Choice of intelligent switches ?

Hobbo2006

I went for the Immersun in Sept @ £400 including VAT and installation etc. It's been in hibernation since November but the figures for half of Sept and Oct were good. I'd calculated that the payback was around 3 years as we only have hot water via Immersion. I still think this is realistic, although will know more as the numbers come in.

Of course the more that electricity prices go up the quicker the payback will be. Had the people that make the mark 3 been better at communicating I would probably have gone for one of those.

spgsc531

I wonder if Immersun will drop their price now.

wpp34

I have enjoyed reading this thread, especially Cardews comments as he seems to inject a good dose of realism into the interpretation of the figures. That said I tend to take a slightly different view and treat the initial outlay as a sort of annuity. If I pay out £600 for an Immersun installation and save just £60 a year then that is a much better return than any annuity I could buy.
I await the disagreements:)

wpp34

I have been looking at quotes for the installation of an Immersun unit and some have a 5% rate and others have a 20% rate. What is the correct rate?

liquidity_2

If you buy it yourself you pay 20% VAT. If you buy it installed by a 3rd party VAT should be charged at 5% because it's considered part of the central heating and its controls.

wpp34

Hi Liquidity, my preferred installer, who fitted the PV system, insists it is 20%. Can you point me in the direction of some firm advice on this?

liquidity_2

Your installer needs to talk to his VAT consultant. An Immersun installation needs to be treated as a central heating controller which results in VAT being charged at 5%. It's not an energy saving device so doesn't qualify for 5% VAT under that rule - perhaps that's where your installer is going wrong.

For example, at www mbesolar co uk you can see they're charging 5% VAT. But your installer obviously needs to satisfy himself.

spgsc531

liquidity wrote: »

Your installer needs to talk to his VAT consultant. An Immersun installation needs to be treated as a central heating controller which results in VAT being charged at 5%. It's not an energy saving device so doesn't qualify for 5% VAT under that rule - perhaps that's where your installer is going wrong.

For example, at www mbesolar co uk you can see they're charging 5% VAT. But your installer obviously needs to satisfy himself.

How is it classed as a central heating controller? I thought the purpose of it was to heat your hot (tap) water with excess electricity. Or does that come under it?

liquidity_2

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/sectors/consumers/energy-saving.htm

I should not have used the phrase "central heating controller" - I should have said "control for the hot water system"

Cavemanu

hi there, I've been following the Immersun (and related intelligent switches) thread for several months.

Really looking forward to hearing how your Immersun systems are faring now we are starting to get a bit more daylight. This week (late Jan) due to my steep roof and aspect, we are starting to see the light at the end of the dark winter tunnel! We've been getting 7kwh of Solar PV generated some days and combined with the recent mild weather following the snow melt, that generation might have helped reduce our dependence on gas hot water heating a little bit. I'm defo considering having an immersun installed once there is some longer term data about savings versus costs

Welcome your observations/updates over the coming weeks / months to help me make an informed decision about going for it (or not)

TIA