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Quick update from me. I'm just in the process of returning the package I ordered and replacing it with a different one (Multizone Kit 2 to Thermostat Kit 3). Reason being the TRVs are utterly useless. I knew smart TRVs weren't hugely useful and the only reason I got them is because I have a high heat loss area (subject to high solar gain when the sun is out) and low heat loss area and I wanted either area to be able to call for heat. The TRVs are useless because their temperature algorithm is totally divorced from reality. Heating on: Room 18C, measure 23C Heating off: Room 16C, measure 13C The Thermostat Kit 3 is technically a dual zone kit and the second zone doesn't work with Opentherm so I don't plan to use it. However, I believe you can configure two of the Smart Thermostats to control the same heating zone and this is the cheapest way to achieve two calls for heat within the first gen ecosystem (it's also on significant discount right now so I will end up spending less - even though it was the more expensive option when I was originally ordering). If it hadn't taken me so long to get the system up and running I would have given it a bit more time and seen if Wiser support would trade the two TRVs for the extra Thermostat. But they haven't responded to my support case yet and my returns window on the original order is about to expire so I'm forced into quick action. Still trying to get my heating system into shape. The system was on full bore for the entirety of yesterday and didn't get the high heat loss area above 21.5. Been attempting to balance things today that does seem to have made an improvement but a bit too early to tell (especially as it's warmer outside).

Now done some reading and agree this doesn't seem like such a big deal. I think I was misremembering (not even sure what my last company did would count as sacrifice).

I was under the impression that this was how a lot of private/company pensions work. Certainly how it was done in my last job.

The leak today is different from the previous one. Someone hit publish too soon with apparently little damage other than taking the wind out of Reeves sails. From the politics reporters I follow, the leaks prior to this have been a deliberate policy by some in government as a way of seeing what will fly and whoever is responsible should be fired for the damage theyve done.

That's how @SimonD ended up doing heating systems isn't it? I'd guess you are asking them to do something non-standard or give them the impression that you will be picking up on any minor issue and they have enough other work that they'd rather take the easy job. I'm not currently in this situation but have thought about it because I suspect I would similarly put off contractors for similar reasons. Options in my mind: 1. Play dumb, hide your knowledge and ask them to do the basic job without giving the detail (expect a poor job) 2. Find a friend of a friend who will do it on that basis (or find someone who has a rental portfolio who has a good relationship with a plumber). Would be easy to damage friendships here if not very careful. 3. Do it yourself 4. Offer a premium, don't ask for a fixed quote and pay by the hour. Be upfront about expectations. 5. Wait for a recession when there may be more availability (though given the shortage of plumbers it still won't be easy).

This £2k cap on tax free pensions saving is going to make this a whole lot worse. The most counter productive policy I've seen for a while. Lowering the rebate for higher earners makes sense. Limiting/taxing contributions from lower earners is madness. I suspect lots of people will end up ceasing pension contributions because of this (losing employer match) and storing up massive problems for the future. We are in a hole until some party wins an election on a manifesto commitment to rejoin the EU and take some hard decisions to make that possible. Rejoining won't actually be fast but I'd expect just that decision to help the country lose the basketcase tag from investors and be a turning point when things start improving. Chances of that happening any time soon are very low. 😒

Hmm, this is a 'warranty reestablishment' service, because I'm apparently a few weeks late booking the service. They are supposed to fully take it apart and check everything. Edit: I had thought I was out of warranty but apparently I have 1 more year so it was worth the extra £30 to keep the warranty.

Hmm, well I've just booked my service with them, would you expect their engineer to question it? So far the boiler is doing exactly what is asked of it. I may have other issues to raise with my overall system in due course but so far the boiler is fine. I've looked into this and I can get an add-on relay (I think Salus make a nicely packaged one for the purpose), but for now I'm doing poor mans PDHW by just not scheduling them both to come on at the same time. Edit to clarify: my system has two NO valves (and a pressure release bypass). I have no interest in investing extra money in this property (really want to sell it asap but can't right now due to cladding issues) so focussed on maximising what I have. Needed to replace the controller anyway as my Honeywell broke and while I was able to repair it, I don't trust my soldering skills (or the quality of the replacement capacitors) as a long term fix.

I don't mind that we are finding a way to pay for much needed upgrades, but adding it to the cost of electricity is mad and I agree that the messaging is infuriating. Add the cost to gas an remove the costs from electricity. Average person with gas boiler will pay a bit more, those who are electricity only pay less, EV owners pay less. This government (and the previous one) are fixated on not touching the big ticket items that they end up creating huge amounts of perverse incentives that drag our economy down and pile on hidden costs that put off investments and improvements (unless specifically government backed). The worst thing is that I don't think any of the 5? parties currently competing at similar levels in the polls seem to be offering an alternative.

Looks like E.On have removed their 16p export tariff, with higher value export tariffs now only available if you either have a new e.On installed solar system or don't want an EV tariff on use. https://www.eonnext.com/electricity-and-gas/smart-export-guarantee The beginning of the end for the more generous export tariffs?

I was thinking that they were bigger than they look in the photo and you've confirmed it. Thanks!

Yep. Wiser 2nd gen will do that too along with some others, though had I seen @SimonD's recommendation before I bought I may well have gone with EPH. Having said that, having the separate connections may be of use even if your boiler doesn't have opentherm (or a broken version of it). My relatively basic boiler will run the hot water at a hotter temp if triggered by a separate input to the normal heating circuit. It was my fallback position if I had a problem with opentherm.

Still working out which is best. Until the Wiser I've been running on manual boost as required, now exploring other options. One of my rooms has pretty much all its two external walls as not thermally broken aluminium double glazed floor to ceiling sliding doors and is hugely lossy. I don't really use the room so until now I've not be actively controlling the temperature there (just leaving some radiators relatively low and the room gets whatever heat comes from them when the heating is on for the other rooms). This arrangement has its downsides and I'm hoping that the efficiency gain of being able to run the boiler at a lower temp offsets the additional gas that I expect to need to regulate that rooms temperature (early signs not inspiring confidence). Edit: I opened your big boiler journey thread earlier, not (re-)read it all yet but plan to. Thanks! Yep Came across that one in the wiser forums. Opinions are mixed as to whether it's a benefit on a good modulating boiler. (Mine goes from 30kw to 6kw)

No opentherm connections there. A system boiler may also not be wired for separate CH and DHW signals which limits you to a single water temperature or in the case of the 1st gen wiser and similar prevents Opentherm use if you also want hot water. A competent installer can solve those problems.

Amazon now selling various packages even cheaper for Black Friday. Whether it's worth the hassle of returning what you ordered is up to you. Magic Pixies have paid me a visit and now everything is up and running and working as expected. Looks like the 2nd Gen Wiser hub has better OpenTherm support. It's a shame in the sense that they don't appear to be backporting changes to the 1st Gen hub. Doesn't really matter to me, though the 2nd gen diagnostic info in the app would be quite useful. I wasn't planning on installing Home Assistant for this but might end up doing so just as I get used to the controls so I have a better idea what's happening. So far the Wiser is running the boiler at the max setpoint temp (control on my boiler) until the room temp is very close to setpoint and then it winds the boiler down. Seen it drop the water temp to 42 so far though overall it spent more time at higher temps than I expected. I've read that it takes a couple of weeks for the system to learn your property and until then its control will be a bit bumpy. We will see. Don't think I'm seeing much cycling though without that diagnostic info and not wanting to stand in front of the boiler for ages it's a bit of a guess based on the noises I'm hearing. Not turned on eco mode (weather compensation based on internet weather) yet. That's the next step after a bit more experimentation without it.