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Energy prices - gone nuts.

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Anyone yet received their AFP yet? Or applied for it?
I read in most cases it will be paid via your electricity provider, but I've heard nothing from Octopus yet, so am applying through the separate application process.
 
I read in most cases it will be paid via your electricity provider, but I've heard nothing from Octopus yet, so am applying through the separate application process.
Yeah, spoke to Octopus and they sent a link to the Gov. site but still can't apply yet....
 
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I'm with bulb (now Octopus) for my electric and nearest mains gas is 13 miles away, so use oil. I just spoke to Octopus and they said that as i haven't yet automatically received the payment from them, it wouldn't be coming from them, so I will need to apply direct to Government, Following the call from them, I was sent an email as below:

Hello Paul,

Here is the link to apply for the AFP if you have not received it yet.

https://www.gov.uk/get-help-energy-bills/alternative-fuels

Thanks,

Harry
 
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Yup nice to see mr sun making more and more of an appearance recently :) (come on 5kw peak days!!!!)
Need to start exporting again pay off some of this winter debt! lol
Second battery working really well, if any one just had 1 and thinking of getting a second go for it!
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thanks. I'm in the middle of planning ours...
Nice, our system suites us well and how much power we use (we don't actually use that much tbh) and are pretty much off over summer (not far off now) also use excess to heat our hot water tank which enables us to not user the boiler as well which is a bonus!
 
Nice, our system suites us well and how much power we use (we don't actually use that much tbh) and are pretty much off over summer (not far off now) also use excess to heat our hot water tank which enables us to not user the boiler as well which is a bonus!
Did you swap out the immersion element for something lower power, so more likely to be on? Can take this to pm to save cluttering a long thread!
 
Did you swap out the immersion element for something lower power, so more likely to be on? Can take this to pm to save cluttering a long thread!
No need to if using a solar diverter for the immersion as it will only divert excess generated power after the battery is full or at max charge rate.
 
I use a myenergi Eddi and it is wired into the existing immersion heaters.
The tank has 2 and both could be wired up so it flips between them as immersion heaters are quite dumb and switch themselves off.

I also added a temp probe to heat to a set temp and then have the Eddi switch off. The aim was to not have too hot water due to little kids. But this didn’t work out as the water temp rose quickly and the top was very hot and the temp sensor didn’t keep up.

A better designed tank might solve this.
 
Oh, these Eddi systems are very easy to set up. Just electrical power required to the device.
 
I use a myenergi Eddi and it is wired into the existing immersion heaters.
The tank has 2 and both could be wired up so it flips between them as immersion heaters are quite dumb and switch themselves off.

I also added a temp probe to heat to a set temp and then have the Eddi switch off. The aim was to not have too hot water due to little kids. But this didn’t work out as the water temp rose quickly and the top was very hot and the temp sensor didn’t keep up.

A better designed tank might solve this.

Have you not adjusted the cutoffs on the Immersions built in to the thermostats to adjust the water temperature in the tank?
 
I'm using existing emersion element + thermo cut off, I use iBoost which only sends excess power to the element if its not open circuit (ie water is not at temp) The system works fantastic and heats our hot water in about 2 hours via the element.
 
Have you not adjusted the cutoffs on the Immersions built in to the thermostats to adjust the water temperature in the tank?
They are dialled back, but at some point soon I will dial them back to the lowest physical setting and try again. At the middle setting, they were switching off with little input.
But the issue remained that the top of the tank had very hot water, but the temp reader lower down, doesn't see a noticeable movement of hot water.
The tank is also heated off the gas boiler, but this shows up as movement on the temp reader (tank has two). Whilst I don't believe the tap temp is as low as the temp reading, it was possible to control the overall tap temperature well enough to prevent scalding.

Simplified. Using the electric immersion heater generated very hot water but it wasn't visible on the temp readers, was therefore not controllable to protect the little kid being burnt at a hot tap, so we paused the use for now.
 
They are dialled back, but at some point soon I will dial them back to the lowest physical setting and try again. At the middle setting, they were switching off with little input.
But the issue remained that the top of the tank had very hot water, but the temp reader lower down, doesn't see a noticeable movement of hot water.
The tank is also heated off the gas boiler, but this shows up as movement on the temp reader (tank has two). Whilst I don't believe the tap temp is as low as the temp reading, it was possible to control the overall tap temperature well enough to prevent scalding.

Simplified. Using the electric immersion heater generated very hot water but it wasn't visible on the temp readers, was therefore not controllable to protect the little kid being burnt at a hot tap, so we paused the use for now.

You do know that immersion heaters have an adjustable thermostat setting on them, which would help prevent it from getting too hot..? It's located at the top end of the element, under the cover, or rather the one I have does and I think it's pretty standard.
 
Yes. Those are the things I described as dialled back. I can’t remember if mine had a temp value or numbers 1-5. Either way, I believe they are bimetallic strips and there for not actively sensing temperature.
Maybe both of mine have an issue.
 
Yes. Those are the things I described as dialled back. I can’t remember if mine had a temp value or numbers 1-5. Either way, I believe they are bimetallic strips and there for not actively sensing temperature.
Maybe both of mine have an issue.
Have mine set to 55 and water is a good temp :)
 
Yes. Those are the things I described as dialled back. I can’t remember if mine had a temp value or numbers 1-5. Either way, I believe they are bimetallic strips and there for not actively sensing temperature.
Maybe both of mine have an issue.
They go wrong all the time, the temp starts creeping up until eventually the cutout kicks in and shuts it off. There is a little reset button on them, but eventually you have to change them, cheap and easy enough. It seems they don’t last as long these days.

They can waste a lot of energy, I know when our hot water is getting hotter the stat is starting to play up.

Pretty sure I’ve seen a uk manufacturer selling a digital one somewhere.

Edit:
Something like this https://www.teslauk.com/product/7795/t-smart-thermostat
 
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I will look at that. My initial thoughts are it looks like another control system, rather than integrate into the two systems I have already.
However, if it senses locally the temperature and can regulate that better, then these could be set once and then left.
They will not be able to sense the temperature at the top, which is really what I want next.
 
Just double checked, mine go 1-5 and they are set in the middle. I can hear the bimetallic strips click as I turn them.
The setting are not over intuitive. I have assumed that the far left picture shows setting 1, lowest, then 3 and the far right shows setting 5. You can only rotate it this way, due to the tab and have to read off the opposite side of the tab. Is that correct?
Set1.jpgset3.jpgset5.jpg
 
They go wrong all the time, the temp starts creeping up until eventually the cutout kicks in and shuts it off. There is a little reset button on them, but eventually you have to change them, cheap and easy enough. It seems they don’t last as long these days.

They can waste a lot of energy, I know when our hot water is getting hotter the stat is starting to play up.

Pretty sure I’ve seen a uk manufacturer selling a digital one somewhere.

Edit:
Something like this https://www.teslauk.com/product/7795/t-smart-thermostat
That T Smart thing looks quite cool, But not sure how well it would work with a solar diverter as they actually swap the voltage from ac to dc and PMW to control the amount of power it uses (ie matches the exact excess energy) Pretty sure it cant be connected to a solar diverter?

Id basically just want the temp reading part of it (always powered) but the heating element wired direct to the solar diverter.
 
I'm on Octopus Energy's tracker tariff. This uses real time wholesale prices. It changes daily.

Yesterday my electric was 17p kWh and gas was 4.9p kWh.

Obviously my bills are much cheaper than the price capped variable rates.

There's a waiting list but I have a referral code if anyone fancies it. It's no risk and you can jump back onto the variable is priced were to shoot past the variable capped rates.
 
Just double checked, mine go 1-5 and they are set in the middle. I can hear the bimetallic strips click as I turn them.
The setting are not over intuitive. I have assumed that the far left picture shows setting 1, lowest, then 3 and the far right shows setting 5. You can only rotate it this way, due to the tab and have to read off the opposite side of the tab. Is that correct?
View attachment 197124View attachment 197125View attachment 197126
From the interweb. The recommendation is usually 60 degress top and bottom unless in a hard water area where its about 55 top.

The problem with water cylinders though is without some form of mixing pump/circuit the hottest part is always going to be at the top due to convection.

product_t_e_temperature_3.jpg
 
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