Based on those figures it could work out based on how things look today. I'm a little concerned about SMETS2 meters measuring reactive power and how that might effect my 'consumption' and also some contractual language that seems to suggest that when you switch to smart tariff you agree to possibly have solar PV / FIT switched to same supplier. I can see that might be difficult / impossible to enforce, but I don't need that hassle!
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Cheapest EV energy supplier?
- Thread starter Juve
- Start date
Based on those figures it could work out based on how things look today. I'm a little concerned about SMETS2 meters measuring reactive power and how that might effect my 'consumption' and also some contractual language that seems to suggest that when you switch to smart tariff you agree to possibly have solar PV / FIT switched to same supplier. I can see that might be difficult / impossible to enforce, but I don't need that hassle!
I'm very excited about all this as I'm about to have 4kW of PV installed, an 8kW battery, and a Model3 SR+ on the way. My initial plan is to try and leverage Octopus Agile as much as possible as we have quite significant daytime usage. Playing with all the permutations should keep me out of mischief!
I'm not sure if this scheme/trial is still available but perhaps worth being aware of?
Powervault for the people
Obviously everyone's electricity ultimately comes from the same mix of sources down the same wires but those companies that claim full renewable sources are putting their money (your money) into buying all the renewable stuff and not the fossil stuff. This pushes the overall market towards renewables ... which is what we want.
Agreed, but wouldn't you also agree that unless someone somewhere is prepared to buy whatever fuel-source electricity Is available, that until renewables can meet 100% demand all the time, you can't gloat too much just because you chose to pay 'extra' for clean electricity.
I sort of cracked it over the last 12 months. The fall in oil prices made a big difference during the year but was offset by a big hike in January.
My FIT was about £1000, electric £269 but oil was £1069. It’s not normally over £800
If I take into account that 2000 miles on the car has a total fuel cost under £2, I’m in the right ball park.
This autumn/winter has also been less sunny than last year.
I’m with you on SMETS2 and reactive power. My Zappi’s read more than double my summer grid draw of about 1Kwh over the course of a week. The Powerwalls don’t see it and my SMETS1 doesn’t report it.
shouldn’t be necessary to have FIT and energy with the same supplier.
Glan gluaisne
Active Member
We're lucky, in that our "storage heater" is a 100mm thick concrete slab, cast on top of a 300mm thick EPS insulation tray, with warm water pipes cast into it when it was laid. This gives a fair degree of self-regulation, in that the heat output power of the floor depends on the differential temperature between the room temperature and the slab temperature. The slab usually sits at around 23°C to 23.5°C, so if the room temperature rises to, say, 23°C with the slab at 23°, the heat output drops to zero, with the slab just pretty much sitting at a constant temperature. The following night the heating won't need to work very hard to heat the slab up again, as not much heat will have been used the previous day.
MrBadger
Badger out
For anyone looking at Powervault, do your research. iirc they had a habit of eating batteries for breakfast although one would like to think that they have got on top of that problem by now.
Glan gluaisne
Active Member
My understanding is that the original Powervault system didn't use a proper BMS at all, and had no balancing between cell groups in the pack. This was pretty much guaranteed to cause failures, and rather unsurprisingly this is exactly what happened. I've heard of several tales of battery packs failing, and long delays before they've been replaced under warranty. Whether or not Powervault have now fixed the various issues, I would have very grave concerns about the technical competence of any company that thought it was both safe and reliable to sell a high energy domestic use lithium battery pack with near-non-existent battery management. Nothing would induce me to go near them, for that reason alone, as years of playing around with lithium chemistry cells has taught me that safe, reliable and effective battery management is absolutely key to safety and reliability.
Who's gloating? IMO the best way to encourage the development of an ever higher proportion of renewables is for it to become economically desirable. The other way is a mixture of government regulation and just hoping for the best! Of course we presently still need a mix of generation but any company in that business is increasingly going to replace high carbon sources with renewable. "Someone somewhere" will indeed still be buying a non-specific mix that will include the non-renewables. In a sense we "need them" but it's not hard to find people who would rather buy those non-renewables for their own reasons (and there are some good reasons too at present, not just being uncaring about the climate).
Totally agree.
Gloating.... only in as much as while someone somewhere has to use non-renewable energy, we all have a 'problem'. Of course it is important to have mechanisms to drive the change, and yes, offering 'green energy' options is a key. If ever I charge at a point that claims to be giving me 100% green energy, I can't help but remind myself that that isn't the end to my obligations!
It feels a bit like organic produce. I like the idea of encouraging sustainable food production, local sourcing etc, but part of me wonders about the potential for extra waste through reduced use of chemical treatments and reduced packaging. They will sell whatever I will buy and their goal is to make money.
Indeed, maybe we won't always be in the fortunate position of being able to buy the cheapest electricity options from companies that are focussed on renewables. The organic produce is a reasonable comparison but it's increasingly looking like the energy field is really going to make renewables work for everyone in the longer term (not possible for organic, I suspect, unless we decrease the world's population).
It does look quite possible. I suspect there will be some glitches due to technicalities like essential supply generation 'inertia' which apperently is inherent in old-school mechanical generation but not with invertors.
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Glan gluaisne
Active Member
Zero carbon claims from energy suppliers are universally BS. There's no way of being able to select electrons generated from renewable sources and direct them to particular consumers, the whole concept is complete BS dreamt up by marketing geeks.
What suppliers can do is buy carbon offsets, which does next to SFA to actually reduce emissions, but gives the said geeks a warm and fuzzy feeling that they are helping save the planet, whilst still buying electricity generated by coal and gas. The reality is that people in some parts of the UK probably almost always use renewable energy, irrespective of supplier (Orkney's spring to mind) whereas other parts of the UK (primarily the South of England) may well rarely ever see a renewably generated electron, whoever their supplier is. It mainly comes down to location, and how close anyone is to any particular form of generation within the grid.
What suppliers can do is buy carbon offsets, which does next to SFA to actually reduce emissions, but gives the said geeks a warm and fuzzy feeling that they are helping save the planet, whilst still buying electricity generated by coal and gas. The reality is that people in some parts of the UK probably almost always use renewable energy, irrespective of supplier (Orkney's spring to mind) whereas other parts of the UK (primarily the South of England) may well rarely ever see a renewably generated electron, whoever their supplier is. It mainly comes down to location, and how close anyone is to any particular form of generation within the grid.
@Juve This thread has meandered away from your original query but I think in summary if you're home is mains electric/gas with no batteries/solar then Octopus with their Go or Agile tariffs for charging an EV is probably your best bet - but use the online calculator to make sure.
If your home does have battery/solar and the majority of your electricity comes from the grid overnight, stored and used throughout the day then other providers with a longer off peak period may be more suitable.
If your home does have battery/solar and the majority of your electricity comes from the grid overnight, stored and used throughout the day then other providers with a longer off peak period may be more suitable.
Country Boy
Member
I have solar and a power wall. My daytime use for December was 2kWh, night 450kWh. In Summer I am virtually self sufficient both day and night. Daytime rate is irrelevant to me and night rate is everything. Bulb were great until they raised their night rate from 8p to 9p, a massive rise...
However, Bulb are the only supplier who have believed my usage patterern, and were happy to bill me accordingly. I pay £20 per month, and built up a credit through the summer, and now eating into that but still in credit.
After I have had some appalling service from Leccy suppliers, and some that have gone bust, I am happy to spend a few quid more for trouble free account management. I also don't want a smart meter as I will loose my deemed export....
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