Author Topic: Electricity now 16p/kWh (Read 3442 times)

DamonHD · « **on:** February 04, 2008, 11:06:14 AM »

We're in London (UK) and because we're fairly economical already, we are always in the first charging band (900kWh/quarter) which basically incorporates the standing charge for connection to the Grid, our electricity is now costing us about 16p/kWh, so ~£34/month. So our dishwasher costs maybe 20p to run, the washing machine 10p each time, and the fridge over 30p/day; all extra incentives to trim a little further!

There is no further standing charge, etc: it's all folded into the unit cost.

(Ecotricity's "New Energy Plus" tariff that we're on charges a small premium over our regional supplier's (EDF's) standard rate to give us '100% green' power.)

Rgds

Damon

Capt Slog · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2008, 04:18:49 AM »

Yup, it's a bummer.

I didn't notice untill quite recently, that the old 'ecconomy 7' thing doesn't work anymore

(ecconomy 7 explanation; The house has two meters, one for day units and the other switched in for 7 hours at night, and that leccy used to be charged at a third of the day units. It encouraged people to time large demands such as immersion heaters or washing during the hours when the power stations would be otherwise idling).

We had been doing our bit by putting those items on at night, but now there is little point because the whole thing is just bundled together under the charge band system.

Another thing I have noticed is that it now makes a lot of sense to send in your meter readings if you find that they are wrongly estimated. Otherwise, you are charged at high band next time for the low band you used this time.

Capt Slog · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2008, 04:19:08 AM »

Yup, it's a bummer.

I didn't notice untill quite recently, that the old 'ecconomy 7' thing doesn't work anymore

(ecconomy 7 explanation; The house has two meters, one for day units and the other switched in for 7 hours at night, and that leccy used to be charged at a third of the day units. It encouraged people to time large demands such as immersion heaters or washing during the hours when the power stations would be otherwise idling).

We had been doing our bit by putting those items on at night, but now there is little point because the whole thing is just bundled together under the charge band system.

Another thing I have noticed is that it now makes a lot of sense to send in your meter readings if you find that they are wrongly estimated. Otherwise, you are charged at high band next time for the low band you used this time.

gotwind2 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2008, 05:46:53 AM »

Wow,

I hadn't realised it had crept up that much.

In my head I have always worked on 8p/kWh - obviously very outdated thinking....

On a more positive note, I see Maplin have an offer on Plug-In Mains Power & Energy Monitors - 10 U.K pounds ($20) at the moment, you may be able to claw a bit back if you can identify any further power hungry appliances that needn't be on continuosly.

I will be purchasing one.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=38343&source=1&DOY=4m2

Ben.

DamonHD · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2008, 05:50:28 AM »

I have one of the PM230 kWh meters, and it has served me well so far!

Our fridge/freezer is due to be upgraded soon, to save over 1kWh/day.

The TV is also due an upgrade to help trim things a bit.

Then, in 3 weeks' time, I have my PV system installed... B>

Rgds

Damon

PS. And my 'off-grid' server driven from my office lighting 12V DC PV system, is saving maybe another 100Wh per day! %->

DamonHD · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2008, 05:51:33 AM »

Economy 7 does still exist as a tariff: maybe you should check that your meter isn't faulty...

Rgds

Damon

richhagen · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2008, 12:02:51 PM »

Here where I am at, Chicago, electricity has been creeping upward. I have not calculated the costs in a while, but at the beginning of 2007 it had crept up to 12.2 cents per additional Kilowatt hour used. Probably a bit more per Kilowatt total as the cited price did not include the fixed charges that did not figure into the cost of additional power. In 2006 the price per additional Kilowatt had been 9.8 cents, it had been frozen at that price for a while before, and the jump around the beginning of 2007 was significant percentage wise. Comparing these prices to what you pay however seems cheap by comparison. Still I expect what I pay to continue to increase. Rich

Jon Miller · « **Reply #7 on:** February 04, 2008, 02:11:54 PM »

Interesting,

Makes the payback times of domestic microgeneration shorter, great!

Damon, I see you have solar PV 1kWp I believe.

Are you on a net metering tariff like the Npower juice tariff?

£0.16 a kWh is a sign of the way things are going to go.

What has been the change on your payback time?

DamonHD · « **Reply #8 on:** February 04, 2008, 02:22:13 PM »

Hi,

~1.3kWp.

We're signed onto the Ecotricity 'Renewable Rewards' scheme which pays a flat 4.5p for all generated power (basically the ROC) and clearly we won't pay retail rates for any power that we use locally from our PV. The meter is being replaced so as not to be able to run backwards (nor catch fire!)...

Payback time (and thus revenue) is not especially an issue here: this is about getting my business closer to being zero-carbon. I was prepared to give the power away for free as the wholesale value is only ~£40 per year, but giving it away confuses people and bucks the system...

If I wanted to get a better return I could sell the generated power and ROCs to another of the 'green' suppliers for maybe double, but that's only ~£40/year different, and Ecotricity are (a) our domestic 'all green' suppliers (b) a good bunch and (c) have been very helpful with all the paperwork etc needed, so they can keep the 'extra' with my blessing as far as I'm concerned, and put up another few inches of turbine somewhere with it!

Rgds

Damon

DamonHD · « **Reply #9 on:** February 04, 2008, 02:24:44 PM »

Hit 'POST' too fast:

The PV is not in yet: due 25th/26th Feb.
My write-up is here: http://www.earth.org.uk/towards-a-LZC-office.html

Rgds

Damon

Jon Miller · « **Reply #10 on:** February 04, 2008, 02:58:51 PM »

Thats very good of you!

I can appreciate the strive to be carbon natural but a lot of people are more concerned about saving money as well as a return on there investment.

Its interesting to read that the DTI did not mention how an increase in price would effect the uptake of commercial microgeneration back in 2005. http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file27559.pdf

Im interested in this as the document above has been quoted in companies documentation. Also grant funding will need to increase to meet demand as up take will increase due to a short return due to above inflation fuel price rises.

Two turbines have turned up near me 600kW each, thanks for the investment. My land lords dont like the look of wind turbines so dont want to switch to green energy. Green energy also promotes nuclear energy, but i have got off topic.

DamonHD · « **Reply #11 on:** February 04, 2008, 03:09:51 PM »

Solar PV microgeneration won't match grid pricing for a while: I estimate my PV-generated energy to be about 10x the cost of grid-imported energy.

On a large scale wind is already reasonably economical compared to fossil sources, and solar promises to catch up soon for one reason or another.

Microgeneration is going to stay more expensive than grid power unless you are in a remote rural area and have no practical alternative. That's effectively why we have a grid after all.

But you might want to hug a tree or you might want to give yourself some insulation against power cuts if you are in a place prone to them... Both are good non-financial reasons to consider urban (RE) microgeneration IMHO.

In South Africa right now you could be avoiding a 2-hour 'load-shedding' power cut almost every day right now up until 2013, for example, and without needing a noisy and dirty diesel generator. Or look at Eigg switching on their system at the start of the month. The £20,000 per household it cost them is roughly what I estimate it would cost me to come off the grid in urban England, with care.

Rgds

Damon

Jon Miller · « **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2008, 03:35:25 PM »

Your preaching to the converted.

I agree with the 'tree hugging' reasons to be decent reasons by them selfs, on the other hand £20,000 is out of the reach of most people currently. Tying to be practical not negative.

'Renewable loans' combined with price increases in tariff units will open the market further, at a time of a credit crunch this may not happen. The people who buy renewables for personal consumption and to export a small amount are currently few and fair between. The future is looking good just a shame all the moneys is going into nuclear and not grants for renewables.

Good work, worth highlighting the price increase, most people dont know the cost they pay for electricity or how cheap it has been and still is!

Watching this space!

Jon Miller · « **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2008, 03:50:49 PM »

Is your solar system grid-tie only?

I see you have mentioned a sunny boy.

wooferhound · « **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2008, 04:55:08 PM »

Gosh , I feel Sorry for you Guys

My last electric bill calculates out to 7.3¢ per KWH

and no real fixed charges to speak of.

ghurd · « **Reply #15 on:** February 04, 2008, 05:48:50 PM »

Just got the bill. No idea what a KWH costs because of the charges!

"Customer Charge $3.86

Delivery Charge $11.40

Transition Charge $1.99

Generation Related Component $22.54

Transmission Related Component $2.96

Total, $42.75 for 338KWH." I guess that's $0.1265 / KWH.

Nowhere on the bill does it state how much a KWH costs.

G-

kurt · « **Reply #16 on:** February 04, 2008, 06:31:39 PM »

don't have an electric bill handy but last time i calculated the cost it was about $.13 a KWH in the winter time after you figure in all the fees and taxes and everything. It is actually cheaper per KWH in the summer because we use more KWHs so there for the fixed fees impact the total per KWH price less

DamonHD · « **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2008, 12:26:15 AM »

Hi

Yes, though I do have a small off-grid PV system which has powered my office lighting since July...

Rgds

Damon

Capt Slog · « **Reply #18 on:** February 05, 2008, 08:05:37 AM »

I don't think its the meter that's at fault, it's just that British Gas Electric (Bar Stewards) ignore the fact that they are night units and lump the whole lot together.

Under E7, the meter does not run at 1/3 the rate, it's just charged that way.

News:

Author Topic: Electricity now 16p/kWh (Read 3442 times)