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Which technologies do you have? Which tariff are you on? Multiple answers, please Poll is created on Dec 09, 2025

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Poll for Time of Use, tariffs, technology

 
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Electricity, Tariffs, Monitoring & Providers
Last Post by JamesPa 1 minute ago
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 Tim441
(@tim441)
Prominent Member Contributor
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 368
Topic starter 12/12/2025 3:22 pm  

@jamespa business case for batteries is not simple and at end of day may partly be a leap of faith! A few comments for mix. I'm on Intelligent Go import and Fixed 15p export. Cheap imports at 7p. I have solar too.

  • I fill batteries at night through summer and force export during day.  In previous years i exported say 2500kWh but this year with extra forced exports it will be around 7500kWh. Income ~ £1000
  • In winter i force charge at night but use that myself. Minimal exports in heating season. 
  • I have a limitation due to older inverter. Max charge/discharge rate is 2600kWh. Making it harder to maximise both imports & exports. So Flux unlikely to work for me.
  • This year with added imports above I'll import ~ 14500kWh. Hoping to keep the average nearer 8p. Meaning net cost is near zero.
  • But my large heat pump means i will import some energy at peak rates on coldest days. Mild winter days the overnight + battery means i can use cheap rates only. 

When i installed the batteries in 2020 the installers told me it was too much with 3 x 8.2kw. In reality its been great. Most modern inverters will charge/discharge at faster rates and I'd recommend people looking at new installations consider that in the mix.

 


Listed Grade 2 building with large modern extension.
LG Therma V 16kw ASHP
Underfloor heating + Rads
8kw pv solar
3 x 8.2kw GivEnergy batteries
1 x GivEnergy Gen1 hybrid 5.0kw inverter
Manual changeover EPS
MG4 EV


   
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 Tim441
(@tim441)
Prominent Member Contributor
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 368
Topic starter 12/12/2025 3:25 pm  

@papahuhu lithium prices have turned higher last few months. It may be that we're around cheapest battery prices? 

We will only know with hindsight!


Listed Grade 2 building with large modern extension.
LG Therma V 16kw ASHP
Underfloor heating + Rads
8kw pv solar
3 x 8.2kw GivEnergy batteries
1 x GivEnergy Gen1 hybrid 5.0kw inverter
Manual changeover EPS
MG4 EV


   
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 Papahuhu
(@papahuhu)
Trusted Member Member
Joined: 4 months ago
Posts: 32
12/12/2025 4:06 pm  

@tim441 

im not in the industry so you may be correct, I’d heard they were now sub 100USD per kWh for domestic cells and under 80USD for industrial cells.

All I do know is I paid an awful lot more than that and I thought I had a bargain! I’d love to buy 3PW3 expansion packs but even with the current discounts they will never payback, so I won’t. My single one was necessary to get me on the VPP platform and that was added value.



   
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 JamesPa
(@jamespa)
Illustrious Member Moderator
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 3687
12/12/2025 4:22 pm  

Posted by: @papahuhu
↑

With an EV IOF doesn’t work, so no meaning to pay a premium to get a smart battery.

 

Why do you say that, surely it depends on how much you use for the EV relative to other uses, or is there something more than that?


4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.


   
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 Tim441
(@tim441)
Prominent Member Contributor
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 368
Topic starter 12/12/2025 4:28 pm  

Typo... of course Max charge/discharge rate is 2600kWh. 

Should read: Max charge/discharge rate is 2.6kWh. 

 


Listed Grade 2 building with large modern extension.
LG Therma V 16kw ASHP
Underfloor heating + Rads
8kw pv solar
3 x 8.2kw GivEnergy batteries
1 x GivEnergy Gen1 hybrid 5.0kw inverter
Manual changeover EPS
MG4 EV


   
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 Papahuhu
(@papahuhu)
Trusted Member Member
Joined: 4 months ago
Posts: 32
12/12/2025 4:40 pm  

@jamespa 

It’s a nett metering tariff, so import and export are the same price. Plus the compatible batteries are generally more expensive. So you have to have very light import to make a short return on investment. 
Plus the downside is that octopus/Tesla  takes complete control of your charge and discharge cycles and whether the batteries supply your house/car loads or the grid. You can’t even drop your minimum discharge level below 20%, whereas I’d like it to be 5%. Little niggles like that are the downside, but they do pay you on average about 27p for your export vs 15p on outgoing octopus. 
I don’t know if they are still doing it, but about 6 weeks ago octopus were offering amazing prices on PW3 and expansion packs, it was something like £3500 per expansion pack if fitted at the same time as the master unit. Tesla has since dropped their prices by £375 per pack, so they could be even better value now. Octopus enphase batteries were very good value at the time too, but not checked for about about 18mths. 


This post was modified 21 seconds ago by Papahuhu

   
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Toodles
 Toodles
(@toodles)
Illustrious Member Contributor
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 2341
12/12/2025 4:40 pm  

@tim441 What’s a dot and a few noughts between friends?😉.


Toodles, heats his home with cold draughts and cooks food with magnets.


   
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 JamesPa
(@jamespa)
Illustrious Member Moderator
Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 3687
12/12/2025 4:45 pm  

Posted by: @tim441
↑

Typo... of course Max charge/discharge rate is 2600kWh. 

Should read: Max charge/discharge rate is 2.6kWh. 

Being pedantic I think it should probably read should read: Max charge/discharge rate is 2.6kW 

 


4kW peak of solar PV since 2011; EV and a 1930s house which has been partially renovated to improve its efficiency. 7kW Vaillant heat pump.


   
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