Should I go off-grid?

HertsLad

I found that December and January were the worst months for producing energy from PV panels. Now a few days into February, the days are getting longer. I remain optimistic I can complete a full year without using a single watt of mains electricity. to enable me to apply to Eon to stop the standing charge. But I find it reduces my standard of living far more than living in an unheated house, so I am not sure how long I will keep it up.

70sbudgie

In what ways has it reduced your standard of living? I'm guessing that you mean there are things you haven't been able to do because you didn't have sufficent electricity generation / stored? 

I have to add that I am utterly fascinated by your attempt to go off grid within an urban environment. There are many stories about people going off grid in rural situations where they have lots of land, but I find it so interesting (and educational) that you are experimenting with how this can be applied to a more common situation. 

I think that even if we can't go fully off grid, being less reliant on it is no bad thing.

HertsLad

70sbudgie said:

In what ways has it reduced your standard of living? I'm guessing that you mean there are things you haven't been able to do because you didn't have sufficent electricity generation / stored? 

I have to add that I am utterly fascinated by your attempt to go off grid within an urban environment. There are many stories about people going off grid in rural situations where they have lots of land, but I find it so interesting (and educational) that you are experimenting with how this can be applied to a more common situation. 

I think that even if we can't go fully off grid, being less reliant on it is no bad thing.

Thank you for your interest.  Yes, I see it as a reduction in my standard of living because there are various electrical devices I would like to use but can't (especially over Winter) because there's not enough solar energy being produced to replenish any power I would draw. So the following appliances have been almost out of bounds - freezer, desktop computer beyond a few minutes a day (so streaming music and video services can't be used), power tools such as a circular saw, food mixer, and bathroom heater. I haven't used my washing machine, dishwasher or TV for years so they don't bother me.

There are workarounds, though. For example, I set the thermostat on my 24v fridge to -8C. It can't be accurate because milk and other items only show the very beginning of becoming slushy, so any frozen items I place in the fridge will last a bit longer than if the temperature really was 3C.

HertsLad

In about 2 months time, I expect to have gone a whole year without using a single watt of mains electricity. Eon told me they will stop the standing charge and hopefully refund the amount paid for the past 12 months. It will be interesting to see if they stick to what I was told. In the meantime, they have refunded £400 of direct debit payments plus the Government's payments.

mickyduck55

HertsLad said:

In about 2 months time, I expect to have gone a whole year without using a single watt of mains electricity. Eon told me they will stop the standing charge and hopefully refund the amount paid for the past 12 months. It will be interesting to see if they stick to what I was told. In the meantime, they have refunded £400 of direct debit payments plus the Government's payments.

My bill for the same period, TOU tariff solar and batteries, yes its double yours and significant investment costs but I run anything I "need" when ever I need it.  Bake my own bread, Air to Air heat pump etc.

It will be higher when my existing fixed rate expires in March.. the standing charge alone will be about £15 a month

HertsLad

mickyduck55 said:

My bill for the same period, TOU tariff solar and batteries, yes its double yours and significant investment costs but I run anything I "need" when ever I need it.  Bake my own bread, Air to Air heat pump etc.

It will be higher when my existing fixed rate expires in March.. the standing charge alone will be about £15 a month

Please clarify. Could you please give a bit more information on the cash flows for your account. I assume the £20.28 is your net cost and why you say it's roughly twice mine. My £11 is wholly the standing charge and, if I get it refunded, will fall to zero.How much of your £20.28 is standing charge and how much is for energy exported to the grid? Also, what was the total cost of your installation? 

mickyduck55

HertsLad said:

mickyduck55 said:

My bill for the same period, TOU tariff solar and batteries, yes its double yours and significant investment costs but I run anything I "need" when ever I need it.  Bake my own bread, Air to Air heat pump etc.

It will be higher when my existing fixed rate expires in March.. the standing charge alone will be about £15 a month

Please clarify. Could you please give a bit more information on the cash flows for your account. I assume the £20.28 is your net cost and why you say it's roughly twice mine. My £11 is wholly the standing charge and, if I get it refunded, will fall to zero.How much of your £20.28 is standing charge and how much is for energy exported to the grid? Also, what was the total cost of your installation? 

My standing charge was £7.50, none is for energy exported to the grid.

As you can see from my signature my solar was installed in 2011 so I have a generous FIT payment which has covered ALL my install costs.  My annual electricity bill for last year was under £200 with my only inconvenience being mostly limiting my import below 3.6 kWh which is all my inverter can deliver.

Not trying to undermine what you are advocating but showing it is possible to be a very low consumer without major changes to my life.. I have two fridges, a freezer and Wifi on 24/7.  Washing machine, tumble drier, Air to air heat pump, hot water diverter TV, electric oven, microwave etc etc ... yes all the things most of us have.

I do live mostly on my own so it is very easy for me to mange my usage however my fixed term ends in March so my standing charge will almost double as will my TOU tariff.  My bill will probably more than double but at under £450 I will still be happyish.

HertsLad

mickyduck55 said:

Not trying to undermine what you are advocating but showing it is possible to be a very low consumer without major changes to my life.. I have two fridges, a freezer and Wifi on 24/7.  Washing machine, tumble drier, Air to air heat pump, hot water diverter TV, electric oven, microwave etc etc ... yes all the things most of us have.

You seem to be doing well, partly due to having the system installed in 2011 to take advantage of the generous FIT payments. But I assume it wouldn't be possible for me to follow suit because the payments are nowhere near as generous these days.

I applied for a sustainable warmth grant as kindly flagged up by somebody here. No surveyor has called round yet. I have been told there are long delays and I hope the scheme doesn't expire too soon for me to get anything installed. My greatest hope, perhaps unrealistic, is for them to agree to fit 12 solar panels on my house roof (free of charge) for power generation in the same ballpark as yours. I too would then be able to use appliances like a washing machine, microwave oven and air fryer, at least when the sun is shining in the morning.

mickyduck55

HertsLad said:

mickyduck55 said:

Not trying to undermine what you are advocating but showing it is possible to be a very low consumer without major changes to my life.. I have two fridges, a freezer and Wifi on 24/7.  Washing machine, tumble drier, Air to air heat pump, hot water diverter TV, electric oven, microwave etc etc ... yes all the things most of us have.

You seem to be doing well, partly due to having the system installed in 2011 to take advantage of the generous FIT payments. But I assume it wouldn't be possible for me to follow suit because the payments are nowhere near as generous these days.

I applied for a sustainable warmth grant as kindly flagged up by somebody here. No surveyor has called round yet. I have been told there are long delays and I hope the scheme doesn't expire too soon for me to get anything installed. My greatest hope, perhaps unrealistic, is for them to agree to fit 12 solar panels on my house roof (free of charge) for power generation in the same ballpark as yours. I too would then be able to use appliances like a washing machine, microwave oven and air fryer, at least when the sun is shining in the morning.

Yes I seem to have hit the sweet spot with Solar and had my batteries installed before the prices rocketed.  My solar was about 12K so very expensive in its day.. over 3 times what people were paying before the recent issues.  I would happily give you my spare power as I'm on deemed export but ATM there is no mechanism for this.
I wish you luck with the grant application

HertsLad

My best hopes were realised today when Eon refunded me more than a year's worth of standing charges for electriciity which I didn't use. This was only one day after I phoned to lay claim. I don't know why they used the word 'duplicate'.