- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
What's the break-even time period on an average solar install these days?
Energy bill increases
- Thread starter GuyBoden
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
chris-suffolk
Über Member
Mine was just under 6 years, but probably not average as I've had it a few years now.
its not easy to work out unless we know current kwh usage, size of system you required, selling back to the grid, battery storage etc etc….
what i do know, is right now they are getting pricey to install and long wait times.
gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
That may be as demand outstrips manufacturing....company I work for has had just about the entire roof decked out with panels, circa £1 million pounds worth, took a few weeks to get it all installed If companies are switching on re the energy savings and joining the clamour....
chris-suffolk
Über Member
Mine was easy to calculate - just add up the FIT payments until they exceed the purchase cost - so less than 6 years. Probably less than that if I include the reduction in my electric bills, which I didn't.
But theres no fit payments anymore…….
I paid £5300 for my system, which at .33p/kwh, would buy me 16,000 kwh of electricity at current prices. I use around 1800 kwh per year, so thats around 8.5yrs worth of electric…..but thats a back of fag packet calculation and not really the best way to work it out.
Last edited:
chris-suffolk
Über Member
Yes, I know that, but the original question was 'how long is the payback'.
Which is harder to work out with no fit payments, very low grid export rates and variable size systems and usage…..
Chislenko
Veteran
Submitted my electric reading the other day and we are £150 in credit.
Our usage has gone down by 350kw over the same period last year.
We brought our Halogen Cooker back from Portugal and since then we have hardly used either of the built in ovens. Previously they would have been on nearly everyday and for a lot longer than the Halogen Cooker.
Our usage has gone down by 350kw over the same period last year.
We brought our Halogen Cooker back from Portugal and since then we have hardly used either of the built in ovens. Previously they would have been on nearly everyday and for a lot longer than the Halogen Cooker.
chris-suffolk
Über Member
Yes, agreed.
I guess one way, would be to cost out your reduction in usage based on average for (say) the last 5 years, and add on the amounts you do get for grid export.
FIT was easy, they pay (63p /kwh) regardless of whether I export it or use it myself. This year over £2700 in payments, so pay back would be quick. Guess that's why they stopped FITs.
Yup, currently the best fixed rate is 15p……from octopus. They do an agile rate, but no guarantee of what you get and ive only had my system around 6wks, so got no early amounts to go by.
which is did the arbritary calculations above, but not the best way to work it out really
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
Seven days.
5kW x 7 days x 16h per day.
It was foggy here all week. The sun broke through for an hour yesterday - first time since a week last Friday. It was getting dark at 2pm today!
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Yes, and you appear to have answered "how long was the payback?" which is interesting but different.
Whenever I look, it usually seems to be 8-15 years with an average of 9.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Radiators generally bigger but some needed replacement anyway. Pipework only what was needed to connect the pump outside instead of a boiler inside (but the old boiler position could not be used for a new one either: the old one was melting the neighbours' gutter!) and remove the open loft tanks from the system. No underfloor (but possible in future) and insulation was already good. No mains gas here, and a heat pump beats an oil boiler hollow.
Indeed. You can also get gas boilers with variable flow temperature and weather compensation control, which would be more efficient than how most are used now... but one day, electric prices will be unlinked from gas and, as someone pointed out earlier, we're not likely to make gas domestically any time soon, but home electric generation will just keep improving.
rogerzilla
Legendary Member
I think we'll try to buy somewhere where a GSHP can be installed but I'd also want a wood stove for emergencies and for raising the temperature rapidly when needed. This probably means something out of town.
