Small things matter

[Joeboy]

Yep, took me about two years to click

I’ve got a shed full of Ash this year, the mode/setting C gave about a 20% higher reading than A. The physical features of the logs - colour, heft, radial splits indicated the mode settings were functional.

Never got to ‘proving’ it by totally drying a log in the oven, weighing before and after, though

Imagine if you did. We are continuing to run from about 08.00 to 23.00 each day and will burn thru our log basket almost complete each day. I had no thoughts that we'd be this far into Dec and the WS would be doing this much of the heavy lifting. Looking forward to the 31st to check our annual figures. In addition I had a 5 hour workout today thanks to the process which is great! Ash is an excellent timber, cook on man!

[Joeboy]

This morning WS cooking is a double batch of spag bolag which will be converted to chilli con later and also a pot of lentil & bacon soup. This follows last night's pasta Arabaiata and chicken curry. Gas is barely on for cooking and heating. Almost all gas used is now for HWT. Off out for booster then process some logs.

[John_S]

Gas is barely on for cooking and heating. Almost all gas used is now for HWT.

Does anyone know how the cost v efficiency of electricity at 5p per kWh on Octopus Go and similar tariffs v gas at, say, 4p per kWh?

Especially if the boiler comes on just for the hot water.

My thoughts are that heating the HWT by electricity wins, especially if the gas is not always being used for heating.

[Stinsy]

It has been discussed lots!

Very difficult to get a definitive answer that applies to all situations because of all the variables involved.

However general consensus is that it is a wash. If anything resistive heat is cheaper than gas in the 5p period.

I use oil-filled resistive electric heaters in the cheap period and convince myself it’s cheaper than gas…

[nowty]

Gas is barely on for cooking and heating. Almost all gas used is now for HWT.

Does anyone know how the cost v efficiency of electricity at 5p per kWh on Octopus Go and similar tariffs v gas at, say, 4p per kWh?

Especially if the boiler comes on just for the hot water.

My thoughts are that heating the HWT by electricity wins, especially if the gas is not always being used for heating.

Last winter gas was still too cheap so so I used gas for heating and hot water in the colder months. This winter, because I have been dumped from my cheap gas deal (supplier went bust), my gas rate is now 4.2p, so on a par with my 5p Octopus deal. And because I now have 6 hours of cheap rate I have pumped even more power into my storage heaters and so far this winter my 6kW heat pump is managing to keep the house warm and the gas boiler is still switched off.

Price wise for me 5p leccy is as cheap as gas once you take the slight inefficiency of a modern gas boiler into account.

Carbon wise using the leccy in a heat pump is a no brainer.

But using it in storage heaters, or using an immersion heater for water, carbon wise its not so straight forward.

There is some useful info here, https://researchbriefings.files.parliam ... N-0523.pdf

This quite surprised me about how low a modern gas boiler is circa 220g / kWh which is similar to the average of the UK leccy grid. But it does depend on how windy it is, if the wind is good, the UK leccy grid can be under 100g / kWh. Generally we get most wind generation in the winter months and using overnight leccy is even less carbon intensive because of less demand so less gas used and we have the fixed amount of nuclear running irrespective of demand, plus the interconnectors with hydro from Norway or nuclear from France.

And every year we break the low carbon records because of increased renewables.

But, at this exact moment the UK leccy grid is 300g / kWh as there is practically no wind so if I had no battery storage or solar, it would be no worse for me in boiling a pan of water on my gas hob than boiling an electric kettle. But this exact moment is not typical, 300g / kWh from the leccy grid is now very rare in the UK.

https://carbonintensity.org.uk/

[Joeboy]

Christmas cooking has commenced with sticky red cabbage on the go, along with a ham cooking. Kettles been up to bat five times so far today!




Also prepped gingerbread stuffing but that will go in the oven.
All veggies will be part or fully boiled on the WS depending on outcome required although not until the day. Love this!
Bought a fresh Turkey which is chilling down in the cabin along with the half prepped trifle.
Eight tonnes of tatties and parsnips to work thru this afternoon, all going under water and stored in the cabin. All at zero carbon storage cost. Its a funny rabbit hole this one, never seem to land!

Also, I think this is the first time trying the four full size units on the stove. Works as I hoped!

[Bugtownboy]

Sorry Joe, although I can appreciate all the hard work you and DW have put into prepping for Christmas, especially using a non FF approach, you’ve made, in my opinion, one major omission/mistake

You haven’t got your sprouts on the go

For the excessive boiling they need, an RE approach is ideal. I’m sure you’re aware, they do need to be boiled for at least 48 hours before the day.

If you’ve already had them on the go for the last few days, I humbly apologise.

[Joeboy]

Sorry Joe, although I can appreciate all the hard work you and DW have put into prepping for Christmas, especially using a non FF approach, you’ve made, in my opinion, one major omission/mistake

You haven’t got your sprouts on the go

For the excessive boiling they need, an RE approach is ideal. I’m sure you’re aware, they do need to be boiled for at least 48 hours before the day.

If you’ve already had them on the go for the last few days, I humbly apologise.

Not bad BTB! We have these fast cooking sprouts. Only 1 day to cook! At the moment the stove is wearing down slow cooking neep(just on).

[Bugtownboy]

Fast cooking sprouts Wouldnt trust them

Seriously, sprouts are a wonderful veg, spoiled by cooking methods. A vibrant, crunchy, colourful sprout compared to an over-boiled one , and why do we insist on boiling them all the time ?

Glad your WBS mods are paying dividends.

[Joeboy]

Fast cooking sprouts Wouldnt trust them

Seriously, sprouts are a wonderful veg, spoiled by cooking methods. A vibrant, crunchy, colourful sprout compared to an over-boiled one , and why do we insist on boiling them all the time ?

Glad your WBS mods are paying dividends.

Cheers, it's all working out beyond my hopes. Using it as a lifestyle choice fairly ups the ante on the wood vol used. I seem to remember having curry flavour sprouts somewhere and they were excellent. I love em! Gonna get my Joeboy t shirt printed soon so I can be approached/avoided at the picnic in Spring. Aye, assuming covid's mutated away.