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Talking to a colleague today. I'm very proud of blagging 1.8kw of solar panels for £100, a growatt 2kw inverter for £150, and being able to wire up myself (yet to do).

He's very happy having recently paid £14k for a solar/battery install. 12kw of panels and appropriate level of battery.

I was saying how my partially setup 1kw so far of panels is offsetting baseload when the sun shines. His system was putting 3kw into his house even though overcast, and exporting when the clouds cleared. Since install in Feb he has exported £24. When the sun shines he can run any electrical gear he wants I think!

Because he has his new solar kit he actually looked at his utility bill when it came through the door. He normally just pays up....
- PREPARE YOURSELVES -

I don't know how to hide this or soften the blow!



£1300 a MONTH.

He has an indoor swimming pool, had to have an upgraded gas pipe put in last year for the boiler, and just pays the bill on a "budget plan" where he pays up each month, but it's not clear if they estimate bills.

Todays bill showed £900ish of charges but only 200 electric usage, so he rang up to query. Which ended up with a couple of meter readings and a recalculation...

They owe him £14000!

So he's already paid for his solar kit, needs to look for a better supplier/deal, and I told him to look at a diverter to stick the export into his hot water tank or swimming pool.

Beat that anyone?

i'm speechless.............. more money than sense springs to mind .....................

He grew up in India with servants, pays a bloke to come and change light bulbs.Very capable with certain work related technologies but doesn't own a screwdriver never mind the rest of the toolbox. My ex neighbour was the same, asked to borrow a hammer to put a picture hook up and then asked how it worked - so I went and put the nail in the wall for him!

Whilst it's daft to have paid so much to a venal utility company, it's nice to find you are due a refund that directly offsets your new solar install bill. It's already paid itself off!

I'm thinking air to water heat pump for the swimming pool. Using cheap night rate leccy, or daytime PV excess. Hopefully that would beat gas ..... quite easily.

Mart wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 2:52 pm I'm thinking air to water heat pump for the swimming pool. Using cheap night rate leccy, or daytime PV excess. Hopefully that would beat gas ..... quite easily.

COP of over 10 is easily achievable due to the warmer ambient temps and the HP uplift in temp is only 1-2C. Complete no brainer in this case with all that excess PV in summer.

A heat pump for the swimming pool is an absolute no brainer at this point - would one of the Octopus Heat Pump tariffs be a good fit for that (although it sounds like he woulnd't notice!). And does he have an EV yet?