Homesun Solar panels

ronlizpatsimon

I have just been approved for installation of free panels.
Has anyone any opinions of how good or bad "Homesun" is?
I have not yet sighed up.

grahamc2003

ronlizpatsimon wrote: »

I have not yet sighed up.

Have you read the latest savings expectations as reported in the updated solar article on MSE?

i expect that may get you to sigh up.

ronlizpatsimon

Good Afternoon "Graham". I understand the average savings is now £70 a year. I expect to do better than that as I hope to have a 4kw system, I am retired and thus would be at home a lot and thus able to use electrical items whilst the sun is shineing.

grahamc2003

ronlizpatsimon wrote: »

Good Afternoon "Graham". I understand the average savings is now £70 a year. I expect to do better than that as I hope to have a 4kw system, I am retired and thus would be at home a lot and thus able to use electrical items whilst the sun is shineing.

Yes, no doubt you should do better than average or typical.

How much do you think you can save over average? Most seem to think using a 3kW immersion is the way to increase usage (which it is, but, as you know, could easily increase bills overall rather than decrease them). The other readily available option is using the dishwasher and washing machine when sunny, and there are some obvious gains there if the machines are full at the time, but setting a timer means those options are available for everyone anyhow, so are probably already included in the average or typical saving.

Will you be trying other means of trying to use up the solar energy?

ronlizpatsimon

Hello Graham.
I am hoping to save about £120 a year.
You are generally correct about having the immersion heater on. However; with a 4kw system and a 3kw immersion; when the sun is shining in the summer, it would be practical, for me, to manually switch on the immersion only at times of clear sunshine. Anyway, gas prices have just gone up about twice as much as electric prices have gone up - addmitantly Gas is still cheaper. In the future there is the possibility that Electric will be cheaper than gas because Gas will all be used up. Electric will not suffer this fate due to using Nuclear, Wind, Waterfalls, Tidal, and solar.
Using a timer to operate the clothes-washer is not very practical as it is common to do more than one load on a washday. Also the ladies do not favour leaving washing in the machine after the wash has completed - it leaves it creased.
The dishwasher can be timed. Ironing can be done during sunlight hours as well as vacuming.
We have a couple of pump powered outdoor water features, these are only used by day anyway

ronlizpatsimon

Good Afternoon Graham,
Today I received a package of details about my Homesum offer. It seems that I'm only being offered a 3.1 kw system. I,m intending to hold out for a 3.99 kw one, either from Homesun or 2 others who have yet to do a survey (British Gas and Ecovision).

grahamc2003

ronlizpatsimon wrote: »

Good Afternoon Graham,
Today I received a package of details about my Homesum offer. It seems that I'm only being offered a 3.1 kw system. I,m intending to hold out for a 3.99 kw one, either from Homesun or 2 others who have yet to do a survey (British Gas and Ecovision).

Goodafternoon Ronliz, I trust you are enjoying the junior tennis final.

While it's proboably better to get the larger system, it probably isn't much better for rar ers, with what you can use not increasing much with a higher powered system, so it won't affect you too much if you don't get offered the higher rated panels.

One thing which stands out to me from the new MSE solar article is how generous EON seems to be in their offer. They alone seem to offer a try before you buy scheme (as mse call it) with a very low buyout after 3 years of typically under £8k which, to my mind, puts their offer way above everyone else's. I wonder of you've considered them?

ronlizpatsimon

Hello Graham.
I have just noticed that the reply I did to you yesterday is not displaying in the posts.
I was with Eon but at that time they were not offering free panels. British Gas were, so I changed my fuel supply to them and applied for free panels. They then stopped the system. Now they have recommenced and I have applied again and await a survey.