In the words of Clarkson “I did a thing”

[nwarddrfc]

So after years of looking, wishing, dreaming and finally man maths, we went and put an order in for a new MG ZS LR Trophy, in Battersea Blue.

Thankfully minstergate MG in Hull already have one on order, so they have converted their dealership car into my order, but is still looking like 5th of July expected in the UK.

Have to say excellent professional service from Mark at minstergate, let us take his dealer demo for around about an hour and a half, a very nice trophy connect in silver.

very different service from my local mg dealer stoneacre in Doncaster - they had a se as a demo so went a few weekends ago to see and test drive it got there at 1 as agreed, half an hour later the salesman that was supposed to be looking after us still hadn’t been to see us finally the car appeared and a different salesman let us have the car for a full 30 mins wow (he says sarcastically).

So rather than a six mile 15 minute trip it’s a 45 mile 45 minute trip to Hull, but I’d rather deal with someone who wants to do business and treats me with respec.

now to sort the charger thinking zappi as we have solar panels unless anyone else recommends something different.

4 months will fly by I’m sure

 

[Alb]

Well done
On the subject of chargers, best to read the myriad of existing threads although I can sum them up for you:

"You should buy <whatever charge point I happen to have fitted> because everything else is inferior."

 

[Gadget Geek]

Congratulations on getting an EV. You won't regret it. The ZS Trophy will be my third.

Zappi and Ohme I know have solar integration, but I think there are others out there as well.

 

[N2STY]

It's worth checking with your supplier as discounts are offered and some like ovo have special tariffs like 5p charge anytime

 

[Mihir]

Congratulations on getting an EV. You won't regret it. The ZS Trophy will be my third.

Zappi and Ohme I know have solar integration, but I think there are others out there as well.

I have an Ohme but no solar integretion yet. Its on their roadmap for 2022.

 

[nwarddrfc]

Update just ordered a hypervolt unit to be fitted on the 25th of March the company I’m using got 5 units in stock last week and I got the last one so will be fitted in time to still get the grant

 

[nwarddrfc]

Hypervolt fitted today by danlec, very professional nice clean instal, it one of the new black units so not as obvious on the side of the house.

love the l.e.d lights on it

 

[kitkev]

hypervolt have solar intergration and are British made having mine fitted in two weeks

 

[Lovemyev]

Artisan Electrics of YouTube fame, Instavolt is there “Go To” charger right now.
They now favour it over the Zappi 2.
Personally, I like the Instavolt unit !.

 

[sgt4hed]

Going by a load of recommendations for people at my company, I went for a Zappi, I don't have solar panels yet, but that is next on my list of home improvements.

 

[SparkyEV]

Going by a load of recommendations for people at my company, I went for a Zappi, I don't have solar panels yet, but that is next on my list of home improvements.

You could go half way and just get battery storage packs for the house first - you can charge them overnight on the cheap rate and run your house off them for the day...

 

[sgt4hed]

You could go half way and just get battery storage packs for the house first - you can charge them overnight on the cheap rate and run your house off them for the day...

Are battery storage packs even financially viable? I didn’t think the tech was there for it yet

 

[johnnyc]

Are battery storage packs even financially viable? I didn’t think the tech was there for it yet

With energy prices what they are at the moment - compared to the variable - payback time is probably 4 years or less.

If you (like myself) are new to EV etc etc - if getting an ev and batteries at the same time the total payback period (if you combine fuel & electric savings) comes down to maybe 2 years (or 1 year I’d you’re a heavy user and drive a lot of miles!)

You won’t get that kind of saving rate in a bank

 

[RHA]

With energy prices what they are at the moment - compared to the variable - payback time is probably 4 years or less.

If you (like myself) are new to EV etc etc - if getting an ev and batteries at the same time the total payback period (if you combine fuel & electric savings) comes down to maybe 2 years (or 1 year I’d you’re a heavy user and drive a lot of miles!)

You won’t get that kind of saving rate in a bank

Please share your workings on payback based on a fully installed cost and unit rate, also would be good to know what kind of units or all DIY packs?

I'm very interested in Battery Storage but I couldn't get it to be cost effective and pay for itself within a reasonable period of time, my house has 5.4kw solar limited down to 4kw (E/S/W Aspects) and two Zappi's. Ideally it would have islanding in case of an outage to keep the solar running during the day as that could extend the time we could run off-grid.

If there's something I'm missing I'd really like to know and it might help others too.

 

[JohnInFrance]

So after years of looking, wishing, dreaming and finally man maths, we went and put an order in for a new MG ZS LR Trophy, in Battersea Blue.

Thankfully minstergate MG in Hull already have one on order, so they have converted their dealership car into my order, but is still looking like 5th of July expected in the UK.

Have to say excellent professional service from Mark at minstergate, let us take his dealer demo for around about an hour and a half, a very nice trophy connect in silver.

very different service from my local mg dealer stoneacre in Doncaster - they had a se as a demo so went a few weekends ago to see and test drive it got there at 1 as agreed, half an hour later the salesman that was supposed to be looking after us still hadn’t been to see us finally the car appeared and a different salesman let us have the car for a full 30 mins wow (he says sarcastically).

So rather than a six mile 15 minute trip it’s a 45 mile 45 minute trip to Hull, but I’d rather deal with someone who wants to do business and treats me with respec.

now to sort the charger thinking zappi as we have solar panels unless anyone else recommends something different.

4 months will fly by I’m sure

Glad that you got good service.

Your account highlights how different our experience was here to any time I've purchased in the UK. When we went initially to look at the ZS we arrived at the dealer and they had the car out ready for us. After meeting the salesman we had spoken to on the phone, he handed us the keys and said "take as long as you like, it's fully charged" - we had the car for about an hour, but only because we had other things to do that day.

We went back a few days later and were told the same thing, take the car for as long as you need, and we returned 30 mins or so later and placed our order, the choice being partly based on how well we had been treated by the dealership to date.

When the delivery issues raised their heads, we looked into ordering a Marvel R or MG5 as it looked as if either of those would arrive before the ZS. When we mentioned this to the dealers they gave us their Marvel R for 3 days to "test it thoroughly and understand what the extra cost brings you".

A great dealer makes all the difference, so congrats your order and on finding one that you're happy with and provides the service that we should all expect. When it arrives, hope it meets all of your expectations.

 

[JohnInFrance]

Are battery storage packs even financially viable? I didn’t think the tech was there for it yet

The 40kWh ones that come wrapped in an old Nissan Leaf are

 

[SparkyEV]

Please share your workings on payback based on a fully installed cost and unit rate, also would be good to know what kind of units or all DIY packs?

I'm very interested in Battery Storage but I couldn't get it to be cost effective and pay for itself within a reasonable period of time, my house has 5.4kw solar limited down to 4kw (E/S/W Aspects) and two Zappi's. Ideally it would have islanding in case of an outage to keep the solar running during the day as that could extend the time we could run off-grid.

If there's something I'm missing I'd really like to know and it might help others too.

I think you might be looking for something slightly more complex than a basic battery system. I believe if you want to run a system off grid then you need to apply to the local DNO for an agreement and put in an earth rod (something to do with ensuring that your system doesn't create a risk to people working on the grid in the event of a power cut) which may involve increased costs and therefore may not be financially viable.

I've seen a fag packet quote of 2 grand for a 3kw battery which you can charge on the overnight rate. Pylon batteries are modular so you can daisy chain a few together to meet your capacity requirement and I guess you'd need a battery management system of some sort... It would still take a while to pay for itself however there are environmental benefits too...

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/free-solar-panels/

 

[Gadget Geek]

What I would do, is cost up the installation of a battery system and calculate the savings from storing solar for night time use and topping up on cheap rate overnight. Then, take the same cost of installation and see what % interest you would get from a savings account.

I'm pretty certain the savings on usage will be more than what you will get from a savings account. When you look at it as a long term investment, the pay back time becomes irrelevent.

 

[johnnyc]

Please share your workings on payback based on a fully installed cost and unit rate, also would be good to know what kind of units or all DIY packs?

I'm very interested in Battery Storage but I couldn't get it to be cost effective and pay for itself within a reasonable period of time, my house has 5.4kw solar limited down to 4kw (E/S/W Aspects) and two Zappi's. Ideally it would have islanding in case of an outage to keep the solar running during the day as that could extend the time we could run off-grid.

If there's something I'm missing I'd really like to know and it might help others too.

So - I’m using slightly skewed data, as Im going to get batteries and my EV at the same time, and I’m lumping in all my savings together - so the figures may not be replicated elsewhere for others.

Basically - at the moment, we’re paying £475 a month for our ICE vehicle (all finance, car tax, Mot, insurance fuel etc etc) when we switch to MG, we will be paying about £375 for the equivalent- basically the car costs more, but the fuel costs a lot less!

So - already we have a ‘saving’ of £1200 a year.

The battery storage using octopus go to charge up overnight, will take our average cost per KWH down to about 8-9p as opposed to the roughly 22p we pay now. I’ve done some back of fag paper calculations using octopus compare - but roughly average savings (at todays prices and our usage - approx 3000kwh - not including car charging) will be between 450-550 in the first year. If the day rate goes up over the course of the next year (which it already has) the savings made will be greater.

So - that’s about £1700 ‘saved’ in the first year, if you apply the logic that day rate will increase year on year - it might be a larger saving if £1800 in year 2 & maybe £1900 in year 3.

Currently looking at a Givenergy system 8.2kwh, 3.0 kw inverter and total cost inclusive of fitting should be circa £5000 - that’s purchasing batteries myself and getting my standard sparky to fit the batteries (he is a qualified Givenergy installer - or will be very soon!). So…roughly payback time of 2.5 years as we stand now.

BUT. If you look at it from another point of view - ie. If you were to invest £5000 in a bank account what would your return be in 3 or even 4 years? Even at 3% you’d be looking at about £400 in 3 years and £600 in 4. With a battery system, I’ll be looking at saving maybe £850 in year 3, or say £2750 in year 4, so theoretically a better ROI.

Obviously I’m not a financial advisor and this is just my calculations based on my findings - I’m not saying I’m 100% right, but I’m pretty sure I’m not wrong - If I am, I’m more than happy to be proven wrong so I don’t make a mistake but I’m pretty confident in my figures. Obviously my figures are taking into account savings based on a car and battery system simultaneously- obviously with just a battery system, the payback period would be longer - but again, is it better than money earning interest in the bank (if you look at it in terms of a Laing term investment?).

Obviously you also need to be on a cheap night time tariff for this to work with my figures, such as octopus go/intelligent or EDF go electric. Theoretically they could take this type of tariff away, but I can’t see that happening as electric is cheap at night - I think worst case scenario Is that it just gets more expensive at night, but still cheaper than the standard day tariff.
Anyone who has stuck with this post and is still reading and If you’re not on a time of day tariff such as octopus go, and you’re thinking of switching, you can always use my referral code below (or you could use anyone else’s instead) and that’ll give you (& me) £50 credit to your bill. It’ll also help people who are on a variable with another supplier during this cost of living crisis as everyone is charging the same amount if you’re on a variable and this will save you £50 on your bill. You can switch to octopus and ask to be put on the variable. At the moment you can only switch on the phone, and my referral code is gray-fern-7875 - obviously what you can do in the future when you are a customer, is refer your family and friends, save them £50 off their bill and you save £50 for each too - so you could basically get a year free energy.

But in the future I’m sure you’ll be able to switch by clicking this link:

Octopus Energy

Octopus customers pay less: Cheaper than price-cap prices, rewards for using less when the grid is stressed, and smart tariff savings for your home, car or battery

share.octopus.energy

Obviously I’m not a financial advisor, so don’t take my advice as gospel, but it’s the way that I’m going to proceed and hopefully I’m right!!

 

[Gadget Geek]

So - I’m using slightly skewed data, as Im going to get batteries and my EV at the same time, and I’m lumping in all my savings together - so the figures may not be replicated elsewhere for others.

Basically - at the moment, we’re paying £475 a month for our ICE vehicle (all finance, car tax, Mot, insurance fuel etc etc) when we switch to MG, we will be paying about £375 for the equivalent- basically the car costs more, but the fuel costs a lot less!

So - already we have a ‘saving’ of £1200 a year.

The battery storage using octopus go to charge up overnight, will take our average cost per KWH down to about 8-9p as opposed to the roughly 22p we pay now. I’ve done some back of fag paper calculations using octopus compare - but roughly average savings (at todays prices and our usage - approx 3000kwh - not including car charging) will be between 450-550 in the first year. If the day rate goes up over the course of the next year (which it already has) the savings made will be greater.

So - that’s about £1700 ‘saved’ in the first year, if you apply the logic that day rate will increase year on year - it might be a larger saving if £1800 in year 2 & maybe £1900 in year 3.

Currently looking at a Givenergy system 8.2kwh, 3.0 kw inverter and total cost inclusive of fitting should be circa £5000 - that’s purchasing batteries myself and getting my standard sparky to fit the batteries (he is a qualified Givenergy installer - or will be very soon!). So…roughly payback time of 2.5 years as we stand now.

BUT. If you look at it from another point of view - ie. If you were to invest £5000 in a bank account what would your return be in 3 or even 4 years? Even at 3% you’d be looking at about £400 in 3 years and £600 in 4. With a battery system, I’ll be looking at saving maybe £850 in year 3, or say £2750 in year 4, so theoretically a better ROI.

Obviously I’m not a financial advisor and this is just my calculations based on my findings - I’m not saying I’m 100% right, but I’m pretty sure I’m not wrong - If I am, I’m more than happy to be proven wrong so I don’t make a mistake but I’m pretty confident in my figures. Obviously my figures are taking into account savings based on a car and battery system simultaneously- obviously with just a batter system, the payback period would be longer - but again, is it better than money earning interest in the bank (if you look at it in terms of a Laing term investment?).

Obviously you also need to be on a cheap night time tariff for this to work with my figures, such as octopus go/intelligent or EDF go electric. Theoretically they could take this type of tariff away, but I can’t see that happening as electric is cheap at night - I think worst case scenario Is that it just gets more expensive at night, but still cheaper than the standard day tariff.

Anyone who has stuck with this post and is still reading and If you’re not on a time of day tariff such as octopus go, and you’re thinking of switching, you can always use my referral code below and that’ll give you (& me) £50 credit to your bill. It’ll also help people who are on a variable with another supplier during this cost of living crisis as everyone is charging the same amount if you’re on a variable and this will save you £50 on your bill. You can switch to octopus and ask to be put on the variable. At the moment you can only switch on the phone, and my referral code is gray-fern-7875 - obviously what you can do in the future when you are a customer, is refer your family and friends, save them £50 off their bill and you save £50 for each too - so you could basically get a year free energy.

But in the future I’m sure you’ll be able to switch by clicking this link:

Octopus Energy

Octopus customers pay less: Cheaper than price-cap prices, rewards for using less when the grid is stressed, and smart tariff savings for your home, car or battery

share.octopus.energy

Obviously I’m not a financial advisor, so don’t take my advice as gospel, but it’s the way that I’m going to proceed and hopefully I’m right!!

I think your predictive savings are a little optimistic, but not by much with todays prices. In 2020, I logged all my usage, solar production and battery storage (8 kWh with 3kWh inverter). My electricity would have cost £959 for the year. With solar alone it would have cost £579, but with the battery as well, my bill for 2020 was £390.

There's no way I'd get that return on a savings account.