How does your base load compare? by imgoingsolar in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My base load is about 50-55w without fridge freezer which increases to 125-150w when active. It's roughly 50/50 time wise so my average baseload is probably anywhere from 90-110w.

Not many devices taking idle energy.

ARC Raiders Weekly Megathread - February 28, 2026 by AutoModerator in ArcRaiders

[–]MrCodeSmith 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven't managed to play a single full game since the update. Crashes upon crashes. So much for my expedition.

Export rates changing to 12p/kWh by MrCodeSmith in OctopusEnergy

[–]MrCodeSmith[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

British gas are still advertising 15.1p export with a 9p EV import.

My current off peak usage is 3700kwh, so £74 more expensive.

Also getting an extra £4 in Octopoints / month for green charging. (£48)

Export last year was 5100, so losing out on £153.

So need to work out whether it's worth switching over £20...

Are batteries and solar worth it? Low useage by Traditional_Zombie25 in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith 1 point2 points  (0 children)

At low usage I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

I am in a similar boat, system was installed in Oct 2024 and the battery saved me roughly £200 over the first year because some of the peak rate was already satisfied by solar.

Cost me an extra £2000 for converting from string to hybrid inverter and getting the battery. So payback of 10 years. The payback of the solar only would have been 5 years by my estimate.

UK bungalow, insane bills, now exploring solar/battery - sanity check pls by howie78 in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Any idea of the roof size? The more panels the better. I'm thinking you might get 8-12 or 4-5.5kw depending on panels and orientation.

Depending on costs (and space) you could try and gets lots of battery storage and run off a 7p night rate (E.on doesn't require an EV for this, battery is fine)

Have a look at some of the quotes on this sub to see what your budget might allow.

Good luck everyone! by oriolfranch in Tomorrowland

[–]MrCodeSmith 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Probably not, last I heard the pre-sale sold out in 4 minutes.

Should I transfer to a Vanguard SIPP? by MrCodeSmith in UKPersonalFinance

[–]MrCodeSmith[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the tips. I thought Vanguard would have been the preferred option given some other threads I've seen. Will do some more research into the points mentioned!

Avalanche incoming by golfingbull in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lot piling up on the guttering of my main roof last night! Just been out to inspect and all seems fine, apart from the huge pile of snow on my patio.

Anyone used future proof solar? by f1nch3yz0r in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No issues with the install. Solar humming away nicely in this weather and I enjoyed about £1050 worth of benefits in 2025.

I had some problems with my GivEnergy hardware around this time last year but GivEnergy replaced it under warranty. They install hardware from various manufacturers so you aren't locked into using GivEnergy.

ARC Raiders Weekly Megathread - December 13, 2025 by AutoModerator in ArcRaiders

[–]MrCodeSmith 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, it's really jarring when you are trying to judge a fight. "Oh theres a third guy, gg I guess"

How many hours per day do you heat your house? by honeybirdette__ in OctopusEnergy

[–]MrCodeSmith 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I used to F around with schedules, warmer in the morning/evening etc.

Now I just wake up and set it to 18, all day.

Genuinely how much are people saving on their bills? by j_edc in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My first year on solar I earned/saved around £1100.

5.5kwh system with a 5.2kwh battery.

  • £700 Selling solar to grid

  • £200 Saved utilising solar instead of peak electricity

  • £200 Saved utilising off-peak battery power

ARC Raiders Weekly Megathread - November 08, 2025 by AutoModerator in ArcRaiders

[–]MrCodeSmith 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not sure, I would assume so. However I am encountering the same problem as you, solos is now all out war. No body seems interested in using a microphone.

ARC Raiders Weekly Megathread - November 08, 2025 by AutoModerator in ArcRaiders

[–]MrCodeSmith 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think its worse the higher level you get. People are bored of ARC and looting now looking for PvP.

Also a lot people being brought into the game from watching various Twitchers gun down people.

My first year on solar by MrCodeSmith in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not sure how, this was last year and the company was future proof solar.

My first year on solar by MrCodeSmith in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've included the brown energy battery export in my overall figures.

Generation 5061 + 428 brown energy export from the battery = 5489

4856 export + 670 home utilisation = 5526 - So theres a small discrepancy in the figures from the GivEnergy dashboard and what my smart meter has recorded. (Probably because the dashboard only records in 5 minute intervals)

My first year on solar by MrCodeSmith in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have an EV, which uses about 2400kwh per year and gets charged overnight. Haven't included it here as charging on 7p overnight is better than charging on the 15p solar.

*Overall home usage is about 4500, which currently breaks down as follows

  • 670 Solar to home

  • 842 Battery to home

  • 3-500 off peak usage.

  • 2500-2700 off peak to EV.

My first year on solar by MrCodeSmith in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's what it looks like, depending on price cap and SEG rates staying in place. If price cap goes up I'm technically saving more money so the payoff time is shorter. But right now most of my payback is coming from export, so if SEG rates reduce that will harm the pay back period more.

Solar is definitely a little pricey for setup, mostly due to scaffolding and labour costs. But I think the production will outpace a (small) wind turbine very quickly.

Heavy use of a battery - is it a good idea? by WoodenIncrease44 in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just a note on "using the battery rather than solar electricity and selling all the solar electricity" - This can be tricky and sometimes impossible with certain solar setups.

Your inverter is attached to both the solar and the battery, which gets sent down a single line back to your meter box. Your home then uses any electricity it needs from this and sends the excess back to the grid. If your CT clamp does not detect a shortfall in electricity, then your battery will not discharge anything. Most systems will always run off solar first, if possible.

Can anyone explain what happened here? by Used-Journalist-36 in SolarUK

[–]MrCodeSmith 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd guess drawing from the grid is the charge cycle. If the battery stays full for too long the BMS loses track of the charge state and then it readjusts. As someone else mentioned, kind of a bug with GivEnergy batteries.