Ferdinand

Are they thinking road safety and the need to pull off the road? Is it a classified road? Any new policies in that area? Would a powered gate help? What happened to the old one? Alternatively you could replace the gate and call it "maintenance / repair". I would probably do this, and not consult them at all. Then consider applying for a Cert for Lawful devlopment if planning have kittens.

FAQ is here: https://octopus.energy/blog/outgoing/ It seems to say yes you can explicitly. Seems to have been there for some time since 2018. I see this having its wings clipped a little in due course, I think. IMO Octopus are trying to get a big stake in the Smart Grid by recruitiing the core mini-suppliers. Words: Do I need to have solar, or could I take advantage if I have home batteries and/or V2G? × Outgoing Octopus is best for homes with significant renewable generation, but you don’t HAVE to be generating energy to benefit. Join Outgoing Octopus and use home batteries (or your EV battery, if you've got hold of a vehicle-to-grid charger...) to take advantage of low consumption prices on our Agile tariff and high export rates on Outgoing Octopus. It’s a balancing act. Store electricity at times of the day when the Agile prices are super low or even negative (on December 8 2018 Agile dropped to -2.31p per kWh). Then export from your battery when energy on the grid is most in demand, and most expensive. Not only are you powering your home with cheaper stored energy, but supporting the grid when energy is in high demand, and making money off anything extra you export. If you’re exporting more energy than you’re using, you might even get your Octopus bill into credit. And we’ll even refund the cash if you wish. It’s worth remembering, though, your home will consume battery discharge first before sending the surplus to the grid).

Now I need Octopussy to recognise what I have sent them !

The copy of my letter sent to the installer in 2015, he has arrived from the DNO. Bloody good service from Western Power Distribution. I only phoned them yesterday after receiving an email from Octopussy at 3:15pm yesterday that they needed the original. F

According to the helpdesk at the DNO, they found my installation details and dates etc whilst we were talking, and he phoned up the relevant team to see if he could send me a copy of the DNO Notification Confirmation letter on the spot. They were closed, so he has emailed them to ask for one to be sent AM tomorrow. And he has given me their phone no for if I don't hear by 10am. Failing all of that, Plan B is for them to generate a new one, and Plan C would perhaps be for me to re-register. Hopefully I get a nice email tomorrow early. This was a familiar scenario, so I guess they have a way to deal with it, and that it should become more efficient over time. My surmise is that Octopus are demanding at the front end of the applicaton, as they have found that it ends up in the soup without full proven details if they don't. F

My other thoughts were: 1 - That's a lady's hand. 2 - He's showing off the only finger that isn't chewed to the quick.

I thought that was the one you were planning to smoke. My Iraqi neighbour, who makes something wrapped in vine leaves from the leaves of the vine that comes over his other fence, took the dish around to the vine owner - who was surprised that his climber was being used for lunch.

So what is super-distinctive about that leaf that is the same as all the other leaves?

I supplied the MCS Installation Cert with the application, as I already have that. I tried the "we have informed the DNO" email as Plan B for the other one, but they have come back and asked for the original - which I do not have. F

OK. So reply recieved. Octopus do indeed want a copy of the DNO notification letter - which is the thing to confirm that your feeding of power to the grid has been accepted by them. My DNO Western Power are being helpful and it is a usual query. We shall see. F

A news story from Orkney brought to my attention. Date is late July. Is this a thing? https://www.orcadian.co.uk/ridiculous-energy-block-on-new-build-homes-challenged/

He's just saying that. 9 year old people called Joe are your greatest fans.

Wouldn't a hidden system be underneath with a shallow fascia in front? Shed gutters are 50mm systems, aren't they - so it should fit in a small space.

How are you managing your runoff? A channel and chains?

I'd have a serious look at a real glass system, but delay the purchase until energy comes back down or you can get a deal. Glass is currently very expensive - to the extent that my 2G man said wait for a year or two on blown units. Have you considered whether you want a - something underneath, b - a canopy? F

Report from the Beeboids. National Grid looking at a scheme where you get a rebate for not using peak energy: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62626908 I think that might turn out to be achievable more quickly than we think. British Gas has noticeably taken out substantial short term (next couple of winters) and long term (15 year iirc) contracts for supply of gas from the USA and Norway. Have these been mentioned here? (1 million tonnes a year for 15 years) https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/britains-centrica-signs-lng-deal-with-delfin-midstream-2022-08-09/ (1 billion cubic metres = 4.5 million homes next 3 years) https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/centrica-signs-deal-with-equinor-additional-winter-gas-supplies-2022-06-16/ Small % of market, perhaps, but a straw in the wind maybe. F

Has she explained why she thinks it will make a difference?

That's a concern for me, but we'll see what happens. Do you mean the April price, or the impending further increased prices? Depending on what Mr Starmer's proposals mean, it could take that incentive away once electricity used reaches £1971 - which is why I was complaining about the detail. https://labour.org.uk/press/keir-starmer-sets-out-labours-plan-to-address-the-tory-cost-of-living-crisis/ Stopping energy bills from rising is a fully-funded measure, with a total cost of £29bn. That will cover: - a freeze in energy bills for all domestic energy customers support for customers not protected by the price cap - making sure the price people on prepayments meters pay for energy is the same as people who pay their bills monthly. - Stopping energy bills from rising is a fully-funded measure. I hope the concept is a freeze on the unit price. I expect that LT will steal quite a lot of that policy. F

It works on one day ahead wholesale prices, with a couple of adjustments: From the FAQ: FAQ linky: https://octopus.energy/blog/outgoing/ I hope that is what you were after. Ferdinand

I don't want to teach you to suck eggs, but have you considered a lodger for one room - where the first 8k (?) of income is completely tax free?

I think some of that is quite likely, but I'm more inclined to blame the two-planks media for wanting headlines to nail their readers. I don't think 6k will happen for two reasons - firstly it is politically impossible, and secondly we will all significantly reduce our usage. ISTM that what we need is predictable limited prices, some storage for insurance (which we should get now - looks like 5-6 weeks of 100% of consumption, or pro rata), some financial support and an incentive to use less. We may also need some wartime style redefinition of the market, which is where a neo-Thatcherite Govt may struggle. The EU think that they can reduce usage by 15%; I see no reason why we can't do the same. Looking at it, Mr Starmer's is trailed as 'freezing your bills', which presumably makes it free (or something similar) once I have spent £N on gas. A freeze on price would be better, as that incentivises reduced usage. But to be fair, the press release and media reporting is a confused word-salad. And hasn't really identified how he is going to pay for nearly half of it ("inflation will go down and that will save £7bn on Govt interest payments" is a little vague.) I agree that LT seems to be doing a butt-sit-like-Boris thing until she makes PM, which is horribly inadequate and is hugely damaging to the Govt politically, as the goal is wide open and they are arguing like deckchair attendants on the Titanic. One small chink of light is that LT is not lazy like BoJo, and will analyse carefully then make an intervention. Ferdinand

@tommy12398 posted his payment rates on another thread:

What are you looking for? Are you self-building it? There are plenty of high quality secondhand conservatories around - on ebay or through specialist retailers. I paid £600 for a 4.2, x 5.8m one that I turned into a 4 season big sun-lounge for under 7k, including the slab, adding excellent insulation, full electrics by a pro electrician, lining with plastic-planked-panel, heating and a tin roof. I've tended to keep slightly quiet, as it is marginally not quite to building regs due to not enough glass, but is now unenforcible against.

That's a fair comment. One of the long run characteristics of petrol retailing in the UK has been its end-to-end efficiency and generally low retailer margins compared to some other places. We have lost 1/3 of our petrol stations since 2000 (8500 vs 12500), and 60% since 1990. But that has been stable since 2010, which suggests that is perhaps an optimal number. Though the growth of Electric will perhaps put it all back in the mix, to the advantage of those with space and local electricity supply for a coffee bar and a fast charger. Looking at the numbers, margins do seem to have increased - so we can expect a further fall in prices, perhaps.

Welcome.