In the past when my tariff expired I just emailed them and told them the tariff I wanted to be switched to and they did it for me as I was having issues selecting a new tariff through the online account/email quote they sent.

@george, they are yet to reply to an email for me – but I just select a new tariff via the site like I said.

I see they have delayed their new July tariffs/billing, so still on my old rate for now.

Time for our next switch. Symbio just sent us an email with their latest tariffs and loyalty rate has gone up 5p per kWh.

Ouch.

ive just checked online and for our postcode the best they are offering is 15p per kWh

@george, that's fortunate for you guys. I guess we're quite rural and we've always battled to get great rates. After a quick search, I've not been able to get a tariff less than 18p. At these rates running an ASHP starts to become a financial issue.

Hi Mars,

We moved to Avro Energy a couple of months ago and got a fixed rate of 16.15p/kWh with a daily standing charge of 17.85p, though we moved mainly for their gas price.

Now may be the time to start looking at improving your insulation. Do you have much window area, which is normally a greater source of heat loss per square metre. Secondary glazing such as that produced by Storm Guard could be useful, particularly in rooms not often used during the colder months. I have also considered secondary glazing using perspex sheeting, that can be fitted during the Winter and removed during the Summer.

I remember that you said that some of the wall insulation was questionable, there are expanding foams which can be used to fill voids.

I have also been looking at ways to improve the efficiency of ASHP's during the colder months. If you wish I can provide details.

@derek-m, we have been addressing leaks and insulation this summer. The issue is that even with those things addressed the increase is not financially viable. I'm going through the numbers this afternoon and it's not looking like we'l be using our heat pump very much this winter if we can't get a much cheaper tariff. 

@derek-m 

Have had a look at Avro & their tariffs do look quite competitive compared to some of the other providers. 
What is their customer service like? Are they based in the UK? 

We would be interested in finding out more about how to improve the efficiency of ashps during the colder months. 
Thank you 

Hi Mars,

Your home is much larger than ours, so is obviously going to be more expensive to heat.

We try to utilise whatever energy source is available to reduce our carbon footprint. We use solar gain from the conservatory, even when it is quite cool outside. We also use excess energy from our solar PV, after the water tank is up to temperature. You could do the same since your iBoost diverter is capable of diverting any excess energy to a second load. Our Immersun diverter initially heats the water in our hot water tank, then diverts any excess energy to an electric heater situated in the hallway. In this way we utilise excess energy rather than exporting back to the grid.

Hi Info,

We have only been with Avro Energy for a couple of months, but the reviews I looked at prior to switching were quite reasonable. The switch went without a hitch and they keep taking the correct amount of money and supplying the goods.

As you are probably aware, the efficiency of ASHP's starts to reduce as the ambient air temperature falls below about +5C. So if it were possible to keep the temperature of the air flowing through the ASHP's at no lower than +5C, it would maintain it's efficiency. On Sunny days during Autumn, Winter and Spring there is still quite a considerable amount of solar energy hitting the ground, the problem being how to capture and store this energy for later use. I carried out some test in April this year using a rig consisting of a plastic milk bottle to which I fitted a short length of 15mm diameter copper pipe. The rig was filled with 2 litres of water. By placing the rig outside in the sunlight, I could heat the water from less than 10C to between 30C and 40C, even when the ambient air temperature only reached a maximum of 17C.

My proposal would therefore be use one or more solar thermal panels connected to a suitably sized and insulated water store (plastic water butt or similar) via an electrically controlled valve. The valve would be in the upper pipe connecting the top connection of the solar thermal panel, to the upper section of the water store. The valve being opened when the temperature in the solar thermal panel exceeds the temperature in the water store. A return pipe would be required from the bottom section of the water store, so that heat energy from the solar thermal panel would be transferred into the water store via convection. The water in the water store would require sufficient antifreeze to prevent the water from freezing.

A second set of pipes from the water store, via a control valve, would be required to be connected to a heat exchanger (think car radiator or similar) which is mounted at the air intake of the ASHP. A temperature sensor mounted in the air intake would be required to open this second control valve when the air temperature falls below +5C. Warm water would then flow from the store and heat the air going into the ASHP. In this way the stored heat energy could be used to improve the efficiency of the ASHP.

For best operation the system should be mounted close to the ASHP, from which an electrical supply, to operate the controls, could be obtained.

I have estimated a system utilising one solar thermal panel and a 200L to 300L water store could be built for approximately £1000.

Obviously not everyone will have the required space to install the system as described above, and also its benefit during cloudy weather will be limited.

If anyone requires any further information then please feel free to ask.

@derek-m, just got a quote from Avro. 18.5p / kWh. I can see us struggling to get lower than this.

What has caused wholesale electricity prices to go up so much?