Re: The energy crisis
 

Your Meter should have FT Cubed on it i guess.

---------- Post added at 11:54 ---------- Previous post was at 11:50 ----------

FT3 or M3 as that doesn't seem much at all? I'm guessing your readings are still in FT3 without the conversion.

Re: The energy crisis
 

m3

Re: The energy crisis
 

So you're using 12m3 units a month, is that not super super low?

Maybe my old conventional boiler is useless but my direct debit is only £130 a month and my usage is around £100.

Re: The energy crisis
 

From next month Gas and Electric standing charge will be £20+ a month on their own

Re: The energy crisis
 

Just in from Scottish Power...

So with the £400 from HMG this winter, that makes a total increase of £34 for the year if consumption remains the same. Please can we have another mild winter?

Re: The energy crisis
 

One 'unit' on imperial meters is actually 100 Cubic Feet.
The multiplier to get to units on a M3 meter is 2.93, so you have used just under 18 units, which multiplied by 11.2 gives you the same result of around £190.

Re: The energy crisis
 

When does the price increase kick in as Bulb have recommended I lower my payments from £130 to £99 as I am £311 in credit, surely it is a waste of time me lowering it?

Edit

1st October I guess I will leave the direct debit at £130.

Re: The energy crisis
 

you will be getting £67 back anyway for 6 months so you can see your usage and costs and adjust later. I raised my payments £10 and it will take my credit down about a fiver a month as I was paying £110 but using £90. I want to maintain a healthy credit

---------- Post added at 10:53 ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 ----------

Just checked my Octopus and they have adjusted my DD to £53 ready for it

Re: The energy crisis
 

Doesn't the £65 get paid to the bank account, I'm not clued up on how all this works?

---------- Post added at 11:03 ---------- Previous post was at 10:57 ----------

Just lowered my DD to £99.

Re: The energy crisis
 

I'm with Octopus as well and my DD has been reduced by £67 per month from my regular 1st of the month payment in October. This link from the MSE site shows how the rebate will be handled by each energy supplier.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ne...ng-support-pa/

Re: The energy crisis
 

If you have gas with one supplier, and electricity with another, how does that work ? will you get the discount twice ?

Re: The energy crisis
 

It's paid to electricity customers.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/4...ds-this-winter

Re: The energy crisis
 

Ah, Thanks. :tu:

Re: The energy crisis
 

"The cost of charging an electric car surges by 42% in just four months to 18p per mile, compared with 19p for petrol."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...9p-petrol.html

Re: The energy crisis
 

I have seen videos recently of magnetic generators made of of simple motors that allegedly generate upto 10 KW of electricity basically just for the cost of the generators and they are not that massive either. I am not a physicist is this actually possible? and if it is why are there not systems on the market.

I do not get why the power of nature is not getting harnessed more. We have vast rivers in this country surely it would be easy to have multiple run off per mile generating energy. I saw this one guy on you tube living off the grid simply using solar in the summer and then tapping energy from a near by stream in the winter months. I just do not get it.

The billions they are paying for this energy price cut down could be paid towards giving most houses a solar powered system. Yes the one off cost would be massive but the rewards would get that way down the line.

Re: The energy crisis
 

There are micro-hydro schemes all over the place, the problem is they just don’t generate enough electricity to be a magic bullet. They do what they can but they’re a small part of the energy mix.

You can’t interfere with a river every mile of its length because that would have a cumulative effect on the character of the river downstream. The energy you get from a hydro turbine isn’t conjured up from nowhere - it is extracted from the kinetic energy of the water, and once it has been removed from the river, the river doesn’t behave in quite the same way as before.

There already is a government grant scheme for solar panels and the recent VAT cut on energy also applies to solar panel installations.

(Edit). This micro hydro scheme is up where I used to live. It can generate 100kW when there’s enough water - and these schemes do particularly well in the Scottish highlands, were there is always a lot of water and plenty of fast-flowing streams running down steep hillsides. There are far fewer opportunities to install similar schemes near the UK’s main population centres. https://buchananhydro.coop/location-and-design/

Re: The energy crisis
 

Every time a hydroelectric plan has been put forward for The Severn, most of the money went to consultants before the ideas were rejected.

And usually rejected due to the effect on migrant seabirds.

Re: The energy crisis
 

The Severn is a different kettle of (oho!) fish. Likewise the Mersey where a similar tidal barrage plan has been mooted.

Schemes like this fundamentally alter enormous swathes of wild habitat and if the whole reason we’re doing it is to be more responsible stewards of the planet, that makes them a non-starter.

There are alternatives, such as building tidal pools in the estuaries and generating power from the filling and emptying of them, but these would be on a much smaller scale.

TBH I think the future of tidal power generation probably lies in free-floating turbines like this one:

https://www.orbitalmarine.com/

There is a fully-functioning prototype deployed off Orkney and it’s rated at 2MW, which isn’t to be sniffed at.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Thanks for info and explanation Chris :)

Re: The energy crisis
 

No worries … you’re right about domestic solar though, we really do need more of it and perhaps the schemes available need to be more ambitious. I really hadn’t appreciated just how effective a modern installation can be until I moved into a house with one.

Yesterday I discovered that the inverter (that converts DC power from the panels to AC for the house) also gives an instant readout of what’s being generated. The inverter is in the loft, so it’s not convenient for monitoring constantly, but I went and had a quick look earlier on:

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/atta...1&d=1664199527

This is a late September afternoon under a watery sun, making enough to run my dishwasher more or less for free. I had started to suspect a week or so ago that it might be most cost effective to run our dishwasher in the afternoon when the solar panels are busiest, having pondered the difference between what it costs us to buy electricity from the grid and what our supplier will pay us for excess solar generation. It is definitely better for us to try to use it than sell it.

So for the last couple of days I have been loading the dishwasher throughout the evening and into the next morning but using the delay timer so it starts around 1pm.

Re: The energy crisis
 

that is really quite good

Re: The energy crisis
 

That report says deisel is more expensice at 21p a mile. I find that hard to believe.
Round here, deisel costs about 9% more than pertrol, but all my diesel cars have done at least 20% more MPG, so the cost per mile is less than petrol, not more.

I average 44.4 MPG in my current diesel car, which works out at 18.0p per mile at current prices (176.7p per litre).

Re: The energy crisis
 

Just checked my Shell Energy account - it recommends that I increase my monthly Direct Debit to £308.00, as my predicted monthly usage is £343.72 (for comparison, last year at this time of year, my Sept 24th - Oct 23rd bill was £106.88, and my DD was £103).

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/atta...4&d=1664222426

Re: The energy crisis
 

Ouch that's alot, are you charging electric cars and have heating on 24/7 or something?

Re: The energy crisis
 

Nope - actually using less than last year (4 bed detached house).

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/atta...5&d=1664227382

Re: The energy crisis
 

Never mind Hugh, it's gone to a good home. My quarterly Shell dividend has just come through, very healthy ;)

Re: The energy crisis
 

Still sounds way above average but i don't really know.

Re: The energy crisis
 

It is above average (about 25-30%), but the average is calculated on a 3 bed semi, and we have a 4 bed detached.

Re: The energy crisis
 

What average are you referring to ?
I have a 3 bed semi, and my usage is way more than the so called national average that the cap refers to.

Re: The energy crisis
 

For the average to be that figure means there are some using more and some using less I am sure you know how averages are calculated Paul. You use more I use less so we cancel each other out hahaha

Re: The energy crisis
 

Thank you capt obvious, but that wasnt my question.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Sorry but I though the average he was talking about was obvious seeing as the cap is an average and this thread has been using it as the average so I assumed maybe incorrectly that was the average the obvious one

Re: The energy crisis
 

..

Re: The energy crisis
 

I find it hard to believe that the average UK household is actually a 3 bed semi.
The cap constantly quotes itself as being the UK "average" - but its really hard to find any definitive information on what they actually mean.
What size/occupancy/usage is this fabled "average".

Re: The energy crisis
 

I suspect it’s plucked from (almost) thin air.

The Government (BEIS) publish average usage that’s higher than the OFGEM “typical” use figures.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statis...ice-statistics

I think then unhelpfully the media trying to simplify it for readers tries to attribute this value to one type of home and baseline smaller or larger ones against this.

However, many factors around build quality, insulation, glazing, system efficiency etc. mean even these well intentioned generalisations could be out significantly against a sizeable proportion of each dwelling type.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Anyone brave enough to put their heating on yet,am I the only one freezing their nuts off?

Re: The energy crisis
 

Nope - long sleeved T-shirt and hoodie here…

Re: The energy crisis
 

Thick jumper here too, may have to get some thermals soon and gloves.

Re: The energy crisis
 

T-shirt, sweat shirt and jumper. Not putting on any heat until really necessary.

Got a throw on the sofa for watching the telly.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Toasty in here, I'm getting over pneumonia so not risking the freezing nuts option

Re: The energy crisis
 

I have provisioned my sleeping bag

Re: The energy crisis
 

Don't forget to read your meters tomorrow!

Re: The energy crisis
 

We've had ours on the last couple of nights as it's been pretty nippy up here, but only had it on a short time to heat the room up.

Re: The energy crisis
 

I do mine religiously on the 25th of each month and send it to Bulb.

Re: The energy crisis
 

18c outside today, 21c in here. And the heating has never gone on before mid-October, and that is to take the chill off first thing in the morning. Full control to the thermostat only starts mid-November usually.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Starting to come on in the morning and evening, as it's starting to get chilly.

Daytime thermostat temp is set to maintain at 15c, mornings 06:30 to 08:30 & evenings between 17:00 - 22:00 it's set to maintain at 18c

Re: The energy crisis
 

Not quite at the jumper stage yet but it wont be long. I do have my sleeping bag open but only used it a couple of times so far. Last year there was no cold weather payments here so no 7 day runs below zero so hopefully the same this year

Re: The energy crisis
 

Today is the first time i have worn a jumper this year. My heating will only be turned on if i have icicles hanging from my nose.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Log fire with free wood. :)

Re: The energy crisis
 

Bunker full of coal here:) bought cheap in the summer.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Meter readings taken with photographic evidence today, seeing as I still don’t have an account set up with Scottish Power in my new house. So I now know that from the 1st to the 30th of September I imported 235kWh, exported 46kWh and generated 108kWh of electricity (meaning we consumed 62kWh of free solar electricity), and used 29.8 m3 of gas, approx 333.72 kWh.

As far as I can see this puts our family electricity usage pretty much on average, with the solar panels contributing about 20% of our needs and selling a little left over to the grid.

It’s harder to see how we’re doing with gas as it’s years since I’ve lived in a house that has mains gas and I’ve never lived in an up-to-date energy efficient house before. I don’t know whether September is typically an average, below average or above average month.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Mines been on for two weeks now, its been averaging about 2 hours a day of boiler use.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Our heating went on for the first time this morning.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Good idea Den , heat up the house today as it will be a lot more expensive tomorrow.
(Unless you use some artistic licence with meter readings, to 'buy ahead' ;) )

---------- Post added at 16:20 ---------- Previous post was at 16:06 ----------

Bizarre thing with my sons Octopus DD They've lowered it from £69 to £2 a month!
( not surprised he brings all his washing round, and comes here to get fed all the time !).

Re: The energy crisis
 

Isn't that the £67 per month, £400 payment everyone is getting?

On a separate note, with being new to all this, I'm guessing you don't need to do a meter reading if you're on a fixed deal?

Re: The energy crisis
 

So if you pay less than £67 a month, the energy companies have to pay you? :) Bet it doesn't work that way !

Re: The energy crisis
 

anything over is credited to the account

Re: The energy crisis
 

Go abroad for winter and a nice bit of credit then ( minus the standing charge).

Re: The energy crisis
 

yeah now if only going abroad was free hahahaha

Re: The energy crisis
 

So here I am on the Sofa no heating looking out through a 9ft patio window at the wind and stormy rain and my legs are frozen in my jeans, my master plan was to dig out thermal underwear that I bought 12 years ago when I went to Sweden -34c it was and so far I don't have an urge to put the heating on.

Re: The energy crisis
 

It is not even nearly cold yet ya pussies hahahaha

Re: The energy crisis
 

It's bloody freezing here lol, you probably have a sleeping bag on. Hehe

Re: The energy crisis
 

13 degrees here and I am sat next to an i9 9900k haha

Re: The energy crisis
 

That explains it, I'm sat next to a huge sheet of glass. :D

Re: The energy crisis
 

You jest but apparently some European nations have been telling people to do this….. lots of Germans booking long term stays in turkey for example

Re: The energy crisis
 

When one has thin blood one feels the cold a lot more.

Re: The energy crisis
 

I remember before central heating became the norm, we had ice on the inside of the windows in the winter, and we relied on parafin stoves to keep the house warm. We've got too soft.

Yesterday our energy supplier surprisingly lowered our monthly payments from £150 to £136, and we had the central heating on for the first time too.

Re: The energy crisis
 

We also had much higher infant mortality rates, so you know, swings/roundabouts…

I remember waking up in the 60s and early 70s (we lived in Glasgow tenements) with ice inside the windows, and having to boil water for washing as the water heating system was a gas-fired water heater on the wall that took ages to heat up - I do not wish to revisit that life, and would not want anyone else to endure it…

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...ortality-rate/

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/atta...6&d=1664614158

Re: The energy crisis
 

Back in the day paraffin was about 30-50p per gallon now it's circa £12 for 4 ltrs

Re: The energy crisis
 

So I've got a conventional boiler with a Megaflow storage tank for hot water, my timer is set to heat that tank for up to 2hrs early morning and if my central heating was on it would heat the radiators as well.

Seeing that the same gas heats the hot water as the central heating I may as well have the radiators come on too in that time period, what do you guys think as it may only use a little more gas?

Re: The energy crisis
 

I remember that as a kid, only heating apart from the paraffin stove was an open coal fire in the front room but I don't remember the house being cold.

We used our hands to melt holes in the ice on the bedroom window to see if it had snowed overnight.

Re: The energy crisis
 

I remember as a kid even though we had central heating we all took a hot water bottle to bed, I guess that was because of no double glazing or wall insulation.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Well you can only use each unit of energy once - if you are heating rads as well as the cylinder your boiler is working harder and longer to reach target temperature. You will find that your radiators and your cylinder just take longer to get as hot as you want them.

Re: The energy crisis
 

I don't know if it is a stupid question....

I only have a ground floor 1 bed flat. Our combi boiler is very good. Due to my health (and weight) I usually need it be around 23-24c. To get this up to temperature would take our boiler 20-25 mins (from around 20c). This would last 3-4 hours till it drops down to around 21-20c on a very cold winters day.

The question is would it better to just put it on when it gets to the lower temperature for 20-25mins or set the thermostat to 23c as a constant all of the time during the day?

Re: The energy crisis
 

You'll use more energy by setting the thermostat to 23'C, but you'll be more comfortable. Depends whether you can tolerate the temperature dropping intermittently, and the faff of turning it on an off.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Heating is more efficient when maintaining rather than lifting temperature but to be honest the amount you’re lifting it isn’t a lot, just 3-4 degrees. It might be more effective to see if there are any measures you can take to reduce heat loss. In your circumstances you’re limited in what you can do to the fabric of the building but you can check that your external door and windows close tightly.

Re: The energy crisis
 

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ut...refore%20money.

According to experts at the Energy Saving Trust, the idea it's cheaper to leave the heating on low all day is a myth. They're clear that having the heating on only when you need it is, in the long run, the best way to save energy, and therefore money

Re: The energy crisis
 

Quite correct - the boiler operates more efficiently when the temperature change is small but at the end of the day you’re still running it more; in a poorly insulated house you’re running it a *lot* more because a chunk of the heat you generate is going straight through the walls. This is why home efficiency measures like insulation and draught proofing are so important.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Expect a big announcement on Monday from Truss

Re: The energy crisis
 

I've pretty much done all I can to insulate our place. The bedroom doesn't get heated as much as prefer it to be a lot cooler, so I've isolated the bedroom from the rest of the flat as best as possible.

So basically, it'll cost a bit more to keep it at 23c. We're not going to freeze at 20c so can put up with a bit of a temp difference for an hour or so and can put the boiler on a timer anyway.

Thanks for all the helpful advice.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Given the NIMBYISM it’ll be forced into the north no doubt. I’m old enough to remember when Northern Powerhouse was simply a branding exercise.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Rolls Royce SMR's perhaps?

https://www.rolls-royce-smr.com/

Re: The energy crisis
 

I’d have thought it has to be. This is the reactor design el gov has been looking at for a while now, and it seems to be the only game in town if speed is of the essence.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Do you wear thermal underwear or considered doing it?

I put long thermals under my jeans yesterday evening and this morning and I can say it'll definitely keep me comfy and relaxingly warm if I turn my heating down or don't put it on at all.

Re: The energy crisis
 

The coldest part of the room with central heating will always be the floor, so thermal socks and slippers help a lot. My late Gran used to put corrugated cardboard under the mats in the house to aid insulation.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Yeah I wear thermals most of the time. I don't have much meat on my bones so I feel the cold more than most.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Bulb has just credited £66 to my Bulb account according to the email but I have a 2 minute queue for logging in.

Edit

Finally logged in £66 credit for the month and my energy used is £71.85

Re: The energy crisis
 

Bulb have added £66 to my daughters account. Sent email saying nothing about any DD discount for her 25th October payment

Re: The energy crisis
 

Are we meant to get a DD discount? You have confused me. :D

Re: The energy crisis
 

We pay the lecky by card quarterly. EDF say they will credit the account with the amount each month.

Re: The energy crisis
 

We are a Pay As You Go Smart Meter customer so each month it will be credited with the extra amount starting this month.

Re: The energy crisis
 

IIRC It's the DD payment that triggers the rebate. So until 25th Oct comes along, no rebate will occur.
Possible that any DD rebate for 1st of the month payments, won't happen until Monday, 3rd Oct, as it would for any other DD. It might appear in pending payments list for the bank account.

I've very recently moved over to DD for my electric. The first DD payment isn't until 1st Nov. I'm wondering if, as my account is now flagged as DD, but without an Oct payment, will I miss out on that Oct rebate? Time will tell.

The £400 rebate will cover all but £4 of the projected annual increase for my gas and electric. Sounds good.

Re: The energy crisis
 

Yep.

The gov is subsidising energy. Interest rates are on the rise. The triple-lock is sustained.
The over-generous furlough scheme is over. Benefit increases are to be realistic.

What's not to like about Liz and Kwasi?

Re: The energy crisis
 

If I use the same amount of gas and electric in the next 12 months, as I have done in the past 12 months, I would only end up paying £4 more. My electric usage is possibly a bit higher than many other small households, because of the amount of computer equipment.
For small households, not quite the energy doomsday scenario as is being portrayed.

Re: The energy crisis
 

My energy bills will be nearly 3 times that of the previous year (and I’m using less), mortgage rates are being raised, pension funds nearly became illiquid requiring the Bank of England to intervene, they’ve increased the size and cost of Government Debt to give money to those who are (mostly) the most well-off, they caused the pound to crash, and we don’t know if it’s affordable…

Re: The energy crisis
 

No mention of that in the email. I bet you have had yours. My daughters DD is 25th they took 25th Sept as expected then add the £66 today and the DD was still set as normal for end of the month so I dropped it down 35 quid and we can see what happens

an article in The Sun says bulb is doing the below

The discount will be paid as a credit to your Bulb account or as a deduction from your monthly payment amount.

Dunno how they decide who gets what

Re: The energy crisis
 

Bulb have credited £66 EBSS to my account today.

Re: The energy crisis
 

I am definitely glad when Avro went bust we went to Octopus. They seem to be decent

Re: The energy crisis
 

I'm very happy with Bulb not sure how they compare to others.

Re: The energy crisis
 

They were great when they were paying me for referring customers hahaha made a few hundred quid.