[SkyJawa]

Our council did the same solar thing. Without batteries it was about 5k and with it was about 9k, with the savings from it I worked out it would take at least 10 years to recoup the install cost.

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by SkyJawa

Our council did the same solar thing. Without batteries it was about 5k and with it was about 9k, with the savings from it I worked out it would take at least 10 years to recoup the install cost.

Will be interesting to see what they come back with. My (finger in the air, almost certainly overstated) request for 20 panels suggested a normal market cost of £9.3k. That would generate 6000 kWh per annum apparently, so more than we would need pre-EV.

On the 10 year payback, I don't view that as too bad as it also gives a little energy Independence and hedges against any crazy future price spikes.

[TodmordenLad]

Originally Posted by SkyJawa

Our council did the same solar thing. Without batteries it was about 5k and with it was about 9k, with the savings from it I worked out it would take at least 10 years to recoup the install cost.

My council's offer, which has expired now, was similar. I decided against it as we won't be living in the house for long enough to enjoy the benefits and not every buyer wants a roof covered in panels, tbh.

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by TodmordenLad

My council's offer, which has expired now, was similar. I decided against it as we won't be living in the house for long enough to enjoy the benefits and not every buyer wants a roof covered in panels, tbh.

Interesting point. I hadn't thought about future buyers seeing it as anything other than beneficial (even if it doesn't add to the value, rather like a car option).

[SkyJawa]

Originally Posted by TodmordenLad

My council's offer, which has expired now, was similar. I decided against it as we won't be living in the house for long enough to enjoy the benefits and not every buyer wants a roof covered in panels, tbh.

Yeah my thinking was the same. Prior to getting new idiot neighbours either side in the last 18 months we would have probably stayed here a long time, that was the plan anyway. However we both separately came to the conclusion we’ll not be staying here so no point spending on panels, instead we’ll get the bathroom upstairs redone and made bigger which may not add much value but should hopefully improve saleability since the current one is pretty tired.

[G50]

With solar panels, does the grid/your supplier still pay you for excess energy, and does the amount you get paid increase when electricity prices increase?

[Nibbles]

Has anyone looked into air or ground source heat pumps with the yearly RHI payments? I've done some calcs but it still doesn't make sense for me in the place I'm buying until it's better insulated which won't happen until after RHI finishes.

[MashinBenzin]

Originally Posted by G50

With solar panels, does the grid/your supplier still pay you for excess energy, and does the amount you get paid increase when electricity prices increase?

Octopus energy certainly do, not sure if all suppliers do

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by JD6

I assume you’re in a modern well-insulated house. Mine is about 300 years old so insulation wasn’t high on the building regs at the time!

It’s also grade 2 listed which makes fitting insulation to the solid stone walls trickier, but yes it is a lot of energy. We’re also many miles from the nearest mains gas. There aren’t really many good options at the moment- I have looked at biomass but that’s complicated by the listing too, so I would probably need a 60 metre heat main.

On the plus side I do generate a couple of hundred times the electricity I use, from wind, although not on the same site - actually in Scotland!

Yep, U Values and decent insulation hadn't been considered back then ! Even so, ~100L of kerosene and ~100kg of firewood each week

[JD6]

Originally Posted by Watsey

Yep, U Values and decent insulation hadn't been considered back then ! Even so, ~100L of kerosene and ~100kg of firewood each week

The firewood is also renewable and I do have sufficient woodland to supply that in a sustainable way. It does beg the question what should we do with old houses like this though. Knocking it down and build a new one is not really compatible with listed status and is likely to produce a great deal of carbon in the build.

I guess houses like this just come some way down on the list of targets for improvement - they’ll concentrate on the easier stuff first.

Ultimately I’ll probably switch from oil to biomass, but when they’re sufficiently keen that they’re willing to flex listing rules to allow a large pellet store at the front.

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by Nibbles

Has anyone looked into air or ground source heat pumps with the yearly RHI payments? I've done some calcs but it still doesn't make sense for me in the place I'm buying until it's better insulated which won't happen until after RHI finishes.

Made zero sense for us on a oldish 5 bed detached bungalow. With the potential increased costs of electricity it'll take even longer for the numbers to balance.

However life isn't just about numbers, am still not at all convinced ASHPs will work well enough to actually heat our house when its -5 degrees outside. We had an issue with the boiler a few winters ago and had to move out whilst the boiler was been fixed because how cold the house got within 12hrs of having no heating. I have little interest in spending £10k+ on an ASHP to find out its useless in cold winter days.