What would you do?

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Dec 27, 2022
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Not a expert but I'm going to take hunch a proper battery system (think the ones that typically get attached solar) could manage 🤷‍♂️
Most solar inverters are limited to 3.6kW
Some are 6kW Very very few are 10kw which is what's needed to run an electric shower.

On a positive note Octopus will be paying me to use electricity from midnight to 0930 tomorrow 😎 time to charge my battery, run the immersion, do the washing and run the tumble dryer after I get up tomorrow.
 
Nov 6, 2005
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Most solar inverters are limited to 3.6kW
Some are 6kW Very very few are 10kw which is what's needed to run an electric shower.

On a positive note Octopus will be paying me to use electricity from midnight to 0930 tomorrow 😎 time to charge my battery, run the immersion, do the washing and run the tumble dryer after I get up tomorrow.
Octopus are offering "free" electricity between 7-9am tomorrow to all customers - I guess they're expecting a surplus of wind energy - it means we can get the house up to temperature using electric rather than the gas heating.
 
Nov 16, 2015
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I think I would not bother with the shower,
Start thinking about all those power cuts and think about selling up and move to somewhere, where the utility are more available.
 
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Dec 27, 2022
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Octopus are offering "free" electricity between 7-9am tomorrow to all customers - I guess they're expecting a surplus of wind energy - it means we can get the house up to temperature using electric rather than the gas heating.
Only the excess you use above what you normally use will be free 😟
It's an odd one for me they are offering free electric as for you but my unit price from 0800-0830 is -2.77p so I don't get it. It will be free between 0830 and 0900 as the unit price is 0.72p and I'm always on battery then.
The only thing on by then will be the dryer

I love playing this game.
 

Sam Vimes

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Sep 7, 2020
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Octopus are offering "free" electricity between 7-9am tomorrow to all customers - I guess they're expecting a surplus of wind energy - it means we can get the house up to temperature using electric rather than the gas heating.
Not all customers surely. Only those with working smart meters.
 

Sam Vimes

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You've probably guessed from my other posts that while I'm in favour of energy optimisation, the implementation of Smart Meter technology is flawed. While it benefits some, others like me feel we're prevented from having the same potential savings because of where we live.
 
Jan 3, 2012
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Octopus are offering "free" electricity between 7-9am tomorrow to all customers - I guess they're expecting a surplus of wind energy - it means we can get the house up to temperature using electric rather than the gas heating.
We did that our bungalow was lovely and warm even had the washing machine and had the cooker on seeing we are a customer of Octopus Energy .
 
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Nov 16, 2015
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We are with Octopus and have a Smart meter and have no idea whether we benefited?
You have to be logged into Octoplus, with 1/2 hour meter readings, Octopus will send you times that electric is cheaper.
When I read up on it I don't think I would benefit much from it.
 
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You have to be logged into Octoplus, with 1/2 hour meter readings, Octopus will send you times that electric is cheaper.
When I read up on it I don't think I would benefit much from it.
It's easy to maximise the benefit, just do things like switch the immersion heater on, do the washing and dry clothes in the tumble dryer, anything that uses more electricity than you would normally in that period. It does require that you plan ahead.
 
Jul 15, 2008
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.....I'm 77 years young and on the basis of "you can't take it with you" I just pay the bill whilst not wasting energy.
I'm conscious of the fact that no savings are made until the cost of installations and their maintainence are paid for.
That's quite a long term prospect when you consider that the up front cost of solar and battery storage could be invested and earning interest.
 
Nov 6, 2005
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.....I'm 77 years young and on the basis of "you can't take it with you" I just pay the bill whilst not wasting energy.
I'm conscious of the fact that no savings are made until the cost of installations and their maintainence are paid for.
That's quite a long term prospect when you consider that the up front cost of solar and battery storage could be invested and earning interest.
I recently got quotes for solar panels with & without battery storage - despite the fact that energy is 2-3 times the cost of 2-3 years ago, and we're a higher than average user with a south-facing roof, the payback time for solar panels alone was 14 years and the extra cost of battery storage vs the extra savings was 24 years.

Suffice to say, I'm not proceeding as I'd be over 100 before I got any net saving.

I expected the payback time to be much lower since energy is now so expensive.
 
Dec 27, 2022
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.
That's quite a long term prospect when you consider that the up front cost of solar and battery storage could be invested and earning interest.
The £10k I invested in my solar brings in roughly 11% of the cost every year.
Can you invest £10k and get that sort of return with no risk ?

Anybody paying over £10k for solar is being ripped off unless it's a massive system. Mine is 4.3kW of panels, 3.6kW inverter (maximum you can connect to the grid without seeking extra permission) and 11.6kWh of battery's.
 
Nov 16, 2015
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The £10k I invested in my solar brings in roughly 11% of the cost every year.
Can you invest £10k and get that sort of return with no risk ?
Sorry but I am 72, and not willing to invest that sort of money into a house that I might be selling within 5 years.
 
Nov 16, 2015
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15 years ago the return would take 20 years, I couldn't afford to do that.
Now I am not interested in doing it. I am not on benefits so get no help from the government to improve my house.,
I will use the money not spent on Solar panels to keep caravanning in our Damp Free Coachman.
 
Jul 15, 2008
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The £10k I invested in my solar brings in roughly 11% of the cost every year.
Can you invest £10k and get that sort of return with no risk?

I have £10k invested in a bank, at no risk, giving a 3.7% tax paid return.
You are not receiving a return you are recouping your original outlay at 11% a year.
 
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