Solar panels , would you ?

[larmen]

April Numbers:

Last year: 355 kWh for £121 + standing charges

This year load: 187 kWh which would have been just £55 on the new regular tariff price cap.
Net import: - 133 kWh at - £24. We exported more than we imported, and at an average higher price point Add standing charges back in and we are still getting paid for April.
This gives us savings of 'only' £80ish over what would have been this year without solar, but £145 on last year.
Generation was 326 kWh on an 8 panel array.


Because our usage reduced so much we don't save as much on what would have been, but we save a lot on last year.
Last year we paid about £130+ a month with threats of it going up even more. That's why we went in.

 

[PJ87]

April Numbers:

Last year: 355 kWh for £121 + standing charges

This year load: 187 kWh which would have been just £55 on the new regular tariff price cap.
Net import: - 133 kWh at - £24. We exported more than we imported, and at an average higher price point Add standing charges back in and we are still getting paid for April.
This gives us savings of 'only' £80ish over what would have been this year without solar, but £145 on last year.
Generation was 326 kWh on an 8 panel array.


Because our usage reduced so much we don't save as much on what would have been, but we save a lot on last year.
Last year we paid about £130+ a month with threats of it going up even more. That's why we went in.

That is the thing with reducing your usage, your savings drop through the floor

Im glad my excess solar now is worth 15p as it softens the blow

 

[larmen]

Just reduced our DD to under £100 for the month and asking Octopus for £400 of our credit back.
That's down from £270 last year and £170 year to date. If we can keep that payment so low going forward we are looking at £2000 a year saving. Some of that is habit/usage.

We should now start to feel our payback, taking it from the excel sheet into the real world.

 

[PJ87]

Just reduced our DD to under £100 for the month and asking Octopus for £400 of our credit back.
That's down from £270 last year and £170 year to date. If we can keep that payment so low going forward we are looking at £2000 a year saving. Some of that is habit/usage.

We should now start to feel our payback, taking it from the excel sheet into the real world.

Just had the DNO round to fit the voltage monitor as we had been getting over voltage from their side . Fascinating bloke, stayed 30 mins afters just chatting electrics. Was like heaven lol

Octopus have just offered me 5.27p a kWh for gas for a year from July when mine ends (7p) I was gonna risk a tracker but at that rate? Jeez that's really going to save money compared to the 10p the winter before

Amazing morning for solar we were exporting before I even got home from My night shift

He had to cut the power (battery took over) for 10 mins to fit the device so the solar got shut off lol

Could be one them days that pays for itself .. record is 85p made after standing charges and usage so far (just this year)

 

[larmen]

Could be one them days that pays for itself .. record is 85p made after standing charges and usage so far (just this year)

We got our mid May bill through last night, and for the month we paid £33 including standing charge, and we made £43 from export.
But other than you we paid about £60 for petrol for our bank holiday trip to stanstead and back. But it is worth it just for the range and peace of mind ;-)

99% of our import was at 15p low rate, that was quite nice to see.

 

[PJ87]

We got our mid May bill through last night, and for the month we paid £33 including standing charge, and we made £43 from export.
But other than you we paid about £60 for petrol for our bank holiday trip to stanstead and back. But it is worth it just for the range and peace of mind ;-)

99% of our import was at 15p low rate, that was quite nice to see.

Brilliant isn't it.

All my public charging (ever) have been covered by my dad joining octopus and using my referral code so I got £50 aha

Im interest to see how much we export compared to last year , for one we are on a higher export rate so make more regardless but the kids are all in school or nursery where as last year they weren't so daytime usage was more than it is now

For example I'm off to bed in a min, air cons on (it's low energy as it has an inverter) the dehumidifier is on downstairs but that's it, 0.7kwh the house is pulling but the solar is producing 3.1kwh , battery is full so the rest is just getting dumped back to the grid for 15p a kWh

 

[larmen]

We just ordered an aircon from Amazon, paid by Octopus once we get the money back ;-)

 

[PJ87]

We just ordered an aircon from Amazon, paid by Octopus once we get the money back ;-)

Wife made my laugh when I had the air con fitted a few years back (5 indoor units powered by 2 outside units) "what a waste" etc etc

Who uses it almost every day because she has a thyroid issue that means she gets hot? Lol save massively on gas use mind!

Is great when it's powered by the sun aswell !

 

[PJ87]

Just another quick praise for octopus

Messaged them on X to switch me to the new tariff in July when it expires

I always avoid doing it via their site as they try to switch the electric, they say it shouldn't take me off intelligent but for sake of a message saves the hassle

Anyways back to me in 20 mins, all done and pointed out my current tariff has a £75 exit fee and the new one doesn't so in July when I roll on keep checking a new cheaper one isn't offered as they role onto the new price cap then and could save me money

I mean that's just nice to point out. Even tho I would have anyways just putting it in a message to try and save a customer money . Fair play

 

[Fade and Die]

Just had the DNO round to fit the voltage monitor as we had been getting over voltage from their side . Fascinating bloke, stayed 30 mins afters just chatting electrics. Was like heaven lol

Octopus have just offered me 5.27p a kWh for gas for a year from July when mine ends (7p) I was gonna risk a tracker but at that rate? Jeez that's really going to save money compared to the 10p the winter before

Amazing morning for solar we were exporting before I even got home from My night shift

He had to cut the power (battery took over) for 10 mins to fit the device so the solar got shut off lol

Could be one them days that pays for itself .. record is 85p made after standing charges and usage so far (just this year)

Out of interest what did the DNO guy say was the reason for the over voltage?

Did he recommend installing a SPD (surge protection)?

 

[PJ87]

Out of interest what did the DNO guy say was the reason for the over voltage?

Did he recommend installing a SPD (surge protection)?

He had just put a monitor on for now which will be on 10 days. The cause is most likely being very close to the sub they need to tap the supply down a bit

Not seen any ill effects of it only my charging company alerted me to the charger had reported overvoltage (when nothing plugged in) so I got it looked at

Just an add, it's not constant over voltage, when he was here it was 250 so within tolerance , when the first guy came a month ago it was within. It will be for just a few seconds random times like 19:51 , 00:15 . Different days, some when I'm not even on grid power

 

[full_throttle]

3rd Apr - 30rd Apr

Electric Bill £21.27
Electric Exported £21.33

6p profit

 

[PJ87]

3rd Apr - 30rd Apr

Electric Bill £21.27
Electric Exported £21.33

6p profit

Does that include standing charge? I think I could make profit on just the usage in the summer but the standing charge puts me -£14.50 a month before I even start

 

[full_throttle]

Does that include standing charge? I think I could make profit on just the usage in the summer but the standing charge puts me -£14.50 a month before I even start

Yes,

Thinking a little about this, I am actually the export value better off, as I haven't had to pay for any electricity last month.
Only last week my wife put on 3 loads of washing and two of them went into the tumble dryer, all from the solar panels,


The biggest drain is when she cooks the dinner, as we have an electric hob and oven

 

[Fade and Die]

He had just put a monitor on for now which will be on 10 days. The cause is most likely being very close to the sub they need to tap the supply down a bit

Not seen any ill effects of it only my charging company alerted me to the charger had reported overvoltage (when nothing plugged in) so I got it looked at

Just an add, it's not constant over voltage, when he was here it was 250 so within tolerance , when the first guy came a month ago it was within. It will be for just a few seconds random times like 19:51 , 00:15 . Different days, some when I'm not even on grid power

Yes higher voltages closer to the Sub are common, with the increase in electronics in the house there was an amendment to the 18th Edition of the wiring regs in 2022 to make SPDs practically compulsory for new fuse boards. Would have expected any EV chargers to have an SPD fitted as part of the job.

 

[PJ87]

Yes higher voltages closer to the Sub are common, with the increase in electronics in the house there was an amendment to the 18th Edition of the wiring regs in 2022 to make SPDs practically compulsory for new fuse boards. Would have expected any EV chargers to have an SPD fitted as part of the job.

The charger has it built in, as does all the equipment, it was just reported by the charge company to say have it looked into as they noticed the charger had tripped out for a few seconds randomly because of high voltage

I'd of never of known about it otherwise

 

[chellie]

We've to wait until the end of the month for our first full bill since having the solar and batteries installed so will be interesting to see what it is.

 

[Mudball]

Q … micro inverters??

I was never offered this.. a friend is now in the market for installing solar. Most are installing standard 'string' invertors (i.e. one big invertor at the end of the panels. Octopus is seemingly pushing micro invertors which means small invertors behind every panel on the roof which will convert DC to AC at the point of production. Apparently good if their roof gets a lot of shade. Will sit alongside optimisers

Any experience

 

[chellie]

Q … micro inverters??

I was never offered this.. a friend is now in the market for installing solar. Most are installing standard 'string' invertors (i.e. one big invertor at the end of the panels. Octopus is seemingly pushing micro invertors which means small invertors behind every panel on the roof which will convert DC to AC at the point of production. Apparently good if their roof gets a lot of shade. Will sit alongside optimisers

Any

Not needed on ours as we don't get shade but yes would have been if that was the case.

 

[Mudball]

Not needed on ours as we don't get shade but yes would have been if that was the case.

quiet funnily, only Octopus has offered micro-invertors, the rest are offering traditional approach