My smart home

Discussions around the latest tech at home: EVs, solar, smart heat, battery storage and more

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Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) cost analysis - how does it compare to a ga...

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Introducing Charge Anytime - next generation EV charging

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Air source heat pumps: are they right for me? Interview

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356 Topic threads

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Carbon Cutter*****
kentbodCarbon Cutter*****
Posted in My smart home

What is the best EV charger for OVO Anytime?

Good morning, be gentle first post here and looking for some advice…. i am an OVO Customer of many years. i have an EV car on order and its arriving 1st week of March 2023 looking to fit a home charger. ive been reading up about chargers and seen there is lots of talk about Zappi 2 chargers seem to be the best one in the market currently.  can the forum give advice on the chargers OVO do and can i use a Zappi 2 with the OVO Anytime and Anytime + rates please ? any help on this would be appreciated thanks 

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Blastoise186
Plan Zero Hero
1 month ago
R
Carbon Cutter****
rodmanCarbon Cutter****
Posted in My smart home

Had Solar Panels and Storage Batteries installed- OVO now questioning low meter readings?

We have this year installed solar panels and storage batteries to supply an alternative 240 volt circuit to part of the house to reduce our electricity cost. This has worked out well and our electricty supplied by OVO has dramatically reduced. Now OVO  on entering the latest meter reading is questioning our low meter readings.Any advice on how we proceed with this? We have no issue with the company inspecting our meter or checking out our solar system.

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Carbon Cutter*
1 month ago
M
Carbon Cutter*****
Mbu1982Carbon Cutter*****
Posted in My smart home

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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BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
1 month ago
G
New Member***
Gill PhillNew Member***
Posted in My smart home

Is there a Forum group for: Shift and Save?

I thought there was a specific forum for those participating in shift and save - this forum seems to be a general ovo customer forum? I understand that you wouldn't use washing machine, tumble dryer and maybe the oven, but can you use central heating for example during the shift and save hours?? Thanks

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EllieElectro
Carbon Cutter*
2 months ago
R
Carbon Cutter*
RogGCarbon Cutter*
Posted in My smart home

Consumption displayed on Solarman App not working as it should?

I have a bluesun BSE6KL1 hybrid solar inverter  (rebadged Megarevo R6KL), battery storage, tied to the grid but no feed-in tarriff.The Solarman App displays the input to the inverter from the PV panels, battery charge/discharge, Grid In/out and “consumption”.I understand that the “consumption” figure should reflect what energy the house is using. Sadly it only displays 11 watts… Any thoughts?

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R
Carbon Cutter*
2 months ago
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New Member*
design4pNew Member*
Posted in My smart home

Why are renewable energy costs increasing due to wholesale gas prices?

OVO says that it uses 100% Renewable Energy which means that no fossil fuel is used -  So why is the astronomical price increase of OVO energy related to the wholesale price of fossil fuels.I can only assume that OVO energy is NOT 100% Renewable and as such been lying to all its customers.I have noticed that with so many energy companies claiming to be 100% renewable I understand that there is simply not enough green energy available.  So who is telling the truth?Any comments welcome - John 

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BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
2 months ago
Transparent
Carbon Catcher***
TransparentCarbon Catcher***
Posted in My smart home

Obtaining import and export permissions from your Distribution Network Operator (DNO)Tutorial

Updated on 10/05/22 by Jess_OVOOne of our community members has detailed some of the certification needed when exporting energy to the national grid. It’s worth mentioning here that these certifications are subject to changes so we’d recommend getting in touch with your local Distribution Network Operator (DNO) to check the current requirements.  The regional Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) must be contacted when permission is required for certain higher-power devices which import or export electricity. These include PV Solar Panels, Home Battery Storage, Wind Turbines, Electric Vehicle chargers and Heat pumps. Export :G98 (was G83); a single device which exports no more than 16A per phase (3.68kW) to the Distribution Grid.G99 Fast Track; required for sites where two or more export devices are installed, but only one exports to the Grid. The other device(s) therefore have G100 accreditation (see below).G99 Full; required for sites where more than one device can export to the Grid

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Carbon Cutter*
2 months ago
M
Carbon Cutter****
mrmojorisin04Carbon Cutter****
posted in My smart home

How quickly do your radiators get up to temperature with a heat pump (ASHP)?

Having recently enabled weather dependant mode and as the temps have dropped, my target LWT is 55° today.After 2.5 hours of pump operation this morning (outside temp 1°), the LWT has reached 49°. Does everyone else’s system take this sort of time to get up to temp? Just want to check what the norm is before raising a query to Retrofit/Daikin.

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J
Plan Zero Hero
2 months ago
W
Carbon Cutter****
WarrenmCarbon Cutter****
Posted in My smart home

Best OVO Energy tariff / plan for charging my electric vehicle (EV)?

I am expecting my EV in November , I’m an SSE ENERGY customer, SSE have pointed me towards ZOOM EV for my EV tariff , they say I have to join OVO .. I’m not at home during the day so all my charging will be done overnight, the info I see is the tariff is set 24hrs a day at 16.7p KWH , I was hoping for an off peak discounted rate …. Can someone Please help, advise and ping me in the right direction if what to do that is the cheapest option thanks  

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T
Carbon Catcher*
2 months ago
T
Carbon Cutter*****
TD12345Carbon Cutter*****
Posted in My smart home

I have an EV and may switch soon- Any point getting Smart Meter installed?

i have an EV and my contract with OVO is up for renewal next month - I also only have electricity with OVO, due to having Oil instead of Gas so i’m not able to move onto OVO Drive !.Is it worth getting the meter installed with OVO if i end up having to move to another supplier?  or wait until i move and get them to install?

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nealmurphy
Plan Zero Hero
2 months ago
Tim_OVO
Community Manager
Tim_OVOCommunity Manager
Posted in My smart home

Solar Photovoltaic (pv) panels: Installation, apps, export payments and ROI - User guideTutorial

Updated on 14/04/22 by Jess_OVO 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 Panasonic HIT N Hybrid Modules. We chose Panasonic as it came with 25 Year Performance

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New Member*
2 months ago
B
New Member**
bennett_saraNew Member**
Posted in My smart home

Linking my OVO account to Tado Smart Thermostats

Good morning, I saw something about linking your OVO account to my Tado smart thermostats. How do I do that? I bought them separately as I needed wired thermostats rather than wireless. Thanks 

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Tim_OVO
Community Manager
2 months ago
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Carbon Cutter***
Susanfl17Carbon Cutter***
Posted in My smart home

OVO Power Move, can you tell me more?

I have read somewhere that Ovo have introduced a scheme/ plan where you can get up to £100 back for reducing usage between certain hours

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M
Carbon Cutter**
2 months ago
R
Carbon Cutter*****
Rick HCarbon Cutter*****
Posted in My smart home

Finding the best export tariff to support my solar panels and reduce energy costs?

Hi,Below a copy of my recent email to OVO, Octopus and Tesla UK.Email Subject Header: Will I just be whistling in the wind, whilst drowning and/or being electrocuted trying to plug my extension lead into an offshore turbine? Well, let's find out... Re: Octopus, OVO and Tesla UK domestic energy and including UK domestic SEG export and fixed price duel fuel import. I'm currently on a UK fixed domestic duel fuel contract with OVO until October 2022 but because of the likelihood of another crippling rise in grid supply energy costs I'm looking ahead. This not just for the best UK fixed grid duel fuel import cost but also the best UK SEG export tariff. I am currently under no export contract with my existing supplier OVO, or anyone else.  I meet all UK SEG export requirements with a domestic total solar installed capacity of 2.64 kW.  I'm disabled, 65 years old, effectively medically retired and subsist on a fixed income. Therefore, unfortunately I'm unable to afford battery storage for eff

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New Member***
2 months ago
F
Carbon Cutter*****
foxCarbon Cutter*****
Posted in My smart home

Heat pump running from electric generator - how to?

Hello.I'm trying to calculate the power consumption of a heat pump so that I can buy an electric generator with the required power production in case of a power outage.My heat pump specifications:  Do I understand correctly that the value specified in the specification "maximum current: 13 Amperes" is the current consumed in only one phase? That is, in total, the heat pump will consume 39 amperes (15600 watts) in a worst case?Or is it the total current consumed by the all three phases (5200 watts)?Also, it is interesting to know recommendations for starting a heat pump from a generator as a whole: what are the pitfalls; how much generator power reserve is needed; what about compressor starting currents, etc.Thank you.

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BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
2 months ago
NinjaGeek
Carbon Catcher***
NinjaGeekCarbon Catcher***
Posted in My smart home

Electric vehicle home charging pointsTutorial

Updated on 26/05/22 by Jess_OVO Our EV Everywhere bundle has now been replaced by OVO Drive. Check out the deals we offer on Smart EV chargers, some of which may also allow you to access our exclusive charging rate with the Anytime add-on.  There appears to be several EV drivers on this forum which is fantastic! So I thought, why don’t we start creating topics to help new OVO/EV drivers find out what the best or most used apps are, which charging point is good for them and more.I thought I would start with Home charging points. If anyone wishes to add additional information to this. Please go ahead!Just before I note down a list of Charging points, you need to take these into consideration with the “OLEV Grant”The OLEV Grant, specifically named the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), provides up to £350 off the cost of purchasing & installing a home charging point from 1st April 2020. EV home chargers installed before 1st April 2020 benefit from a higher £500 OLEV grant. It’

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M.isterW
Plan Zero Hero
2 months ago
K
New Member*
Karlb1New Member*
Posted in My smart home

How do I get the new tadoº smart thermostat I recently bought installed?

Recently bought and had supplied the new tarda thermostat but I’m finding it difficult to locate an electrical company who can fit it for me at the £60 charge that was advertised whilst taking out the offer

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M.isterW
Plan Zero Hero
2 months ago
M
Carbon Cutter*****
MrsHCarbon Cutter*****
Posted in My smart home

Solar Inverter- Warning messages?

Saw this message on the inverter in the loft today, will I need a new inverter? It’s an Aurora PVI 3.6 installed by previous house owners in 2014. The company that installed the solar panel system are no longer in existence so I’m wondering how to make sure I get a reputable company to look at it.Any advice appreciated.

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M
Carbon Cutter*****
2 months ago
C
New Member***
Coldspur AndyNew Member***
Posted in My smart home

Anyone had their Power Move £20 credit from November yet?

Anyone on Power Move trial received their £20 credit earned in November yet? - I had email on 1/12 confirming this would be credited ‘soon’ - 15 days is stretching the definition of ‘soon’ somewhat!  Have emailed OVO as instructed by a Customer Service chat bot but they don’t seem to be in a hurry to reply! Have my Dec bill and nothing- It would be useful to have a date to expect these credits. 

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Tim_OVO
Community Manager
3 months ago
T
Carbon Cutter****
timtoosCarbon Cutter****
Posted in My smart home

Mitsubishi Ecodan Air Source Heat Pump - Low Efficiency

Hi all,We built a house and it was finished in 2019.  Its to the latest build spec regards to insulation and the likes.  Its over 3 levels, ground, first and second floors.  Its 5 bedroom, two main baths, a downstairs WC and one en-suite.  Downstairs the layout is a kitchen diner, utility with downstairs WC, living room and office.  The two bedrooms and one bathroom on the top floor have their radiators all on frost stat upstairs so never come on. The first floor has radiators and 1 thermostat for the entire floor.  Its set at 17C in the height of winter and I put it in the bathroom - which the temperature barely can reach.  This floor is fully carpeted except the bathrooms which are Amtico vinyl. The ground floor is all UFH, with Amtico vinyl flooring.  Each room with a Heatmiser thermostat. Last year (2021) was a mild year.  I had the thermostats in the rooms we use (dining/kitchen the living room and the utility set at 18C.  The hallway was set at 15C so was the office as we dont us

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E
Carbon Cutter**
3 months ago
Z
Carbon Cutter***
zzzzzCarbon Cutter***
posted in My smart home

Ecodan: Fine Tuning and General Solid State Heating practices!

Hi, While tinkering with my UFH and trying to develop a control algorithm for my “virtual” thermostats, I ended up here and on other forums and realized I am doing everything WRONG. Shame on me 🤣 I have already read up on as much as I good on related topics, watched all the related heatgeek videos I could find. I get it now, low and slow is the game, and right now the weather is perfect to commission the system and dial in by weather compensation curve .I seem to have got the right temperature down for the current(2-3c) weather and will try it out during the night when it hits 0c today. I am currently also at 4c(it does move between 3-5) of TD between in and return flow. So what I now learned (if its wrong please correct me):Low and Slow Weather Comp. Limit 3rd party intervention Low setback Use thermostats (or in my case smart relays with temp. sensors that shut the valves) Try to at least have one zone running to reduce cycling (if applicable) Now I think I am nearing completion to

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Emmanuelle_OVO
Community Manager
3 months ago
S
New Member*
StuthesaintNew Member*
Posted in My smart home

My Solis Cloud App not displaying all data?

Hi, hope that you can help.We had solar panels fitted yesterday with a battery.i downloaded and setup the solis cloud app. This shows when the battery is charging or discharging but does not show any love input from the panels or the grid. Though in the case of the grid it shows an overall input amount. Do I need to play with the settings? Or have the sensors not been correctly set up?TIA. 

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BPLightlog
Plan Zero Hero
3 months ago
Tim_OVO
Community Manager
Tim_OVOCommunity Manager
Posted in My smart home

Energy storage vs heat batteries: what's the difference and which is better?Share your experience

Updated on 19/04/22 by Jess_OVO Storage batteries for your home - which is best? Our content team helped us outline different types of domestic storage. Here’s our summary: Lithium-ion batteriesMost home batteries in use right now are powered by Lithium-ion, the same substance that’s been used to make many commercial batteries. Pros: They’re lighter and more compact than other electrochemical batteries, and will also last longer. Cons: As mentioned above, Lithium-ion is expensive, and it’s also a finite resource – so it’s not the most environmentally-friendly option. Lead-acid batteriesThese work similarly to Lithium-ion batteries, but there are a couple of key differences. Pros: These are a slightly cheaper option than Lithium-ion. Cons: They have a shorter lifespan than Lithium-ion batteries, while being less environmentally-friendly than heat and saltwater batteries.Saltwater batteriesThe new kid on the block of home battery tech, saltwater batteries don’t use any heavy metals. Inst

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New Member*
3 months ago
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Carbon Cutter*****
James_NCarbon Cutter*****
Posted in My smart home

Hot water and heating control with my Mitsubishi Ecodan Air-Source Heat Pump (ASHP)?

Hi there, I’ve been looking at some of the data coming from my EcoDan system. Something you can see here just looking at the tank temp maroon line at the top (chart is last 24 hours of time). At around midnight the HW temp falls to about 40 degrees which triggers the pump to bring it back up to 50. The temp then falls back across late night / early morning. Given I know no one is going to use the HW until 7am, is heating up at midnight a waste? It seems like that intially, but then you have to factor in that the tank temp would still fall further if not reheated at midnight.  Wondering if I could / should stop the HW heating up at midnight? (Of course if I had a nighttime elec tariff this could be a better strategy) 

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H
New Member*
3 months ago
M.isterW
Plan Zero Hero
M.isterWPlan Zero Hero
posted in My smart home

Should I invest in solar PV panels, a home energy storage battery... or both?

I've been considering getting solar PV installed but I'm now wondering if the money would be better spent on batteries. I want to reduce carbon and also save money. We use between 30 and 50 kWh per day in winter (depending on the weather and if we charge the car). This will reduce in summer but our water heating is still electric. Solar PV - our roof isn't ideal for panels. We're in the South East and might manage to fit 3.5kW facing ESE. There is some shading so we will have the extra cost of optimised panels. Batteries - if we just had a battery we could charge at low rates and use the electricity during the day. A simple setup would use a tariff such as Octopus Go to charge at a fixed time overnight. A more sophisticated setup would link to Octopus Agile to decide the best time to charge. I should add that we currently have a time shifting heating system as part of a trial. This charges heat batteries during low demand periods. The system has some problems so it's possible that we'l

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V
New Member*
3 months ago
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