What should we do about rising energy prices?

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

Post by IslandPink »

I just got an unwelcome email from EDF informing me of the 70% increase in my gas & electricity costs for the coming year.
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andrew Ivimey
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#47 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by andrew Ivimey »

For two days now we have switched the central heating off.... Good practice!?
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ed
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#48 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by ed »

not sure where I heard this, but I know it was on the television at sometime during yesterday evening.....

In France the government told edf that they couldn't increase customers bills by more than 5%

In the uk edf are increasing their bills by 54%

maybe it's to cover their shortfall in France.....
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#49 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by vinylnvalves »

I wish mine was only 70% increase Mark, the hysteria over Russia-Ukraine is pushing prices into silly places. I could have fixed my tariff just before Putin invaded for £320 - a 150% increase, this week its £650 per month, until 2024. I have thinking about if i spend that in infrastructure and save in the long run.

I have someone coming around to discuss storage batteries, I have been doing some fag packet calcs, and if I have 18kwh of stored capacity I can get payback in 5 years, the batteries last 10 years. This is based on going on economy 7 and buying electricity over night at 4.8p and using the batteries in the day. Might use to radiant heat panels with the excess to offset putting the gas heating on.

The big irony of the situation is Russia has the biggest % of micro-CHP units in Europe, all gas powered of course. Why our government didn’t promote a boiler with a turbine which generates 20% electricity, 70% heat, and 10% up the chimney is beyond me, makes more sense than a gas fired power station which is only 55% efficient
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#50 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by jack »

Should have done this ages ago. All 12V MR11 halogens in the house (54 of them) gone and replaced by 400lm GU-10 LEDs.

All old transformers removed and new GU-10 tails installed. Many downlighter fittings had to be modified from MR11/GU5.3 to GU-10 bulbs

Basically, all lights are now 5W rather than 50W.

Heat pump's serviced. Three freezers consolidated into two and one turned off.

Just ordered one of these:
EMPORIA ENERGY 3-Phase Emporia Smart Home Energy Monitor, Real Time Electricity Monitor, Meter | Solar/Net Metering


I ordered mine direct from the states as there are options I need which aren't yet available in the UK, like 50A clamps with a bigger cable capacity - we have three phase with a three phase heat pump for the house, and then a single phase to each of three separate buildings (one phase for house, one for my office & sauna one for a cottage). The split is done with meter tails & Henley blocks, so bigger clamps are needed for the non utility inputs.

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Last edited by jack on Sun Mar 13, 2022 6:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Nick
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#51 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

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On a smaller scale, I just ordered two meters to install into the supply to the workshop/office (LDA) and the barn (Lurcher Link) so I can at least provide numbers for the accountants to justify that parts of the electric bill being paid by the two companies instead of me.

https://owen-brothers.co.uk/singlephase ... -100a.html

That combination sensor looks good NDS. Maybe what we need is a intelligent RCB to fit in the panel and communicate with wifi or eithernet over mains. Then I guess the next step is sockets with the same built it,
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#52 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by jack »

It is, by all accounts, the best around but very new to the UK (they're a US company), so the app isn't that UK-friendly yet, but I've spoken with them and they're committed to the UK market.

I like that it's compact and the sensors are reasonably priced, plus the analysis software is pretty good. The architecture makes sense too...

I should have it installed next week - I'll do a write up in due course.
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#53 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by jack »

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

Post by vinylnvalves »

Be careful.. too much data can be a bad thing... I spent time looking at the smart meter data, decided my mental health was worth more than the couple of quid I could save. Hopefully your new “toy” has a good GUI.

My understanding of off grid storage is improving... Octupus Energy’s Agile tariff looks very interesting, but will require some management to make it pay. You may find this interesting... especially the “man maths” :D


On the battery front I see ferrous batteries may be making a come back, as someone has sorted the rusting challenge out. Hopefully in a decade we will have better batteries than the current Lithium Sulphate ones, that are cheaper too.
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andrew Ivimey
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#55 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by andrew Ivimey »

I'm an average sort of guy, as some of you know..... as of today, living with a smart meter I have worked out the following:-

With no gas used our energy bill is £2 a day. With miserly use of gas £6 a day. With full gas central heating it an be £10 a day.

And yet gas is cheaper by therm produced than electricity???

Now we are fortunate to have ev solar panels and with an 'immasun' device ( other devices are available) we get at least a full tank of piping hot water on a reasonably sunny day on top of what goes into the Grid. Our feed in tariff is generous but only half of what my sister gets in Cumbria. We paid off the cost of the panels on the exact projection date so this is all a bonus.

In April.... not so good. In October, when there is less sun etc etc our bills could become seriously 'challenging'.
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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#56 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by jack »

Hmm. Having just taken a photo of our meter cupboard I'm working out how to install this monitor and how to tee-in a three phase generator and an Automatic Transfer Switch...

There's already quite a lot going on... Heat pump coil connections on right; Aga oil lift pump on left. Whoever put the economy 7 clock in (not me) should be shot...
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The obvious place is the 4 Henley blocks... (L1, L2,L3,N)
Last edited by jack on Fri Mar 18, 2022 11:34 am, edited 2 times in total.
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andrew Ivimey
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#57 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by andrew Ivimey »

Interesting!
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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#58 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by Daniel Quinn »

Our rate is going up £100 a month on current useage from €170 to £270.

I’ve looked in to the matter and it would appear the Mrs got us on a special rate because I no longer was at work and lived in a hospital bed down stairs .
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#59 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by andrew Ivimey »

Small mercy!
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
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#60 Re: What should we do about rising energy prices?

Post by Daniel Quinn »

The rate is with edf and it is a special hardship rate .

Not sure a massive brain bleed is worth cheap gas/elec but every cloud .
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