Measuring real time gas consumption

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • HenGus
    Automated Home Legend
    • May 2014
    • 1001

    #61
    Originally posted by DBMandrake View Post
    Ah, no wonder Bulb didn't work out for you for such a low usage, due to their higher standing charges.

    According to this article your 7641kWh for gas (or even 10000kWh) is WAY below the average household.
    Don't tell my wife.

    Comment

    • bruce_miranda
      Automated Home Legend
      • Jul 2014
      • 2307

      #62
      I really can't understand how the Smappee gas and water meter monitors work. How can you measure gas using a clip around the gas pipe? Has anyone on there actually got a Smappee device for gas or water?

      Comment

      • HenGus
        Automated Home Legend
        • May 2014
        • 1001

        #63
        Originally posted by bruce_miranda View Post
        I really can't understand how the Smappee gas and water meter monitors work. How can you measure gas using a clip around the gas pipe? Has anyone on there actually got a Smappee device for gas or water?
        I think that Paul has had a review copy.

        Comment

        • DBMandrake
          Automated Home Legend
          • Sep 2014
          • 2361

          #64
          Just noticed when logging into loop today that Bulb no longer shows up as the top recommendation in my loop summary, when I click through to uswitch it doesn't show up in the "Only show me plans uSwitch can help me switch to" option anymore.

          If you choose the "show me the whole market" option it does still list it there third from the top but says "This supplier has not made this plan available through uSwitch". This has only changed since yesterday, and Bulb only have one tariff so its not as if only this tariff from bulb isn't available...

          It's not just Bulb either - a number of other suppliers that were the front runners in uswitch's switch to recommendation as recently as yesterday are now also in the same status. In fact of the top 10 choices ranked by price only one of them can now be switched to using uswitch. (EDF Energy - which comes in 5th using my usage data)

          Wonder what happened ? Did uswitch fall out with some providers ?
          Last edited by DBMandrake; 20 January 2017, 05:44 PM.

          Comment

          • HenGus
            Automated Home Legend
            • May 2014
            • 1001

            #65
            Originally posted by DBMandrake View Post
            Just noticed when logging into loop today that Bulb no longer shows up as the top recommendation in my loop summary, when I click through to uswitch it doesn't show up in the "Only show me plans uSwitch can help me switch to" option anymore.

            If you choose the "show me the whole market" option it does still list it there third from the top but says "This supplier has not made this plan available through uSwitch". This has only changed since yesterday, and Bulb only have one tariff so its not as if only this tariff from bulb isn't available...

            It's not just Bulb either - a number of other suppliers that were the front runners in uswitch's switch to recommendation as recently as yesterday are now also in the same status. In fact of the top 10 choices ranked by price only one of them can now be switched to using uswitch. (EDF Energy - which comes in 5th using my usage data)

            Wonder what happened ? Did uswitch fall out with some providers ?
            This is happening a lot following last year's CMA report. I switched to Iresa last month - I had to switch via their website. It could be that they are managing customer flow or it could be that they don't want to pay referral fees.

            Comment

            • paulockenden
              Automated Home Legend
              • Apr 2015
              • 1719

              #66
              I never did get a review unit of the Smappee gas/water - only the electricity one.

              I believe the clip to the pipe thing is just a fixing method. It actually uses either magnetic pulse or photoelectric sensors to read pulses from the meter.

              Comment

              • dty
                Automated Home Ninja
                • Aug 2016
                • 489

                #67
                Originally posted by DBMandrake View Post
                Ah, no wonder Bulb didn't work out for you for such a low usage, due to their higher standing charges.

                According to this article your 7641kWh for gas (or even 10000kWh) is WAY below the average household:

                Gas and electricity guides from OVO Energy. Get advice direct from the energy suppliers on gas and electricity bills.


                Let's just say that my usage is quite a lot higher than their "average" figures, even though Evohome has cut my gas usage by about 30% in the winter and 50% in the summer.
                LOLZ! When I moved in here and tried to switch supplier, the new one said we're on some special national register of large gas users. To get on that, you have to use 76,000 kWh/a. Apparently, the guy who'd been living here before was actually using 97,000 kWh/a! At 100,000 you get classified as a commercial user! He was paying £300pcm for energy and said "it's a large, draughty old house". More money than sense.

                I changed to Sainsbury's Energy (on Loop's recommendation). Their unit price was considerably lower than anyone else in the market. Their standing charge is a bit higher, but that's more than offset by the unit prices.

                We're on Sainsbury's Energy Price Promise October 2017, and paying 1.69p/kWh + VAT, and 32p/day + VAT before duel fuel + DD discounts.

                These last few days, our energy usage (combined gas + elec) has been approaching £11/day according to Loop!
                Last edited by dty; 20 January 2017, 09:29 PM.

                Comment

                • bruce_miranda
                  Automated Home Legend
                  • Jul 2014
                  • 2307

                  #68
                  There aren't any images or videos online of the gas and water installations.

                  Comment

                  • dty
                    Automated Home Ninja
                    • Aug 2016
                    • 489

                    #69
                    Originally posted by HenGus View Post
                    An excellent and helpful review - thank you. In case anybody is thinking about switching to Bulb, it is a supplier (and it may be the only one) that makes an extra charge for an IGT gas supply. If I recall, it is about £100 a year extra.
                    We've had IGT charges from one of the big six before now. I think they're getting rarer and are mostly for the little players these days. After the RMR, the big six might not even be allowed to charge them.

                    Comment

                    • dty
                      Automated Home Ninja
                      • Aug 2016
                      • 489

                      #70
                      Originally posted by DBMandrake View Post
                      Why 5% ?
                      VAT on domestic fuel is 5%

                      Comment

                      • HenGus
                        Automated Home Legend
                        • May 2014
                        • 1001

                        #71
                        @dty. Ever thought of getting a FLOW boiler - if you haven't got one already.

                        Comment

                        • dty
                          Automated Home Ninja
                          • Aug 2016
                          • 489

                          #72
                          Never heard of them. Looks interesting. Can't find any info on OpenTherm compatibility.

                          I'm hunting for replacement boilers at the moment, but struggling to find anything that the manufacturers will admit works with OpenTherm, and which has a good modulation range.

                          Comment

                          • paulockenden
                            Automated Home Legend
                            • Apr 2015
                            • 1719

                            #73
                            Sorry - two conversations going on in this thread!

                            For those still talking about the Smappee gas and water, look at their FAQs, which explain it. https://www.smappee.com/be_en/faq/in...how/cat_id/16/

                            Comment

                            • HenGus
                              Automated Home Legend
                              • May 2014
                              • 1001

                              #74
                              Originally posted by paulockenden View Post
                              Sorry - two conversations going on in this thread!

                              For those still talking about the Smappee gas and water, look at their FAQs, which explain it. https://www.smappee.com/be_en/faq/in...how/cat_id/16/
                              I am watching Only Connect at the moment: I think that the common link on this thread is Consumption!!

                              Apart from the cost for this device, the other thing that would put me off is the need for power access. The leads look quite short so the power socket would need to be close to the meters. Not the usual arrangement in the average garage.

                              Smappee were showing a 10% discount couple of days ago.

                              Comment

                              • paulockenden
                                Automated Home Legend
                                • Apr 2015
                                • 1719

                                #75
                                The power connection for the electricity monitor is REALLY important. It means the device can measure voltage and phase angle as well as current, so you see real power (kw and kwh) rather than apparent power (VA) like you get with most other power meters.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X