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Green & ethical MoneySaving

Archives for December 2014

Question >>> home energy monitors
If a basic home energy monitor (of the type sometimes given away free of charge by electricity suppliers) with a clamp-on line sensor is connected to a "solar home", will the monitor register just the kW / kWh of electricity provided to the home or will it be confused by the quantity of electricity exported?
TCP LED light bulbs
My "early adopter" experiences with LED light bulbs was not good. Reliability poor. I have been waiting for reliability to improve and prices to fall. Then today I saw TCP light bulbs in Homebase at a reduced price of £4.87 less 20% (when spending £50 or more) = £3.89: My selection >>> TCP >>> Nichia Corporation >>> clear…
best make/brand name for photvoltaic and inverter?
What is stopping us from fitting our own solar panels? What is the best make/brand name for photvoltaic and inverter? I will apply for the Feed in Tariff myself. How/where do you buy them?
Solar PV offer. Please can someone give advice on this offer
Hi everyone. I have been thinking about fitting solar panels for a while now and have just had a quote from a company Euro Energy Services in Harrogate. Here are the details: I live in a 4 bedroom detached single,work 4 days a week(house vacant during the day. The quote has the following points 4 KWp estimated to yield…
Green deal: I must be very naïve ...
I paid for a green deal assessment today for my property and had a very strange appointment. I wonder if I am just a little naïve . I had little confidence in the assessors ability to actually work out the energy efficiency of my house and his attitude was quite poor. However, he called me up in the evening and said that…
Our first solar quote....
Hello there, With Christmas 1 week away, both of us being flat out at work and baby turning 1 tomorrow, Hubbie and I thought now would be a good time to look at getting solar panels installed!:p The first quote we have got is: £6500 4kWp 16 x 250W Phono solar Onyx Mono all black using a Power-One Auroa PVI-3.6TL inverter.…
Solar advice
Solar king were doing the rounds on our estate and I've said they come and give me a quote tomorrow. I figure. If nothing else, they should be able to give me a starting point on what I can have fitted etc? A friend across the road said he was quoted £8.5k for a 5.5kwp system which isn't too far from £1.50pw which seems to…
Solar iboost installation
I have recently had a 2.65KW solar PV system installed and am considering a solar iboost water heater. My current immersion heater is 3kw. At the moment I am generating approx 2-3KW a day and exporting most of it as no one is in the property during the day. I have periodically checked the power out put from the panels and…
Recyling
Does anybody know of any good uk blogs, about recyling, upcycling, make do and mend those sort of things? Thankyou:)
solar novice any advice welcome
Hi I am having solar panels fitted next week. I know little about this and despite reading up for hours am a bit out of my depth with all the figures. I am having 16 panels, told this is the max you can have, and my roof is 5 degrees off south. I currently have full gas central heating/water, gas hob, electric oven. I have…
Solar generation >>> afternoon skewed
As a new starter, I notice that my better generation figures are very much afternoon skewed. Is this likely to be climatically determined or is it more likely to be caused by my system's favouring the afternoon? ..
E.on Online FIT Account
Hi, Has anyone experienced problems with E.on's abysmal attempt to put FIT accounts online and their inability to correct mistakes? My FIT account is described as a 'Gas' account and E.on can't correct a payment/reading mistake they made in July this year. When you contact them they promise everything and deliver nothing.
Problem with Energynote on Geo solo II PV
Has anyone else had problems with the internet side of your PV monitoring? My unit works ok, with good connection however the totals on the EnergyNote site fails to add the daily totals so those figures are useless. I sent an email to them and this was the reply... We are aware of the issues on Energynote and this is being…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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