say £10k installed (I'm guessing what spec we'd need from quotes posted in this thread)
Expect all our Apr-Sept electricity to be self-generated (40% annual total). Expect 20%(?) of Oct-March to be self-generated (20% of 60% = 15% of annual total).
With a current annual bill of £1100 that means an annual saving of £600.
More if we divert to heat the water tank - say 6 months of £25/month at current prices (excl standing charge and 1/6 gas for keeping the pilot light on).
£750 total. 13 years payback.
When electricity prices go up 60% then we'd save almost £1000/yr plus whatever on hot water. ~9 years payback assuming prices don't come down again.
Hmm. Maybe now worth it due to the price rises alone. But it's marginal. Airtight double glazing could be a better investment.
Any bad assumptions in my calculation?
Exhibit 1: daily electricity usage. Electric cooker, both wfh. Some usage data from winter, then the smart meter conked out and took months to be rebooted. Oil filled radiators used in winter to keep us warm as we work.
We paid £60 in June for Electric and annual usage is approx 3300kWh. Water tank is heated with gas atm as cheaper.
Exhibit 2: annual cycle
The front of the house is south facing but has hipped roofs and a gable above the bay window, so no ideal big expanse of roof. We're near the sea so from autumn to spring everything regularly gets covered with a film of salt. Then dust at other times.
We expect to move in 8-10 years.
Calculation
Assuming a system with a battery as then cooking in the evening is covered, say £10k installed (I'm guessing what spec we'd need from quotes posted in this thread)
Expect all our Apr-Sept electricity to be self-generated (40% annual total). Expect 20%(?) of Oct-March to be self-generated (20% of 60% = 15% of annual total).
With a current annual bill of £1100 that means an annual saving of £600.
More if we divert to heat the water tank - say 6 months of £25/month at current prices (excl standing charge and 1/6 gas for keeping the pilot light on).
£750 total. 13 years payback.
When electricity prices go up 60% then we'd save almost £1000/yr plus whatever on hot water. ~9 years payback assuming prices don't come down again.
Hmm. Maybe now worth it due to the price rises alone. But it's marginal. Airtight double glazing could be a better investment.
Any bad assumptions in my calculation?
Last edited:
Associate
I've been weighing up solar since 2020 and never made the costs work so with all the talk here of how it will pay back and how MSE is underestimating payback let's see if you can spot where my calculations have gone wrong.
Exhibit 1: daily electricity usage. Electric cooker, both wfh. Some usage data from winter, then the smart meter conked out and took months to be rebooted. Oil filled radiators used in winter to keep us warm as we work.
We paid £60 in June for Electric and annual usage is approx 3300kWh. Water tank is heated with gas atm as cheaper.
Exhibit 2: annual cycle
The front of the house is south facing but has hipped roofs and a gable above the bay window, so no ideal big expanse of roof. We're near the sea so from autumn to spring everything regularly gets covered with a film of salt. Then dust at other times.
We expect to move in 8-10 years.
Calculation
Assuming a system with a battery as then cooking in the evening is covered, say £10k installed (I'm guessing what spec we'd need from quotes posted in this thread)
Expect all our Apr-Sept electricity to be self-generated (40% annual total). Expect 20%(?) of Oct-March to be self-generated (20% of 60% = 15% of annual total).
With a current annual bill of £1100 that means an annual saving of £600.
More if we divert to heat the water tank - say 6 months of £25/month at current prices (excl standing charge and 1/6 gas for keeping the pilot light on).
£750 total. 13 years payback.
When electricity prices go up 60% then we'd save almost £1000/yr plus whatever on hot water. ~9 years payback assuming prices don't come down again.
Hmm. Maybe now worth it due to the price rises alone. But it's marginal. Airtight double glazing could be a better investment.
Any bad assumptions in my calculation?
This is the calculator I used:
There are a number of online solar PV calculators which can be used by prospective purchasers to gauge the overall cost effectiveness of such a system and these are offered by suppliers of solar panels, as well as on independent websites.
There are a number of online solar PV calculators which can be used by prospective purchasers to gauge the overall cost effectiveness of such a system and these are offered by suppliers of solar panels, as well as on independent websites.
Ensure you change the drop down assumptions as they are very pessimistic. Electric at 15p/kwh for example.
I used 25p/kwh and 80% of own generation used. I got <8 years without load shifting during the winter (charging battery up at cheep rate).
It a good tool so it breaks down generation by month so you can really think about it.
Soldato
I think unfortunately as you plan to move within 10 years its not really something to recommend. Now you could be saying that and due to life it creeps over by three or four years which would make it more worthwhile. The biggest thing the government can do is to look at making dwellings that have solar (or renewables) a massive positive and start encouraging it as criteria needed moving forward.
Soldato
Something doesn't seem right here.
You say your annual usage is 3300kWh but the monthly graph shows about 3100kWh in a single month (Jan 21)
Soldato
Dryer is just not economic especially with energy prices increasing.
Toss in the fact that some clothes items get ruined if you toss it in a dryer