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I think I heard that they are openly doing this to reduce the 'shock' of the next rise. This may be a reasonable thing to do for the great unwashed, but for those of us that keep tabs on it all, it seems a bit cheeky. It is the standing charge increase that pisses me off, part of the increase is to cover bad debt. Others debt in other words. Can't see why I should pay for my junky neighbour to have power for nothing. What happens if your bill, for a year, is less than 400 quid?

Roll up Roll up! There’s a new game in town - the SunAmp Guessing Game. No, I’d never heard of it either until I was forced to play it. It goes like this. Install a SunAmp Uniq summat or other (14kWh - Ok, 13.7) Hitch it up to some solar panels Wait for the sun to kick the PV to life Watch the electrons being converted (via that Mr Eddi and Mr Solis) from this-to-that-to-the-other. (Very pretty little animation too) Look at the readout which tells you how many of those tortured electrons are sitting in your SunAmp waiting for you to Have a shower, wash the dishes, scrub grandchildren clean before their mother sees them Easy innit? Well no. And thats the game. See, SunAmp hide vital information from you. Like how much ‘hot water’ is ‘left’ in the tank. (Sorry nerds, can’t be arsed to describe it more accurately). Lets imagine the tank is full. Its been a lovely sunny day: full-speed charging of the SunAmp. And I take an 18l per minute shower (excessive I know but want, want, want). 10 minutes later I’ve got rid of a fair bit (say at least 160 litres - you can’t change the flow rate on the part of my shower that I use [iBox]) SWMBO has a bath - say 50 litres. Both at an unknown temperature but above 20. How many kWh’s worth have I used? No, I’m damn well not gonna take a thermometer out and measure the temperature during my shower or in her bath. So I can only guess how much ‘hot water’ is left. Anyway, couldn’t do the maths. Interesting. Next question: In relation to tomorrow’s DHW needs, Boost or Not to Boost ? (shunt mains electricity into the SunAmp instead of PV) What hot water are we likely to use before tomorrow? Some/any/nowt? Lets say nowt .... Well wassa weather forecast for tomorrow then? Partly cloudy for NW Ingerland Hmmmm, got enough water for our showers tomorrow ? So how many kWh is that likely to be? The only way I have solved this question (have we got enough hot water ‘left’ for tomorrow) is empirically. And annoyingly, the answer to this ‘game’ depends on how much cloud there is locally. Heavy clouds, easy, no cloud, easy. Partly cloudy: nightmare. Too little PV, I need to boost. Too much and PV generation goes into the grid. Sod that. The problem becomes guessing: how much sunlight will get through on a partly cloudy day. where is the sun in its cycle how many leaves on the trees the local wind effect on cloud (we live within the coastal strip: ie. in the ‘cleaner’ air mass) All because SunAmp can’t / won’t / CBA to give us normal users an indication of how much energy is left in the tank

Encase it in concrete.

They go on to the incoming cold water, and kitchen supply normally bypasses, so you decent drinking water. Alternative are something like a combi saver. This stops scale forming and would normally go on the cold supply to a combi boiler or UVC.

A bit of research or prefessional input needed here. A softener is *not* a filter... some need electric, others don't. I'll vote for the Kinetico because we use them in my day job and are simple and reliable

Great link thanks! I went to the planning update and they said if you’re in Norfolk there will be some temporary measures in the next 6 weeks, but the longterm is hard to know. I think it might rely on other counties and changing the legal precedent. Hope it gets sorted soon for people. I’ve heard some pretty high figures for the levy.

@AndyRP i used one willis and also put a filter in, will have a look to see where i put that in the circuit. it was only a temporary setup for me to get the UFH working, to make sure the slab was dry before tiling and to find a loop as i needed to chisel into the slab to put a supply in for the island. Worked fine getting heat into the slab and warming the house up. I wouldn't use it long term though as ASHP is my go to for UFH & DHW.

connections and stability will be down to the tying of the inner and outer leaf together. you are cutting out a piece of wall and the inner and outer leaf will need tying together by resin anchors probably in a closer spacing than wall ties would have been.

The structural calcs are normal for window to door conversation, even if the same size, the calculations would say if what's there is ok or has to be replaced. Structural engineers are usually registered to perform their own calcs and issue a certificate, which planning is happy with and gives a warranty discount. Not sure a bi fold door would add stability! If you've done this through an architect he should have know you needed structural input.

Reducing Energy Bills - How goes it? Well, since you ask, I have been making some progress since April: 😱

First do as I am and reduce your payment now in anticipation. Then have a payment holday?

There is a lot of under handed goings on in the energy industry. I had thought Octopus were a bit better than the rest but not necessarily. The amount I was paying was already £10 more per month than my usage compared to what I actually used in the last 12 months. When I went to the self service adjust your payment, I saw it was suggesting I increase it by about another £20. So I didn't use the self service function rather I emailed them with my calculations and reasoning and they accepted it, but said i could have just done it on the self service form on the website. The higher amount they suggest can be over written and you can enter a lower amount. Wasn't there something in the news about OFCOM is going to start fining companies that set the monthly rate too high.

Funny you should bring this up, I currently pay £90 a month for electricity this was agreed after the rise in price earlier this year. I’m slightly in credit and check my usage with the app on a daily basis. Yesterday I had an email from OctopusEnergy saying they were putting my dd up to £125 a month so a £35 per month increase. I don’t use the £90 a month I already pay! I tried to go on their site to keep it at £90 but it wouldn’t allow me to. I emailed them and said I disagree with the extra £35 per month and wouldn’t be paying it and that instead of that I would like to be put onto monthly billing (which they had offered). A few hours later I received a reply from them saying it was fine to keep my monthly payment at £90. Methinks they are trying to accumulate some money by getting people to overpay

Am I the only one who has a phone and electrical gadget ban in the bedroom. Cannot understand the need to have a phone besides the bed on charge.

No. If YOU remember.

Just had a look at my bills as a comparison. Last year for March, April and May 2021, 1047 kWh This year, 2022, 723 kWh. So a saving of 324 kWh, 25%. I am currently only heating the top of my water cylinder on the E7, but too early to know what difference that is making. Now every month I have been away for 4 full days, but as I leave early on the Sunday and come back on the Monday evening, there will not be more than 10 kWh/month difference.

If you remember!

Reliable and accurate.

So you just added submeters onto various circuits? Low tech indeed, I have no objection to that but I would forget, I struggle to submit my meter readings to the utility on time!

What data logging equipment are you using? A pencil and paper, reading 5 electricity meters and typing the numbers into a spreadsheet. Very low tech.

Slight fred drift, but something we ALL should consider: The nice Chancellor will be giving every electricity account a £400 grant paid in instalments starting in October 2022 spread over 6 months. So I have just agreed with Octopus that starting this month I am reducing my monthly payment by £40. The lower payment will still cover the lower summer use so it won't go into debt. And come October that grant paid by instalments will pay the winter additional costs. I will then review the payment again in 10 months time, which incidentally is when my fixed tariff expires so I would be reviewing it again anyway. I log my electricity usage weekly, split into total, heating usage, hot water usage and weekly PV generation. I could really bore you if you wanted me to. I jumped onto a fixed tariff in March, which as it happens is only very slightly under the present capped rate, but at least it will protect me for the coming rise expected in October. My last years usage is down month on month from the previous year. I don't think it was a particularly mild winter so I don't know why and so can't expect it to continue being lower. Last winter I did not put the heating on until November and it was off before the end of March.

Yes, this seems to happen all too often. However, our house has no 'air bricks' so the only 'officially built-in ventilation' is the trickle vents in the windows. Like they're not firmly kept shut in the winter. 🙄 These CWI firms make me laugh. This is the second time I've had to explain to one of their reps that a DPC doesn't always close the cavity. On both occasions I had asked what was to stop the CWI wicking up water from below DPC and they said the DPC spans the cavity so the fill stops above DPC. I don't think I was being believed when I told them otherwise. I don't know how often cavities are closed off at the bottom with angled tray (or stepped DPC) + weeps but I do know that our house has a separate run of plastic on both leafs. And there's no deliberate drainage off the top of our foundation strips either, so water can accumulate down there quite a bit.

https://www.ft.com/content/b81307f1-94cc-4b0f-9b64-1ac072dfe9dd

Our house is not "large" at 150 square metres but uses about 6MWh per year all electric (ASHP) Heating is only about 1/3 of our useage.

My solution to the running out of hat water issue (with an UVC not a sun amp) is a Stieble Eltron 10kW modulating instant water heater in the hot pipe out of the tank. It is set slightly lower than the tank temperature so normally does nothing, but if the water starts to run cool it kicks in. And given the slow re heat time with an ASHP, if someone has a shower before the tank has fully re heated, the Steible Eltron will make up the difference.

Where will use that saving on a short shower, say 2 or 3 minutes. I think the problem with these devices is they need a relatively long time to start recovery processes. Energy scavengers, which these devises are, are rarely worth it in practice.

yes as somebody else said, it's easy when cooking to go over 3.6 rate. but it's only for half and hour in the evening. we are looking at a Wind Turbine and another inverter, so the two combined will give us greater than 3.6 rate. but we're not doing that for that reason, it's like 15p per half hour if we go to 5kw by accident for a bit at tea time when the kids are home from school. but a larger inverter capacity will solve that. we only cook with Electricity also. so if you have a gas hob you wont exceed it unless you put microwave on and kettle and oven. and then you wont be drawing from the grid for long.

We are paying £1500 on 416m2 £500 after the first visit

It is but frame is the inner wall though. I have a block outer wall. zh

Ours was installed a bit over a year ago and here's the stats from its built in data logging. 249 kWh consumed running the ASHP 6724 kWh energy saved through heat recovery. So about £700 saved over one year and a bit (assuming our ASHP COP 3 would have provided the heat otherwise)

Thanks! I think this is what I was hoping to hear I will keep you updated, might help someone else in the future.

Not necessarily the same people. There are so many exclusions on house reports that only very obvious stuff is seen. Then they perhaps say that an SE should also be consulted. I' guessing though, that the insurers have different criteria of experience and qualifications.

I use thIs guy now for all my glass - he’s only on Facebook but they have 2 or 3 units crammed with glass that is either taken from offices or has been cut / sent wrong to jobs and they buy it for peanuts. I got 2 900x700 10mm toughened panels for £35 each … He’s even got some 21mm triple laminated walk on glazing ..

There is plenty of info on this site with reference Willis heaters, it would be best to look around and have a good read. I find the easiest way to find stuff is search through google. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=buildhub+willis+heater+site:forum.buildhub.org.uk&sxsrf=ALiCzsZxamojBzYQRLlAn3-Hb_saXJJJJg:1654722699811&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiF9uS14p74AhWVolwKHe94AiwQrQIoBHoECAkQBQ&biw=1253&bih=608&dpr=1

Interesting, but if you don't want to use an industry recognised form of contract (often gives you the most protection) then don't forget to inform your home insurer. They may for example insist that your builder also has contract works insurance. Builders can purchase what is a called an "all risk" policy that is intended for small jobbing builders for example. This is different / over and above public and employers liability insurance. Employers liability insurance is a statutory requirement. Say your builder / roofer goes away for the weekend and you get a burst pipe or water ingress that floods your house. Who pays? If you want to not use a recognised form of contract then at least check to see if your builder owns their own house, it is not a matrimonial home, is not a limited company, then in the worst case you may have an asset to go after but that is to be avoided if you can. You can find info on the net about contracts, I have written some stuff as have others on the internet. You may be paying in cash.. I've written about that too. All the best, but continue to be cautious.

That’s technically a contract! I think for the sake of your peace of mind, it’s worth just having one. They can be free and easily downloaded, or just see what your contractor usually uses. if something goes wrong (and roofs go wrong) you want it all in writing and agreed.

I have used Hunter in the past and it was strong, not flimsy. It also kept it's colour, black, which cheaper versions don't, going grey quickly.

we installed natural Zinc and got it from Rainclear. great price and easy to fit. but obviously expensive when compared to plastic!

(Some) Cheap and unbranded stuff is very skinny and difficult to fix. I suspect some of it is a poor clone and not thought through. If it goes up twisted it not only looks poor but functions badly, as any dip reduces the whole capacity. So Brett Martin/ Marley/ Hunter etc would be my choice. Make sure it is big enough for the job, especially if there is a long run of gutter before the dp.

Here is a workable rat free solution I think. Maybe some of our onboard glazing genius's will elaborate if such a sliding door is possible. Pros. 1. Creates a perfectly open 5.9m expanse of frameless door when open, and a tidy hidden edges when closed thanks to hinged flap ( integrated rollers on the tip so it doesn't foul the sliders. 2. Full access to all the mechanism of the door via internal access panel. The pocket will be cleanable and not outside for vermin to inhabit. 3. Relatively easy to tape the perimeter of the frame for airtightness and wind tightness and detail for weathering, I have drawn an aco drain at the threshold too. 4. Secret cubby hole to created to the right of the drawing for aesthetics! Cons. 1. Supporting the brickwork outside the unglazed panel. I can't imagine fixing wall ties to the window is recommenced! Perhaps a decorative external pier or internal strengthening of the wall would be enough. 2. 8.3m span is chunky. You can buy 140mmx630mm glulam's off the shelf. This would be better for thermal bridging and fixing to and fit nicely with your 140mm stud wall. I imagine your SE will know better but I'd push them away from steel if I could. The window suppliers will require a tolerance above the frame to allow for settlement in the house too. I don't know much about sliders but it would seem prudent to fix the frame in a manor that allowed for adjustment later to keep the windows running smoothly. 3. You loose quite a lot of internal space and cannot put anything to the left of your plan to allow the access panel to be opened. 4. You will need a tidy joiner to make the internal access panels look well and function properly without fouling the doors. 5. It's different from the norm so inevitably you'll have to fight hard and pay lots of extra "just in case" money to the builders and designers. Best of luck!

It’s red 🤔, ah yes all welded up, sprayed and ready for the road 👍

Yaaayyy Planning permission granted , it only took 66 and a half weeks !!!!! from being validated and no we was never refused and no it did not go to committee or not a public one . Points to take away: Being nice and not hassling your case officer for fear of getting rejected I believe just allowed him to put our file at the bottom of the pile. And contacting the local ward councillor / m.p and ceo of planning in a targeted moan most certainly did. Let the stress begin ;-).

We installed MVHR even though our house isn't as air tight as recommended. I've no idea if it saves us money and it does use slightly more electricity than we expected. Would I fit one again? 100% yes. None of our previous houses had such a system and all had condensation issues of some sort. Our first few nights in the new house felt like we were camping out under canvas the air was so fresh when waking up. Towels dry quickly in the bathroom so haven't needed the heated towel rail. We dry all clothes on a rack in guest bathroom, don't use tumble dryer or outside line. We also don't have to dust surfaced do frequently. Your experience may vary but we think it's one of the best decisions we made. Just make sure the filters are easy to access and ideally washable as we find they need cleaning every few months. You should see all the muck and bugs they keep from coming in.

Re the floor. Drop wood into the bottom of the frame void so it sits on the bottom of the C section frame members. It will be a tedious job as you won't be able to do it in once piece per void, it will be separate bits cut so you can slot them in and slide them into place to drop down. Once you have that you have support to full fill the void with frametherm. Sheet over the top of all that with PIR as well if you want more insulation. Don't leave any gaps in the support timber, you don't want vermin to get in.

+1, I did an extension for a neighbour and when we broke into the cavity the blown insulation had slumped badly and missing in some places.

I kind of feel for the plumber, as the 1st fix is where all the assets, head work and material costs tend to lay. He should have approached you to discuss the ongoing engagement, but if the builder gave him nothing and he’s entirely out of pocket then that sucks. I had one guy working for me who had all his tools stolen. I felt compelled to help him out and he stayed on to work for the company for some time, with a great relationship and a sense mutually of, what sometimes, is the right thing to do. Difficult for everyone. Has the plumber pursued this chap independently ?

@DragsterDriver good grief, that looks grim. I would have thought those photos alongside the independent report would be good enough to go to the Small Claims Court with, not sure you’d need expert witnesses, just images of how it should be done. Have you got someone lined up to replace it?

It certainly isn't pretty and some is decidedly rough. Was the substrate all good? I looks like some cables etc are showing through but the damage may have happened elsewhere. The court will take an age. How annoying! Is there an amount of money you would settle for?

I don't suppose you can show photos? Have you been back to the installers to show them the report? I would provide a copy of the report together with a strong letter carefully worded to provide them with a final opportunity to reconsider their position and to give their proposal for rectification in accordance with the report within a reasonable amount of time. Explain that unless they do provide a satisfactory proposal for rectification you intend to proceed with rectification by another installer and will seek damages from them. The other thing to consider is if they're members of any builder's/roofer's trade organisation which has a complaints process. Although I would advise caution here as a number of years ago I did this and found the organisation to be as corrupt as the trademan I was dealing with (they exist for subsciption revenue not the customer). However, if the avenue is available, and you haven't explored it first, the court will not look favourably on you because the civil procedure rules require you to exhaust all options to resolve the problem before taking legal action. Do get yourself some legal advice and help. Once upon a time the courts used to be fairly good and permissive with litigants in person but in more recent times, I've found the courts and judges to be hostile to litigants in person and they will make you pay for any minor procedural infraction (both district and circuit judges, but district judges seemed to have become the worst) - years ago they tended to be more flexible and helpful.

So does every self builder on here. 90% finished, 90% to go.