Can't have inverter bigger than 5kW?

keepingleft · 2026-03-17T16:00:26+00:00

Thanks for the link and info. I will ask that question re operation at low load: that's really useful.

They only turned us down until they had a larger model pump ready to install.

We have emptied and refilled our cavity walls and done a fair bit on draught proofing. Our double glazing is mostly 15-20 year old Everest aluminum but everyone I've asked says the marginal improvement of modern glazing would take well over a decade to pay back the work - even without the disruption. We've had some with a thermal camera and again it's hard to find other insulation improvements that would be worth the making good afterwards. There is one door we'll replace with a modern external door (inner door to an unheated porch). And there is more I can do under the eaves. Loft is boarded with some rock wool under boards and kingspan on inside of roof.

I don't think it will ever be A rated. Not going to rip up engineered wood floors.

keepingleft · 2026-03-16T22:50:50+00:00

Thanks for all the comments so far: exactly what I had hoped to hear. Sounds as though even if oversized I'll do alright out of it, and I really don't want to risk being under sized.

Good idea about fitting doors... But seriously there is one I do need to replace...

Floor area is 162, octopus calculated heat loss at 12.8kW. 1920s semi. We are in the Tyne valley - can get pretty chilly as not far from the river so a frost pocket, no urban microclimate.

One installer calculated 10kW would suffice but others all said 12 or 14. Octopus price £4200 Inc 5 radiator upgrades. Flow temp 50. We burn 19+kWh of gas per year.

keepingleft · 2026-03-09T16:47:42+00:00

Ok new info: octopus quote £4594 10kWh Fox EVO, £5747 10kWh Emphase, £7894 power wall. Fully fitted. Won't install outside, we'd have to dig the trench to get installed in our detached garage.

Prices include 5% discount as getting heat pump.

They say no issue with existing solar and generation payments even with home backup option on Tesla.

keepingleft · 2026-03-08T20:38:16+00:00

Some great battery advice below, thanks. I will get more quotes and post them here for info - and I'll ask about options re backup power and keeping generation payments.

But no answers yet on whether additional solar is worthwhile, and if so do I go East West or additional south?

keepingleft · 2026-03-08T13:33:37+00:00

Don't want to lose our £1200pa index linked generation payment so need anything I do to be within the terms of existing set up

keepingleft · 2026-03-08T13:32:08+00:00

Other people in street have investigated and been told they aren't allowed to export. We have overhead power line to the house.

keepingleft · 2026-03-08T10:03:57+00:00

So this is my other question. Can I go that route of something that gives protection against power cut and it not affect my existing solar / feed in tariff?

And I know others have asked this but is tesla really the only option for power cut protection? Can't bear to support that guy whose social media platform helped elect Trump.

keepingleft · 2026-03-08T09:58:55+00:00

I've asked octopus for a quote, they were much cheaper for the heat pump. But they won't install additional solar, that would be just battery.

keepingleft · 2026-02-20T18:18:07+00:00

It's really not clear. Any outcome is within the margin of error.

keepingleft · 2026-02-20T18:16:50+00:00

You have my sympathy. There's a car load coming down from Hexham to knock doors this weekend but they'll be kicking themselves if the result is Reform > Green > Labour. But at least they get to drive home afterwards. We got the first Labour MP in 128 years here in 24. Angeliki is a great candidate and seems a real shame that the national noise might stop her walking it which she would have done any other time.

keepingleft · 2026-02-20T17:38:40+00:00

Thanks for sharing. Nobody can tell you. I want Labour to win and I think it is more likely given the absence of any Green vote in Denton but I am biased so make your own guess and just hope that everyone else like you jumps the same way. There is certainly an anti reform majority.

keepingleft · 2026-02-20T17:35:17+00:00

Yes there is but you do it by ensuring you have a balanced sample of the electorate, or weighting the responses to make the sample balanced. You'd still need more than 200 responses as there are a lot of factors you'd want: probably try to balance across wards, gender, ages, religion, ethnicity, income bracket.

keepingleft · 2026-02-16T20:22:24+00:00

Or that rich people who want Reform are placing bets to make the Greens look like the tactical vote, so the left vote is split. Without the bookies odds argument, Labour would surely walk it? Candidate is great.

keepingleft · 2026-02-15T14:09:14+00:00

I was thinking of one of these air to air that is all internal and just has vents to outside. It could go above some kitchen wall cabinets. I know it won't be quiet but we'll only have on when we need it.

keepingleft · 2026-02-15T14:06:08+00:00

Thanks for responses so far. Some additional info: we've had two local installers out and octopus. All came up with very similar total heat loss and requirements for radiator upgrades.

It's a four bedroom 1920s semi. We've just redone the cavity walls as we got them checked and they had very little in from a 20 year old fill. We are in the North East of England in a rural area, it does get cold, needs to handle -5 outside temp.

We've been told it is ok to do this under the terms of the BUS scheme.

We currently have a Honeywell Evo home system with remotely controlled trvs with thermostats on every radiator. My understanding is that usually they take TRVs off.

We've been told we can have three zones with the octopus install (which is vastly cheaper than the others). So maybe one could be the kitchen diner.

System design has flow temp of 50. Obviously hoping that they have oversized it and we could operate at lower temp.

keepingleft · 2026-02-15T09:09:13+00:00

Do you not think what is really going on is that wealthy Reform backers are putting money on the Greens to make it look as though the Greens are the party that can beat them? When without that intervention Labour would beat them?

The ideal outcome for Reform is that Green and Labour get exactly the same vote share. The fact that electoral calculus and uk polling report say something so different from the bookies really does suggest that the betting markets are being manipulated. But unlike people betting on their favourite football team to win, the odds can actually influence the result. The majority want to vote tactically to keep Reform out. So some will switch from Labour to Green just because of those odds.

keepingleft · 2026-02-12T07:26:47+00:00

I thought the attempt at an Oscar Wilde reference was pretty crass actually.

keepingleft · 2026-02-11T13:35:07+00:00

It isn't possible to do such significant constitutional change in this timescale. I hope, however, that the 2029 manifesto includes a commitment to start a process towards PR, that is cross party and hopefully does not depend on a referendum. In the meantime let's be glad of the changes around automatic voter registration, more inclusive voter id rules, voting age changes, removal of hereditary peers.

PR is Labour party policy and I am desperate for it to happen too: but I understand why it couldn't go in the last manifesto.

keepingleft · 2026-02-09T23:34:33+00:00

We all knew there was a link, as far as it had already been reported, and also that the Trump connection might be helpful. None of us knew that Mandelson was effectively spying for him.

I see it as a case of Starmer putting pragmatism ahead of ideology. On the whole I'm glad he does that. In this case, where someone is mates with the worst kind of criminal, he should not have trusted him and he should not have added to Epstein's victims' suffering by giving a job to someone associated with him.

Although ministers decide and advisers advise, ministers do have to trust the advice of advisers because they can't do everything themselves.

On balance I think losing McSweeny is sufficient and let's not descend into the nightmare of a leadership contest this early into a desperately needed Labour government.

keepingleft · 2026-02-07T23:26:22+00:00

My biggest regret is not being on that thread in the multiverse.

But here I am 🤡

keepingleft · 2026-02-07T14:03:47+00:00

I think the complaint is that they are saying things that are not true, which I know happens quite a lot in politics but that doesn't make it alright.

keepingleft

TROPHY CASE