What should we do about rising energy prices?

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Nick
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#91 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by Nick »

I dont thing smart meters are all that accurate
Why do you think that?
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#92 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by Ant »

Because we were sent a plug in one by british gas and it didnt give the same daily figures as the prepayment meter display
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#93 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by Nick »

Doesn't sound like a smart meter. Where did it get its reading from?
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#94 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by Ant »

Some sort of wifi signal from the meter
It showed the live usage data, interesting to watch it spike in to the red when the kettle was switched on. It gave a retrievable figure from 12am to 12 am which didnt often tally with the remaining credit shown on the display on the actual meter. Sometimes it was a couple of pence, other times it could tens of pence, apart from the day that the standing charge was applied where the discrepancy makes sense
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#95 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by Nick »

Sometimes it was a couple of pence, other times it could tens of pence,
Was it always wrong in the same direction or did it average out? If it got the usage info from the meter I am not sure how it could get it wrong.
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#96 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by Nick »

We pay a higher rate and i think a higher standing charge.
12 years ago
Cant help thinking those two things would have paid for the change over several times.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consu ... mal-meter/

https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity ... dit-meter/

From the above link "None of the big six charge to change prepayment meters over to credit meters."
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#97 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by Ant »

It mostly seemed to over read, it would say for example i had used a fivers worth when the meter display showed £4.96, but not always, it would under read aswell. I would say from memory that it didnt quite average out. If it said id used for example 20 quid over a week, the meter would say 19.63. So not a great deal, but i always wondered where the discrepancy came from

I might look at getting the meter changed, i didnt know that the big firms had stopped charging to swap meters
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#98 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by jack »

Was awake at 02:30 (as sometimes happens) so being bored, I looked at the Emporia system. Both the "eco" washing machine (fairly new as the previous Bosch completely died) and the 10 y/o (but much repaired) dishwasher were doing their thing on E7. Each consumed about 2kW when heating water; 10 minutes for the washing machine, 15 minutes for the dishwasher, which makes them pretty cheap to run in the night.

Now we don't have kids permanently at home, the dishwasher & washing machine are only run twice a week...

Thursday's always interesting (in a really boring way) as the GSHP does a sterilisation program where is raises the temperature of the DHW to 70C for about 20 minutes. I'm trying to find a way to make that happen on E7 too...
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#99 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by andrew Ivimey »

The real smart meters are in the cupboard/ under the stairs. I have been assured that they are accurate.

The little black plastic readout box in your kitchen/ living room or wherever you want it is NOT the smart meter. I was misled by the upbeat television adverts.

These boxes are called something else and Eon admitted they were inaccurate. In my case by 164kWh. I have also been told that I don't have to use this 'in house ridiculously inaccurate erm, meter' if I choose...
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#100 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by jack »

Sewage...

The Klargester runs 24/7 and takes 0.5A @ 230VAC, i.e. 115W (nominally). This equates to about £350/pa @ 30p/kWh (our "average" daily kWh rate). The unit is called a "Biodisk" and is basically a complete foul water treatment plant in a single unit buried in the ground - it's a biological system that must be kept alive, so no usage of bleach in the loos & sinks etc. - only septic-tank-friendly cleaners allowed. As part of this, it has a set of slowly rotating discs half immersed in the effluent that the bacteria live on. Apparently the output water of this system is safe to drink (not that I've tried it) - it goes to watering the garden. The solids are removed twice a year by a specialised contractor at about £100 a time.

I know sewage treatment is important (No sh*t Sherlock) but even if you do your own treatment (as many if not most rural properties do do [SWIDT]) you still have to pay water rates for treatment just like any other house.

I've asked Klargester if there have any "low power" options on their kit.
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#101 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

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jack wrote: Wed May 18, 2022 6:18 pm Sewage...

I know sewage treatment is important (No sh*t Sherlock) but even if you do your own treatment (as many if not most rural properties do do [SWIDT]) you still have to pay water rates for treatment just like any other house.
I pay water rates for water, by water meter.

I don't pay a sewage charge or anything else to do with water. I have my own septic tank in the garden.


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#102 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by Daniel Quinn »

Is that your understanding or the water companies.

My understanding is it is a collective charge regardless of what you do and don’t use?
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#103 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by pre65 »

Daniel Quinn wrote: Wed May 18, 2022 6:52 pm Is that your understanding or the water companies.

My understanding is it is a collective charge regardless of what you do and don’t use?
I have a water meter and I pay by the volume I use, plus whatever standing charges there are.
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#104 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by vinylnvalves »

A little p**d off currently, just had my 3rd person around about installing a heat pump. Maybe the first honest one... Apparently I cannot get the boiler replacement grant, as we have unfiltered cavities in our walls. If I had solid walls it wouldn’t be an issue. I have in the past investigated having the cavities filled, but have never been happy that I wouldn’t end up with a damp issue. The cavity is there for a good reason, allowed inferior bricks and wide mortar courses to be used.

Another thing I had to have a new hot water tank, connected to the heat pump, our current one heats the water off the sun, thermally and with a PV. Maybe 20 days a year it’s topped up via the immersion. 2K for a tank I don’t need... ffs.

So it looks like the new gas boiler will be going in, which was always the best technical solution, my only worry is the scaremongering about how your house won’t be saleable in the future. Also if your boiler breaks after 2025 will you be able to get a replacement, or are we going to be in the scenario of paying more for a new part than a new boiler.

The government strategy for zero carbon, almost seems like a money spinner for a few industries....
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#105 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by jack »

The whole "heat pumps as a panacea" thing is nuts.

They have a place, certainly, but much of the UK's housing stock is just not currently suitable for the type of heat that an HP produces (slow and around 40-45C). if your property is draughty or poorly insulated, an HP may simply be a BAD & EXPENSIVE PLAN.

Insulate, insulate then insulate some more. Only then, consider an HP.

I presume that the hot water tank you are referring to is actually a buffer tank? HPs like to run as continuously as possible, rather than on-demand, as they produce slow heat rather than the massive on-demand blast that gas does.

Because of this, you are sometimes producing hot water when you don't need it, so the buffer tank stores this and releases on-demand. A sort-of low-pass filter.

We have a 300ltr buffer tank which is extremely well insulated and was quite pricey. There is a separate, smaller & simpler, buffer for the UFH.

Retrofitting HPs into properties that were never designed for them is always expensive as each one is essentially a custom job. Bleugh.
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