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Green & ethical MoneySaving

How do you live life the MoneySaving way, but protect our planet too? Sometimes going cheap can hurt the environment.

used Wooden Pallets
Hi all.. We are a very elderly retired couple who have just taken over an allotment..There is a very delapitated shed on site and because of costs to repair normally , we are looking to use a few wooden pallets to improve it. We live Truro Cornwall and would appreciate any help/guidance to where these might be locally…
Plastic free shopping: 26 of the UK's best zero waste stores
This came through on one of my feeds this morning and I thought this might be the best part of the forum for it :T Zero waste shops have become a real force for showing how conscious consumerism can change the way we buy and eat our food. As well as cutting down on pointless plastics and single use packaging, zero waste…
New user of PV and FITs - help
Hope you can help me get up to speed quickly, my only experience of PV panels is on my sailing boat. I'm helping my mum out with her household affairs since her husband passed away. There's a PV array on the roof, installed 2014 and paid for £6300 in full, I believe. They've been receiving a FIT from EDF, and I understand…
Does domestic solar make financial sense?
I have just sold my home with a 2.12kWp array that generates an annual income/savings of c.£1000 a year. Despite getting a raft of (often daft) questions from the buyer’s solicitor, I am convinced that the income/savings from my array was a factor in my sale. I am now struggling with the advantages/disadvantages of getting…
Project Solar - am I getting ripped off? HELP!!
Hi I'm completely new to the forum world and also to solar power so am struggling with all the info I've been given. I have seen a LOT of threads on here about Project Solar and what a rip off they are so am treading very carefully but (surprise, surprise) the bloke we've been dealing with who surveyed the house etc seemed…
Are Solar PV Payments Taxable ??
As the title suggests. Are the payments made to you subject to tax ?? Do you declare them on your tax return or not ??
Smart meter with solar PV??
Hello lovely people :) Can I ask how you measure self-consumption of your solar PV? We can monitor our generation, and also what our diverters are sending to the immersion heater / car charger BUT...... I haven't got a way at present of measuring total self-consumption. My energy supplier, TONIK is offering to install a…
Spikes in production
Got home tonight and checked my production which is fine but Sunnyportal is showing regular spikes in production during the day (midday some over 4kwh). I'd post a screenshot if I knew how to:D Any idea or anyone else have this issue
PV smart plug
Hello, I've just seen Solax advertising a smart plug that would work with my PV inverter. It is an appealing idea - that it would only switch on when there is sufficient sunshine to power an appliance, but I'm not sure how practical it is in reality. Can most appliances cope with keep getting switched on and off? I'm…
Which energy tariff for Solar?
Which energy tariff do people find best to use in conjunction with their solar installs? I've been looking at Octopus Agile where out of core hours unit prices can be less than 9p? Sometimes down as low as 5p. https://octopus.energy/agile/#what-does-it-cost My current EDF tariff is 13.76p across the board. I suppose the…
Solar Panel Consideration
Hi, I am currently considering a Solar Panel Installation in my home and was wondering what everyones thoughts are regarding the fact that he FIT's are stopping in April 2019, does this mean that Solar is no longer viable.....?
Solar Panels maximum output compared to actual output
Hey all I've had a 3.5kWp solar PV installation up for about 2 weeks now. The maximum output I've seen at any one time is 2.7kW. Bearing in mind the sun is at full strength this week and I'm 99% sure that it can't get any brighter! So my question, is that normal for a solar system to have an actual output which is over 20%…
Solar batteries retrofit thoughts
Hello all I've had a solar system recently fitted and it's really annoying me that I'm generating three times more electricity than I need but still needing to pull power from the grid at night. I've looked in to battery solutions but can't seem to find a lot of information on it, mainly around price and reviews. So I was…
Solar Power Shed
Hi All I have been considering using solar to get power in my shed rather than running a mains cable out there. I dont really use power tools so it only needs to cover lighting and charging. I keep going round in circles at the moment. One option being a 12 or 24V battery system with an inverter. The other option is can I…
Choice of intelligent switches ?
Choice of Immersion Switches Tempted to go for the Intelligent Solar Immersion Heater Switch – Mark II @ £233 delivered for self install. but noticed the Immersun, twice the price. http://www.immersun.co.uk/ I have already changed immersion to a 1kw element, so think ISIHS Mark II is the one I will go for.…
Ye olde worlde meters
Had PV for almost 3 weeks now, what have people done with meters going backwards? Should my installers have changed (or advised to change) them (only day is going backwards, not E7 one). I suppose it makes no difference what i get paid as I'm on 50% export?
Wi-fi reading?
I am new to solar panels, I submitted my second reading last week. I did have a few problems to start with, in relation to my smart meter for my duel fuel energy supplier, Scottish Power. Scottish Power gave me a reading of the ammount generated by my solar panels, I see you guys on here about readings for a single day.…
Milk In Glass Bottles
Not exactly ethical money saving since a pint of semi-skimmed milk in a glass bottle costs 81p delivered (Milk & More) compared with 4 pints in plastic for £1.10p (Iceland). But that's often the way with ethical products: For example you won't get a litre of Ecover washing up liquid for the 59p you pay for your washing up…
House Purchase with Solar Panels
Hi, My husband and I are in the middle of purchasing a house with a number of solar panels on the roof. However, the seller hasn't been able to provide any paperwork for the panels and we've been advised by our solicitor that it could cause problems with our lender if no paperwork is able to be produced. The vendors…
Replacement Inverter Query
Our 3 phase Samil Solarlake 7000 Inverter is dead - Code 079 Relay failure. Warranty is just about useless apparently as Samil has pulled out of the UK market. If you take it from the commissioning date, it lasted one day less than the installers guarantee of one year. Our installer has offered (at our cost - problem for…

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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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Green & ethical MoneySaving

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