Moved into new house with pre-payment meter and solar panels?

Redfoo1900

Hi,

we have just moved into a council house and there is a pre-payment meter in there with Boost Energy which I think are part of OVO. Is it better to have a pre-payment one or a credit one and who is the best people to talk to regarding the solar panels as I don’t really understand how it all works?

Krakkkers

What do you need to know about the solar panels?

Redfoo1900

How do I save energy/money on them, there is a box in the attic but am clueless about this stuff? 

macman

If by 'better' you mean 'cheaper', then PPM's cost about 2% more than a credit meter. Register with the provider and get your own card.
Why don't you ask your housing dept about the solar panels? Most likely they get the FIT's revenue, but you get the use of the power generated to use in real time-you can't store it.

Redfoo1900

macman said:

If by 'better' you mean 'cheaper', then PPM's cost about 2% more than a credit meter. Register with the provider and get your own card.
Why don't you ask your housing dept about the solar panels? Most likely they get the FIT's revenue, but you get the use of the power generated to use in real time-you can't store it.

Thanks macman, due to the way energy bills are going at the moment is it cheaper to stay on PPM as I can control the cost without getting massive DD estimates? Is there anyway to store the solar energy so you can use it at peak times?

Krakkkers

Assuming you don't have a display that tells you exactly what you are producing in kws at the moment then just use high power items when the sun is shining and use electrical items sequentially not at the same time.
For example if you are generating 1kw and you need to use 2 items that both use 1kw each then if you used them both at the same time then you would draw 2kw and use 1kw that the solar panels produced so a net draw of 1kw.
If you used them one after the other then you would draw no power from the grid.

[Deleted User]

To store solar as usable electricity - you will need to get a battery.

Slightly more complicated would be to use an immersion heater to use up the spare electricity by heating a water cylinder for your hot taps etc - but that can be very expensive if you get it wrong.

Fixed DD spreads out a whole year's cost into 12 equal payments.  If you stay with prepayment, you'll have to top up with something like 80% of the whole year's money just to get through the winter.

Krakkkers

If you get a diverter then it will send excess energy to the immersion heater.

[Deleted User]

Krakkkers said:

If you get a diverter then it will send excess energy to the immersion heater.

That would be the bit that stops you getting it wrong. 

sevenhills

From my eight panels, I would guess that it saves me £200+ per year.
I have a first generation smart meter so I am unsure. Maybe you have a newer smart meter that gives you info?

Krakkkers

Do you know when the panels were installed as there could be FIT payments? 
Also how many panels,?