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260 Topic threads

Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
Blastoise186Plan Zero Hero
Posted in Home and heating

RTS (Radio Teleswitch Service) Shutdown UpdateF.A.Q.

 RTS Shutdown Update July 2024 Hey! The name’s 186, Blastoise186 and I’m one of the Forum Volunteers who helps to run the show on the OVO Forum. I’ve been working with OVO to get the most up to date information possible for you.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 got RTS? No problem – give OVO a ring and they’ll be able to let you know. You can reach out to them here.All caught up? Great, let’s get started on this late

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Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
7 hours 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

1544
BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
23 days ago
Emmanuelle_OVO
Community Manager
Emmanuelle_OVOCommunity Manager
Posted in Home and heating

Solar installed by OVO? We’d love to hear from youBlog

 Solar 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:  Your advice and feedback might help other community members start their solar journey! 🙂 🌞 

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ChristopherS_OVO
Community Moderator
3 months ago
D
Carbon Cutter***
DomthtcCarbon Cutter***
Posted in Home and heating

Which meter is for which?

I have a THTC meter and a DOM meter, two meters. One is for hot water and the other for electricity.Which meter is for the water? Is it the one labelled THTC or the one labelled DOM? Also, if the DOM is the water and the THTC is the electric, when I switch off the water heater, why doesn’t the DOM stop running? THe DOM meter continues to run and is the Anytime meter reading I have to give .The THTC is the heating meter according to my OVO account.

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D
Carbon Cutter***
2 days ago
B
Plan Zero Hero
BeePeePlan Zero Hero
posted in Home and heating

Comparison of heating sizing methods (simple to complex)

Many thanks for the suggestions for alternative ways of estimating heating demand and hence heat pump size. I have tried a few and the results are in!Our Bryant’s Maldren house has a floor area of around 122 m2 and last year our gas usage (water plus heating) was around 9600 kWh.In all of these methods the “Heat Transfer Coefficient” or HTC is the fundamental value that is calculated, basically how much power is needed to raise the temperature of the house by 1 °C.Rule of thumb methodsThe Michael de Podesta’s video provides an excellent introduction not only to his rule of thumb method but also heat loss calculations in general. It’s well worth watching. Thanks to @BPLightlog for his recommendation.Michael de Podesta Rule of thumbThis is one of the easiest methodsHeat Transfer Coefficient = Annual Usage / 57.3 (For the North West) 9600 / 57.3 = 168 W/K This is actually calculated using:Annual Usage / Degree Days * 1000 / 24Using average degree day from 1976 to 1995 may not be represent

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M
Carbon Cutter*
5 days ago
BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
BPLightlogPlan Zero Hero
Posted in Home and heating

A Solar Sojourn - a user’s tale about getting solar panels fitted to my homeBlog

 Given that there’s a number of organisations including OVO who are promoting solar PV systems, I thought it might be useful to note a few things about my own journey so far. We had solar panels installed in early 2012Preparing for the installand more recently added battery storage.Retrofit Inverter for battery storageThe systems mostly look after themselves but we’ve found support and expertise difficult to find. Our original installer moved out of the industry and so although we were able to get initial queries answered, any follow up from other suppliers has not been straightforward. No understanding of any equipment apart from those they install themselves, difficulty in matching different parts of the system when wanting any additional equipment, and a lack of technical understanding in the technology space of measurement and monitoring. Dual panel array facing East and WestTo be clear, we have not had any operational problems with the original equipment installed and it shows no

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Taj
Carbon Cutter****
8 days ago
M
Carbon Cutter*****
Mike HansenCarbon Cutter*****
Posted in Home and heating

Mon thru Fri Only, still ???

I thought that this round on Power Move was to include Saturday and Sunday's as well as M - F !!!!  Could swear I read that in the introduction letter on the 1st of July (or around there).  Did anybody else see this as well ????  Mike 😵

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M
Carbon Cutter*****
8 days ago
J
Carbon Cutter***
JohnnyMackCarbon Cutter***
Posted in Home and heating

Electricity meter INCLUDES the electricity generated from my solar panels

HI, firstly please forgive my ignorance - I am not an expert in this field.I have PV system on my garage roof comprising 16 solar panels, a Solis inverter and a Pylontech battery.My problem is that my electricity meter records ALL electricity energy used in my house as being supplied by my electricity supplier from the electricity grid but which INCLUDES the electricity self-generated by my panels which has been considerable.My electricity supplier is over charging for the electricity being pulled from the grid as it records self-generated electricity as if it is being supplied by the grid.They have recently installed a new SMETS2 meter but the problem of them also charging me for my self-generated electricity persists (i.e. it is showing all electricity being used in my house as being supplied from the grid) and is costing a fortune! Can anyone help with what may be causing this and how it can be rectified please?

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T
Carbon Cutter**
10 days ago
H
New Member**
HetmorrsNew Member**
Posted in Home and heating

Solis inverter unresponsive?

We were required to do a software update by solis, all was going well until the inverter became unresponsive. The display is lit but all the digits are like black squares. No matter what buttons we press there is no change. It has just stopped working. We have been back in contact with solis and have been given various instructions, but they all require us to select menus on the inverter. They aren't grasping that the buttons don't do anything. So I'd thought I'd ask here if anyone has any ideas about how we get the inverter to wake up and start working.  

3
H
New Member**
11 days ago
Tim_OVO
Community Manager
Tim_OVOCommunity Manager
Posted in Home and heating

Power your heat pump for less with Heat Pump Plus + VaillantNews

Heat Pump Plus add on now available for Vaillant heat pump owners Our Heat Pump Plus add on is now available for customers with a Vaillant heat pump. It can save you up to £495* a year on your heating bill. What is Heat Pump Plus? It’s our heat pump add-on that lets you power your heat pump for less, at 15p per kWh. You’ll pay one rate for the electricity your home uses and a lower rate for the electricity the heat pump uses – saving up to £495 a year on your heating bills. See more information on our Heat Pump Plus page here. What about the partnership with Vaillant? Heat Pump Plus will now be available for customers with a connected Vaillant aroTHERM heat pump. To be eligible you must be an OVO customer with a working electricity smart meter and a myVAILLANT connect internet gateway. Full eligibility criteria listed here. What happens if I don’t have MyVAILLANT connect? Customers with a Vaillant heat pump will need to make sure it’s connected with myVAILLANT connect to access the add

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Abby_OVO
Community Manager
18 days ago
M
Carbon Cutter****
mattwillhillCarbon Cutter****
Posted in Home and heating

Are my solar PV panels connected to my smart meter and measuring my exports correctly?

We recently in Dec 2021 had a large PV solar install completed on our house.  A new 24 panel [385W each] Solar array at 8kW by a seemingly professional company. Disappointingly the install has issues, the main one being that the house utilty meter has the same consumption rate as before the solar install started!  This suggests there is wiring config. or equipment fault issue somewhere or the meter cannot cope with Solar supply since we are having large Solar Yields!         Either way we are none the closer to getting either the solar installer coming back to fix it in a hurry [I don’t think they understand it!] or the Utility company to check  the meter!   All this in rapidly rising energy prices ….. pause to weep …… seriously this is cry for help please, we have spent a fortune for nothing!        One thing that stands out to me, being a lighting engineer [as a I have some electrical knowledge - although a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing!] is that the Solar Installer has w

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N
Carbon Cutter*
1 month ago
M
Carbon Cutter*****
Mbu1982Carbon Cutter*****
Posted in Home and heating

Why is my Solis solar inverter drawing energy from the grid?

Hey everyone, I need some help and advice.  My Solis Inverter still draws minimal energy from the grid even though my solar panels are generating enough energy for use and storage.  The problem is that this minimal amounts are costing me almost £1 a day, around £30 a month. Is there anyone of fixing this issue? Solis says there is nothing that can be done at the moment but have raised a ticket that has not been allocated to anyone.  Would this be the same issue with all inverters? 

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S
New Member***
1 month ago
Abby_OVO
Community Manager
Abby_OVOCommunity Manager
Posted in Home and heating

Viessmann heat pumps are now compatible with Heat Pump PlusNews

Heat Pump Plus is now available for customers with eligible Viessmann air source heat pumps.  This means you can power your heat pump for less and save up to £300 on your heating bills versus your standard variable tariff.* What do I need to be eligible? To be eligible for Heat Pump Plus, you’ll need to: have an energy account with OVO. Not with OVO? Get a quote in just 2 minutes. have a Viessmann Vitocal 150-A or 151-A air source heat pump connected to an active ViCare app account. You may also be eligible if you have a connected Vaillant heat pump, or if you bought your heat pump through our partner Heat Geek. Find out more here. have a smart meter that sends half-hourly readings. If you don’t have one, you can have it installed through OVO at no extra cost.Full eligibility criteria listed here. Your Viessmann heat pump also needs to be connected to an active Viessmann ViCare app account. This lets us make sure the heat pump is connected to the internet, so data can be sent back to V

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Shads_OVO
Community Moderator
29 days 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

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Rocksteady
Carbon Cutter****
29 days ago
J
Carbon Cutter****
johnhspicerCarbon Cutter****
Posted in Home and heating

Generation meter does not have a visible serial number?

We have had solar panels for nearly 15 years now, and they still work fine, generation levels have barely moved in that time. And we have had the same electrical installation throughout, import export meter and separate generation meter. And nearly all the time with SSE.Now of course with OVO, and I am now getting letters asking for a picture of the generation meter-read with the serial number visible. Except there has never been a serial number visible on the generation meter, as loads of SSE engineers have confirmed over the years.I’ve emailed OVO with pictures, written old style letters, and never get a response. And now they are threatening to stop payments.First question is: has anyone else experienced this?Second question: if the current generation meter is no longer compliant, for example if the government now wants proof of the generation with a specific meter serial number (which I can understand being a valid ask to prevent fraud), then I can also accept that OVO are stuck in

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Shads_OVO
Community Moderator
1 month ago
M
Carbon Cutter****
Michael D HendryCarbon Cutter****
Posted in Home and heating

Tapo smart switch - why is my schedule change not working?

I received a couple of Tapo P110 smart switches when I joined, and used one in my garage to control the charging of my plug-in hybrid car. This worked fine when the power move range was 16:00 to 19:00, but repeated attempts to change the schedule for an “off” period of 18:00 to 21:00 have failed. I’ve even tried setting 16:00 to “on” and 19:00 to “off” to override the old settings, but to no avail.Needless to say, I’ve tried a factory reset. Michael

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Shads_OVO
Community Moderator
1 month ago
Tim_OVO
Community Manager
Tim_OVOCommunity Manager
Posted in Home and heating

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) - Getting paid for the energy you export to the grid - FAQsTutorial

Updated on 08/12/23 by Emmanuelle_OVOInterested in getting Solar Panels? Find out more here: OVO are now installing Solar! 😁​​​  SEG - Smart Export Guarantee - Your FAQs What is the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)? The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) gives micro-generators (such as homes with solar panels) the chance to earn money for every kWh of energy they export to the national grid. This replaces the Feed in Tariff (FIT), which was closed to new applicants in 2019. The key difference between the FIT scheme and SEG that generator are only paid for the energy they export on SEG rather than the energy they generate as well, as they were with FIT.  Who can sign up to the SEG tariff? Generators (or homeowners) who own one of the following technology systems; anaerobic digestion, hydro, micro-combined heat and power (with an electrical capacity of 50kW or less), onshore wind, and solar photovoltaic exporters with up to 5MW.  In order to apply for SEG you mustn’t be receiving FIT export payme

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C
Carbon Cutter**
1 month ago
R
New Member**
RosmyNew Member**
Posted in Home and heating

Daily Carbon Forecast

Why Ovo Carbon forecast is not working today? I always follow the advice given on the Ovo website to know when it is cheaper yo use energy but today Ovo has not informed us what to do! Please, help!

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juliamc
Carbon Catcher***
1 month ago
Peter E
Plan Zero Hero
Peter EPlan Zero Hero
Posted in Home and heating

A New Chaos - A Greener Future / The Immersion HeaterBlog

 The earlier parts dealt with the car and the benefits of installing an air-air heat pump (AAHP)  and this part deals with the immersion heater which I initially thought would not be viable but  you can either have a small cost benefit or trade that for a significant decrease in the gas usage.   An immersion heater is just a heater. It has a COP of 1 which means that you only get out as  much heat as what you put in as electrical energy. We could use a heat pump with a COP of 3+  to heat the water in the hot water cylinder but I’m just exploring what the benefits are, if any,  of just using an immersion heater as they are relatively cheap to buy. We have a hot water tank  (in a system boiler) which is fed by a cistern in the loft and it’s a vented system. The tank  heating at the moment takes place with the gas boiler. This is because it is generally too  expensive to use electricity to heat water. The electricity price per unit can be around 25p on the SVT or Fixed Price contract. Sin

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Peter E
Plan Zero Hero
1 month ago
S
New Member*
spacebiscuitNew Member*
Posted in Home and heating

Mitsubishi Ecodan U4 Error Code

Hi all,I have an 11 year old Mitsubishi Ecodan that is showing a U4 error code on the control panel. I’ve looked up the error code:Open or close circuit Ecodan thermistors (TH3, TH32, TH33, TH6, TH7, TH8) – open or close circuit or disconnected from main board.Does this require a straight swap out of the main power baord?Thanks in advance.  

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ChristopherS_OVO
Community Moderator
1 month ago
S
Carbon Cutter*****
Srd02601Carbon Cutter*****
Posted in Home and heating

Best OVO package for old THTC system of heating?

 I was subject to an erroneous transfer, last March 2023. It has taken this long to get a new account number etc. So they are offering me a Simpler Energy package??  I used to have THTC as my storage heaters and hot water took advantage of the cheap rate at night and certain times of the day. Is this Simpler Energy the best package to have????Any comments/recommendations are greatly appreciated! 

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Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
1 month ago
S
New Member*
sandmarkNew Member*
Posted in Home and heating

Need help with FIT payments

Hi can I get Ovo to pay me what I am owed from my solar panels? Since SSE sold us out without warning I’ve not had a single payment from Ovo. I’m tired of being fobbed off with “expect payment in 10days” It never happens. Since my first readings in September I still haven’t been paid and it’s now nearly February. I’ve also given Decembers readings and been told not to expect payment before March.Why is this? It only took SSE 4 weeks to pay out. I am desperate for money and incurring debts I’ve never had before. We hardly dare put on the heating and we are both in our 70s and very poorly. We couldn’t even afford Christmas presents . I am so dejected. I’ve now got a claims number but have been told it will be (guess what) 10 days before they deal with it. This is the third time I’ve rung about it. Why didn’t they give me a claims number after my first phone call? I could have been well through the process by now. Can anyone help or advise me?

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M
Carbon Cutter*****
1 month ago
S
New Member**
stuartiannaylorNew Member**
posted in Home and heating

heatpump install, check the insulation

As you will see in the 1st some sections they didn’t even bother to peel off the adhesive ply. 

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ChristopherS_OVO
Community Moderator
1 month ago
A
Anonymous
Posted in Home and heating

Ecodan QUHZ-W40VA (with thermal store) delay returning to heating after DHW cycle?

HiI have an Ecodan QUHZ-W40VA with a thermal store. After much technical assistance from Mitsuibishi, some installation tweaks and fine tuning by me, the system o/a is performing well. The COP is acceptable, the running costs are low and generally I’d say setup suits the house.Like other heat pumps, mine prioritises DHW. It’s programmed to heat the water once each day. The problem is that I have an experienced a delay before the the heat pump fires up after DHW cycles?The DHW (in my case the water in the store) is usually heated to around 50C. but the HP won’t re-start until the residual heat in the system (according to the thermistors) has dropped to match the heat flow temperature. For example if the flow heat temperature is say 30C or less, the cooling can take a very long time. It’s less a problem when it’s very cold, and more so in the shoulder seasons. Has any one else experienced this? Mitsi say it’s just not a problem and all is working as it should be.

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ChristopherS_OVO
Community Moderator
1 month ago
R
Carbon Cutter*
Raze1000Carbon Cutter*
Posted in Home and heating

Scheduled water heating Mitsubishi Ecodan

I currently have dhw set to heat max 50c and a max temp drop of 10c with a run time of 90 minutes and restricted mode of 30 minutes. Seems to work fine.Wondering about scheduled times though.If I set it to heat early in the morning and again Mid to late afternoon so as to take advantage of any solar power, would that be more economical? I like to know what takes precedence, say for instance the water temp dropped to about 44c just before the second scheduled time, would the water be heated again at that scheduled point or just skip it until the next scheduled time the next morning?Mitsubishi Ecodan with Solar PV

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R
Carbon Cutter*
1 month ago

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