Ferdinand

Yes it needs the installation certificate number, or certificate, which they check against the register. And they also ask for the "DNO letter" which informed the DNO, and the DNO response. They say these smooth the way for what is quite pioneering. I don't think I have a copy of the DNO letter as it was all done by my supplier as part of the deal, so would need to consult. I think I will be plumping for Octopus Outgoing Agile once I have reflected a bit more and asked some more questions.

I agree that it is about consciousness. The same could be said for green enthusiasm only ever being generally engaged when it saves Joe Bloggs noticeable amounts of money. My water solution to increase consciousness is universal metering. Which has a record of reducing usage by ~10-20% iirc.

Sensibly simple. I don't see the standing charge being that low, though - it is supposed to cover the costs of energy company busts etc. I would freeze the cap, and finance energy companies through either a loan/payback scheme to cover the medium term, or some combination including grants. It might be reasonable to hike corporation tax for the period for companies taking part, too.

Is that debt Octopus being responsible for paying what Bulb owes the Government, or money owed to Octopus by eg Bulb's customers, or something else?

Hmmm. My G2 Smart Meter is telling me I have used (ie imported) 53 kWh and exported 208 kWh since it was installed around 25 July. That usage is plus self-generated units, and the solar panels are currently very dirty. That very low electricity use could be a useful hedge against Agile Incoming going beserk, if I am required to take it up. I have both cooking and one of my showers on gas, and the other electric. Getting more interesting.

The FIT has three elements: Generation Payments. Deemed or Actual export payments. Money saved by self-consumption. The FAQ says clearly that you lose the export payments because that is what Octopus are paying for, and keep the Generation Payments. This is the kind of Gift Horse I want to consider - currently it looks like a one way bet at today's high prices. It is not clear whether you can opt back in to deemed export payments afterwards, but if Octopus are paying me around 5-8x the FIT export payments for a time that is quite a small downside. Especially with my lack of a divert device.

I'd welcome your comment son the FAQ linked. It says (which sounds like the condition does not apply): If it is as your describe for the previous arrangement, one needs to consider what can constitute an insurance policy.

Final Note. I see that the Electricity Meter from Octopus can tell me how much I exported, if it is the right kind. https://octopus.energy/blog/how-to-read-your-meter/#smets2meter

I'm just having a look at the Octopus Outgoing Agile smart tariff, following it being (I think) flagged up by @tommy12398. It pays for export at a rate based on the predicted wholesale rate for the next day. Here is the detailed FAQ: https://octopus.energy/blog/outgoing/ The registration process is slightly involved. According to the FAQ, for people on FITs you keep the FIT generation payments, and only the export element is replaced. That seems like a good option for someone like me who does not have a divert device or suitable load, especially at current wholesale prices. I am currently on 50% deemed export at a low price. The alternative to Agile Export is Fixed Export, which pays 7.5p per unit actually exported. Does anyone have experience or views? We used to describe "using the grid like a battery". This seems to be "using the grid like a divert device", and getting paid nearly the same as the money saved by diverting the export. I'm interested in how long the Agile Outgoing tariff has been around - does anyone know? Ferdinand

What a great thread 😁

If you have a retaining wall I am a fan of the pre-constructed systems where the blocks more or less slot together.

Ouch. Talking to a New York based expat today, and he is expecting a 6k energy bill that he is paying out of the rent for his house in London. If you are paying the bills, then I'd say that you should keep the £400 and the £150, to count against a bit of the blank cheque in possession of your tenants. But ranting heads (ie TV company correspondents) on the TV are saying watch out for dodgy landlords who pay the bills trying to keep the refund. All of them - planks. The only defence is an ultra-efficient house.

It's worth remembering that the cap is on the price, and the £1971 etc is that applied to average usage for a 2.4 person household.

Are your bills included in the rent? 😬

It now appears to be up and running. Latest transition bill received does not contain the 80000% increase in gas usage.

Mainly, I think. I think the two will be about 400 kWh per annum.

Part of that is fridge and freezer, which are not parasitic. But yes, needs a bit of further investigation. And of course the solar is able to cover that during daylight for essentially the entire year. Abracadabra now the parasitic load is only about 40W !

The gas meter now reports that it has successfully connected as of yesterday. So now it needs to reach the display. 80W elec baseload by the look of it.

We need a couple more wider-view pics, and some guidance as to what you want to achieve - parking, lawn, growing tomatoes etc.

Go American and develop some rolls of fat.

In principle they should be working from the latest. I'd check to see that your audit trail of the changes is firm, just in case they get it wrong and blame you. It may be worth either an email or a telephone call to planning just to make sure they are doing the correct thing.

Grand Designs S10E01 Isle of Wight The Tree House. The Linen Jacket With Jeans era. Lincoln Miles and his artist wife Lisa Traxler. Essentially a good project, but with various elements of craziness. Including proving that painting corrugated with yoghurt soup does not make it grow lichen, and that domestic with turbines are a PITA. Lincoln Miles is one of the few who have created a career off the back of Grand Designs. Vid here:

I think you pay someone to take it away. There was at least one Grand Design that was based around keeping one of those chimney breasts as a heritage feature. You cut a hole in the rug, and give at as a poncho to Gary Lineker to go with his goaty beard. You need to attach multicoloured pompoms or it won't be ridiculous enough. And he needs a pork-pie hat from somewhere.

If it was donated, it may be a nice windfall of a few hundred for the charity. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=guy+rogers++chair

It is updateable. And it is important to get on this PDQ. It seems the architect has just submitted a wrong plan?