Pension Planning

[donnk]

Following on from the tesla thread. I'm in the process or sorting out the parents in law place as they are retiring shortly. They like most of the baby boomers have good half decent pensions. With the relaxing in the pension rules allowing more flexibility this is what im arranging for them to eliminate energy and heating costs.

 

They live in a normal late 70's 3 bed semi south facing with decent back garden.

 

1. Roof insulated 300mm (done free by british gas)

2. Walls insulated (done free by British gas)

3. Decent double glazing - £6k

4.  Gas central heating replaced with underfloor heating via ground source heatpump. £13k ( gov payment of £1300-2000 per year for 10 years)

5. Solar PV 6KW - £5k (using the hot water cylinder as a battery to heat up when excess solar available)

6. Off peak backup hot water heating.

 

So the thick end of £25k in exchange for 20 years of no energy bills.

If you add the heat pump subsidy it makes the £25k the same as if it were sat in a bank account at 5% for 10 years. 

 

We all know what old dears are like, worry about every penny. Wont put the bloody heating on and have a small fortune in the bank 'just in case'. 

 

I'm in the building trade and to be honest every house should be built like this but at the moment it has no value to the buyer or more importantly the bank so we don't bother. This really needs to change. 

 

 

 

 

[Woodworks]

I get most of it but replacing gas central heating with a GSHP seems excessive unless they are on bottled gas. On  a cost to run basis excluding grants I didn't think there was much in it between GSHP and mains gas.

[donnk]

1 minute ago, Woodworks said:

I get most of it but replacing gas central heating with a GSHP seems excessive unless they are on bottled gas. On  a cost to run basis excluding grants I didn't think there was much in it between GSHP and mains gas.

couple points to consider. 

 

Efficiency of GSHP is upto 4:1 that is for every £1 spent on electric you get £4 of heating. Combi cant get anywhere near close to this.

 

Second, you cannot get any subsidy for a combi boiler. They also need expensive contracts on them to keep the working.

 

wont be for everyone, especially if planning to move or rent but if you are going to stay put for 10 years or more and have the spare cash its a winner.

[Woodworks]

Oh get the GSHP bit as we have one but for a retrofit to house with gas it seems an expensive option. As you know a good GSHP needs UFH and retrofitting that to a home is going to cost many years of gas bills and maintenance. Then the cost's of GSHP and the borehole most would need is going to end up costing big money. 

 

We live in the sticks with land and had to nearly start from scratch but if I lived in town with a small garden and had mains gas I would not of considered a GSHP for a second. Maybe and air source heat pump but I doubt it.

[donnk]

undefloor isnt too bad but then again im in the trade.

 

We wont be using a bore hole, long trenches with loops in. Minimal cost as we have a digger but any DIY'r could do if they have room.

[Woodworks]

47 minutes ago, donnk said:

underfloor isnt too bad but then again im in the trade.

 

Yes your in the trade and that I suspect makes a huge difference to what it has cost. I fitted ours having no building experience but it was a huge job in an uninhabited gutted shell. The cost of digging up all the ground floors deep enough to put in decent insulation and allowing for UFH and screed (210mm ?) while MR and MRS Miggins still live there.

Dont get me wrong I think it's great we are discussing green initiatives on here but for me GSHP in a regular home seems like an unnecessary step. How much EWI could the cost of GSHP install cover? Then once insulated it would use far less energy be it gas or electric. 

Quote

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2018 by Woodworks

[ostosix]

As i replace windows now, i get triple glazed as only around 10% higher price from local trade glaze place. They supply jacksons but it works out dirt cheap in comparison to the rip off mercahants.

I also fit em myself because the companies just throw them in. Never see any expanding foam getting used. Foams also great for sound deadening as well as drafts.

Also if you replace the whole house at once they invariably all start to fail around the same time. I do two per year.

[donnk]

triple glazed are ok unless you are close to a road, they are very bad for noise. Had to take a whole front of house out at a new build and replace with double due the noise. It gets trappe din the 3 panes somehow...

[Vespasian]

4 hours ago, donnk said:

Following on from the tesla thread. I'm in the process or sorting out the parents in law place as they are retiring shortly. They like most of the baby boomers have good half decent pensions. With the relaxing in the pension rules allowing more flexibility this is what im arranging for them to eliminate energy and heating costs.

 

They live in a normal late 70's 3 bed semi south facing with decent back garden.

 

1. Roof insulated 300mm (done free by british gas)

2. Walls insulated (done free by British gas)

3. Decent double glazing - £6k

4.  Gas central heating replaced with underfloor heating via ground source heatpump. £13k ( gov payment of £1300-2000 per year for 10 years)

5. Solar PV 6KW - £5k (using the hot water cylinder as a battery to heat up when excess solar available)

6. Off peak backup hot water heating.

 

So the thick end of £25k in exchange for 20 years of no energy bills.

If you add the heat pump subsidy it makes the £25k the same as if it were sat in a bank account at 5% for 10 years. 

 

We all know what old dears are like, worry about every penny. Wont put the bloody heating on and have a small fortune in the bank 'just in case'. 

 

I'm in the building trade and to be honest every house should be built like this but at the moment it has no value to the buyer or more importantly the bank so we don't bother. This really needs to change. 

 

 

 

 

If they done well with their pensions then why should they worry about utility bills?..

 

and I wish you wouldn't go on about subsidies...   thats not something you get for free, its my fkin electric bill paying for your in laws home improvements...

 

Next time I get an electric bill I aught turn up at their semi and demand they pay some of my bill, see how that goes down..

 

 

[Squaredy]

5 hours ago, Vespasian said:

and I wish you wouldn't go on about subsidies...   thats not something you get for free, its my fkin electric bill paying for your in laws home improvements...

If it is the Climate Change Levy you are referring to this only applies to commercial users I believe.