What plan for grid electricity at night.

Discussion in 'Money Management & Banking' started by Angel, 23rd Feb, 2018.

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  1. Angel

    Angel Well-Known Member

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    Hi, I'm looking for some info

    We have recently had solar panels installed and we are still waiting for someone to come out and switch over our old meters, so we are very new to all this. Our system is owned and farmed by Origin and we can use any power generated during the day, but still have to pay a grid supplier for whatever we use at night and when there isnt enough generated for our usage during the day. There is no feed in tarrif. This means they own it and we can use it.

    It is time to work out what provider I want to use and what plan to go onto. We can keep the current one but even Origin currently offers better plans. What I want to know, before I call Origin and ask to speak to someone, is whether you think a fixed one - price /all peak is better than the peak/off peak/controlled that we have already. We intend to get the HWS taken off "controlled", so what is the kind of plan that I need to be searching for?

    Origin has a two year fixed price plan that I like, I want to ensure I ask for the correct service.

    The Origin sub-company who sold us the contract "said" they were going to arrange this for us, but alas the power industry is in some bumfight with the federal govt and aren't particularly helpful atm.
     
  2. Lizzie

    Lizzie Well-Known Member

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    Have no idea what you're talking about - sounds strange - did Origin pay for the system to be installed?

    We simply had a 5kw system installed with batteries - hot water on solar - so far we've produce about 70% of the electricity we use overall, but that's been during summer with the aircon going all day at least twice a week - be interesting to see what winter is like as we use a fire for heating (free firewood too)
     
  3. Stoffo

    Stoffo Well-Known Member

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    When was the last time your meter was read ?
    I dodged getting my smart meter installed for as long as i could.
    Everyday I'd come home and watch the old dial meter spin backward :D
    My bill came in at $2 after 3 months :p

    The supply charges are what really add up :mad:
     
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  4. Ed Barton

    Ed Barton Well-Known Member

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    Can you go totally off the grid? Or do the *******s still charge for something they;re not supplying?
     
  5. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    Well you can, but then you are totally reliant on your own system.

    If you want the security of a guaranteed supply if you need it, then you have to pay for the connection even if you don’t use it.
    Marg
     
  6. Stoffo

    Stoffo Well-Known Member

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    Depends on the state....
    Though i have no proof, happy to be corrected ;)
    Qld I was told have a supply charge much the same as a water supply charge, you have to PAY for the service it because "it is available" :confused:
    Connected or not :mad:
    Most of these services are privatised now, there shouldnt be "a supply charge", the user pays principle should apply :rolleyes:
    I run an economical home, whilst my neighbor runs an air cond all day and the reverse cycle heater at night, I use less than 20% of the electricity they do, but pay the same supply charges (whilst they're considered to be a good customer/consumer )...

    Because I drive past a servo doesnt mean I should have to pay due to fuel being "available" o_O
    Same applies to anything:cool:
     
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  7. Angel

    Angel Well-Known Member

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    The meter is due to be read any day now. The installing electrical contracting company promised to send off the paperwork and we understood it would be a couple of weeks before the meters would be changed over. After four weeks we started contacting the installation company - "we dont do that any more" - and they it didnt occur to anyone there to inform us of this. As for the company who signed us up to the contract (a subsiduary of Origin) - Husband was going to follow them up and I was supposed to "trust him" - well that hasn't happened.

    No one will tell me which company I have to chase up to get the smart meter.
    I will start removing someone's balls on Friday if they cant satisfactorily respond to the new email they will get in the morning - with a photo of our "unsmart" meter box and a screen shot of the page in their contract with the details of how they are going to "do everything" for us.

    Now I will ask you gurus again - what exactly do I ask for when I call the elecrticity company about my controlled-supply Hot Water because I dont want it to be "controlled" any more. I want it to be heating for a few hours during the day. Or will getting a smart meter take care of that issue? I have no idea what a smart meter is - I had better go Professor Google now and find out.

    Sigh
     
  8. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    One of our tenants called a while back to ask if I minded if she declined to be switched to a smart meter. We don't have one at home, and no way will I switch to one unless I'm forced to.

    Google "smart meter dangers" and have a read before signing on the dotted line.
     
  9. Angel

    Angel Well-Known Member

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    Found it. This makes sense now of what Mr Angel was babbling to me about.

    Digital meters

    :)
     
  10. Angel

    Angel Well-Known Member

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    I got the impression that you cant have solar without it, at least not our solar plan. Anyway I had heard of concerns a few years ago from Victoria but never took much notice. We are way behind the other states up here, right. The websites I was just reading all had links to the negative info.
     
  11. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    We have solar but don't have a smart meter (AFAIK). Might check this in case it was upgraded at some point without us being asked.
     
  12. James90

    James90 Well-Known Member

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    The whole meter thing is an absolute joke ATM, the retailers wanted to get their hands on controlling the meters and clearly were not ready for the task.

    As far as I'm aware you have no choice other than getting a smart meter. As for removing your hot water from off peak, just ask for exactly that, you want your hot water taken off controlled tariff and back onto tariff 11, I'm not sure if they will do it or advice it needs to be done by an electrician however it's only a 10minute job.

    My only question would be how your going to "heat it for a few hours in the day" as the hws will have power to it 24hours a day and the thermostat will decide when it heats or not...perhaps a timer in the switchboard would be an option
    .
     
  13. HomePage

    HomePage Well-Known Member

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    When we got solar, I ran the calcs and we only needed to use about 1/3 power off peak for a Time Of Use tariff to be cheaper than a flat rate all day. As it turns out, we use about 60% off peak, so we are much better off with TOU.

    Re controlled load with electric hot water, our new system is programmable, so we have it come on at 12 noon and it takes about 2 hours to do its heating thing, so most of the time it runs off solar generated power. Ours is an energy efficient heat pump, so if yours is older it may take 4-6 hours to heat in which case you'd be better off starting it at 9-10am to take best advantage of solar. As @James90 suggests, a timer in your meter is the best option if your HWS is not programmable.
     
  14. Angel

    Angel Well-Known Member

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    After about an hour on the phone yesterday, I am informed thus:

    Installation electricians have sent off paperwork which has gone via Energex and arrived at Energy Australia yesterday. E A phoned me to blah blah and the smart meter will be installed in approx 30 business days from now (six weeks including weekends). Some important info about the water meter timer was left off the paperwork, but if I want to resubmit my paperwork including the water timer, it will take longer.

    Old Meter was read on Thursday and the new bill for Summer arrived this morning. It is $400 less than it was for the same time last year, so this delay stuff isnt so bad after all. (See Stoffo's post above).

    More news to me is that Energy Au will pay us a feed in tariff (I thought these things were no longer available to new customers) which cancels out the charge from Origin for our rental of their system. Remember the only info I have is the contract from Origin which only tells us half the info, like how we are prohibited from installing a battery and we pay them for all the power generated. I know, it's crazy, right?

    Hubby promises to call EA after the smart meter is installed to get the HWS taken off night time and put onto solar day time and then this little bunny will be one very happy chick.
     
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  15. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    It is so good to get off the phone with someone and have some questions answered. I often end up with more questions than when I started. :D
     
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  16. Angel

    Angel Well-Known Member

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    I had more questions when I got off the phone, but Mr Angel was conscious enough to talk me through them. Why couldn't he do this back in December? Probably pay-back for Gladstone, you know "Trust me" :)
     
  17. Never giveup

    Never giveup Well-Known Member

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    Hello All, do not want to start another thread seems relevent to this post- just wondering, if anyone turns off the main switch of the Hot Water/Controlled Load when go on Holidays?

    (Holidays- not weekend away but few weeks)
     
  18. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    There's no point heating water that you're not using as it still loses temperature and requires heating. Flick of the switch and it's done.
     
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  19. Never giveup

    Never giveup Well-Known Member

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    Appreciate it !

    I have never done it hence asked....

    Another question- 315 Ltr Rheem tank - will need whole night to heat up when come back as if get home in the eveninh, cant take shower ;)
     
  20. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Cold showers are character building (or ask the neighbour/friend to turn it on the night before you get back).
     
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