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Energy prices - gone nuts.

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My Tesla Energy Tariff has come to an end and the scheme is being discontinued. 12p import and export was too good to be true in our current energy market.
Octopus are pushing users to the new Octopus Flux option: https://octopus.energy/smart/flux/

For my postcode the figures look like this:

ImportExport
Day rate33.98p / kWh22.98p / kWh
Flux rate (02:00 - 05:00)20.39p / kWh9.39p / kWh
Peak rate (16:00 - 19:00)47.58p / kWh36.58p / kWh
Standing charge42.01p / day

Vs the standard flex options
ImportExport
33.984.1
Standing charge40p / day

I was talking with @Biff about this so thought it worth sharing here.

The thing I noticed for Flex is that if you fill your battery during the off-peak cheap time, and then have to export all your solar generation (because your battery is full), you would be roughly equal, as the import would be for 20.39 and the export for 22.98p during the day rate. Even with 10 losses from conversion, the figures are near equal. So you don't have to worry about how much you charge up in the morning based on how much expect sun etc. Easy.

I then ran the maths on an average day in April, March, Feb and Jan and found that the cost between the standard Flex pricing and the Flux are largely similar for my usage. They were slightly worse off for Flux when there was no solar but we are talking +-4%. This is doing nothing else in the configuration or changing any habits.
This is about how much energy I use over the day, verse how much I use during peak for cooking/washing machine etc. The oven is used but many other hungry devices are used during the day and take advantage of the same day rate as I would have had on the standard Flex.
When I had solar in March and April, I started to see a better advantage from the better export cost of 22.98 (flux) vs 4.1 (flex), which tipped it in favour of Flex.

But with some setting for powerwall, I can charge up off peak, hold it during the day (no consequences as export from solar is cost neutral) and then sell during peak, so say I do 10kW, that becomes +161.9p for the day trade. Now sometimes, I might want to cook a bit more and use that, so I might have to buy some units or have less to sell.
Plus, many days, I can still be generating electricity from solar during the peak rate export (16:00-19:00), so more than just the 10kW is available for export.
So overall, I am better off. Easy.


Finally, I can set other things to do their tasks during off-peak and make some small gains. Like heat up the log cabin before working from home. NAS backups. A scheduled washing machine tasks. Rinse hold for when we get up a few hours later.

Overall, for my usage, I don't think we there are many days where we going to be much worse off., with most days being much better. I may make some changes to avoid the peak period costs, but these can be insignificant. So very little effort required.


More panels on the West side of the house might be a [/FONT]worthwhile
 
Last edited:
Applied and octopus confirmed I am transferred over.
Put the details into the gateway

IMG_2031.jpeg
Hopefully they are right, it can make the best decision based on these for buying, charging and selling.
I didn’t set different seasons as my worst case scenario was still cost neutral. We will see.

Once confirmed.
It started selling my storage.
IMG_2033.jpeg
 
I swear I signed up for that Octopus Flux few months ago but never heard anything, just signed up again.
Panels are enjoying the sun :D

One advantage of buying the second battery is when my partner puts 3 loads of washing machine on in the morning (as seen below) it does not twat my whole battery any more :D

1682773589567.png


Quick question regarding Pigeons!!!!! (little ****ers)
they had nested under our panels and the sound is annoying as **** also iv been reading bad things about them causing damage and will attract more and more etc...

I really dint want spikes as think they look ugly as ****! but speaking to a local company who say they can spray them black so hopefully will be more aesthetically pleasing. But looks like I will have to go down this route sadly :( Hopefully not to noticeable once installed. Any one else has issues with birds? what did you do? did they cause damage?
 
I thought nets were the default for pigeons and panels. This is a know issue, didn’t you supplier talk about it?
@Biff got them and didn’t ask for them.
 
I thought nets were the default for pigeons and panels. This is a know issue, didn’t you supplier talk about it?
@Biff got them and didn’t ask for them.
Nah dint mention them at all. Everyone around here seam to have these spike things that glue to edge of panel then get pulled down until they hit the tile.
 
Not sure you would ever be able to shoot them all, they keep coming back.
You want to stop the feathered rats but also keep as much airflow under the tiles as you can.
In my setup, my panels are embedded into the roof line. The there is no gap for pigeons. But I think it also reduces airflow.
 
Do you need to wash them periodically as well to keep up the efficiency?

Edit: not the pigeons, the panels...
lol

not washed them yet they still look pretty clean to me, rain seems to clean them pretty well. But prob will need to clean them at some point.
 
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oh wait that import :(
export not active yet :(

fingers crossed I dont need to touch the import rates for a while hehe :D
 
Just signed up for British Gas EV tariff, 9.4p for 5 hour slot. Hopefully won't check that i don't have EV.
166345.webp
 
Applied and octopus confirmed I am transferred over.
Put the details into the gateway

View attachment 201064
Hopefully they are right, it can make the best decision based on these for buying, charging and selling.
I didn’t set different seasons as my worst case scenario was still cost neutral. We will see.

Once confirmed.
It started selling my storage.
View attachment 201065
This is all really useful, thanks. We come off the Tesla plan at the end of July I think, so are starting to look into the alternatives. Was it easy to get back control of the power wall for export? I never used that functionality prior to the TEP, and am hoping it will work ok. I had an early install of the power wall 2 so don’t think I have the gateway(?) - the setup that allows you to be offgrid. As I’ve been exporting on the TEP I assume I can continue to export on another plan.
 
Do you need to wash them periodically as well to keep up the efficiency?

Edit: not the pigeons, the panels...
Cleaned mine last year for the first time. They'd been up about 10yrs and although general dust and dirt seems to wash off OK with rainfall I noticed that lichen had started to build up in patches on nearly all the panels. Takes a bit of effort to get it off though
 
This is the gateway, big white box.

IMG_9744.jpeg
Control was handed back as the tariff ended and pretty easy to change those settings.
I assumed it was the gateway I was talking to via the app to change them.
 
This is the gateway, big white box.

View attachment 214180
Control was handed back as the tariff ended and pretty easy to change those settings.
I assumed it was the gateway I was talking to via the app to change them.
I think I’m thinking of the backup gateway which allows off grid useage. It needs to be setup in a certain way which wasn’t standard when I had mine installed and would mean digging across the driveway again now!
 
I am no expert but I thought there were all upstream of the mains supply, so there should be no need to dig anything up again.
If you have a gateway 2, that is also the backup gateway. Here is the spec sheet for you to check: https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/powerwall/Tesla_Backup_Gateway_2_Datasheet_EN-NA.pdf

Are you set up to use the app on your phone? If so, can you see an option to "Go Off-Grid"? I had to join my phone via Bluetooth to be able to initiate it myself. My gateway is also wired to ethernet and has joined via wi-fi.
The Gateway should detect when the mains is down and switch. It should also be able to take a signal to switch from the DNO but that would be via mobile, maybe that is the bit not set up??

IMG_2060.jpg
 
I am no expert but I thought there were all upstream of the mains supply, so there should be no need to dig anything up again.
If you have a gateway 2, that is also the backup gateway. Here is the spec sheet for you to check: https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/pdfs/powerwall/Tesla_Backup_Gateway_2_Datasheet_EN-NA.pdf

Are you set up to use the app on your phone? If so, can you see an option to "Go Off-Grid"? I had to join my phone via Bluetooth to be able to initiate it myself. My gateway is also wired to ethernet and has joined via wi-fi.
The Gateway should detect when the mains is down and switch. It should also be able to take a signal to switch from the DNO but that would be via mobile, maybe that is the bit not set up??

View attachment 214181
no I don't have that on the app and never have. I spoke to the installation company last year, and typically can't remember the details (so maybe it sounds like I have gateway 1), but basically it meant a new box installing (costing a fair bit) next to the feed to the house, connecting up to the battery (across the driveway in the garage. It didn't make sense at the time as the only feature lacking was 'off grid' capability. Given that Octopus/Tesla have been managing the import/export then I assume that functionality will carry over to the next plan.
 
Similar here. Boiler was put into it’s own room that is very well insulated. All the spare heat from the pipes is kept in the room and a Meaco 20l dehumidifier takes away the moisture. Great drying room.
I'm just about to add a 3rd Meaco....it seems excessive! But we've learnt that we can't put any furniture against the exterior walls without mould forming.
 
It took a long time for our house to balance out. You dry the air, which then sucks moisture from the plaster over a much longer period. Then suddenly, we had an autumn where I ran three in the house and they balanced quickly, but then the cold air coming in warmed up and further dried the house out, causing it to be too dry.
 
A few notes of caution...

Word of warning for any battery people, i did a battery install course recently and last year did the PV install course also. I hasten to add i am not an expert, nor have I installed any... But...

Do make sure your battery's / invertor are not in the loft - worse place for them because of the hot / cold issues and reduction in life. Also, if you have them in an unheated place do think about keeping the cold out some how. Most damage will come from a fully charged battery on an over night tariff, that then gets cooled while at full charge - its like having a pint, and then the glass reduces to a half pint - beer everywhere, or in the case of the battery, massive reduction in life because it suddenly finds itself overcharged - frequently during cold snaps.

Make sure batteries go in. no where near anything remotely flammable, or where hot gasses can quickly impede your escape and spread to the main house. Also give a thought to kids tampering with them or mechanical damage from people and 'things.' Lots o batteries now are IP67,and placed outride, great but they will use more energy in winter to keep warm - if this is not in the BMS then expect issues.

Make sure you have a linked smoke detector near your invertor and batteries (and in eth loft under the panels). If you are unlucky enough to have thermal runaway, at least you can get out - don't bother trying to put it out, just run, don't blink, just run... Also, i have seen first hand how far an arc can be dawn on a DC system, i t does not take long for them to melt. Not so much o f an issue if you have an on roof system. Very unlikely to cause an issue through tiles, and cabling shoudl be sixed to take full SC load of the panel network anyway - so not glowing cables :)

Anybody here run in Island mode? Make sure the sparks fitted an Island disconnection relay completely isolating you from the suppliers tails (L&N) , and even more importantly, a neutral Earth relay that then establishes a fault path back to the invertor when in Island mode, that switches out when in normal mode.

Did they fit an earth rod? They should have done as well as connect the invertor to the local Main Earth Terminal to pick up other extraneous conductive parts.

Be careful if they have supplied you with a socket outlet on the wall (oh wait this is my system...) that will run in island mode... They will not have supplied any of the above and you could be exposed to risk of electric shock / fire, especial when using more than one class 1 or Class 2 appliance.

Did they also note that your AC type RCDs may now not work, if subjected to some DC fault current from the invertor setup? Should have done, ideally replacing them completely for an A type (AN Other DC type RCD).

The icing on the cake. The lecturer of the course will not have nether panels nor batteries installed in/on his house as he believes there is not enough emphases on safety yet (mainly policing), his words, he does not want to get burned alive in his sleep...

Even the standards have silly things in them, like the sizing of supply conductors between Dis board and a Hybrid AC systems has to be rated at (Iz)=> average current rating of your invertor output + Current rating of your DNO cut-out (i **** you not...) only work around today would be to put some Henley blocks in, feed a separate DB, thus allowing you to lower lower the supply (In) rating of the next in line fuse out of the property.

There were 9 people on the course. 3 people failed it and are installing systems today, many of which have installed kit in the roof, have installed sockets as an Aux in Island mode etc etc. All of which are MCS and third party accredited...

Not trying to scare you, may well be some installers here that will agree / disagree with what i say. If there was such a large issue the media would have picked up one the hundreds of fires that are happening, shiocks or electrocutions every week - but they are not. Just take a bit of care when you are selecting these things. Large containers of energy tend to go bang when they are relived of their energy quickly :)

AT the very least get a few smoke sensors installed.

JB
 
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