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Would you do it again?

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  • dreaming
    dreaming Posts: 1,212 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Just mooching around the MSE site and saw this thread which made me think "would I do it again?". I had my system (16 panels split on an east/south west orientation) fitted in April 2013 for £6k, with some help from people on here - thanks. Not really sure how the power used changed as 4 months after system fit I retired so went from being out all day to being in all day, but living alone I was still a light user. Since then life has changed again as adult, unemployed child has moved back in with me so power usage has obviously increased, although I have managed to train them to charge their devices in the day. I sent off my FIT reading this morning (which is why I am wasting time on laptop) and filled in my spreadsheet and can say that although, due to life changes mentioned, I can't really judge how/if leccy use has changed I can see that my combined gas/elec. bill for last year was £684 and my FIT payments were £715 (Jan-Dec 2015). So in effect free power - ok I know I had to pay the £6k out in the first place, but even earning 5% pa in a couple of bank accounts would only have given me £300 pa interest. I don't have any fancy monitoring system, other than where I am sitting right now I can see that my generating meter is flashing away nicely (despite being a bit overcast here) and my usage meter has a nice steady red light displayed. I could probably reduce usage by being a bit more careful but at the moment I can say I am happy with things.
  • rugbyleague
    rugbyleague Posts: 121 Forumite
    Really appreciate you taking time to write this! I'm learning as I go and your experiences with your data are helping me make my mind up.
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,059 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    Martyn1981 wrote: »
    That looks in the region of 50% consumption of generation, and at a leccy rate of 15.68p/kWh.

    Unless your leccy consumption is huge, that's not going to happen.

    I generate 4,400 (on average) and consume about 30%, saving me somewhere in the region of £180. I'm possibly in the upper leccy savings bracket, but I do have a big system, and the E/W split helps (though winter generation is poor).

    I do appreciate that your estimates of saving 'in house' are usually realistic, and you debunk the inevitably stupid claims by PV salesmen - as above.

    However I suggest your personal saving figure is misleading for most people. 30% of 4,400kWh is 1,320kWh. A saving of £180 pa prices each kWh at 13.64p/kWh.

    There are loads of tariffs in UK at well under 10p/kWh - I have recently joined the MSE BG collective and pay 8.79p/kWh.(including VAT)

    Whilst I appreciate prices in South Wales are slightly higher than some other regions of UK, 13.64p/kWh is way above electricity prices available in the Principality - even higher than BG standard
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 15,367 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 18 July 2016 at 6:00PM
    Cardew wrote: »
    However I suggest your personal saving figure is misleading for most people. 30% of 4,400kWh is 1,320kWh. A saving of £180 pa prices each kWh at 13.64p/kWh.

    Misleading? Careful Cardew, I clearly stated that I was at the upper end?

    Import has dropped from 3,000kWh to 1,600kWh. I save approx 1,400kWh pa at 12.3p = £172(ish).

    Better luck next time.

    [Edit: BTW - you did read the thread properly didn't you? The discussions on higher leccy savings revolved around a 5.89kWp system, and discussions of installs in the 5-6kWp range. Whilst there will be diminishing returns as the system gets bigger, you'd still expect larger savings, such as my £30-40 uplift following the extension. M.]

    Cardew wrote: »
    There are loads of tariffs in UK at well under 10p/kWh - I have recently joined the MSE BG collective and pay 8.79p/kWh.(including VAT)

    Remember you can get good unit prices because as you've previously pointed out you use a vast amount of energy.

    Cardew wrote: »
    Whilst I appreciate prices in South Wales are slightly higher than some other regions of UK, 13.64p/kWh is way above electricity prices available in the Principality - even higher than BG standard

    Yes S. Wales prices are high. I can get better leccy prices, but my gas price is 2.2p locked in for 2 years. Just checked comparison sites and I could save £14pa if I switch again, but I'm happy at the moment.

    Mart.

    PS. Might I suggest if you spent more time worrying about your energy consumption, than my energy prices, the world would be a better place! M. :-)
    Mart. Cardiff. 8.72 kWp PV systems (2.12 SSW 4.6 ESE & 2.0 WNW). 20kWh battery storage. Two A2A units for cleaner heating. Two BEV's for cleaner driving.

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • silverwhistle
    silverwhistle Posts: 3,999 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Well, I pay 16.46p per electricity and 4.95p for gas just to show that we all have to examine our own situations...

    My total annual bill for both is £220 plus another £60 for briquettes for my wood burner for occasional convenience. That's for a 3-bedroom terrace with GCH and hot water and a diverter and I bake and cook a lot from scratch so it's not just microwave and tea!

    Due to my low usage it's worth my while to have a zero standing charge tariff which results in the high unit rate. So if you're (as in anyone reading this) crunching your own numbers it might be worth bearing standing charges in mind when looking at the whole picture.
  • Martyn1981
    Martyn1981 Posts: 15,367 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 18 July 2016 at 6:00PM
    Well, I pay 16.46p per electricity and 4.95p for gas just to show that we all have to examine our own situations...

    I keep an eye on EBICO, but it's 18.51p here. So works out slightly more for me. If I do get batts in the future, that should drop me to 600kWh, so the plan is to get a NSC account.

    Your numbers put me to shame!

    Mart.
    Mart. Cardiff. 8.72 kWp PV systems (2.12 SSW 4.6 ESE & 2.0 WNW). 20kWh battery storage. Two A2A units for cleaner heating. Two BEV's for cleaner driving.

    For general PV advice please see the PV FAQ thread on the Green & Ethical Board.
  • silverwhistle
    silverwhistle Posts: 3,999 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It's 6 o'clock and chilled white on the patio time and my panels are still producing 1.3kw. Before I go just another thought to the OP; although there are some rather profligate cynics around when it comes to PV and energy saving, having panels will make you more aware of energy usage, however small the difference may be in monetary terms.
  • silverwhistle
    silverwhistle Posts: 3,999 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Martyn1981 wrote: »
    I keep an eye on EBICO, but it's 18.51p here. Mart.

    That's a large valley premium! How much is Brains SA?
  • Exiled_Tyke
    Exiled_Tyke Posts: 1,344 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It's 6 o'clock and chilled white on the patio time and my panels are still producing 1.3kw. Before I go just another thought to the OP; although there are some rather profligate cynics around when it comes to PV and energy saving, having panels will make you more aware of energy usage, however small the difference may be in monetary terms.

    I don't think the difference is small in monetary terms. Being so much more aware of how much energy is being used and particularly how much various appliances consume, I think has made a very significant difference to our usage and of course then, our electricity bills. I'm waiting another hour for the white to chill - mustn't start too early it is, after all, a 'school night'.
    Install 28th Nov 15, 3.3kW, (11x300LG), SolarEdge, SW. W Yorks.
    Install 2: Sept 19, 600W SSE
    Solax 6.3kWh battery
  • zeupater
    zeupater Posts: 5,389 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Hi

    We use slightly less than silverwhistle, DD is now £17/month for dual fuel .... no need to go out onto the patio here, it's well past 7:30 & 26.3C out there, whilst in here it's pretty cool with the heat-pump ticking away in the background and despite that, we're currently exporting over 80% of generation ....

    ahhh, technology .... :cool:
    Z
    "We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit. " ...... Aristotle
    B)
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