Energy prices.

[The Artilleryman]

I was extremely lucky, had just switched suppliers due to end of contract 2 weeks before it all went pear shaped - and fixed for 2 years, normally only do a 1 year fix.

Mind you I've just ordered 1000L of heating oil, gone up from 42.9p in August to 56.9p now, local supplier, some of the price comparison sites are charging up to 71.69p (Boiler Juice).

Nearest gas main is 8 miles away so no choice.

 

[bricol]

I was extremely lucky, had just switched suppliers due to end of contract 2 weeks before it all went pear shaped - and fixed for 2 years, normally only do a 1 year fix.

Yeah, I'd just done that . . . they'd taken the direct debit . . . and three weeks later went bust . . . Can't wait for the bill from the supplier the Government selected for me . . .

 

[highseas]

It’s at time like this I am glad my electricity for the workshop is included in the rent!

 

[reb78]

I'll be soending more time with the chainsaw this year I think. I have a looong hedge with a lot of dead wood and it is rather too tall so that will do for next winter.

Whats the cost of anthracite and coal doing??! Once the Rayburn is in I will need anthracite.

 

[MysterG]

It’s at time like this I am glad my electricity for the workshop is included in the rent!

Surely the rent will just go up to cover it?

 

[8ob]

May be worth chopping off the French extension cable and get a longer one run to the Sudan

Electricity prices around the world | GlobalPetrolPrices.com

Residential and business electricity rates in 150 countries around the world. Several data points for low, medium and high consumption. Final retail prices with all taxes and fees included. Updated quarterly since 2019 to present.

www.globalpetrolprices.com

Bob

 

[JimmyS]

Only housing stock with high degrees of insulation and airtightness levels will to some extent be immune to these energy price rises.

All this talk of fitting heat pumps to existing buildings without addressing the above first is insane. It'll go the same way as all these MCS schemes. Complete bs that a scheme member is giving you the best scheme for your situation and requirements. Snake oil salesmen many of them.

If you're lucky enough to be an early adopter of PV you'll still be getting the higher FiT rate.

Solar gain is free heat. Attention should be given to the orientation of housing to take advantage of that.

I'm seriously thinking of actually fitting the 3 solar thermal panels I have (after some repairs). Appreciate ST is a one trick pony when compared to PV. Can't afford PV so it makes sense even if the maintenance requirement is a bit higher.

I'm insulating our place a room at a time and fitting underfloor heating loops to try and get it ready for the day when we get forced to put a heat pump in. Were on heating oil and hot a lot of options other than a heat pump.

An lot of the MCS installers (not all) are bloody charlatans or just want to sell boxes. I would rather get a decent plumber or heating engineer to do the work if I had to get someone in. I'm hoping to buy a GSHP and install it myself but not ready for that yet. At the moment I recon I will be as well off on heating oil when factoring in the proposed electricity price hikes.

We have a couple of log burners will use them more and will just carry on insulating the place for now. I have a couple of solar thermal panels that I got from someone that need some bits - I might fix them temporary as well for now.

Were on electric for cooking etc and not much that can be done with that unless have PV and battery - expensive though.

 

[reb78]

I'm hoping to put in a thermal store when the Rayburn goes in and will then consider adding a back boiler to the huge log burner in the lounge to run into it, plus potentially either PV - battery - immersion or solar water (I hear that PV powering an immersion is more efficient these days??). That should have winter and summer hot water and heating covered here then. If I harvest my wood and windfalls of my neighbours carefully I will always have enough to burn. The oil boiler can remain for a backup then...

 

[Onoff]

I'm insulating our place a room at a time and fitting underfloor heating loops to try and get it ready for the day when we get forced to put a heat pump in. Were on heating oil and hot a lot of options other than a heat pump.

An lot of the MCS installers (not all) are bloody charlatans or just want to sell boxes. I would rather get a decent plumber or heating engineer to do the work if I had to get someone in. I'm hoping to buy a GSHP and install it myself but not ready for that yet. At the moment I recon I will be as well off on heating oil when factoring in the proposed electricity price hikes.

We have a couple of log burners will use them more and will just carry on insulating the place for now. I have a couple of solar thermal panels that I got from someone that need some bits - I might fix them temporary as well for now.

Were on electric for cooking etc and not much that can be done with that unless have PV and battery - expensive though.

Like I'm hearing my own voice!

www.buildhub.org.uk is a good forum for help and advice.

 

[JimmyS]

I have dealt with my fair share of MCS installers and if I get the option bar one or two I would stay clear.

When I had a heating firm a few years back we did a underfloor job where they had an MCS installer doing the Heat Pump. I was concerned that the circulator in the heat pump wasn't going to be man enough to serve the place. Met the Architect and Heat Pump installer on site and explained that they would need to fit a bigger circulating pump having explained that there was a fair pressure drop on one of the ground floor manifolds etc, HP guy (who came to site in a tweed suit - I kid you not) told architect I was speaking ****e and the manifold that had the highest pressure drop was on the first floor. I couldn't believe what I was hearing and enquired as to how he reckoned that was the case - as it was a 2 port manifold with no pressure drop. His answer was because it was higher up . The guy had MCS approvals etc but had no clue about the basics of a heating system. Anyway the architect listened to the man in the twed suit who fitted another pump over the 2 port manifold and starved the rest of the system of water. The heat pump never worked and the home owner and architect ended up in court. Was a total mess.

 

[highseas]

Surely the rent will just go up to cover it?

Shhhhh my landlord is happy to have someone in and around the place. And gets paid, it’s win win

 

[Onoff]

Hmmm, October 2021:

So that's 439 gallons bought in Oct 2021. Just checked and I'm down to 100 gallons now.

Lights left on, heating left right up here. I despair at SWMBO and my lot here.

Just about to order another 2000L.

 

[Kayos]

Huge amount of misunderstanding about MCS in this thread

The appliances gain MCS certification and must be installed and commissioned correctly

No such thing as an "MCS installer" there is MCS registered companies but they are not the sales people

I work for a manufacturing and installation company, we have subcontract installers who work under our MCS umbrella

 

[Onoff]

I'm going to the pub to watch an open fire burning and forget about my energy woes.

 

[optima21]

Hmmm, October 2021:

View attachment 333496

So that's 439 gallons bought in Oct 2021. Just checked and I'm down to 100 gallons now.

Lights left on, heating left right up here. I despair at SWMBO and my lot here.

Just about to order another 2000L.

ouch thats more than my combined gas and electric charges have been for the last 2 years

 

[Onoff]

ouch thats more than my combined gas and electric charges have been for the last 2 years

Big, old, air leaky house. Wife with zero concept of energy conservation. One of the reasons I drink.

 

[optima21]

Big, old, air leaky house. Wife with zero concept of energy conservation. One of the reasons I drink.

makes sense, you have a beer jacket to keep you warm

 

[Onoff]

makes sense, you have a beer jacket to keep you warm

3 pints of Westerham Brewery Audit Ale in quick succession just now. Dulls the pain of reality.

Loving the term "beer jacket", I'm adopting that.

 

[JimmyS]

Huge amount of misunderstanding about MCS in this thread

The appliances gain MCS certification and must be installed and commissioned correctly

No such thing as an "MCS installer" there is MCS registered companies but they are not the sales people

I work for a manufacturing and installation company, we have subcontract installers who work under our MCS umbrella

Struggling to think of anyone other than Kensa?

Agreed MCS is on appliances, reliant on well designed systems - especially for heat pumps. Its just a pity sometimes in the past its not been designed very well and gives the technology a bad name. Some of the manufacturers haven't helped I remember being on a stand helping out over 10 years ago where one of the HP manufacturers had a sign up about HP's with a COP of 7 I think it was. There were punters round them like flies round ****.

Thermodynamically its certainly possible to have a COP of 7 for a heat pump but in real life its trickier.

 

[Kayos]

Struggling to think of anyone other than Kensa?

Agreed MCS is on appliances, reliant on well designed systems - especially for heat pumps. Its just a pity sometimes in the past its not been designed very well and gives the technology a bad name. Some of the manufacturers haven't helped I remember being on a stand helping out over 10 years ago where one of the HP manufacturers had a sign up about HP's with a COP of 7 I think it was. There were punters round them like flies round ****.

Thermodynamically its certainly possible to have a COP of 7 for a heat pump but in real life its trickier.

You are right about Kensa

The new product will be (sorry I hate this term) a game changer for the industry, currently gaining approval but it will change the domestic heat pump market forever