Smart meter for electricity

[Steven P]

7 hours ago, Treewolf said:

My electricity bill doubled after I (reluctantly) allowed SSEB to install a smart meter (I suspect that the old one was so old it was running slow, I cannot think of any other explanation). I haven't seen a single benefit from having a smart meter, although I acknowledge that there are massive benefits to SSEB.

 

I would have less reluctance to smart meters and less cynicism if the suppliers were at least honest and stated that the benefits are almost entirely the supplier's, not the consumers.

Just to check - are they charging you for more units of electricity or are you using the same but what you are being charged has gone up? or a bit of both.

[Treewolf]

My consumption appears to have increased hugely, but I'm inclined to think my old meter was so old it wasn't running freely and was under-reading. Either that or the neighbours tapped their weed room into my meter at the same time!

 

I shouldn't complain really, but from my perspective there was no benefit in the smart meter.

[Canal Navvy]

On 26/07/2021 at 15:29, openspaceman said:

I made a decision and ordered a 6kWh battery today, now need to find about 25 days work to pay for it.

Be interested to see what you went for.

In your situation those nifty gadgets that divert your surplus pv from being fed in to the network and instead heat an immersion tank look handy. 

 

Currently building myself a boat so energy systems occupy a lot of reading time 😉

I've gone Victron, like the flexability of the product and their sharing attitude to knowledge 🙂

 

Lithium titanate batteries suit my need as they can be charged so quickly, the cost would feel a lot less if I was likely to outlive them 😁

[Gav73]

In your situation those nifty gadgets that divert your surplus pv from being fed in to the network and instead heat an immersion tank look handy. 
 

Ive got one of those on my solar system, it’s called an iBoost. Works really well for us. Our heating and hot water all runs from our wood burning stove. So in summer we rely on the iBoost for our hot water. Great bit of kit.

[openspaceman]

41 minutes ago, Canal Navvy said:

Be interested to see what you went for.

It's a growatt system, Site visit next Friday so I'll know a bit more then.

41 minutes ago, Canal Navvy said:

In your situation those nifty gadgets that divert your surplus pv from being fed in to the network and instead heat an immersion tank look handy. 

I didn't try those because the extra cost did not seem worthwhile and with the battery I can judge whether to use it for the immersion or not, leaving the gas boiler  to do its own thing or skip a DHW cycle, the immersion is okay for a shower but too short to heat a decent bath full. There is a loss of about 20% in the conversions though.

41 minutes ago, Canal Navvy said:

 

Currently building myself a boat so energy systems occupy a lot of reading time 😉

I've gone Victron, like the flexability of the product and their sharing attitude to knowledge 🙂

The first inverter set up I saw in 1974 was a Victron, charged by a lister startomatic.

41 minutes ago, Canal Navvy said:

 

Lithium titanate batteries suit my need as they can be charged so quickly, the cost would feel a lot less if I was likely to outlive them 😁

I've not heard of them, the growatt are lipo. I will never recoup the cost of the battery in my lifetime as the best it can save me is £200/annum at current prices but what the hell.