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Sorry, maybe I'm reading this wrong. You mean they refused renewal for you? Yeh, I've never chosen the cheapest for things like this. Good company reasonably priced is what I go for. With Aviva buying out all the highstreet names (Barclays, M+S, Churchill, Direct Line), what will be left that's reasonably priced but also pays claims? We'll end up with sharp operators or high priced options.

Does seem to. My case is a bit different as it's a change in company. When they've taken over their quotes have been consistently in the £200 range. I'm currently paying Churchil £80. (Contents only as I'm leasehold). Insurance products a complex with lots of different line items. It's fairly easy for insurance companies to change their standard cover every year, so those who want to renew last years cover are then renewing a 'non-standard' cover and the price of that cover can be different to that offered to new customers. I think @Redbeard is a good example of that.

The annoying game of luring in customers who are then too lazy to move. I'm one of those customers, if the bump was 20% I may well swallow it rather than faff around finding another company but when the quotes come in 2x that motivates me to move. Feels like there is an opportunity for a company to come out and market on the basis 'we aren't the cheapest but you'll always get the our best price and we don't play games with you', but I'm not aware of anyone who does that. If Aviva is swallowing up all the competition, soon enough there won't be enough competing quotes to make moving make sense.

This is the way. With most vehicle service businesses still tuned for ICE vehicles, repair options for EVs are limited (and partially artificially restricted by manufacturers anyway) so lots of EVs get written off when fairly new with minimal miles. Pick a model that the DIY EV community has really dug into and you have a great starter kit for a similar price to a chunky crate motor. Having said that, this is still the preserve of very technical people with electronic/computer skills and even then the newer rules about battery safety means that packaging the battery might still require independent certification (which I saw might cost something like £5k).

This is not strictly a self build thing but I've just received a letter about my house insurance telling me Aviva have taken over my insurer. So far so routine, except this is the 3rd time in 3 or 4 years where I've got a letter saying Aviva is taking over my insurer. So that's three separate insurers that have now been absorbed by Aviva. So that's Barclays, M+S Bank, Churchill, all gone. Apparently, Churchill were part of Direct Line and it's Aviva buying Direct Line that caused the latest letter. Is competition disappearing from the home insurance market? Every time Aviva have taken over the renewal quote was at least double what I was paying before.

I thought there were new rules that mandated they did take card payments without an app. Maybe some haven't been updated to do that yet but AFAIK it's just a matter of time.

Seems unreasonable to me if that left you without a working shower. Don't think you can get the BUS grant with an electric shower so would need to be removed before installation complete. Would be reasonable to say 'can't install any additional electrical load until one of the showers is removed' but definitely excessive to require both removed before starting IMV.

You saying you'd never fill that battery suggested that what you did may not have accounted for using the overnight cheap rate to charge. Should always be possible to fully charge overnight. Always worth checking the AI. Ok sorry, I thought it was a bigger array than that. In that case, prob not worth worrying about going over the G.98 limit. Just set those panels up to generate the maximum you can during winter/shoulder seasons. As far as mounting the panels go, do you have planning/visual considerations? You can get really cheap if you don't have to worry about that. (Scaffold poles set in concrete holes, unistrut, etc)

Unlikely maybe but it's easy to do so no harm in trying. (though sensible not to base decisions on access to more) In winter you fill the battery overnight with cheap rate electricity and run your workshop off it during the day. In summer, you export the max you are allowed and charge the battery with the rest. Then, when the sun goes down, you keep exporting until the battery has enough room to take the next days solar input. These two steps combined minimise your bill in winter and maximise you export (earnings) in summer. See above. Do the calcs based on what you are doing right now. Given you have the panels and inverter for free you should be able to make it work fairly comfortably. What size solar array and inverter do you have? Is the inverter approved for export G.98 and G.99/G.100? (It would be a big hitch if not, likely requiring a new inverter)

Mind giving a breakdown of what you think the costs/return are? I thought you had the panels and inverter system for free. That should make the payback quite easy, even if you have elevated installation costs.

Depends on the cost of labour. Compared to 'free' labour sure. But it's a big job to dig by hand solo, especially if not a spring chicken. Good, worth making sure you have talked through what you are doing with them. Better to find out now that they need something specific rather than after you've filled the trench in.

The proper way to dig a trench! Glad to see you moving forward. Have you got someone lined up to get the electrics hooked up and signed off?

They will chew through that just as they will cable. Focus your spending on buying mouse traps/that spray.

insurance sure, but tax? I know EVs have a new per mile tax, but it’s tiny compared to the tax you pay per mile in an ICE car (fuel duty) so feel that’s irrelevant. What tax do you mean?

Who are you planning to sell to? If you are targetting people who are moving from a city flat to a house then they may be actively looking for 'decent' showers that match those found in modern flats (almost always pressurised systems).* Obviously dumping the tank and pump for a new pressurised system has a cost but it might be worth it if it attracts buyers. (While a pumped shower can work, my experience of them is that they are noisy and that in itself is a turn off) * Showers came up amongst my very mixed income group of London adjacent friends recently and I'm sure we are a weird group compared to average but decent showers was one of the things we all actively looked for when looking for a new property. Just in case it matters, I'm the only one interested in the detail. The others were just wanting a nice shower not concerned how that happens.