one21
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Post by one21 on Aug 31, 2022 9:06:58 GMT
Hi All, would anyone happen to know if there are any disadvantages to having smart meters fitted? We have solar panels and considering taking up the Octopus Agile tariff. Also adding battery storage, or even looking into heat battery storage (phase change material technology). We already have a solar boost for hot water (intelligent imersion switch).
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keitha
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2024, hopefully the year I get out of P2P
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Post by keitha on Aug 31, 2022 11:34:05 GMT
OK so I'm a smart meter fan but I am aware that smart meters have a remote kill switch ie the supplier can turn it off, this is what puts many people off having them, I believe that suppliers would need to exhaust all other options first.
Having said that I'm on Agile and the export prices are silly high at the moment this year ( to 19/08 ) my export is valued at £445 for 2009kWh but I have a battery and adjust my export to suit, they have just upped Agile to a max 77p for import. I was looking at an additional battery So I could go a full day on battery, but the price has more than doubled since January My inverter is rated 3.6kWh this means that amongst other things it can only discharge at that rate so If I was to use the dishwasher, washing machine, and oven together I still draw power from the grid even though I have sufficient battery.
Battery sizing is a bit of a black art, but it seems the ideal is round about a full days usage, you really don't want much more than that as most of the time it would sit idle.
If You aren't an Octopus customer DM me and I'll send you a link that gets us both £50
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one21
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Post by one21 on Aug 31, 2022 20:25:15 GMT
Thanks Keitha, that's quite useful and reassuring information. Shame we're already with Octopus and will miss out on the £50. Would anyone have views regarding the heat battery. Apparently the larger ones could replace a gas boiler, being charged by off peak electricity and or surplus pv solar. I'm puzzled as to why they are so highly priced, as the main constituent would appear to be relatively cheap similar to that contained in hand warmers.
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Post by captainconfident on Sept 5, 2022 17:05:53 GMT
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Greenwood2
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Post by Greenwood2 on Sept 5, 2022 17:24:00 GMT
Hi All, would anyone happen to know if there are any disadvantages to having smart meters fitted? We have solar panels and considering taking up the Octopus Agile tariff. Also adding battery storage, or even looking into heat battery storage (phase change material technology). We already have a solar boost for hot water (intelligent imersion switch). I'm not sure about smart meters, they could be used to charge different rates at different times of day. That could be a good thing if you can change your usage times but bad if you can't. And it gives a lot of information about your usage, do you mind?
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agent69
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Post by agent69 on Sept 5, 2022 17:26:40 GMT
Not suprising that the Guardian is promoting a solution that is basically tax rich people in big houses to subsidise the rest.
If you're getting mainly 'free' energy, where is the incentive to reduce usage?
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 5, 2022 18:49:45 GMT
Not suprising that the Guardian is promoting a solution that is basically tax rich people in big houses to subsidise the rest. You say that as if it's a bad thing... There's a rather large gap between "free" and too expensive to be able to heat or eat... But since the article is about free BASIC energy, and paying for everything above that level, I'd say that was your incentive right there. Oh, and it's also quite clear that the free level would be the same for absolutely everybody with everybody paying the same above that... So if you're concerned about incentive to reduce usage, surely you would support a proposal wherein the wastrels subsidise the efficient?
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one21
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Post by one21 on Sept 5, 2022 19:06:55 GMT
Hi All, would anyone happen to know if there are any disadvantages to having smart meters fitted? We have solar panels and considering taking up the Octopus Agile tariff. Also adding battery storage, or even looking into heat battery storage (phase change material technology). We already have a solar boost for hot water (intelligent imersion switch). I'm not sure about smart meters, they could be used to charge different rates at different times of day. That could be a good thing if you can change your usage times but bad if you can't. And it gives a lot of information about your usage, do you mind? We're not really concerned with giving information about energy usage, except for the small risk of a potential burglar hacking into the system to deduce the property is unoccupied! The idea of different tariffs throughout the day would be beneficial if battery storage is taken advantage of during the cheaper times. Apparently, Octopus Agile have an automated system for this purpose.
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sqh
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Before P2P, savers put a guinea in a piggy bank, now they smash the banks to become guinea pigs.
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Post by sqh on Sept 5, 2022 19:10:19 GMT
How about giving every household a basic amount of energy at last year's price and then leaving the energy suppliers to impose an unlimited charge on extra units.
For Electricity 6 units per day at 25p/kwh. No 5% Vat. 25p standing charge. Extra units would be very expensive. Call them luxury units and charge 20% Vat on these.
The Basic units would be included in CPI, but Luxury units wouldn't.
Pros: 1. It should encourage everyone to limit their usage. Environmentalists would love that. 2. It helps to keep inflation down. 3. The government washes their hands of the problem and passes responsibility to the suppliers. 4. The government gets a nice revenue from those who can afford it, or those who are stupid. 5. The Government doesn't need to subside energy.
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keitha
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Post by keitha on Sept 5, 2022 20:34:49 GMT
We're not really concerned with giving information about energy usage, except for the small risk of a potential burglar hacking into the system to deduce the property is unoccupied! Its a small risk as GCHQ specified the security levels on the connections
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Post by bracknellboy on Sept 6, 2022 11:57:16 GMT
article in the times, behind paywall: www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nobel-scientist-urges-italians-save-gas-pasta-cooking-9f3vnsw5pHowever in the interests of climate change and saving on energy bills, I'll reproduce the main thrust of the article here. Renowned Italian Quantum Physicist and Nobel Prize Winner Giorgio Parisi advises Italians to bring pasta back to the boil and then turn it off or at least right down (no need to boil) rather than keep it on a boil. Renowned Italian chefs go bonkers saying it will ruin the pasta and make it all sticky. He did however receive plaudits from fellow scientists and his observations are actually backed up by studies from the pasta industry: the key processes that are involved - the absorbtion of water by starch and the coagulation of gluten - all happily take place at 80 O C. So you can bring your pan back to the boil, slap the lid on, and turn the heat of it or put it on a minimum and it should retain that temperature for the time required. (It won't stick if you use quality pasta with at least 13% gluten content). This process can save up to 47% of energy compared with what most people do. As side notes: a) Italians eat an average of 23.5kg of pasta per person a year b) if every Italian kitchen followed this process, enough energy would be saved to power the stadium lights at every football ground in Europe for 24 years.* Oh, he is a specialist in String Theory, which possibly makes him particularly qualified to pass comment on best method to cook spaghetti. *which is still less time than has elapsed since they last won the European Cup.
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mrk
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Post by mrk on Sept 6, 2022 15:07:23 GMT
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agent69
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Post by agent69 on Sept 6, 2022 15:23:08 GMT
Not suprising that the Guardian is promoting a solution that is basically tax rich people in big houses to subsidise the rest. You say that as if it's a bad thing... So your a supporter of the Denis Healey 'squeeze the rich until the pips squeak' form of fiscal management?
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Post by bracknellboy on Sept 6, 2022 15:25:15 GMT
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adrianc
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Post by adrianc on Sept 6, 2022 15:25:26 GMT
You say that as if it's a bad thing... So your a supporter of the Denis Healey 'squeeze the rich until the pips squeak' form of fiscal management? You're going to have to show me where I said that...
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