Thedreamer

I've adopted a multi input approach. Use an exhaust air source heat pump for my domestic water and a wood stove for my heating. I have never been convinced by large external air source heat pumps, for the average family they are expensive to install and run. Worst of all they become less efficient when you need them most.

I stick built in 2018-2020 and prices are currently a little more expensive. I listed my total costs in the blog entry below.

I have burned the occasional homefire heat log, they last a long time. If it was exceptionally cold like -5, I might put one in at the end of the night. Often a cold night, is followed in the morning by strong facing solar gains. Ideally only burn what you can grow on your land or order a lorry of unseasoned logs to be stored next to a shed. If you cannot do either of these then a wood stove is [probably in an inappropriate setting. I heated the entire house last night with four/five bits of spruce and an handful of alder branches.

I totally agree with this. I apply a similar approach in my house. I don't need a constant temperature. I can live between 18c and heat the house to 23c with my wood stove. People are too soft, needing a consistent temperature all the time or the need to have warm feeling on their feet when they come out of the shower. Slippers and a jumper are fine even in a modern self build.

@Susie Have you looked at Joule? I have been using their aero system for over 2 and half years for our domestic hot water. I I heat our house with a centrally placed wood stove.

You can never have too much log storage!

Yes.

Do you have other quotes?

Apologies to the member who made the opening post, I've headed off on a tangent.

Thanks for your kind words. When we considered the space I didn't want a living room, but to try and incorporate the concept of a 'great room'. This allows the heat not to over the power the space, which is the problem when people put stoves in modern self builds. Yes, the kitchen warms itself from the cooker etc. The bathroom is formed behind the the stove blocks, so benefits from heat. We do have towel heaters in both the bathroom and our ensuite which can be utilised if needed, but rarely this happens. I have LVT on the floor which is warmer to the foot compared to tiles, so no underfloor heating. Our aim was to construct a home that would cost £500 or less a month to run (Mortgage, heating, council tax, telephone, insurance). We want to live a life not controlled by debt or the whim of a dictator.

Yes, pretty much. The blocks are the proper heavy dense concrete ones. Around now to March I heat the house with sticks (mostly fast growing alder) that I collect. I do also burn some home grown super dry spruce as well. It takes very little to heat the house in the evening and the house holds the heat until the next evening. I achieve a really greet COP on the exhaust air source heat pump as it does not vary much compared to an external heat pump heating water which can be less efficient in the winter. I don't have PV panels, but with the government rebate my total energy bills will be a couple of £s for the next six months.

We used pallets from our build. The heavy concrete ones were useful for a bridge.

Very happy with our system. It works for our circumstances. We are in a self build finished in 2020. I heat the house with a centrally place wood stove surrounded by dense concrete blocks. Our hot water comes from a Joule aero exhaust heat pump.

I had hoped that they would have just taken my normal payment and the £400 would have been credited over the six months. I will be in for a shock next winter after my good deal expires in 2023. I have been building a reserve over the last few years to act as a buffer and plan to use it for the 23/24 winter hopefully it will come down by the winter of 2024/2025.

I see that Octopus have started applying the £400 rebate, my direct debit has now been adjusted.

Some lenders will not provide finance straight after completion. RBS mentioned to me that it was two years after completion. To be honest I would make sure your figures are spot on as the worst point to be, is applying for finance mid way through a build.

Swede harvest time.

Not having an external air feed means that the cold air will be pulled into your house to replace the air going into your stove when it is lit. Our stove runs off a external air feed, from our suspended timber floor, but from the post below this would not be possible. It's not going to solve the problem but would make a bit of a difference.

Is that a option for you?

I take it your stove does not have a direct air feed from the outside.

Do we know at this stage whether the £400 rebate will continue to be provided in addition to this new price cap?

Much better for the environment and people's health to use electric vehicles. No, that won't happened. The only occasion my price will change will be if the VAT rate is adjusted. Or my supplier Octopus goes bust. This is unlikely. If the VAT rate is dropped to 0% then my contract will go down in price.

That's my hope as well. I'm on 18p per unit until next June. Jumping ship from Bulb to Octopus was a luckily decision.

I take a few old sheep food bags down and bag up loose stuff on the beach, usually after windy weather. It can go directly on beds but I add to my compost and that keeps the flies and smells away.

@flyingfisherman On a similar journey. Finished self building in 2020 and for the last two summers I've been producing lots of compost. I started of with one large no dig bed this spring with some great results, I will add three more beds next year and more after that. This year I have incorporated biochar and seaweed to my compost production.