Smart Meters

We put PV panels on an extension we built and they are instead-of the slates, rather than in addition-to them (as they would be retro-fit) so less expensive than a retro-fit - plus scaffolding was already up for the build, so more money saved there too. (They are regular PV panels, not like tiles/slates, just fitted "instead of" rather than "in addition", and as such fit flush with the roof - folk that think that PV panels are ugly will still probably find ours ugly too ...)

My panels are guaranteed not to lose more than 5% power output in 20 years, or something like that. (I know that's not the same as the inverter life-span, but its a reasonable piece of mind I reckon )

 

Besides the obvious dishwasher and washing machine usage, Mrs Scrungee will get up at 5:30 during BST and use the oven until Economy 7 finishes at 8:00 BST, and do the same one hour earlier in the winter.

Whenever I'm pasteurizing pressed apple juice, steam extracting/pasteurizing fruit juices, or de-hydrating fruit/veg, I'll set things up overnight for a very early start to start things off for several hours on Economy 7.

 

Roof panels are the single, one green effort that I would be prepared to try, I think it uses what is basically a wasted space, ie the roof, to generate electricity.
And I'm yet to find a normal house roof that I think looks attractive.

@Kristen Said,
"I'd like to see the building regs. for new buildings made far more demanding - insulation levels, air tightness, power generation, and so on. Housing stock is going to be there for hundreds of years, I think it is disappointing that the bar is currently set so low."

Personally, looking at the way most houses are thrown up these days I doubt very much if they are designed to last more than 30 yrs.
My guess is that the plywood structures covered in brickwork are designed to be replaced at some point in the future, so allowing for more and more density.

It think the 100yr old house is a thing of the past in more ways than one.

 

Hmm, knee jerk reaction warning ( )
My home is over one hundred years old (I am totally in love with it for a good number of reasons) and, according to the full survey conducted on it, should still be standing for another 300 years (give or take: yeah me and my ancestors!). However, the "energy rating" of this property isn't the best and, because of when it was built and the type of construction, the projected energy rating, with modern improvements, isn't much better. Which is such a shame! Such a shame that not more research is being done to improve the efficiency of these types of buildings - seeing as they still have much life ahead of them!

I have no objections to solar panels - indeed, when I was working in China, I was quite impressed with just how much they had embraced solar technology in that particular region (very industrialised). Yet, for the whole time I was there, my twice daily showers were, at best, tepid; this was the height of summer/sunshine!. The only day I had what I would call a "good" shower was on my final day Solar panelling didn't "sell" itself to me in terms of benefits; but, in principle I don't have any objections - the aesthetic aspect pales to insignificance in relation to harnessing energy (as they stand today: future improvements will only act as a vote winner).

 

Slightly more than a windmill on a nice sunny day then.

@"M" , my reference to the hundred year old house was not that they are not good, it was the opposite.
They are not building them anymore.

 

Sorry @pete, I rated your post funny because all I saw (at that point) was your @ "M" and not the remainder of it
Now I see your whole response ...
.. my point still stands. No, they are not building any more of such longevity, but that could be due to the fact (from an energy efficiency point of view) they are no longer viable in the Green Age/Economic/Emissions Deadlines situation? However, if they would invest in some research on how to make older homes more energy efficient (for the next 300 years ) they would be investing in ... well, the next 300 years as opposed to (what you say) would be only the next 30? Britain has a whole lot of older homes still standing

 

My fridge has to be kept between 2C and 8C degrees and that's not easy as it's working on borrowed time now. It's a larder fridge so I don't have to worry about defrosting. The medicine has to be stored in the middle of the fridge where the temperature is more constant and sitting on top of it (the medicine) is a thermometer. We had a good summer here this year which was a nightmare, I was checking the thermometer twice a day and tweaking the dial to try and keep it stable. If there is a power cut I have to use the packaging it was delivered in, a large box with polystyrene and preformed cooler blocks that have to be kept frozen. The medicine will stay at temperature in that box for a maximum of 3 days.

An alarm would be a great idea!

As I've said above my fridge is getting cranky and when it comes to replacement I'll be looking for something with a temperature dial. Even then, temperature differs in different parts of the fridge so I will still need a thermometer. It's also amazing how quickly the temperature rises when the door is left open to long.

 

We pay far far too much for our electricity and because of a total lack of investment in the infrastructure since it was privatised and a drastic expansion of population through imigration. The UK power system is at breaking point.

I distrust smart meters it'll be like the water meters all over again we'll be told how much money we save then bang 5 years later we're paying 4 times what we used to and be expected to just suck it. The water again suffers the same problems we didn't build enough new reservoirs for capacity (Whilst increaseing demand) instead the government builds a desalination plant which truly shows how crazy our governments are.

We pay over twice per unit what my friends are paying stateside.

 

Sounds like they were using a "direct" system, same as in Turkey. It's about £500- £1000 cheaper not to have a storage tank so a direct system just heats up mains water as it passes thru the panel, a bit dodgy, to have a big enough surface area to heat the water on an average day would mean the risk of scalding in full sunshine so they probably went on the side of caution.

An insulated storage cylinder means the water heats up throughout the day and stays hot overnight (unless you use the lot of course) The one I put in would regularly get over 60c between the equinoxes.

 

When we away down in Cornwall the other week we saw a few of the farmers fields had been set aside and rows of solar panels were growing on the land instead

Indeed I would like to see photos of anyone's rooves with their panels fitted on them,it is just a personal thing that me and JVS don't like them splattered on peoples rooves.If my neighbour across the road had them fitted then I would have to move as I would hate to have to sit in my lounge and look out on them plastered all over the roof.If they are fitted where they can't be seen then all well and good but not where people get an eyeful of them

Even though our roof is a new build the tiles that have been fitted look like natural slate so would hate to cover them up

Plus if we put our house on the market in the future how do we know that solar panels won't put prospective buyers off buying it or do we have to make sure that solar panel lovers buy the house?