How to live without heating - save £000s

HertsLad

QrizB said:

HertsLad said:

wrf12345 said:

Just to add, recent changes mean that the roof fixings have to be an MCS approved install.

Outrageous, if your warning is correct.

MCS-certified installers have enough structural engineering training that you don't need separate Building Regs sign-off for the modifications.

If you DIY, you need to make your own Building Regs application to your local authority, supported by structural engineering calcs.

It's bad news for sure. When I started work on the roof I wasn't aware you needed permission or approval. The common sense response is that several other houses with the same roof as mine have 10 panels fitted in the immediate area with thousands throughout the UK. If their roofs are suitable, then so is mine. If they insist I engage a structural engineer at a cost of £ thousands, when everyone knows it's OK, it will make the whole thing non-viable. Do I continue or do I abandon the whole idea? Actually, I was going to pull 3 panels on to the roof for an immediate power boost, tied to the hooks with rope. It may be that 3 panels are enough. I could try that - it will look 'temporary' and see if there's any reaction.

debitcardmayhem

Just a thought about exporting the excess you will have to pony up for the standing charge for the non-import ?

HertsLad

debitcardmayhem said:

Just a thought about exporting the excess you will have to pony up for the standing charge for the non-import ?

Yes, but if the standing charge is significantly outweighed by the income from export, then it would be worthwhile.

I applied to Octopus for a quote. For a 10 panel 4.5kw system their price was £6400 without batteries.

But the quote illustration included their wild assumption I am currently paying £100 a month for electricity. A large part of the payback came from slashing that. I asked them to rerun the quote with zero electricity used at present. Perhaps it showed it's not viable. They didn't rerun the quote but, instead, sent me an email saying sorry it wasn't a good time to install solar. I think this is very bad service and shocking customer relations. I may complain and try to persuade them to open my case again. I had told the adviser on the phone I get all my power from a 24v system. He may have thought it's too unusual to be bothered with. I don't know.

masonic

HertsLad said:

debitcardmayhem said:

Just a thought about exporting the excess you will have to pony up for the standing charge for the non-import ?

Yes, but if the standing charge is significantly outweighed by the income from export, then it would be worthwhile.
I applied to Octopus for a quote. For a 10 panel 4.5kw system their price was £6400 without batteries.
But the quote illustration included their wild assumption I am currently paying £100 a month for electricity. A large part of the payback came from slashing that. I asked them to rerun the quote with zero electricity used at present. Perhaps it showed it's not viable. They didn't rerun the quote but, instead, sent me an email saying sorry it wasn't a good time to install solar. I think this is very bad service and shocking customer relations. I may complain and try to persuade them to open my case again. I had told the adviser on the phone I get all my power from a 24v system. He may have thought it's too unusual to be bothered with. I don't know.

In fairness, the system generating illustrations probably isn't capable of accounting for edge cases like yours, and you are unlikely to be put in touch with anyone with the expertise to tailor something to your bespoke requirements at no cost. This is seen in other areas too, like retirement illustrations that can't cope with non-normal working/contribution patterns, and mortgage affordability tests that can't cope with irregular investment income.

I'm not even sure it could be done fairly, since your behaviour will radically change post-install. If I were you I'd just estimate how much I'd use post-install and make that the basis of the illustration.

Also bear in mind much of the email comms to Octopus is handled by AI. When this goes off the rails it will fall back to a human, but that can result in a long delay until the next response.

wrf12345

How are you avoiding the s/c, out of interest, if it is a total disconnect with no meter and the incoming line cut off then it will be a few grand to get you back in business - line disconnect often happens within a year of meter removal. 

HertsLad

wrf12345 said:

How are you avoiding the s/c, out of interest, if it is a total disconnect with no meter and the incoming line cut off then it will be a few grand to get you back in business - line disconnect often happens within a year of meter removal. 

As I mentioned before, I was lucky to be with Eon when I wanted to stop using electricity. They are good in refunding the standing charge after you go a year without using any power. They even refunded that first year. They explained the only other option is to have the services capped but it was said to be about £200 per service and about the same again to be reconnected.

HertsLad

masonic said:

HertsLad said:

debitcardmayhem said:

Just a thought about exporting the excess you will have to pony up for the standing charge for the non-import ?

Yes, but if the standing charge is significantly outweighed by the income from export, then it would be worthwhile.
I applied to Octopus for a quote. For a 10 panel 4.5kw system their price was £6400 without batteries.
But the quote illustration included their wild assumption I am currently paying £100 a month for electricity. A large part of the payback came from slashing that. I asked them to rerun the quote with zero electricity used at present. Perhaps it showed it's not viable. They didn't rerun the quote but, instead, sent me an email saying sorry it wasn't a good time to install solar. I think this is very bad service and shocking customer relations. I may complain and try to persuade them to open my case again. I had told the adviser on the phone I get all my power from a 24v system. He may have thought it's too unusual to be bothered with. I don't know.

In fairness, the system generating illustrations probably isn't capable of accounting for edge cases like yours, and you are unlikely to be put in touch with anyone with the expertise to tailor something to your bespoke requirements at no cost. This is seen in other areas too, like retirement illustrations that can't cope with non-normal working/contribution patterns, and mortgage affordability tests that can't cope with irregular investment income.

I'm not even sure it could be done fairly, since your behaviour will radically change post-install. If I were you I'd just estimate how much I'd use post-install and make that the basis of the illustration.

Also bear in mind much of the email comms to Octopus is handled by AI. When this goes off the rails it will fall back to a human, but that can result in a long delay until the next response.

I'm not sure it's a difficult calculation, even though it's unusual. Just ignore my 24v system and concentrate on the new solar system with a fresh supply tariff. Assume I may use 0.5kwh per day, exporting all the rest. What's complicated?

The 0.5kwh would be to improve my life a bit, such as leaving my wifi router turned on, together with the Ring video doorbell. The only thing currently powered 24/7 is a 24v fridge. I don't even waste solar energy on inverters. They are only turned on when I want to use 230vac power for something, such as using my spin dryer for a few minutes.

masonic

HertsLad said:

masonic said:

HertsLad said:

debitcardmayhem said:

Just a thought about exporting the excess you will have to pony up for the standing charge for the non-import ?

Yes, but if the standing charge is significantly outweighed by the income from export, then it would be worthwhile.
I applied to Octopus for a quote. For a 10 panel 4.5kw system their price was £6400 without batteries.
But the quote illustration included their wild assumption I am currently paying £100 a month for electricity. A large part of the payback came from slashing that. I asked them to rerun the quote with zero electricity used at present. Perhaps it showed it's not viable. They didn't rerun the quote but, instead, sent me an email saying sorry it wasn't a good time to install solar. I think this is very bad service and shocking customer relations. I may complain and try to persuade them to open my case again. I had told the adviser on the phone I get all my power from a 24v system. He may have thought it's too unusual to be bothered with. I don't know.

In fairness, the system generating illustrations probably isn't capable of accounting for edge cases like yours, and you are unlikely to be put in touch with anyone with the expertise to tailor something to your bespoke requirements at no cost. This is seen in other areas too, like retirement illustrations that can't cope with non-normal working/contribution patterns, and mortgage affordability tests that can't cope with irregular investment income.

I'm not even sure it could be done fairly, since your behaviour will radically change post-install. If I were you I'd just estimate how much I'd use post-install and make that the basis of the illustration.

Also bear in mind much of the email comms to Octopus is handled by AI. When this goes off the rails it will fall back to a human, but that can result in a long delay until the next response.

I'm not sure it's a difficult calculation, even though it's unusual. Just ignore my 24v system and concentrate on the new solar system with a fresh supply tariff. Assume I may use 0.5kwh per day, exporting all the rest. What's complicated?

The cost of the software development project required to put these new options for estimating based on a 24 V system you have cobbled together into the hands of the salespeople is likely to greatly outweigh the profit they can make from you. It is economically unviable.

Whereas quoting on the basis of you using 0.5 kWh per day is likely something that could be plugged into the existing system (potentially, if they have allowed for such low use). I'm suggesting you don't bamboozle the mass market AI/salesperson with things they cannot reasonably comprehend, and instead state your situation in terms they may be able to understand. You might have to round up to 1 kWh per day.

HertsLad said:

The 0.5kwh would be to improve my life a bit, such as leaving my wifi router turned on, together with the Ring video doorbell. The only thing currently powered 24/7 is a 24v fridge. I don't even waste solar energy on inverters. They are only turned on when I want to use 230vac power for something, such as using my spin dryer for a few minutes.

Once you have such a system running, and you are paying the sunk cost of standing charges in order to be able to export, would you not treat yourself to a few other electrical luxuries?

wrf12345

THe Octopus solar quote only works with a minimum of 1000kw total usage in a year if you input actual usage, which is roughly twenty quid a month, so if you take that off your estimated monthly saving, you should be able to work through the pay-back time. "Balcony" solar - a much less complex install, albeit smaller sized - should also be an option later this year.

Swipe

@HertsLad What's your current indoor temperature after these recent sub zero nights? My spare room is down to 4C this morning.