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311 Topic threads
Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
Blastoise186Plan Zero Hero
Posted in Home and heating
RTS (Radio Teleswitch Service) Shutdown UpdateF.A.Q.

Updated on 14/11/24 by Abby_OVO Check out our dedicated RTS FAQs page for more information. RTS Shutdown Update July 2024 Hey! The name’s 186, Blastoise186 and I’m one of the Forum Volunteers who you’ve maybe seen helping around here. I’ve been working with OVO to get the most up to date information possible for you and they’ve passed over the following helpful updates and details.One of the recent hot questions we’ve seen on the Forum (for a while now) is what’s happening to RTS meters. The RTS (Radio Teleswitch Service) is shutting down soon, which especially affects complex ones like THTC (Total Heat Total Control). I’ve covered this before in one of my older posts linked below – so check that out if you’re interested in why this is happening. That post already has many questions covered, so this one will focus purely on the next steps.Radio teleswitch (RTS) shutdown sunset FAQIf you’re interested in what all the different meter types are/were - just ask below. Not sure if you’ve go

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T
Carbon Cutter**
5 days ago
Shads_OVO
Retired Moderator
Shads_OVORetired Moderator
Posted in Home and heating
Upcoming Heat Pump Plus Trial

What is it?We’re launching the UK's first nationwide heat pump flexibility trial, where heat pumps automatically reduce energy use during peak demand without affecting your comfort or heating.  This trial will help us understand how we can use smart tech to improve the grid for a greener future. We'll be offering this trial from mid November throughout winter. We’ll be collecting data about energy consumption and how this level of flexibility impacts customers.  We’re working with Nesta, the UK’s social innovation agency. Nesta’s aim is to find new ways to tackle society's big problems in education, the environment and health. Customers who take part in the trial, which includes completing a few surveys and interviews, will receive a £100 shopping voucher from Nesta at the end of the trial period. Who is eligible? To take part in the trial customers will need to have a compatible Vaillant aroTHERM 3 post 2016 or an aroTHERM Plus heat pump with a connected myVAILLANT Connect internet ga

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Shads_OVO
Retired Moderator
1 month ago
BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
BPLightlogPlan Zero Hero
Posted in Home and heating
Dashboard for Home UsageBlog

With the raft of online apps and services now in everyday use, I had begun to get frustrated that for some simple things (like thermostats, energy usage and security cameras) it was necessary to open a whole array of different programs. I stumbled across the concept of gathering these together under one service and now have a very easy, comprehensive option via something called Home Assistant (HA). (available on mobile app and pc)Although it has been many years since I did any real programming, I decided to try out this system and have found it a lot easier to put together and operate than I expected.First of all, I need to say that it is often not totally without cost. The system can be run on an existing computer but as the service really needs to be running all the time, most people tend to use some sort of minicomputer. I used something called a Raspberry Pi. This is a small electronics board – which can be bought as a full system or piece by piece – which links to your broadband r

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BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
6 months ago
Emmanuelle_OVO
Community Manager
Emmanuelle_OVOCommunity Manager
Posted in Home and heating
Solar installed by OVO? We’d love to hear from youBlog

Updated on 09/10/24 by Shads_OVOSolar power is a great way to generate your own renewable energy, and gain energy independence. We’re proud that we’re now offering solar, even if you’re not an OVO customer. If you’ve recently begun your solar journey and had your panels installed by OVO we’d love to hear more about your experience.  Not yet had solar installed but thinking about it? See our solar product page.  Whether you’ve already got solar panels, are interested in getting them installed, or are simply a green tech enthusiast here to find out more – we’ve got a number of topics here on the Forum which may interest you. Find out more about OVO’s solar offering:   Check out this collaborative user guide to all things solar:   Here’s a community members guide to help if you’re planning a DIY-approach to installing solar panels:  We're also looking to get some feedback from customers who have Charge Anytime and Solar, on what they would like to see if we were able to offer both service

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Chris_OVO
Community Moderator
8 months ago
Jess_OVO
Retired Moderator
Jess_OVORetired Moderator
Posted in Home and heating
Heat pumps - What’s your experience of the benefits and downsides to an ASHP?SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE

Updated on 12/12/23 by Abby_OVO  Advantages and Disadvantages of Air-Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) - Share your experience As one of the leading options in our journey to decarbonising the way we heat our homes, Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) are really heating up (pun intended) and generating much discussion, both amongst the AHSP trialists here on the OVO community and in this recent article written by our content team covering both the advantages and disadvantages of this low carbon heating set-up. We know a lot of you here have gained first-hand experience of life with an ASHP in 2021 and we want to give you another chance to share your stories and help others considering an ASHP installation in 2022 and beyond!  As the article outlines one of the main benefits of opting for this heating system over alternatives will be it’s green credentials: “They don’t give off any nasty carbon emissions” How important was this as a factor in making you decide on an Air-Source Heat Pump and how do yo

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nealmurphy
Carbon Catcher***
6 hours ago
K
Carbon Cutter*****
kbrown36Carbon Cutter*****
posted in Home and heating
RTS switch over, Perthshire

So today is the day I am due to get smart meter installed to replace old (Payg) THTC in PH2 postcode area in Perthshire.    Will update on how it goes.Heating in house is provided by old style storage heaters in lounge and hall with panel heaters (that we don't use) in bedrooms.Hot water is immersion.  

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Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
7 hours ago
Rocksteady
Carbon Cutter****
RocksteadyCarbon Cutter****
posted in Home and heating
Home micro power station.

Just to introduce myself.I am a retired electrical and aeromodelling engineer, my wife and I live in west Wales as from 1987, I have worked for most of that time as a self employed electrical engineer working in a variety of industrial settings in a very rural area.I have been encouraged by others in this forum to share my ideas and findings so that others with cranky thoughts and ideas might benefit, also that I might gain a nugget or two of useful know how.Back in 2000, I wound down my electrical engineering due to the enormity of red tape that went with it. My wife and I then deviated into model aircraft kit manufacturing, that had the blessing of no red tape which is rare these days. Anyhow, we did model air trade shows which meant being out in an open field for a good few days totally off grid. This is where I began to use the knowledge gained over the years to facilitate this. I decided to install wet NiCad cells in the caravan rather than use lead acid batteries. I did this beca

18615
Peter E
Plan Zero Hero
14 hours ago
N
Carbon Cutter****
NidaSheikhCarbon Cutter****
Posted in Home and heating
Very high usage while on holiday.

Hello,I was averaging around £35 per month in September and October (I just moved into this flat in September). My November bill was £60 which was a jump but I assumed it was because I was running the heater more, however I would like to mention my flat is very well insulated so while the radiator is on it only automatically turns on if it is less than 18C, so I would estimate over the day my radiator is probably running for around 3hrs a day  I am on holiday right now and have turned off all the switches in my house except my fridge and WiFi machine. I was looking at the energy consumption and on 3rd of Jan my energy consumption was 45kWh, which is higher usage than when I am home. I have been on holiday since the 24th of December and will be on holiday till the 14th of Jan. What should I do? 

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Emmanuelle_OVO
Community Manager
16 hours ago
Peter E
Plan Zero Hero
Peter EPlan Zero Hero
posted in Home and heating
The 'Coldest' Day of the Year

I got my A2AHP last year in May and ever since then I've actually been looking forward to the onset of winter to see how it will perform. It's actually doung quite well but in thinking about last year's data (collected so I could measure the performance for this heating season) it suddenly occurred to me that there is a point where you have used 50% of the heating energy for that season. I was walking the dog so I had to wait until I had got back home again, reasoning during that time that it had to be somewhere towards the end of January or perhaps even very early February. Well, it turned out to be the 20th January so my title to this is actually misleading to the extent that local weather conditions could make it a warmer day rather than the coldest. So, keeping the title (never let the facts spoil a good title) the period between the 10th and the 30th January is likely to be the coldest period where you use the most heating and you could consider the 20th January to be the psycholo

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Peter E
Plan Zero Hero
4 days ago
M
New Member*
Mike1965New Member*
Posted in Home and heating
Does OVO have back boiler parts available?

Hello, would OVO be able to repair a  Baxi back boiler ? I want to get cover for it but trying to find out if my baxi Bermuda bbu15he will be covered with parts etc . Thank you 

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Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
7 days ago
T
Carbon Cutter****
TayUKCarbon Cutter****
Posted in Home and heating
Tado V3+ thermastat issues

I’m writing this on behalf of my 85+ year old mother. Apologies for the long post but it does explain pretty much perfectly the issue.  Shes with OVO and has been for many years, this year her very old manual thermostat started playing up and heating was coming on in the middle of summer and was a nightmare.  I saw the Tado V3+ (Wireless Thermostat, Internet bridge and wireless receiver) deal OVO were offering earlier in the year and she bought it.   Eventually an electrician installed this around June, it's been working perfectly since then with her Baxi EcoBlue boiler. As she is on approaching 90 and is quite frail, shes like to have the heat on so its been working from around October/November time, she likes it at an indicated 23degs. I dont think it is quite that high but feels better than the 14degs  on her old thermostat!!  We have a schedule setup so from 10pm-7am daily she has it set at 14 degs C, 7am-10pm 23degsC. Her bungalow has exceptional insulation and over night, even wh

18719
B
Plan Zero Hero
9 days ago
Abby_OVO
Community Manager
Abby_OVOCommunity Manager
Posted in Home and heating
Power your solar battery with low cost, greener energyNews

What is Battery Boost? Battery Boost is our new solar battery add-on. It uses our smart charging technology to allow us to top up your battery when your solar panels aren’t generating enough electricity from the sun.  What are the benefits?We’ll continue to charge your battery even when the sun isn’t shining, at an exclusive rate of 10p per kWh, meaning you can power your home for 58% cheaper than your usual rate*. Our smart charging tech ensures that your battery will be charged at time’s when the grid is using cleaner energy**. You can continue to sell back any unused energy at your usual export rate.  How does it work?All electricity you use will first be charged at your normal OVO electricity rates. At the end of the month, we’ll work out how much energy you’ve used to charge your battery. We’ll then add credit to your energy account in the first 7 working days of the following month. This means the cost of powering your battery reflects the 10p per kWh rate for Battery Boost. For

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Emmanuelle_OVO
Community Manager
12 days ago
C
Carbon Cutter*
Chris ACarbon Cutter*
Posted in Home and heating
Gas meter valve hasn't opened valve after top up?

Hi there, I appreciate this has probably been asked and answered many times, but I've just topped up my Ovo card, inserted into my meter and the gas valve hasn't opened. There's £58 on the meter, the meter says ON B3, but I've got no supply. This hasn't happened before, it usually opens after a few seconds. I was directed by the Chat Bot to call 0800 111999 and they hung up on me. I'm working a late shift tomorrow and I'm not going to be able to get anything done now until after Christmas.  It's quite an old meter. I've attached a photo of it. Is there a procedure to get the gas valve to open? Thanks.  Chris  

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C
Carbon Cutter*
15 days ago
C
Carbon Cutter*
CutliffCarbon Cutter*
Posted in Home and heating
No gas supply to house- How do I get help over the festive period?

Hi There,Bit of an odd one here.Used gas last night as per usual no problem but came into house early tonight (23rd) and no gas throughout house.Checked with neighbours and their supply was ok so tried to contact OVO but it was shut.Went outside to check gas meter and the display was blank so in desperation turned off stop valve and pressed the red and black buttons several times and opened the valve again.Eventually the display lit up with the message "opening valve " and then the display returned to a normal setting.I went back into house and the gas supply was as back.Is this normal as I know electricity trips but gas and is it likely to happen again and is it safe.Any explanations would be greatThanks in advance

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Bradley_OVO
Community Manager
15 days ago
S
Carbon Cutter*****
SorinCarbon Cutter*****
Posted in Home and heating
Mitsubishi Ecodan Produced energy shows 'INVALID'

Hello! I own a Mitsubishi Ecodan 14kW and the display shows ‘INVALID’ when selecting Delivered Energy. It runs ok, it records Consumed Energy. I remember that in the past the section showed some calculated values. Please see the right column, the second icon with battery with value 4321kWh. I have all the sensors, including external boiler (that did never needed to start)Can anyone advise there to look ?A picture from the book, just as an example is below. Thank you in advance for any suggestion 

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Abby_OVO
Community Manager
19 days ago
spmsupun
Carbon Catcher*
spmsupunCarbon Catcher*
Posted in Home and heating
Can an electric boiler consume electricity while not in use?

When I first moved to OVO, I didn’t have an IHD, but now that I do, I’ve figured out why my usage seemed so strange. I have an electric boiler, and I’ve noticed it uses electricity even when I’m not using hot water or heating. Sometimes it runs for hours, and other times just for about few minutes. The usage varies between 3kWh and 6kWh. Is this normal for an electric boiler, or could there be something wrong with it?

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spmsupun
Carbon Catcher*
21 days ago
H
Carbon Cutter*
hotfigsCarbon Cutter*
Posted in Home and heating
Does the OVO sold Tado support OpenTherm

On the Tado website it looks like there are two versions of the Wireless Smart Thermostat Starter Kit V3+, one with OpenTherm and one without. Does anyone know if the one that Ovo are selling is the OpenTherm version or not? Thank!

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Chris_OVO
Community Moderator
22 days ago
T
Carbon Cutter****
Tazzyy74Carbon Cutter****
Posted in Home and heating
I think my meter may have been tampered with?

Hi I need help I'm been charged 300 / 400 for electric some months I'm single parent in 3 bedroom house and my heatings been off since it warmed up in Feb 2022 .I've nothing turned on hardly in my house just a freezer fridge that run all day I have no heating we sleep down stairs but I'm still getting outrageous bills .A meter reader said whwn I posted a picture of my meter it's been tampered with but my energy company won't listen they said the locks still on it but theirs more wires than b and q 

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Chris_OVO
Community Moderator
23 days ago
S
Carbon Cutter*
steven1purse2Carbon Cutter*
Posted in Home and heating
My Solis inverter always shows limbytemp whenever it's around 30 degrees Celsius outside

My Solis inverter always shows limbytemp whenever it's around 30 degrees Celsius outside. The internal temp is around 84 degrees Celsius. It's not in the sun and is in a breezeway. The fan seems to be working. Is this normal. Any advice would be much appreciated 

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BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
24 days ago
G
Carbon Cutter*
gdebruin
Posted in Home and heating
Underfloor heating Mitsibushi Ecodan System

I have recently moved into a new property that uses a heat pump.  It seems very energy “heavy” at the moment.   I check the readings hourly and use around 10kw every hour as things stand at the moment.  The system is set to run 2 zones and both zones make use of the consumption curve.  House is not boiling warm but is confortable around 10deg but just cannot see why the pump runs 24/7 non stop.  Any advice would be much appreciated.  Is it standard to use so much energy on the heatpump on cold days and does this alwyas run 24/7.  

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juliamc
Carbon Catcher***
25 days ago
juliamc
Carbon Catcher***
juliamcCarbon Catcher***
Posted in Home and heating
Gas boiler lower flow temperatures: it it a good idea ?

I’ve suggested to a friend that he will get a more comfortable heat from his combi boiler with radiators by turning the flow temperature down and running the heating for longer. He’s done this and agrees. However, his recent boiler service engineer told him not to do this ! He said “Condensates can build up and cause corrosion to components (long-term). Units are designed for mid- to high-running.” Odd that they can be turned right down then…. 🤔 How true is this about the corrosion?

876
Nukecad
Plan Zero Hero
25 days ago
Tim_OVO
Community Manager
Tim_OVOCommunity Manager
posted in Home and heating
Air source heat pumps (ASHP) and drainage - Why do heat pumps emit so much water?

As we’ve got plenty of Air-Source Heat Pump early adopters here, we’re hoping you might be able to share your experience of a little discussed aspects of your heating system: drainage. Have you noticed your outside unit emitting water? If so are there any factors that increase or decrease the amount of water released? 

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M
Carbon Cutter**
27 days ago
S
Carbon Cutter*****
SorinCarbon Cutter*****
posted in Home and heating
Mitsubishi Ecodan not switching accoding to Cost Boiler selection

Hello! I own a Mitsubishi Ecodan / Zubadan ASHP 14kW with a gas boiler attached as backup heat source. It can help in colder periods but it should also switch based on energy price.Mitsubishi also released this document https://hoctorrefrigeration.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/ECODAN-Hybrid-Boiler-Application.pdf Which states that it can be achieved but it is not technical. The HP has an Intelligent operation mode where it can select Cost based between electricity and gas based on the price/kW of each energy. I expect as example that at a certain outside temperature,COP=3 and 3kW heating are produced from 1kW electricity1kW electricity costs 0.6. But it produces 3kW heat with a cost of 0.2 /kWheat 1kW produced with gas costs 0.2 => it pdocudes 1kW heat with a cost of 0.2=> it should stay as soon as the outside temperature drops and COP drops => it should switch to gas boiler.Settings:Service menu / Operation settings / Boiler Operation / Hybrid settings/Priority Mode: Cost Se

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S
Carbon Cutter*****
28 days ago
Tim_OVO
Community Manager
Tim_OVOCommunity Manager
Posted in Home and heating
Solar Photovoltaic (pv) panels: Installation, apps, export payments and ROI - User guideTutorial

Updated on 05/06/24 by ChristopherS_OVO:Interested in generating energy from the sun? 🌞 Guess what...   Thanks to the help of our PV champions and Plan Zero heroes, we’ve put together a collaborative guide to all things solar.  Thinking about getting into the micro-generation game but don’t know where to start? - Check out the info below for what you might need to consider before  joining the solar panel club.  Below is a series of experiences and insights from community members for you to get a different point of view on this energy generating tech. Please note that this is not the viewpoint and advice of OVO. As always, it’s important to do your own research. Check out our Forum guidelines here. How many PV panels do you have, and what type?    I have PV panels - 14 of them, styled “8.33 285w ETERNITY+10 PV modules”.  They are made by Table Trading S.L. aka 8.33 Solar.      I have a 4kW domestic solar PV installation since 2016.· The array is 12 x 330w Panasoni

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BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
28 days ago
B
Carbon Cutter*
Brennie66Carbon Cutter*
Posted in Home and heating
What is most efficient way to run heating for my Mitsubishi Ecodan Air Source Heat Pump?

So confused, what is most efficient way to run heating. At moment I do not have it on timer (as advised) I have it set at 19, then turn down to 15.5 when too warm in flat. I have my water on timer coming on an hour in morning & hour at night. I have 2 bedroom flat and live on my own. Being a pensioner I need it to run efficiently. Thanks 

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Emmanuelle_OVO
Community Manager
28 days ago

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