You are right but to correct that isn’t a short term remedy even for recommissioning coal stations, building extended storage, nuclear, tidal or even increased imports of natural gas. We are paying the penalty for past low energy costs and lack of strategic investment.
My gas boiler isn’t that great if we loose electrical power. My comment related to a system to boost the air source heat pump circulating water temperature on very cold days.
The house where the daughter is staying has oil fired heating however I think they still need electric to power it on? I don't think they have any back up heating as this is their first winter in the UK.
A quick google search about the lowest ambient temperature for air source systems reveals the majority claim to still proved a COP of greater than 1 down to -18 to -22C.
Thank you. The Octopus scheme is an excellent proof of concept. One thing puzzles me, if your normal usage pattern sees low electrical power consumption say between 1730 and 1830, what do you have to do to qualify for the payment. Switching off a couple of 5 watt lights and taking the dog for a walk contributes very little compared to cooking supper on an electric cooker.The "average" house uses about 900w. A single car can provide up to 7.2kW with the right HW, so sufficient to run close to 8 houses, and running 8 houses for an hour would use arround 21 miles of range, from perhaps 250 available. VW have confirmed that all of their cars will have V2G capability built in from the go. 1m cars plugged in would generate 7GW, or more than 1/5th of our peak usage.
Users will get to choose how they participate, the maximum discharge rate, the minimum amount of charge to be left over. If you need to use your car while it's discharging, you just press stop, get in and go. It's worth noting that the Octopus run "turn down" grid support scheme is generating significant amounts of spare power. Enough to power Leicester.
At present we are using approximately an average of 38kwh a day and that is with heating switched down to 17C between 10pm and 6am and down to 18C between 9am and 4pm. Rest of the time it is at 20C. Over the year we use approximately 7500kwh. We do not have gas so power failures in winter are a big concern!
So far we are in the saving sessions only missed one up to now earned £20 last night was a 2hrs we opt in we had everything we can put off .The "average" house uses about 900w. A single car can provide up to 7.2kW with the right HW, so sufficient to run close to 8 houses, and running 8 houses for an hour would use arround 21 miles of range, from perhaps 250 available. VW have confirmed that all of their cars will have V2G capability built in from the go. 1m cars plugged in would generate 7GW, or more than 1/5th of our peak usage.
Users will get to choose how they participate, the maximum discharge rate, the minimum amount of charge to be left over. If you need to use your car while it's discharging, you just press stop, get in and go. It's worth noting that the Octopus run "turn down" grid support scheme is generating significant amounts of spare power. Enough to power Leicester.
Given the present concerns about the environment, changing an electric cooker for a gas cooker is a retrograde step.
This is indeed a gap. Our usual usage between 04:30 and 00:30 the next day is zero (or so close to 0 as makes no difference). We "participate" in that I sign up, and try to make sure that we have no load spikes that would take us over our inverter threshold. A household that "normaly" consumes say 3kWh in that period, and reduces to 1kWh sees a decent payment as the reduction is sound (and deserves that payment). But for users who have moved all their usage to the low cost (and low demand) window there is no support from the turn down program.
Thanks I suspected as much, as any supplier isn't going to pay you for something that isn't there. We are fortunate in having a contract from April 2021 to April 2023 so the rates aren't anywhere near todays rates. even so we haven't changed our approach, although my grandson now WFH, our home so 0800-1700 heating bill has jumped up., as we tend to only have heating on until early-mid afternoon, using a gas fire in the lounge if required.
I have one such battery bank. 16kWh of storage with 6kW of inverter capability. I have 3.12kWp of solar PV spit 50/50 east west. In summer the solar gives us some charging, but in winter barely any. But I can charge my battery from cheap electricity over night for use in the day. A neighbour has 4kWp solar south facing and is able to fully charge his battery on a sunny day (like the weather last week).
With all the present issues we have to face including raise in prices for services, we must assess all these issues. Our present circumstances [as all pensioners] is a reflection of this and so our effect on the environment would be minimal compared with a family. However I so understand your concerns and our decision will be a reflection of all these we take into consideration.
A somewhat 'tongue in cheek' thought.
Back as a kid my father installed central heating and even then was conscious of energy costs and installed his own secondary glazing. I took my cue from him and even as students we installed either secondary glazing or that plastic film that you tensioned with a hair dryer. When we bought our first house in 1973 up went the secondary glazing and loft insulation was installed. We were all electric central heating and cooking; sheer delight minimal if any maintenance. That ethos has continued through all of our subsequent houses. Maximum loft insulation, cavity wall if there was a cavity, and secondary or full double glazing and well insulated doors.
That’s a very profound statement on how people use gas hobs. What evidence do you have to support
Facebook
Twitter