Fully Charged Live 2023.

This month I drove down to see the Fully Charged Live show in Farnborough.

The Fully Charged Live is a showground event. It is full of everything a geek could want on an electrifying weekend. There are so many electric vehicles and electric vehicle charges on display that you are really spoiled for choice. You’ll also find everything from heat pumps and solar panels to talks and workshops.

@sarah_go_green #fullychargedlive #fullychargedshow ♬ friday im in love m8 – 🦆

There is a second Fully Charged live event which is being held in Harrogate from the 19th to the 21st of May 2023. If you are interested in electric vehicles even if it’s a new obsession or slight interest it is really worth visiting.

Octopus Energy Solar Panels and Heat Pump Installation – How is it going?

Last month I went to visit Octopus Energy. They have two giant unit on an industrial estate in Slough. Here they are on a mission to transform the energy market. They are training their own team of engineers to install lots of new green tech such as heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle chargers.

Training Octopus Engineers.

The first warehouse I went into is where all the training takes place. The mood was defiantly high energy as lots of staff buzzed around the site. There were two full-sized houses built inside the warehouse! Plus two classrooms, and a very chilled-out restroom fitted with games machines and tea and coffee facilities.

@sarah_go_green Take a tour of @Octopus Energy warehouses in Slough. #octopusenergy #greenenergy They distribute #heatpumps and #solarpanels ♬ Happy to Be Happy – Dapun

I watched two of the engineers working on a heat pump. Trainees are given the opportunity to get their hands on the hardware and practice installation on-site. It ticks so many boxes in terms of thinking about how we can transition to electrification. Someone has to install this green hardware and with a shortage of trained engineers, this is the perfect way for Octopus to not only keep an eye on standards but get more engineers out into the field where they are needed. They aim to train at least 1000 new Octopus engineers.

Getting the hardware in and out of the Octopus warehouse to customers at speed.

The second warehouse was just a few minutes walk away. It is a large unit of around 18,500 sq ft.  Yet again I was met with lots of enthusiasm by staff who were beavering away. Actually, I would say Beavering doesn’t quite hit the spot as they were going at quite a pace. They would have left any beaver in the dust! 😀🦫

The second warehouse is relatively new and needs a total fit-out. This is where all the hardware comes in from suppliers and goes out again to Octopus customers.

I spoke to one gentleman who was heading up the warehouse. In his previous job, he worked on setting you temporary sites for the BBC, such as the one at the Glastonbury Festival.  Time and efficiency were defiantly high on his priorities. What should take months to set up he was hoping to achieve in a matter of weeks!

Octopusing away to get things done at speed.

I soon came to realise that just beavering away isn’t good enough for Octopus Energy. It is a million miles from describing what Octopus is doing here in Slough. They are Octopusing away relentlessly but still had time for some pink fun. I lived the slide in the staff room.

Training new staff to fill a gap in the UK market is no easy task.  Not only are Octopus doing this, but they are also doing it in a way that leaves staff happy and indeed energised.

You have to admire Octopus Energy. If they see a problem, such as a lack of engineers they try and fix that.  If they need to bring costs down they go to great lengths to do that too. They have even bought a flipping heat pump factory in Ireland!

Thank you for a wonderful day. The staff were very welcoming and extremely enthusiastic.  May the Octoverse continue to grow at speed!!

Octopus drops the price of its EV tariffs.

When you drive electric it’s really important to get a good EV tariff if you can charge your electric vehicle (EV) at home. However, over the last 18 months, there has been a very steady increase with off-peak rates going from 5p per kWh to 12p per kWh.

Today for the first time in 2 years Octopus has lowered the price of both of its EV tariffs. Both Octopus Go and the intelligent tariff have seen a price decrease of around 20%.  Hopefully, this means there is light at the end of the tunnel and we can hope for the return of cheaper fixed rates across the board this summer.

@sarah_go_green @Octopus Energy #gotariff #intelligenttariff #intelligentoctopus #octopusgo #octopusevtariff #octopustariffs #smarttariffs ♬ Happy Ukulele – TonsTone

Octopus Go is now 9.5p per kWh for 4 hours of off-peak EV charging and the Octopus intelligent tariff is 7.5p per kWh off-peak for a whopping 6 hours off-peak.

The day rate for both EV tariffs has also gone down slightly but it does depend on your geographical location.

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WILL MY THE UNIT PRICE AND STANDING CHARGE GO UP OR DOWN FOR ENERGY IN APRIL 2023?

Today in the budget, it was announced that the Energy Price Guarantee will continue until July 2023. This is excellent news as the 20% energy price increase that would have gone ahead in April 2023 is now cancelled.

@sarah_go_green The Energy Price Guarantee will continue until end if June 2023 #martinlewis #energybills #energypriceguarantee ♬ Little Things – Tiqta

There will be a slight increase in energy bills in April.  The standing charge will increase for both electricity and gas. This is where you will find the biggest increase. The unit rate will go down for electricity to 0.69p per kWh. Gas will increase but by a very minimal amount.  Households with lower energy use will notice the change it’s the standing charge that’s had the biggest rise.

Energy Price Guarantee Unit Price and standing charge from April 2023 to July 2023

• Electricity –  Will go down from 33.97p per kWh to 33.28p per kWh. Whilst the standing charge will increase from 47.52p per day to 518p per day.
• Gas – Will up from  10.39p per kWh to 10.47p per kWh. Whilst the standing charge will increase from  26.84p per day to 27.47p per day.

These figures show a comparison of the Octopus Flexible tariff before and after the 1st of April 2023 in South Wales. You can view the new rates here.

Martin Lewis on the April Energy Price Guarantee extension.

Martin Lewis from Money Saving Expert campaigned relentlessly for scrapping this increase. Thankfully, the budget extended the EPG today.

Wholesale energy prices are falling. The Energy Price Cap, however, is based on historical wholesale energy prices and is still higher than the Energy Price Guarantee.  If the discount had ended in April there would have been a 20% price increase on most household energy bills.

Martin Lewis gives an excellent overview of where we are in terms of the standard variable rates for energy.

CONFIRMED: April 20% Energy Price Guarantee bill rise postponed.

Briefing on what this means in practice, the new unit charge & standing rate, what this means for fixes…. pic.twitter.com/wsIBKsINtE

— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) March 15, 2023

April 2023 Energy Price Guarantee after July 2023.

By July 2023, wholesale energy prices will have fallen to a level lower than the Energy Price Guarantee. As a result, the Energy Price Cap will be amended and government assistance will no longer be needed.

I am hopeful that we will begin to see Octopus Fixed deals arrive in the coming weeks. I don’t anticipate them to be drastically lower than the rates we will pay in July when the Energy Price Cap is reviewed, but it is still worth keeping an eye out for. A fixed deal has always been my preference.

Two years ago just before the energy crisis, I was shouting “FIX” through my blogs, and I will continue to do the same. The biggest advantage of Octopus is that there are no exit fees, and this makes it a no-brainer to go for it! The world at the moment is very unpredictable and changing events could impact wholesale energy prices again. Hopefully, we will be able to witness the return of Octopus Fixed deals in the near future and take advantage of the security that a fixed deal offers in these uncertain times.

APRIL 2023 ENERGY PRICE INCREASE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED.

In April 2023 energy prices will increase by 20% for the vast majority of households in the UK. There are roughly 27 million households in the UK. According to Ofgem, around 4 million households are on fixed energy deals and 24 million are not. If you are not on a fixed deal you may want to brace yourself for further price increases on your monthly energy bill.

Wholesale energy prices have been falling but not fast enough. There is still a long way to go and support is still needed for households. The level of support however is being reduced by the UK government but is the right thing for them to do?

UPDATE THE 20% PRICE INCREASE HAS BEEN CANCELLED – READ THIS BLOG POST.

Why are energy bills going up if wholesale energy prices are dropping?

The Energy Price Cap is based on historical energy prices. It is based on wholesale energy prices for the last 3 months. Energy prices have indeed fallen but there is still a long way for them to come down.

The Energy Price Guarantee is currently below the Energy Price Cap. The Energy Price Guarantee is the price set by the government which states the most an energy supplier can charge you for gas and electricity per kWh. The government then pays the difference between the Price Cap and the Price Guarantee to the energy supplier. So you get cheaper bills and the government picks up the tab.

• Energy Price Cap – Set by Ofgem and is based on historical energy prices.
• Energy Price Guarantee – The limit set by the government which dictated the most a customer will pay for their energy. It is currently a discount on your energy bill as the Energy Price Cap is higher. The government pays for this discount.

These figures show you how much the government paid per household based on typical use up until April 2023.

• Energy Price Cap – On “typical use”  is £4279 up to the end of March 2023
• Enerf Price Guarantee – On “typical use” is £2500 up until the end of March 2022
• The government based on typical use pays energy suppliers £1,779 per household to the energy supplier.

From April 2023 the government is reducing the amount of discount they are giving customers under the Energy Price Guarantee. Energy wholesale prices have dropped but they are still higher than the Energy Price Guarantee.

• Energy Price Cap – On “typical use” is £3,280 from 1st April 2023.
• Energy Price Guarantee – On “typical use” £3,000 from 1st April 2023.
• The government based on typical use pays the energy suppliers £280 per household to the energy supplier

So the government will still need to pay energy suppliers on our behalf but not as much as wholesale prices have dropped and they have reduced the amount of discount they will give households. Households will pay more, the government will provide less support. That’s why energy prices are going up for customers.

How much will the government save?

As I understand it there has been a 90% underspend on the government budget as wholes prices have dropped. This is why people like Marin Lewis are screaming for the Energy Price Guarantee to stay at its current price. Customers are at breaking point and the budget is there to offer support until July when hopefully the Energy Price Guarantee is no longer needed.

Energy Support Scheme

It is also important to remember that the £66 payments under the Energy Support Scheme which all households have received will end in March 2023. Some may be still eligible but not every household will receive the payment. So that will mean your outgoings on your energy bill will be more than an extra 20% rise. 

Martin Lewis explains why energy prices will increase in April 2023.

Why the energy price cap will fall in April, but we’re all set to pay 20% more.

Courtesy of @GMB pic.twitter.com/B6ar4DcCWe

— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) February 27, 2023

The price increase isn’t a shock as was announced in the last budget. Reducing the discount households receive under the Energy Price Guarantee means that energy bills will increase by 20% to make up for the shortfall.  Some may argue that this is fair as the government doesn’t have an unlimited supply of cash but campaigners like Martin Lewis have been calling on the government to reverse their decision.

When will we see our energy bills go down?

As the Energy Price Cap is based on historical wholesale energy prices and wholesale prices are continuing to fall we should see prices fall below the Energy Price Guarantee by July 2023. I am hopeful of an Energy Price Cap of around £2,100 by July.

I am a big advocate of reducing consumption and load shifting. This means ducking and diving to try and say money using less energy or using energy off-peak. At the moment that is the only real way to save money, you have to hustle by adding solar panels or just using your white goods at night when energy is cheaper. (You need to be on a time-of-use tariff)

My preference has always been a fixed energy deal but they have been off the scene for quite some time, however, as wholesale prices continue to fall I can see them making a comeback by the summer of 2023. At this point, I think you should grab a fixed deal with two hands and hold on tight! You can always switch tariffs if they fall further but it gives you lower prices guaranteed for a longer period of time.

Let’s hope we see these new fixed tariffs emerging very soon!

Ripple Energy Solar Park.

Today Ripple Energy launched its 3rd Project, which will be a solar park in England. I have bought shares in the first two projects. The first is already providing me with savings on my energy bills and the second should come online at the end of the year.

@sarah_go_green I co own my own wind turbine in Wales. It’s through a company called Ripple Energy. I paid about £200 for my share. It’s a bit like crowd funding. Profits come off my @Octopus Energy energy bill. #rippleenergy #windturbine #crowdfunding #renewableenergy #greenenergy #costoflivingcrisis #moneysavingtips #greenenergy #Wales #energydeals ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

Investing in Ripple Energy’s, third project, a solar farm could be a great way to reduce your energy costs and contribute to the fight against climate change. With Ripple Energy, you can now co-own a solar farm and benefit from the savings of renewable energy. By pooling resources with other investors, you can access the advantages of owning a solar farm without having to worry about the upfront cost or maintenance. With Ripple Energy, you will get access to clean electricity generated by your own solar farm and enjoy long-term savings on your energy bills.

You might want to be sitting down– this one’s a biggie!

We’ve been working on this for a while and we’re delighted to share that Project 3 is a solar park! Watch @SpeakSarahSpeak and the whole Ripple tell you more 💥

Sunny regards, Team Ripple ☀️☀️☀️ pic.twitter.com/0EJOuNdAp5

— Ripple (@RippleEnergy) February 27, 2023

I hope project 3, will be quicker, as I am just guessing a solar park might be easier to construct than a wind farm.  The sooner it comes online the sooner people can save.

You can read my review of the first Ripple Energy project here.

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I borrowed a thermal imaging camera from Octopus Energy.

In 2018 I moved into a new build home and since that day, my bedroom has always been the coldest room in the house. I assumed that the bedroom was cold as it is above a garage.  I  learnt to live with it. However, after adding a bit of tech into my home, in the form of wifi radiator vales, I discovered how much colder my room was. It was consistently at least 3-4 degrees cooler than the rest of the house.

As my home is protected by the NHBC warranty for ten years I decided to complain to my home builder.  After a few cold months, they arrived, in the summer only to confirm that everything was as it should be. They told me I had adequate insulation above the bedroom in the loft and below the bedroom in the garage.

Fast forward 6 months and throw in a thermal imaging camera.

In January of this year, Octopus Energy loaned me a FLIR thermal imagining camera. The thermal imaging camera came with a handy booklet which explained what to look for. Apparently, 25% of your heat loss at home goes through the roof!

I charged the camera up and whilst having difficulty sleeping I decide to point it at my bedroom ceiling. I was agast! There were zebra stripes of heat loss all across the room. The temperature differed by around 4 degrees in rolling stripes all across the ceiling. That’s why my bedroom was always cold!!!

@sarah_go_green @Octopus Energy has loaned me this thermal imaging camera. I want to reduce heat loss in my home and #savemoney #flipcamera #insulation ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

The thermal imaging camera Octopus Energy loaned me instantly saved the video clips to my phone. So I instantly emailed it to my home builder and pointed out that despite their survey there was obviously something wrong with my insulation!!

Two weeks later I am typing this blog post in a very cosy bedroom!! It is quite staggering the difference the correct insulation has made. It is now one of the warmest rooms and is a much nicer space to relax in. Imagine how much money I must have been wasting on heating this space just for it to head up into the loft!

What is a thermal imaging camera and how can it help?

A thermal imaging camera can be a great way to save money on heating bills in the UK. Thermal imaging surveys create a visual picture of a home or building so that areas of poor insulation and inefficient appliances can be detected. This helps identify hidden sources of energy loss, such as loft insulation. By identifying these inefficiencies, households can make their homes more energy efficient and reduce their energy costs.

Thermal imaging cameras help detect issues that would otherwise remain hidden from view, providing an easy-to-understand visual representation of where efficiency improvements could be made to reduce energy costs across the home or building. I would never have been able to call my homebuilders to account without it!

@sarah_go_green Get notified of @Octopus Energy #trackertariff pricing every day. No need to check. #shortcut #energybills #hacks ♬ original sound – sarah_go_green

By providing a three-dimensional image of the home or building’s thermal profile, these cameras can help pinpoint where insulation may need to be added or adjusted in order to target certain areas that are causing the most energy consumption. Thermal imaging cameras are an efficient way to identify air leaks and other potential sources of energy loss, making them an invaluable tool for those looking for ways to save money on their heating bills. 

How do you borrow a thermal imaging camera from Octopus Energy?

The list is closed for this winter but you can sign up for winter 2023 on this Octopus blog post.  If you think you have issues in your loft it would be well worth hiring a thermal imaging camera now.  I would have saved so much energy if I had been able to identify my loft insulation issue earlier.

Save money on your energy bills by using a thermal imaging camera.

The energy crisis in the UK has seen annual energy bills skyrocket and homeowners have had to find ways to reduce their energy loss. One way of doing this is by investing in insulation, which can be detected using thermal imaging cameras.  Thermal imaging cameras can also identify issues such as drafts, poorly fitted windows, and other potential sources of energy loss in a home, allowing homeowners to make informed decisions about how best to address any problems that may arise.

I owe someone at Octopus a beer!