ENERGY MATTERS

[Sue]

Just got another payment from our solar panels electricity. Even in the awful weather we had the last couple of months we haven't done too badly

[Pluggy]

Just got another payment from our solar panels electricity. Even in the awful weather we had the last couple of months we haven't done too badly

The next quarter will be the worst, September - November inclusive is way better than December - February. 2 Good days in May/June will do all of December.

Having said that, we've done almost as much so far in December this year as we did the entire month last year. The orange thing in the sky has put in one or two appearances in the last week or two (the upside of it being so bl**dy cold). Today was excellent for this time of year. (3.73 kWh) The generating day is only about 6 hours and the peak is almost half of peak in March - September.

[Sue]

Interesting , we only got ours in July so we are still monitoring our first year, but are pleased so far

[Tizer]

They have reintroduced the "standing charge". This will be 27.395p per day. Beware anyone who prices anything per day.

Beware of how they define a day! You might remember Npower guaranteeing a discounted rate for their customers which was to last one year but they stopped it after 10 months. When tackled on this they showed that hidden in the fine print of the T&Cs they had defined a year as 10 months. So if your supplier is Npower, or operates like Npower, you might be paying 27.395p per 20 hours!

[Stanley]

A perfect example of the Kafkaesque world of energy price structures.
Another example may be that if, as expected, the government gets behind production of natural gas by 'fracking' it will not make any difference to UK gas prices as they are set by the European quasi-cartels. Could be more expensive energy that renewable. It wouldn't surprise me, I am old enough to remember the forecast that nuclear power would produce electricity that would be so cheap it wouldn't be worth metering. Really?

[EileenDavid]

Can someone tell me as to why the energy suppliers regard us as employees and ask us to read the meters. I have been informed by BG that my Electric bill is £173 in credit and the gas is £71 in credit after submitting my readings. Haven't heard yet but guarantee they will want to put up my direct debits. My neighbour who is with Evo! (some small company in Gloucester) has just been advised that her £89 a month direct debit is to be put up to £112 a month which she has refused to pay as she is £239 in credit. When asking as to why they are wishing to put it up they say they like the customers to pay two months in advance of what they use. What happened to this all being regulated. Eileen

[Tizer]

That's why we avoid direct debit as a means of paying bills wherever possible. The energy companies use the excuse that customers like to be able to spread the load over the whole year rather than low bills in summer and high in winter. I'll bet they never asked customers but just dreamed up the excuse when they first encountered resistance to their cunning wheeze. With the banks being fined billions for over-charging and mis-charging customers it's not surprising the energy companies have been up to the same tricks.

[Whyperion]

Poor (?) reporting from ITV , with interview with Ann Robinson, Director of Consumer Policy at uSwitch.com {!} http://www.itv.com/news/update/2012-12- ... rgy-bills/ . Clearly stating that Fracking (in UK ? ) will lead to lower energy bills {was there a small maybe, might , or should in that soundbite ?}

For a bit of (biased?) balance the other way : http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/newsdesk/e ... -scorecard .

[Stanley]

Eileen, all part of the universal move to make customers do the work and save staff. Resistance is useless, it started with the introduction of VAT (taxpayer does calculations) and supermarkets (the customer picks the shelves). Actually, I don't mind reading my own meter and paying by direct debit because it makes sure I am up to date with payments and if the energy company holds a credit it doesn't cost me anything because the bank don't pay interest on current account. Mind you, I refuse to use self-checkout as that's a move too far, I like talking to my ladies! I keep saying that eventually they will have us out the back unloading the delivery wagons eventually!

[EileenDavid]

Oh Stanley you are saucy, I bet you chat the ladies up don't you? After reading the meters I have now been issued with my bills. Although I was £71 in credit they want to put my direct debit up by £18 a month. My electricity which is £173 in credit they are reducing by £10 a month. They are having a laugh and are doing exactly what the banks do overcharging the customer. Been in touch with BG and complained about the increase. They are still increasing my gas direct debit by £15.00 a month but the electricity is being reduced now by £20 a month so this year I will be £3.00 a month better off. Who said it doesn't pay to complain? Eileen

[Pluggy]

British Gas have the option of variable direct debits on their online tariffs, so they don't hold any of your money they aren't paying interest on and you pay for what you used in the month. You get nice bills for gas in July and not so nice ones in January.....

Today was my worst ever day for generated electricity form my solar panels - 0.01 kWh . They were generating for a whole 5 minutes, and then only next to nothing. Prior to today the worst was 0.06. I hereby pronounce today as the darkest day in the past 13 months.....

[Stanley]

Eileen, not to sure about 'chat up'. I've always got on well with women and I like talking to them, it seems to work. When I go into the supermarket they usually smil,e at me and Helen at the tobacco desk is a treasure. She is fighting them again for my Condor at the moment. The auto check out can't do that for me! I think the secret is to let people know you like them and appreciate them being there, it makes the visit to the Cathedral of Choice a happy trip.
Pluggy, I agree with you about yesterday being the gloomiest day for a long while. For most of the day the lodger cat was triggering the sensor on the outside light when it entered or left the yard, that's my measure.

[Stanley]

I'll bet Pluggy had an improvement in his electricity generation over the last couple of days!

[Pluggy]

I'll bet Pluggy had an improvement in his electricity generation over the last couple of days!

0.68 kWh yesterday and 2.79 kWh today.

Coming up to 2MWh (2000 kWh) since installation.

[Stanley]

Wonderful what a glimpse of blue sky can do....

[Stanley]

Solar panel output up yesterday?

Latest forecast is that coal will overtake oil as major energy source in next few years. Who'd have thowt it!

[Pluggy]

Less than 1 unit a day all this week. Nothing anywhere near Sunday 16th. Tuesday at 0.99 kWh. 0.11 yesterday and the same today.

[Stanley]

Gloomiest time of the year Pluggy and I hate it. Let's have a bit of light!

[Stanley]

One good thing about the problem I am experiencing with the trip on the consumer unit is that it has forced me to re-assess my attitude to stand-by of units. I think my base level with nothing runni9ng was about 200watts, after my re-adjustments it is now down to about 60watts. Of course the resting level isn't all waste as it is waste heat into the house but leccy is a very expensive source of house heating! Statistically I am safer as well because we all know of cases where units on stand-by, like TVs can overheat and cause house fires. Question is, why didn't I address all this long ago? By the way, the tangle of wires behind the FM2 is a lot tidier now!

[Tizer]

Our newly insulated rooms are warmer and cosier than they've ever been. The weather has been mild so they haven't been tested in extreme cold yet, but I expect they'll be just as good when it's sub-zero outside. We're trickling in only a tiny amount of heat but they have maintained 19C since the installation, even with the windows open to dry out the plaster and then the decorating (and remember they are on the north side of the house and see no sun). Our oil consumption for that part of the house will drop dramatically. We are very pleased with it and would recommend it to anyone in a similar situation to us. For us it's a better use of money than fitting solar panels, PV or thermal (and insulation works just as well on a dull day as on a sunny day!).

[Stanley]

I've always advocated insulation as the best route to thermal efficiency. The waste throughout the country, both domestic and industrial, is enormous. Funnily enough my recent change to shirts and waistcoat for regular indoors wear is a good example. No problem if temperature in the kitchen falls to 60F and so the stove gets used more and consequently no gas at all used. Thick cardigans anyone?

[Stanley]

I noticed last night that the stove wasn't drawing as well as it should, still acceptable but not on full chat. So this morning I let the fire out and did some serious cleaning. Soon found the problem, hard clinker on the rotating grate so I cleaned all that off and while I was at it took the baffle out and cleaned a small amount of ash out of the bend in the flue. Small things but when I light it later it will roar at me! (You can't keep an old firebeater down!)

[Stanley]

No problems with draught now! I'm leaving the stove ticking over all night at the moment, CH doesn't come on so I override the stat to give the kitchen and shed a dose of heat first thing. Crumblies need to be kept warm!

[Stanley]

Margaret Hodge blowing the whistle and asking awkward questions about the recent contracts to encourage offshore wind farms. A splendid woman!

[Stanley]

The stove is quite capable of keeping the house warm and stops the CH kicking in but in this cold weather I am forcing the CH to come on for half an hour in the morning to keep the temperature up near 40F in the shed. The main water pipe comes in through there. I have a frost stat in there which in theory overrides the main stat when the shed gets cold but I am not sure I trust it...