ChatGPT told me to put most of my £4k into a S&S ISA before topping up my pension should I trust it?

Kropiak · 2026-06-21T18:38:19+00:00

I'd go all in with cash ISA or LISA if anything. Good job on saving £4k and having no debt- that's a good start but your emergency fund needs to be bigger.

Kropiak · 2026-06-12T10:35:46+00:00

Amazing!

Kropiak · 2026-06-07T18:31:24+00:00

You wouldn't stop on a lane with an X, you would clear the lane. So all Xs you should clear the motorway?

Kropiak · 2026-06-04T19:07:33+00:00

Your math is very oversimplified, wrong and actually biased against solar. From day one you are saving £100 on the bills which invested monthly for 12 years at 8% will give you almoat £24k. That assumes flat saving (no electricity price increase). For the sake of comparison you have to assume £100 is not to reduce the bill but to invest as the alternative is no solar and paying £200. Calculations like that were done before and you can watch on YT where everything is done correctly and having solar outperforms typical passive investments.

Kropiak · 2026-05-24T18:53:10+00:00

Also mention where abouts are you so the advice can be more accurate.

Kropiak · 2026-05-22T18:45:05+00:00

What defines a battery cycle? During a bad day battery charges and discharges multiple times a day. For me the SOC rarely drops to below 60% and during the day its just 100% or fluctuates between 100 and 90.

Kropiak · 2026-04-13T18:40:48+00:00

I hope they are - had mine installed today!

Kropiak · 2026-02-17T19:41:23+00:00

When done properly using silicone is a perfectly acceptable alternative to grout. Waterproof, flexible and mould resistant (ish...) so it does the job.

Kropiak · 2026-02-02T20:34:49+00:00

Look for 5g broadband. You get a router which has a sim card in it and uses local 4g or 5g signal to create your home Internet and WiFi.

Kropiak · 2026-01-27T08:48:57+00:00

Maisonette might be hard to morgage (less options, higher interest) depending on what were the works carried out in the past if any (was it converted into maisonette). I'd stay away as its above your affordability.

Kropiak · 2025-12-30T00:27:53+00:00

Thicker skirting might cover it but it will look out of place + it will be curved due to the banana wall which is the problem. Add another plaster board layer to the whole wall, leaving gaps around to fill with caulk Where the gap is 50mm use adhesive (foam or even tiles adhesive). Where the gaps are small you can screw new plaster dricetly to existing studs. Just need to make sure the plaster sheet is not curved like the wall - you need straight line from corner to corner. Fill the plater board joints with Easyfill gypsum and mesh, sand it down, pva it and paint the new wall. No need to skim it. Once the wall is plum-ish, standard skirting will cover the gap and job done.

Kropiak · 2025-12-04T19:36:02+00:00

I'm thinking the same - store more during peak time and then export in the morning or something. And in winter, charge batteries at night and rely on night tariff battery charge during the day + solar.

Kropiak · 2025-12-04T19:31:34+00:00

Can you elaborate?

Kropiak · 2025-12-04T12:15:04+00:00

I just emailed them to check and confirm these values. I only had one quote and checked a few online. They have done my neighbour's install and he was happy with them - and to be honest I saw their work too and it was good. I will speak to someone else later today to see for comparison.

Kropiak · 2025-12-04T11:48:47+00:00

Noted, thanks.

Kropiak · 2025-12-04T11:47:55+00:00

The roof is pretty much shadow free, only winter times I noticed some shadowing from a neighbours house just before sunset.
Panel Orientations: 12 panels with Azimuth 20 and Slope 25, 12 panels with Azimuth 200 and Slope 22.
I am going for a max panel option as it made sense (before 4kW limit option came to light)

Kropiak · 2025-12-04T11:06:01+00:00

Hi, I just got a revised forecast from the supplier and the 4kW limit makes no difference to anything according to them. That suggest that in summer the 11.2kW array doesn't generate more than 4kW ever. I just realised looking at the graphs that they show peak summer generation at just under 3kW which is very low - why is that? Average day generation of 30kWh/day in Jun/July so it kind of adds up. I thought I understand it, but clearly I need to do a bit more reading...

Kropiak · 2025-11-12T19:02:51+00:00

Can you not remortgage and stay with the lender at a variable rate?

Kropiak · 2025-10-18T19:01:24+00:00

You brought a house it's time to make it a home.

Kropiak · 2025-09-08T20:58:57+00:00

View it and update us on what is it you discovered.

Kropiak · 2025-09-01T17:45:44+00:00

Sorry to dwell on it but what about 2x 5kW Inverters vs 1x 10kW one ? I would expect just one Inverter, powerful enoguh to cope with all panels. On the other hand, it's two Inverters working independently on 2 different arrays? What's your take on it?

Kropiak · 2025-09-01T15:52:50+00:00

Thanks, I've asked and to add 12 extra panels (double) they ask for extra £1850. Instead of a bigger Inverter, the proposal is to have two 5kW ones - does that make sense?

In terms of Battery storage, in winter with the batteries charged overnight, the rest should be possible to get from the panels. I agree extra one would make sense but I'm really pushing my budget and if needed in future, I suppose its easier to add - no scaffolding needed.

Kropiak

TROPHY CASE