Octopus Agile

greenbee

I work on the basis that the idea is to remove as much electricity as possible from the grid - so I'm running everything I can which minimises my export, while not having to worry about importing when it clouds over as there is plenty of spare, negatively priced, power.

House is unbelievably hot (my mum is only wearing two jumpers and a scarf 😂), like @EssexHebridean pretty much everything in the house will be washed today, and anything that can go through the TD will - the rest will go on an electric airer as we have a neighbour burning dodgy coal/old telegraph poles/tar barrels so outside is really unpleasant and not good for drying. Oven has been on constantly since around 11am with pain au chocolat for breakfast, roast veg for soup, and now roast veg for lunch while soup is on the hob. DW will go on shortly but it's a PITA as it keeps pausing itself. And the immersion heater keeps topping itself up every time we use any hot water.

There may also be some baking before we stick the muntjac leg in to roast.

NedS

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81950843#Comment_81950843

Exactly, if you are on outgoing octopus (12p) and are exporting 3kWh, you need to use that and lose that 36p of export payment before you can start importing. I simply cannot use enough to offset my export and make a profit if it's sunny so I don't bother.

What you could do it maybe just target a 1h period where it may be a little cloudy so less solar and turn everything on to max out your usage in that 1h period, and forget about the rest.

akh43

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81950925#Comment_81950925

I have gone with your basis as that was what I was thinking I would have to use all my solar before making a saving. My cooker is gas so nothing to use there, I don't have a dryer or heater airer so really hard to use enough to go past what I export. I have got a wash on, but did most of my stuff yesterday, not realising it was going to be even better today, also charging all my devices, I did have my 2 electric heaters on earlier, but then saw the sun shining and turned them off. I am going to use as I normally would when the solar is good and will keep my eye on the solar and if it drops, which it usually does later in the afternoon, I will try and make use then.

Netexporter

I've just switched my solar back on, after a couple of hours of using (hopefully) more than I would have generated. I was hoping to carry on until 15:30 but the car's at 100%, the 90 degree cotton wash has finished and the house is boiling. Must have kept at least 15kWh off the grid and got a few pence for my trouble.

The Agile/solar conundrum is only solvable by battery, I reckon.

Looks like I "made a difference". The grid frequency was below 50Hz when I had the solar off, now it's above 50Hz!

greenbee

I've imported 44kWh and only exported 5kWh, so hopefully I've done my bit by using the 25kWh of solar that wasn't exported as well as taking load from the grid.

There is also a LOT of clean laundry in the house, and meals ready to put together for the week. However, the venison hasn't been done, as we need a break before thinking about another meal and more cooking (plus the space for it, as I need to remove the membrane).

TroubledTarts

You seem to want to talk about the muntjac meat today in every post, caveat not vegetarian friendly lol

greenbee

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81951054#Comment_81951054

Didn't mention it in my first post today. I also wasn't aware that this was a vegetarian thread. However, it is one of the most sustainable meats you can eat as it's a by-product of pest control of an invasive non-native species. So not only am I doing my bit for the environment by using excess power when needed, I'm also helping reduce damage to local woodland.

SAC2334

Sounds very interesting but it's pricey stuff .I read that some prefer the less gamey Chinese Water Deer .I m buying some from M and S now you have got me interested.

greenbee

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81951233#Comment_81951233

I have some of that in the freezer too :) Not pricey round here… the dog and cats eat it daily too (but you do have to do the prep yourself - the reason they're both expensive is that they're small and fiddly to butcher).

We ended up pan-frying medallions from a loin as the leg hadn't defrosted, so tomorrow's experiment will be slow cooking that. The loin was delicious.

EssexHebridean

Can’t think I’ve ever eaten Muntjac - at least not knowingly. Surprising nobody round here does anything with it really - there are enough of the little blighters about and they have the nasty habit of hurling themselves under cars!

We’re currently sitting at 68kWh used - with -£4.19 of “cost” - what a crazy day! Obviously no gas used for heating either so an additional saving there too. 5 loads of washing, dishwasher through twice - and we have two full flasks of hot water ready for hot drinks tomorrow which will reduce the cost of boiling kettles then. Washing up is up to date (kettles boiled for that too), we had a very nice roast dinner, a full family pack of mushrooms was roasted, I made two double portions of cauliflower cheese pasta bake, (plus enough cheese sauce extra to make another one at some stage), and also roasted the cloves from 8 bulbs of garlic which will be loose frozen ready for future use.