It's time to start digging up those Squirrelled Nuts!!!!

k_man

Sorry, wasn't trying to be rude.
Just surprised you had stayed with Lloyds Club, when comparable deals, with less constraints were available.

Didn't mean to turn this into the saving discussion!

pensionpawn

ex-pat_scot said:

cfw1994 said:

DT2001 said:

pensionpawn said:

MallyGirl said:

Retireinten said:

DT2001 said:

Retireinten said:

We're thinking of buying a bit of kit that will redirect our excess solar to heat our water via the immersion heater so we could potentially run the house without gas in the warmer months.

Highly recommend - we bought one about 3 years ago as we have an unvented system with a large hot water tank. I reckon it paid for itself in about 2 years, even then. Minimal gas consumption from April to Oct.

Installed it at the weekend, it works a treat. I was ever so slightly hungover on Saturday but even this did not affect the excitement at seeing the immersion heater ramp up to 2.8kwh when we switched it on. It wasn't the best day weather wise yesterday and it still produced enough hot water for a couple of showers.

Really pleased with it, expect to use very little gas now over the next 6 months or so. 

OH has raised the question of using some cash (liberated by early crystallisation of some of his pension) to maybe look at solar panels. It's a big SW facing roof but is in a conservation area so there might be constraints. A long time ago we saw a system that looked like slate - no idea how much the technology has moved on since then. It would also help to keep the temperature down in the attic room which is his office. Cutting down our fuel bills would make a big difference in our outgoings 

Our panels (installed just over 6 years ago) reduce our electrical import by 25% - 33% over the year and eliminate the need to use gas for H/W from April - Oct inc, if you also install a solar divert. The FiT is now much lower than it used to be (I presently receive 17p / kWhr) and that now pays over £1k pa tax free, however I still will not have paid off my install for another 12 - 18 months. After that it's 12 years of tax free solar cash point to offset the ever increasing energy bills. I've also eventually ordered a Tesla Powerwall to store some / most of the energy that I export (around 2.5 Mwhrs pa) and eliminate import from March to October inc and timeshift E7 from Nov - Feb. This was all part of my pension planning. Do the sums (I spent ages modelling the potential generation / returns etc) to determine the RoI and whether it's worth it. It's not a quick win. The Powerwall will not pay for itself in less than 8 years, unless the tariff's continue to soar, however it will allow me to be electrically independent, which if rationing is imposed from the end of the year (the government said they won't do it, which means they expect to) will keep us warm, illuminated, clean and connected to the outside world. I'm also engineering the central heating to work off water heated by the panels to save on gas from Feb - April and Oct - Nov. Hammer down the outgoings (without compromising on lifestyle) and the rest will look after itself.

FIT has been replaced by SEG. You can get paid for energy you export and the amount per unit is set by the SEG licence holder.

Returning to Mallygirl’s question re panels or tiles we are in an ANOB and we’re allowed panels after a quick check with planning - so best to just ask. If not this link https://www.deegesolar.co.uk/solar_roof_tiles/ gives a lowdown on roof tiles, less efficient, costlier but the only option for some and definitely less intrusive.

We put in 4kw system 9.5 years ago. Took about 8 years of FIT to cover cost of installing as 3 as expensive than now. It still produces pretty much the same as day one so looking good to meet it’s guarantee of 85% output even after 25 years. 

I am holding fire on installing batteries as I hope their development/cost/efficiency will take another leap in the next 2 to 3 years.

We've had panels 11 years - early FIT meant a 7 yr payback.  Replaced the dodgy inverter last year (£1k), but working well again.  No conservation issues here though...

@MallyGirl - if I was looking now, I would defo go for solar+battery - 0% VAT helps make the payback much shorter.

We are considering battery tech - with recent rises, for our use case, it looks like a 7 yr payback, & that assumes energy costs stay flat.....& we have to pay 20% VAT (about a grand)
Tricky to know if prices will fall back after the current crisis, but either way, we may invest anyway.   I don't see any dramatic leaps in tech in the foreseeable future.  Maybe 7-10 years.  

& back on the squirrelled nuts - keep us informed, we have some cash ISAs that complete in May!!

Interesting.
It's not just the simple payback.
There's also the small matter of supply interruption, and predictability of (some of the) price.
A couple of my neighbours are installing solar + battery. They are wealthy and WFH mostly, and their confidence in being able to work effectively has taken a bit of a knock recently. 
Finally there's the green credential - doing one's bit.
And finally finally, there's the near option of using a V2L electric car to act as battery capacity.

The downsides, as I see it.
1. capital required
2. visual and maintenance elements of roofing
3. suitability of site (we don't get much really strong sunshine here in the North Yorks moors) and roof alignment with optimal southerly facing panels
4. needs local specialists. Plenty of local panel installers, but few who understand how to design a proper system and maintain it.

Couldn't agree more. Been tracking the RoI of battery tech since we had our panels installed just over 6 years ago. Up until the April energy cap rise the RoI has never been there however it's just now beginning to make economic sense on the back of the recent dramatic rises in energy tariff's. However that alone wasn't the catalyst, it's the increasing potential for supply interruption that is!

Sea_Shell

New licences came this morning!  That was quick!

Sea_Shell

Mini spending spree this morning! 😎

Some bits for the garden, a tank full of petrol and a new vacuum cleaner...£230.

I'll let you guess the split!?!? 😂😂😂

moving_forward

Well if it was us the majority would go on the garden 😁

MallyGirl

same preference here but the fuel tanks are large so that would skew it

cfw1994

Sea_Shell said:

Mini spending spree this morning! 😎

Some bits for the garden, a tank full of petrol and a new vacuum cleaner...£230.

I'll let you guess the split!?!? 😂😂😂

Ha!
Tried to fill my diesel Volvo up at Costco after we returned from France….but Costco do a “prepay” credit card thing that limits it to £99.  I still had room for 2 more gallons when the pump stopped 😳

We are lucky to have the Kona EV: the ‘zappi’ plug at home is the fuel station: hasn’t run out yet 🤪
We still have 4 hours of relatively cheap electrickery overnight to top that up…..so it’s back to leaving the diesel parked up 👀

On the topic of garden things….we bought a beautiful funky “caravan birdhouse” and a nice bug box at the Super-U in France…each about £6 - felt very cheap!  Along with some wine, of course: still savings to be had there 🥂

bluenose1

Sea_Shell said:

Mini spending spree this morning! 😎

Some bits for the garden, a tank full of petrol and a new vacuum cleaner...£230.

I'll let you guess the split!?!? 😂😂😂

I’ll guess.
garden = £30
vacuum = £ 130, (though saying that notice the Miele vacuum I normally buy are close on £200 now, sure it was only a £100 a couple of years ago)
petrol £70

i want to replace the carpets in our lounge with LVT, or preferably good quality laminate as would be a lot cheaper, but worried it will make the room cold and I will regret it. Not sure if best decision to get rid of carpet with the current energy rises. We have concrete floors so as usual dithering.

 I have been using my heated throw a lot while working and have hardly needed heating on. Heating the person not the room.

moving_forward

We will replace our carpet eventually (still paying off debt). Our old house had concrete floor with laminate. but a special foil backed underlay that acted as insulation. I fitted it myself and it was easy. 

This is the stuff 
https://www.screwfix.com/p/premier-wood-laminate-flooring-underlay-3mm-10m-/48485?tc=JC8&ds_kid=92700065751868351&ds_rl=1249407&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjN-SBhCkARIsACsrBz7Rl8a94WdDSYemhVJtkdXEOUlNlJU5lV2MADNi8Oax3tUBRJod0CIaAolGEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

becky_rtw

Hello! Do you mind if I follow along Sea-Shell? 

I've read the first 70 pages of the thread...and then skipped to the end

We're working towards retiring in the next 6-12 months. Long date as need to sell a business and a house and then move. 

I'll be early 40s and OH early 50s. Excited, but many hoops to jump through as well. The spreadsheets are showing more than enough to live off and we are for sale and getting viewings, but going from on paper to real is pretty scary. I'm worried we will get a long way down the process of selling and then a sneaky something we've forgotten will make it not possible to afford to retire.

Tax liabilities is the current worry on the sale. I've worked off losing 25% of the proceeds, but until we get an offer we cant sit with the accountant and do more specific numbers. 

I know one or both of us can continue to work if that happens as we are young, but its the change in mindset once you've started to think about all the free time you'll have. I would definitely begrudge having to I think.