Thread: Power prices, gas prices- ouch or Solar perhaps?

Originally Posted by Redback

Mate, we're lucky to get 2 weeks of sunny weather down here

Three years with out a winter on Ships. Two years HMAS Hobart. Only time I had a tan on my very white skin. The yearly summertime week the ship was in Hobart sent my skin back to White

PS BCC excision in March booked and more for my Short and Sandals only dress code at sea for most of the time! Slip Slop Slap!!

Add the sunshine is nice here today. Car and batteries are charging nicely. CODED day for firyies types tomorrow - Hoping I am bored!

Originally Posted by Redback

Mate, we're lucky to get 2 weeks of sunny weather down here

Hi,
20 panels 12 years ago and we have been in credit ever since.
When the wood stove (cooking, heating, (7 radiators) and hot water) died, we switched to smart panel heaters and electric hot water.
That upped our consumption, and eroded the credit very quickly.
Replacing the panel heaters with HVAC returned us to negative bills again even with a bit of spot heating when it is really cold.
Judicious use of 'time of use' tariff helps a bit.
The next step is to get a smart switch in the fuse box to control the hot water to off peak only, with a priority on solar peak times.
I could put a battery in, but I don't think it is economical, yet. Summer time credits presently are covering the winter load by about 10%.
Cheers

Originally Posted by austastar

Hi,
20 panels 12 years ago and we have been in credit ever since.
When the wood stove (cooking, heating, (7 radiators) and hot water) died, we switched to smart panel heaters and electric hot water.
That upped our consumption, and eroded the credit very quickly.
Replacing the panel heaters with HVAC returned us to negative bills again even with a bit of spot heating when it is really cold.
Judicious use of 'time of use' tariff helps a bit.
The next step is to get a smart switch in the fuse box to control the hot water to off peak only, with a priority on solar peak times.
I could put a battery in, but I don't think it is economical, yet. Summer time credits presently are covering the winter load by about 10%.
Cheers

Thanks mate, I'll discuss this with the daughter in the morning, we don't have radiators, we do have a radiant combustion heater and aircon, the aircon is used mostly when we are out to heat or cool the house for when we get home, but it doesn't get used very much.
The house is very well insulated, something we insisted on with the renovation.

There's a few things to nut out but so far it's looking pretty good, our biggest power draw are Freezers, being rural they do come in handy.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

Originally Posted by NavyDiver

Three years with out a winter on Ships. Two years HMAS Hobart. Only time I had a tan on my very white skin. The yearly summertime week the ship was in Hobart sent my skin back to White

PS BCC excision in March booked and more for my Short and Sandals only dress code at sea for most of the time! Slip Slop Slap!!

Add the sunshine is nice here today. Car and batteries are charging nicely. CODED day for firyies types tomorrow - Hoping I am bored!

I'm a volenteer firey for TAS FIRE, so I'm hoping for a quiet season also, our farm is surrounded by Pine and native.

Originally Posted by Redback

I'm a volenteer firey for TAS FIRE, so I'm hoping for a quiet season also, our farm is surrounded by Pine and native.

About a Hundred Tassie forest crew were helping here. Thank You For Your Service mate. Hope your BORED as well

Originally Posted by Redback

........, our biggest power draw are Freezers, being rural they do come in handy.

Hi,
Getting those freezers on a timer should help save some $, and avoid peak prices (if you are on time-of-use tariff)
Oz smart things
12 Whitecross Road
Bli Bli QLD 4560
Australia
Smart Home, Shelly Switches, GPS Tracker - Oz Smart Things

Get the 15A ones.

Cheers

Originally Posted by austastar

Hi,
Getting those freezers on a timer should help save some $, and avoid peak prices (if you are on time-of-use tariff)
Oz smart things
12 Whitecross Road
Bli Bli QLD 4560
Australia
Smart Home, Shelly Switches, GPS Tracker - Oz Smart Things

Get the 15A ones.

Cheers

If you just want to control it at the power point these are awesome. I've been known to turn my coffee machine on before I get home. Because they are interenet connected the time stays precise.

The timer I have in my switch board for the HWC is a PITA as the time drifts .. or you have an outage and forget to adjust it.

Bunnings Australia

Originally Posted by austastar

Hi,
Getting those freezers on a timer should help save some $, and avoid peak prices (if you are on time-of-use tariff)
Oz smart things
12 Whitecross Road
Bli Bli QLD 4560
Australia
Smart Home, Shelly Switches, GPS Tracker - Oz Smart Things

Get the 15A ones.

Cheers

We've decided that from the weather we've had this year and the past 4yrs, we have decided to put the timers on all year round, given where we have the freezers now, and that previously we only had the timers on in winter.

Thank's for the link too, there are some great options available, our solar bloke is himself off grid, and has similar a setup at home as us(has 3 kids extra) he uses some of the gear from that link.