After months of research and a waiting list, in summer 2020, we got our first electric vehicle (EV). I didn’t realise it then, but I was starting down a path that would transform our entire home. It started innocently enough. The EV was brilliant, and once you start thinking about where electricity comes from and comparing tariffs to find the cheapest rates, solar panels become very compelling. By summer 2022, a 3.3 kWp solar array was on the roof. ...
Late August 2022, we had Solar Panels (PV) installed as our first step in towards decarbonising our home. It is now over a year later, and I want to analyse that first year to calculate the true return on investment (ROI), so far. Unfortunately, there’s many varying factors around the system, generation and consumption which impact this, so let’s briefly explore those together before seeing how it played out for us. ...
In early September, Octopus Energy made a surprise but very welcome announcement they were going to increase the electricity export rate from 4.1p/kWh to an enticing 15p/kWh for Intelligent Octopus customers. The new tariff is aptly called Octopus Outgoing. Quite the jump, just over 3.6x the previous rate! What makes this even more interesting is my current import tariff is 7.5p/kWh overnight, presenting a unique opportunity to enhance my setup to earn double for export compared to what I pay for import. ...