Energy Prices (Strictly NO referrals!)

[bigmike20vt]

How many panels do you have for the 4.7kW array?
I had some JA Solar panels and a Growatt inverter, seems to have done the job pretty well to be honest over the time they've been installed I'd hate to think how much less I'd have used electric without the panels I've had installed. Kinda a scary thought really.

What made you go for the battery out of interest? When I was looking at them about 5 years ago, I couldn't warrant one because I used less power over night (aside from when I left things running over night etc.) but generally from when the solar shuts off to when it kicks in in the morning again, 2 to 5 units of electric seemed a bit much to try and save with a battery that would only last about 7 to 10 years (I think might have been even 8 years at the time, maybe less) so to break even would have been difficult..

sorry to jump in but out of curiosity why do you think the battery will only last 7-10 years?

an electric car battery is very similar construction (some house batteries are actually old car batteries) . a car battery is expected to last far beyond 10 years and the battery in a car gets a far far harder life than a house one.

our house battery (3x 2.4kw pylons) comes with a 5 year manufacturer one, with an extra 5 years on top by the installer so 10 years total but I am expected 15 years minimum out of it. iirc it cost around...... £2200 I think .

my whole system cost £8300 and that included £500 of bird proofing (that was the most expensive chicken wire inever bought) ,. 15x 340w panels and a solis power inverter. 2 strings as 10 panels on my east roof and 5 on my west (I have an extension on my west roof - even so we could have fitted an extra 2 panels on it and am dissapointed we didn't.

currently my system is 13 months old and it has operated fantastically. the battery to me is as important as the panels.

long term I don't think house batteries will be essential as electric cars start to support V2G (or for me more importantly V2P) (vehicle to premises) but until then home batteries are great.

 

[chrcoluk]

Electricity theft from householders is going to become common. I hope people are going to have internal disconnects for their car chargers and external 13A sockets.

Also the accidental thefts will start to be found out - I knew someone whose shed turned out to be powered off the neighbour's mains, and someone whose 'link detatched' garage was powered by the wrong house. The shed was likely deliberate by a previous owner and the garage a builders error from when the estate was built.

It all sounds too easy, there is a guy who opened up a smart meter on youtube, and he said he was surprised how weak the anti tamper was. How on earth are people getting away with this stuff.
I know its not super easy as it will be one of those things where you need to know the right guy. But if you know the right guy, then well, thats it lol.

Also someone on MSE who moved into a house where the smart meter they inherited always registers 1 unit a day regardless of usage.

 

[bigmike20vt]

I would imagine a unit which only registers 1 unit a day would be easy to detect. I guess much harder would be if it only registered say 60% of electricity used.

 

[chrcoluk]

I would imagine a unit which only registers 1 unit a day would be easy to detect. I guess much harder would be if it only registered say 60% of electricity used.

The funny thing is even with the occupiers trying to report it the supplier seems oblivious to it lol.

What they could do for the 60% example, is how the FIA clamped down on F1 oil flow tricks. Do compulsory smart meter replacements, and install a second stealth device that also measures usage, and when the two devices are miles apart on measurements bingo. But the entire meter reading, meter installs, meter checking side of the industry seems really overwhelmed right now, I just think they not capable of clamping down on it and simply instead rely on consumer obedience.

 

[MadMossy]

It's absolutely bonkers to think that energy is 40 times more today than it was post brexit, today in 2020 it was just 11p/therm, it's now currently at 395p/therm.

Obviously that was at the height of the pandemic, during the summer and outside of any lockdowns, but many people were now working from home, offices were mostly closed, factories on reduced capacity. Even still that is a huge difference in such a short time.

 

[GIBURROWS]

Thing gets me I have a house I need to renovate and sort out
So I have near zero electricity or gas.
But I have the standing charge.

Yeah but they need that standing charge money to pay shareholders!

And possibly "lobbying"

 

[200sols]

Yeah but they need that standing charge money to pay shareholders!

And possibly "lobbying"

You mean green levies, bailouts, maintenance and subsidies? Or just spouting nonsense?

 

[LabR@t]

It's absolutely bonkers to think that energy is 40 times more today than it was post brexit, today in 2020 it was just 11p/therm, it's now currently at 395p/therm.

Obviously that was at the height of the pandemic, during the summer and outside of any lockdowns, but many people were now working from home, offices were mostly closed, factories on reduced capacity. Even still that is a huge difference in such a short time.

I see you have thrown in the b word, it's not relevant. The pandemic has a larger impact

 

[HungryHippos]

Yes it's interesting that people seem to want to use an event to mark a date, instead of just using a date.

Reads like one of those Daily Mail articles where they throw in irrelevant details.

 

[200sols]

I see you have thrown in the b word, it's not relevant. The pandemic has a larger impact

You're right, its a political failure going back decades that has left us in such a terrible position now rather than one specific event.

 

[413x]

What I read on the meter tampering telegram was people getting meters that under report. I don't know how they do this.

Another was a spur. Before the meter. So some of your house (bitcoin mining anyone?) is off.

Unless they know at some street level how much is being used. How would they ever find a spur?

 

[phill9800]

sorry to jump in but out of curiosity why do you think the battery will only last 7-10 years?

an electric car battery is very similar construction (some house batteries are actually old car batteries) . a car battery is expected to last far beyond 10 years and the battery in a car gets a far far harder life than a house one.

our house battery (3x 2.4kw pylons) comes with a 5 year manufacturer one, with an extra 5 years on top by the installer so 10 years total but I am expected 15 years minimum out of it. iirc it cost around...... £2200 I think .

my whole system cost £8300 and that included £500 of bird proofing (that was the most expensive chicken wire inever bought) ,. 15x 340w panels and a solis power inverter. 2 strings as 10 panels on my east roof and 5 on my west (I have an extension on my west roof - even so we could have fitted an extra 2 panels on it and am dissapointed we didn't.

currently my system is 13 months old and it has operated fantastically. the battery to me is as important as the panels.

long term I don't think house batteries will be essential as electric cars start to support V2G (or for me more importantly V2P) (vehicle to premises) but until then home batteries are great.

No problem at all dropping in, it's just when I was looking into the batteries back along when I had my system put in, they said about the batteries only lasting that long, which kinda of put me off buying the battery (and the cost at the time) and what with the fact as I mentioned before that I'm literally just using 2 to 5 units of a electric over night, the battery wouldn't be cost effective at the moment, if I was using more power then I might consider a bigger unit but I'd then make sure I had a bigger solar array on the house to make sure it would charge or at least have a chance of charging. If I could get something that I wouldn't use any electric, then I'd be happy. But I think with the kit I run most days, that'll never be possible
I do make sure that if I'm not producing very much, that I don't have much on over the course of the day to make the electric costs more than they need to be.. My install cost was a bit over half what yours was, I've had mine since 2017 in September Never regret buying it at all.

On the last few days I've been producing about the 20 to 25kW mark, how much do you make and charge the batteries full too?

 

[bigmike20vt]

No problem at all dropping in, it's just when I was looking into the batteries back along when I had my system put in, they said about the batteries only lasting that long, which kinda of put me off buying the battery (and the cost at the time) and what with the fact as I mentioned before that I'm literally just using 2 to 5 units of a electric over night, the battery wouldn't be cost effective at the moment, if I was using more power then I might consider a bigger unit but I'd then make sure I had a bigger solar array on the house to make sure it would charge or at least have a chance of charging. If I could get something that I wouldn't use any electric, then I'd be happy. But I think with the kit I run most days, that'll never be possible
I do make sure that if I'm not producing very much, that I don't have much on over the course of the day to make the electric costs more than they need to be.. My install cost was a bit over half what yours was, I've had mine since 2017 in September Never regret buying it at all.

On the last few days I've been producing about the 20 to 25kW mark, how much do you make and charge the batteries full too?

my roof is not in ideal position. so max I can generate is about 30kwh and at the moment around 26 (it's hotter than hell but days getting shorter).
my inverter is in the attic and it is a ballache getting up there. unfortunately the app on my phone can only get readings from the system I can't control it remotely socin summer I am not making the most off the battery at all. it really comes into its own from October through to march where I charge it with cheap over night energy.
as it is now I probably only get a 3 or so kWh per day off it I love it tho. (the whole system not just the battery)

if I could change 1 thing it would be being able to control it from my phone. I could really maximise the most of my own power then.

 

[esmozz]

I'm trying to figure out the electricity stuff to see how bad it's going to be for us - I suspect it will be tough but we will get through the winter but it's easy to see that many won't without going into substantial debt. To be honest, the electricity bill is something we've never worried about before.

So this is a genuine question:

Of my bill (we only have electricity - no gas)
5% goes on VAT
10% is the green levy
And if my understanding is correct the price of electricity is calculated upon the cost to product via gas only, despite the majority of electricity production in this country being from other sources (mostly wind, solar and nuclear) - in effect we pay the most expensive price possible.

Am I broadly correct in thinking this? In which case what the **** are the government thinking?

 

[GIBURROWS]

You mean green levies, bailouts, maintenance and subsidies? Or just spouting nonsense?

Green levies, bailouts and subsidies shouldn't be part of a standing charge!

 

[LabR@t]

Looking forward to watching London burn this winter, its going to make the 2011 riots look tame.

 

[esmozz]

Looking forward to watching London burn this winter, its going to make the 2011 riots look tame.

I can remember the Poll tax riots - its going to make those look tame too.

 

[GIBURROWS]

I can remember the Poll tax riots - its going to make those look tame too.

It'll be interesting to see how the media portrays it.

 

[StriderX]

It'll be interesting to see how the media portrays it.

Who cares what the London establishment thinks?

 

[LabR@t]

We could well be on the cusp on a new revolution, I can't see how many businesses will be able to operate with energy costs running as high as they are. day weeks?