Bramco

We haven't. Can you borrow one? Can't remember the exact sequence of events but we installed solar - just needed the sparky sign off, not MCS. Then applied for Go (although we may have already been on it). Then applied for Intelligent Go - you need a specified type of EV charger - ours is OK (ZAPPI). Once you are accepted based on the EV charger, you need to attach an EV for the final step. Our nephew has a Tesla, so came along one Saturday morning for a bit of free charge and hey presto, we were on Intelligent Go. Which gives you and extra 2 hours cheap rate at night and the 15p export. We installed the batteries after being accepted onto the Int. Go tariff.

Hi James, I don't think you should see our build as a special case, it should be seen as a target for all new builds - but that aside... The Cosy tariff can maybe be seen as a battery tariff but one with a very strict matronly view of when the battery is available. For example, it's a grey day here (again), the oven is on to bake some bread and the batteries are providing the power at 7p on Intelligent Go because we loaded up last night. Anyone on Cosy would have to time this to fit in with their cheap rate. Last night, we dumped about 8kWh at 15p before recharging the batteries - a net gain of 7p - not a lot admittedly but do that every day of the year and it soon adds up. Something you can't do without your own batteries. And the advantage of our build is that all our ASHP usage can be done on the v low nighttime rate. In fact, as I said earlier, due to the batteries all our usage is at the low rate of 7p. So no higher rate usage at all. Simon

Rubbish - ours runs at 35C and we don't run it during the day. So no impact on CoP or need for extra daytime/peak cost. I did say, if you have an insulated slab...... And it's not about designing around a tariff, it's about designing and building an energy efficient home. Working out which tariff is most cost effective is then pretty easy. Simon

If you have an insulated slab, PV and batteries, then Cosy would be an expensive way of doing things against Go Intelligent. Export is 15p and import is 7p for 6 hours at night (might have changed a tad with the recent increase). With an insulated slab, you can charge it at night on the 7p rate and it'll keep things toasty all day long, so no need for any boost during the day. The batteries and PV make sure you can get through the day without using any expensive peak time electricity. So essentially all electricity is either free (PV) or 7p. We also dump what's left in the battery just before the cheap rate and then re-load, so can benefit from the export/import rate differential. Simon

There's a trick you can play with Worcester - or at least there was a while ago - you could take out a service contract which could be cancelled after 6 months and wasn't that expensive - certainly less than al the call outs, replacing random parts and never fixing the problem. The service contract meant that Worcester had to fix any fault and if they couldn't, I think they had to replace the boiler. We took one out on the boiler in a rental property that several local plumbers had tried to fix but had never succeeded in really getting the bottom of the problem. After a couple of Worcester visits on the service contract, it was finally sorted and we duly cancelled the contract at the end of the term. Simon

Can someone pin that to the top of this section in the forum? Maybe with a bit of explanation? Simon

It would be exported, so we'd gain that way but.... Hadn't thought of that!! V good point - making my little thought experiment pointless!! Ah well... 😄 Ours is also set to somewhere in the 70s and in a highly insulated tank but it still loses some each day - from memory, when we've been away, about 3kWh per day (I'd have to check that though). So there's a constant 3kWh/day load. Thanks for the replies @ProDave and @Marvin maybe some day someone will come across this who hasn't got a diverter and will find it useful that there are such devices out there. Simon

Hi, I can see 'smart' immersion heaters that reckon they can work out how much hot water is required but we're looking for an immersion heater where we can control the temperature setpoint remotely. We use a diverter to dump excess solar into a 300L UVC with 2 immersions. There's only 2 of us, so normally we'd be OK with the setpoints set to say 45C but when the family is here, we use a lot more water, so could do with the tank being hotter, say 70C, so that we don't run out of hot water. Another scenario where it would be useful, would be when we're away for a while, if we could lower the setpoint until the day before we return, more solar could be exported, rather than being lost through the heat losses from the tank. Not sure we'd ever recover the cost of replacing the immersions but ..... Anyone seen such a device? EDIT - found one, the Tesla T-Smart -> https://www.tsmart.co.uk/ allows you to replace the thermostat in an existing immersion and control things from an app - nearly £100 on Amazon though...... Simon

So long as the underlying policies haven't changed, then the case law still stands - and sometime the case law influences the changes that have been made. I found the book a great help - although only the few pages that related to our green belt issue... Don't think we'll be building again, so shouldn't need to shell out for the 2nd edition but I'll bet it will be a great help to some folks in the future. Simon

We referred to this in our appeal - but again if you read the wording it becomes a subjective reduction on planning balance.... They pretend the process is rigorous and clear but the whole shebang is full of weasel words which makes it subjective. It seems that governments want to create laws that appease as many sides as possible and rely on the us the electorate to take cases to court to actually define what certain terms mean. But good luck with everything - really hope you perseverance and research pay off. It did for us. Simon PS there is a book written by a planning (Q)KC that we bought that lists all the case law. You've probably already found this.

Yes - dump it in a battery and then let it discharge when you're getting paid for it. A hot water tank is a kind of battery the only difference is you can't reconvert it to mains electricity. We're not on the flexible tariffs with Octopus but we do get a 7p rate for 6 hours at night and 15p at any time for export. So we let the batteries discharge to 20% before the cheap rate comes in and then charge them up again at the 7p rate. So 10-12kWh export, then recharge at a net cost to us of -7p. So 70pish per night off the bill. You do need to make sure you disable any diverter when you do the discharge of the battery or a lot of it can end up in the hot water tank - although that simply shifts the time when the tank is heated up a bit. Simon

Ours uses an LMS server - there are several implementations of this (look on one of the Pi suppliers websites) - we stream radio (mostly radio 6) and a lot of our music has been ripped to the server. LMS supports players which can be based on Pi Zeros and you can synchronise players (there's no lag) or play different things on different players. Ours also sees our Google minis as players as well as the TV soundbar. And there's no wires, it's all wifi. A very cost effective multi-room hi-fi system (OK, it takes a bit of reading up and investigation to set things up but for some of us that's a bonus!). Simon

Depends what you're using for your Pi Music box but wouldn't it have been easier to put in a Pi Music player and simply synchronise the living room and the bedroom? Simon

On Octopus Go Intelligent, cheap rate import is 7p and export is 15p - so that's a lot more than compensating for the inefficiencies of battery storage. So dumping what's the left in the battery before reloading it at the end of the cheap rate makes sense. But disable any diverter during the dump.

Thanks - we're very pleased with it. Before retiring I was a consultant - believe me architect speak isn't that bad..... Yours looks great too - a marriage of modern with traditional. Simon

@bob the builder 2 As a PS to the my reply about insurance, what's yours look like? Is the metal roof corrugated or standing seam? Pictures? You can see ours on our architects website -> https://lhc.net/projects/ashcroft-creating-a-low-energy-family-home/ Simon

@bob the builder 2 We were with Direct Line for both contents and building insurance, so when we moved into the new build which is timber frame with metal roof and metal cladding with some render, we tried them but they wouldn't touch the buildings part. They put us in contact with Gallaghers, who gave us a great quote for buildings insurance but a stupidly high one for contents.... So we're now with Direct Line for contents and Gallaghers for building insurance. It worked out to be only a bit more expensive than having them both with Direct Line. So try Gallaghers. Simon

Issues like this are actually sorted out through people taking things to the next step, i.e. judicial review (think that's the term) Judges, through case law, actually set the interpretation of what was meant by the people who drafted the legislation. We used a case in our appeal on what the Green Belt legislation actually means - and won. So, it begs the question a) are you willing to go to the next stage and b) is there anyone interested in taking up the case? Simon

You don't need MCS with Octopus for Solar PV and they got the MPAN for us. You may do if it's a PV + battery install. Simon

@flanagaj Just PM'ed you. I should have added that they work closely with a planning consultant who does work in the south. Simon

Take a look at one of the user guides on the Husqvarna website. They explain in detail how to set up the mowing areas where there are separate parts, as well as where there are corridors. I'm sure othe suppliers have similar guides. Simon

Try the ITS website - obvs only the ones they sell but a reasonable start... https://www.itstechnologies.shop/pages/solar-panel-comparison Simon

We have a large area and a Husqvarna Nero - absolutely brilliant! can't wait to finish the side area so it can get to work on the front. We came back from 4 days away today - the back looks like a lawn, the front where Matilda hasn't been working is 4 to 5cm long! So an hour or so mowing tomorrow!! Must get the side seeded so she can work on the front! There are lots of new mowers on the market but Husqvarna have been the Rolls Royce of Robot mowers for years - last year they saved us a) a big outlay on a ride on, b) many hours of mowing with a ride on and c) a headache with what to do with the clippings. Brother in law next door saw ours and bought 2, one for the back and one for the front. And he's got a couple of ride-ons. His pov was that I was happily having a cold beer while he was chugging up and down on his ride on. So basically - get one!!

Who would be interested if there isn't a user manual to take a look at and it's only available through official installers...... Simon

We didn't even put the duct in... and we're only a 100m from the end of the Virgin network and 50m from an BT pole. Virgin have said they won't extend and I can't see Openreach getting fibre in any time soon. A 4G/5G SIM in a 4G router seems to be OK for us, I guess we could switch to Starlink if prices come down but it will probably be a 5G router first, when they come down in price. Simon