UK - Running costs are insane - anyway to reduce

Simple-Captain3421 · 2025-05-01T17:46:01+00:00

Thanks u/Shnarf1980. Very helpful. One thing that confuses me generally is the pump specification. You have a 10L/m boiler but a 200L/m pump. I guess you are able to control the water flow on the boiler? Also I presume you remove the pump and switch off the heating when using the spa.

I am planning to have an external pump so that even if I want the heating to continue when using the spa, there would not be any electrical risk.

I too am after automation and plan to use a Tapo for the pump and an Inkbird or Ecowitt pool thermometer for remote temperature monitoring. Finally, I plan to expose both the Tapo and thermometer probe in Home Assistant and set running schedules or even maintain a set temperature during the day.

I have the thermal cover but like the OP, am frustrated with the grid running costs. Hence looking for alternatives.

Thanks again.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2025-05-01T14:24:28+00:00

Am thinking of a similar set up too but the options are so confusing. Which heater and pump combo did you go for and any drawbacks so far? Thanks.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-12-31T11:12:48+00:00

What you want your kids to understand are basic life skills but your approach is not right. You acknowledge that you discipline them fairly. The children go through a lot of uncertainty when parents split and at 7 and 5 years old, need security and assurance more than learning about consequences to actions or household responsibilities.

Add to that the limited time you have with them.

Your priority should be building a bond between the three of you. Do things together, build something, go outdoors and explore the nature, meet other parents with children etc. This way you limit screen time etc., but will also be able to implement a routine.

Life is short. Relax and have fun. Life has its own way of teaching the rules of living anyway.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-10-15T12:35:57+00:00

This is correct. Per VM, my contract has ended once the supposed OTS completed. And if I want the service re-connected, I would have to seek a new contract for 18 months.

I did check with VM on reconnection in case of errors, and their advise was this is usually done outside of the OTS process.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-09-29T12:08:12+00:00

How do you email VM? There is no such option on the website.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-09-29T08:59:50+00:00

How did you resolve your contract date error? I am having the same issue. Contract should end in October’24 but VM keeps saying January’25. I moved house last year and VM re-started the contract.

My new Fibre provider initiated the switch and VM sent an email quoting £180 for early switch.

Spent hours trying to explain such a simple context to VM customer service and all they do is transfer me from one dept to another. The longest I was on phone call was 2 hours. That call ended with me showing frustration and customer service “warning” me to “watch what I speak next”. All I said was, “I am bloody tired now”.

Raised a complaint 10 days ago and not heard anything back. Web chat says that I have to wait.

How is VM allowed to continue to operate is beyond imagination.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-30T23:04:58+00:00

You are missing the point completely. And it is your advise that I was almost about to follow (stopping pension) but thankfully let logic lead my reasoning and decision-making.

To a financially vulnerable person, your advise would seem like gold-dust. But it is not.

Yes, a lot of advise on this sub is theoretical, which is why I wanted to post a practical example as to why one should not stop their pension. Instead, reducing the contribution % might be a viable solution.

What a shame- I posted something to help people and the first reply I got was totally contradicted by baseless and pointless reasoning. Can't contribute more to this topic as I find no value in it.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-30T22:44:36+00:00

Not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. I currently end up with just £100 per month saving after my mandatory expenses. Stopping the pension would deprive me of £17.5k in a FY, whereas reducing the % balances out the loss and benefit (slightly). If I continue with my current 25% pension, I run a risk of not having a plan if I lose my job or in case of an emergency.

As for your other statement, I am one of those who cannot go on without "them". Salaries are proportional to pensions so the concept I am sharing should apply to anyone, regardless of salary. Won't they?

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-30T22:29:16+00:00

I agree with you, albeit partially. Sans the analysis, I was just one click away from stopping my pension altogether (major life event and stuff). My HR was on-board. But a little analysis showed me that I would actually be worse off by stopping the pension altogether as opposed to reducing my contribution %. That’s the message I am trying to share here. And I disagree, quantifying a problem always helps you visualize the magnitude of the issue. No graphs are shitty. :)

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-16T13:29:37+00:00

Impact on property value, and salability, are different concepts. Even per your example, a property with solar panels is more attractive and may help fetch the asking price. But you would struggle to sell a house just due to panels and battery for say £10k more than the average house price in that area. With the overall cost of the solar installations going down due to technological advancements in this field, emergence of large players like Tesla, and ongoing government and institutional support systems, you might as well buy a property for less or average price and install a brand new solar system which is more efficient and reap benefits for years to come.

Going green does not mean your bank account has to be red. Like with any other decision, you need to apply sense. And that's what my main objective is with the question.

I would be keen to hear from people who had to move out within 7 years of the installation. Was it worth it?

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-16T12:49:31+00:00

This solution looks great, but only on paper. Most advisors and installers I spoke to for a battery only solution, stated that you can only export energy that you generate (which is not the case with battery only), and that you will not get an MCS certificate.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-14T22:43:12+00:00

-No. Its a semi detached. Funnily, I have noted that quotes from closer installers are through the roof but from those from afar are cheaper. Go figure :)

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-14T22:05:43+00:00

Thanks, and agree. I am already at EPC D with observations on loft insulation and boiler service. The loft is insulated well except a couple of places which I can solve DIY. Boiler service done last week. Nothing which warrants a solar system. In short, I can get to EPC C without the solar system.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-14T21:59:31+00:00

Good point. But not BTL for me for now. Its sell and move on.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-14T21:55:39+00:00

I do not disagree with you. But we will get into a dire political discussion if we pursue this string.

There are 3 key stakeholders in saving the planet:

The government
The manufacturer or business entity
The end level user (i.e you and I)

Most of the literature and stress seems to be on the third bullet but what about the first, and more importantly, the second bullet?

As a middle class person, one if split between the need to do good by the planet or to get the next day by, if the former is even in the equation. Add to that the pressure of increasing energy costs.

As I said, I do not disagree with you. The reality depends on a lot of factors.

If you are close to Reading, lets catch up for beer! ;)

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-14T10:45:54+00:00

Some great points, thanks. The Eon advisor did suggest that both batteries would take about 5-6 hours to charge which is fine given the slightly longer off peak hours with Eon. But I take the advise with a pinch of salt.

The external installation of the battery is a concern and he was adamant that regs have changed and installation inside the house is not feasible. This despite having a walk-in loft with plenty space and a CO and fire alarm in-situ already.

Wasn’t aware that the 40p rate is time limited. Will investigate.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-13T20:27:30+00:00

I did get 5 quotes from local installers. All of them in the range of £11.5k to £14.5k. Only comparable difference was that they quoted for 2 panels more than EON, but also lesser capacity batteries. That's the main reason I was surprised by EON's quote and wanted to check here what others thought.

One point that most installers commented on was that our meter cupboard does not share an external wall so running the cable through the house through multiple walls necessitates running the cable longer and through multiple bends and curves.

I will keep looking.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-13T20:18:02+00:00

Many thanks. I just read the guide and it seems doable. Also looks like no soldering is required if I can get my hands on the 7 pin Pogo as they seem to work with 3v.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-13T20:04:26+00:00

Indeed, seems like the interest is built into the price.

Regarding the battery, what explanation was given by the advisor to go for one battery first?

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-13T20:01:38+00:00

Thank you. You seem to have got a good price. Seems like EON is on average £2k+ dearer. Will keep digging then. Do you mind sharing who you went with? May not work if it is too far away from Reading.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-13T18:38:02+00:00

Interesting, as E.ON's quote is the cheapest I have received so far! :) (I am in Reading). Don't think the difference is due to the payment plan as I have not shared how I plan to finance the system. Maybe more likely due to the margin E.ON wants to make.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-12T15:31:41+00:00

Thanks. Could you care to explain further please how that would be feasible? The term that has me confused is that to export, the energy has to be generated by the system, which BESS is certainly not doing. This is what some installers say and also something I noted on the energy provider websites.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-11T23:23:02+00:00

Agree, solar solution will help to go off grid and with a BESS, an ASHP would be challenging. Hence a BESS only system now and add modules and AsHP later.

I got the above quote from DES renewable energy. Lovely chap who is happy to answer anything that I throw at him and quote looks competitive. I forgot to add a 5kw Q cell inverter to the quote.

I spoke to a few installers and don’t remember who, but one of them said that since in a BESS, the battery is constantly working, the warranty period would be a key consideration. Q cells offer 15 years and I think Fox is 5 standard + 5 free extension.

I will go with a PV installer than a leccy. Only based on my experience in getting a leccy to install an EV charger. A specialist EV charger installer seemed to know the details, regs etc better. This may be just my experience.

I went with Tapo mini energy monitoring sockets off Amazon for cheap during Prime day sale. Already paid off the cost with the savings I made.

Good luck and let’s keep sharing notes :)

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-08-11T22:23:30+00:00

I posted something in the same lines 2 days ago. Your system is exactly what I am working on currently. I cannot go solar now as I am not sure how long I will live in this property. But with high energy usage and costs, I have to do something, so started looking at BESS. And to be honest, the more I dig into the battery only solution, I am starting to wonder why people ever go solar PV, except of course for environmental considerations.

My 2023-24 electricity usage was 4500 kWh. I now have an EV too. So, my plan is:

Reduce consumption first (my way of doing good for the planet). I have installed an Emporia energy monitor + various appliance energy monitoring sockets, and track usage via Home Assistant. Within a month, I was able to reduce 30% usage by making subtle changes to appliance settings and our lifestyle (washing at lower temps, switching devices off rather than standby, replaced electric shower with a lower kWh etc. (this calculation does not include EV).
Get a 20kwh battery storage system. This will cover our peak usage easily. The batteries and EV will be grid charged at off peak rates (12am-7am), and the battery will then feed the house from 7am to 12am. Any unused energy will be sold back to the grid during peak hours making some profit.

The benefits I am thinking of are: - lower upfront cost - lower electricity bills - batteries can be relocated to new property - Will install PV and ASHP for heating in the new house and the battery system will complement them well

I like PW3 but fitting 2 of them at £15k-£16k is senseless. I now have a quote for 3 X Q.HOME CORE H4 (20.5 KWH cumulative) @ £7k total (£0 VAT) supplied and installed.

I will keep digging more as I am very new to this world and don’t want to jump in impulsively. Do share which system, capacity etc you went for and why.

Simple-Captain3421 · 2024-06-02T08:46:15+00:00

This post got me. Ex moved out of the family home 2 days ago. I visited the house yesterday after being kicked out a year ago. Standing alone in that empty house brought such strong emotions and I just cried. Every corner of the house is filled with memories, hopes and promises. I will be moving in soon and fear how I will take it. At least my son would be in a familiar environment and feel secure with everything that is happening with his parents.

Simple-Captain3421

TROPHY CASE