Energy crisis

Nibby

Member
Messages
2,027
Agreed.

Are you Edmonton way? I was born there a few years ago. Gradually finding my way further north each time now.
Edmonton was where I was born Rockits, and most of the family headed North into Knebworth, Baldock and Royston, etc, unfortunately most have passed away now.
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
Get rid of gas. I did one year ago exactly today and I've only used 2300kWh of electricity since.
That is a massive expenditure.
Our combi is gas of course so it would have to be air source replacement. The radiators are connected to microbore which could be a problem.
Our kitchen is built around a gas aga.
The gas aga isn't that much of a problem with gas consumption as a whole, in normal times, the amount of heat it gives off in a 20 year old insulated house means the gas boiler doesn't have to work too hard.
We do however have to turn it off come spring time because of the heat, and why as a result our electricity usage is constant throughout the year, as we swop from winter to summer.
Strangely comparing gas usage with friends with similar houses, they use twice as much gas, probably due to old inefficient boilers, which they are shocked, "but you have an aga"!
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
Edmonton was where I was born Rockits, and most of the family headed North into Knebworth, Baldock and Royston, etc, unfortunately most have passed away now.
Interesting. I was born in a terraced house on Montagu Road. We moved a little further north to N14 a few years later as clearly it was starting to turn worse.

I haven't quite made it that far north yet so still a little short of Hatfield.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
That is a massive expenditure.
Our combi is gas of course so it would have to be air source replacement. The radiators are connected to microbore which could be a problem.
Our kitchen is built around a gas aga.
The gas aga isn't that much of a problem with gas consumption as a whole, in normal times, the amount of heat it gives off in a 20 year old insulated house means the gas boiler doesn't have to work too hard.
We do however have to turn it off come spring time because of the heat, and why as a result our electricity usage is constant throughout the year, as we swop from winter to summer.
Strangely comparing gas usage with friends with similar houses, they use twice as much gas, probably due to old inefficient boilers, which they are shocked, "but you have an aga"!
Like you we have a Rayburn for part of the house supplying heating and hot water fed by oil supply. Old inefficient house and wouldn't easily or cost effectively convert to ASHP or the like. The Rayburn on a reasonably low heat does a good job and fairly efficient.

The oil boiler is very old but seems reasonably efficient as we don't use zillions of litres of oil over winter periods. It is all off for 6 months of the year with an electric emersion heater giving hot water during the warmers months.

We have 16 solar panels on the original FIT tariff that pays for 75-80% of electric bills. Without that FIT tariff rate it would clearly not be so good.

We have offered to build a new additional house so sealed zero carbon Passivhaus level and if we sold the old house it would like be knocked down and a new energy efficient house built. However the council have refused permission to date being the bang up to date progressive future thinking dinosaurs they are!

I find it odd that the govt was/is prepared to give millions away in green energy grants that is open to abuse and inefficiencies that can often achieve little to no real benefits. Then don't support privately funded projects that achieve so much more with zero tax payers money used.
 
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bigbob

Member
Messages
8,952
Had notification of new rates as from October for electricity, my night rate has actually gone down!
How does this work for you in reality? I appreciate that electricity costs less at night wholesale but do smart meters allow you to work out how your demand is profiled and whether you would be cheaper on a normal tariff?