Rolfe
Moderator
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2023
- Messages
- 7,722
- Reaction score
- 8,588
- Points
- 2,591
- Location
- West Linton, Scotland
- Driving
- MG4 SE SR
When I got my car I just plugged in the granny lead and let it get on with it. I still haven't got a home charger or a variable tariff (although I'm thinking of going full solar/home battery later this year). I also started to take notice of my electricity consumption for the first time. One thing that really impressed itself on me was that the fan heater I used in the evenings was a big issue, and I would be better off turning the central heating (oil) up a bit rather than running that. So that was the first, and possibly the main thing. I also cut back a lot on my use of my tumble dryer. I don't really need it, I was just chucking stuff in because it was there.
In the summer I often charged my car at the rapid charger five minutes walk away, for speed, because it's the same price as my domestic electricity (although I heard a rumour they are increasing the price soon). I would take it home at about 80% and let it go the rest of the way and balance on the granny charger. I stopped doing that in September, because the weather was worsening, and the walk to and from the charger was getting less pleasant. So from the start of October the car has mostly been charged all the way on the granny charger. I thought, this is going to do something to my electricity bill, for sure. However I haven't been able to access my Smart Meter readouts since August when I got a new phone, and the Scottish Power app won't accept any password I give it, so I was a bit in the dark.
Then I got the letter. "Your Direct Debit payment review". Oh hell, I thought, this is it. Where is this going?
"Good news! We recently reviewed your account and, based on your latest meter readings, we believe you're paying more than you need to for your enegy. We want to help you avoid overpaying and get your account back on track. So, for now, we'll reduce your payments by £63.10 to match the amount of energy you're using."
I had overpaid by £1,065.82.
The letter was dated 31st December, so they should have had a fair bit of data from the time I was exclusively granny-charging. But still they think I was overpaying.
I've not noticed much of an effect on my oil bills with turning the heating up in the evenings. In fact I've been turning it down in the mornings by a couple of degrees, back to where it always was in the afternoons, then up to the higher setting just in the evenings. It might be evening itself out.
I almost kind of feel that I've been running the car for free! The car draws about the same as the fan heater, but overall it's probably charging for fewer hours in the week than I ran the heater.
Now, I need a variable tariff, a home battery and solar. And I should probably break my incandescent light bulb habit now that the low-energy ones aren't a complete heap of intolerable rubbish.
In the summer I often charged my car at the rapid charger five minutes walk away, for speed, because it's the same price as my domestic electricity (although I heard a rumour they are increasing the price soon). I would take it home at about 80% and let it go the rest of the way and balance on the granny charger. I stopped doing that in September, because the weather was worsening, and the walk to and from the charger was getting less pleasant. So from the start of October the car has mostly been charged all the way on the granny charger. I thought, this is going to do something to my electricity bill, for sure. However I haven't been able to access my Smart Meter readouts since August when I got a new phone, and the Scottish Power app won't accept any password I give it, so I was a bit in the dark.
Then I got the letter. "Your Direct Debit payment review". Oh hell, I thought, this is it. Where is this going?
"Good news! We recently reviewed your account and, based on your latest meter readings, we believe you're paying more than you need to for your enegy. We want to help you avoid overpaying and get your account back on track. So, for now, we'll reduce your payments by £63.10 to match the amount of energy you're using."
I had overpaid by £1,065.82.
The letter was dated 31st December, so they should have had a fair bit of data from the time I was exclusively granny-charging. But still they think I was overpaying.
I've not noticed much of an effect on my oil bills with turning the heating up in the evenings. In fact I've been turning it down in the mornings by a couple of degrees, back to where it always was in the afternoons, then up to the higher setting just in the evenings. It might be evening itself out.
I almost kind of feel that I've been running the car for free! The car draws about the same as the fan heater, but overall it's probably charging for fewer hours in the week than I ran the heater.
Now, I need a variable tariff, a home battery and solar. And I should probably break my incandescent light bulb habit now that the low-energy ones aren't a complete heap of intolerable rubbish.
