Energy Bills...that time again
Comments
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My only concern is, that it is now possible to 'hack' domestic smart appliances and I am worried that in my absence heating may be turned up to max, lights switched on, washing machines and dishwashers likewise, along with the oven and maybe hob rings.
Seemingly anything controlled over the internet, by way of localised radio transmitters, is open to this type of activity.
So how do we overcome that possibility?
Write your comments here...
Do you have a smart washing machine, dishwasher and hob? If no, and I've never heard of those appliances being controlled over the Internet, then you have no possibility of problems. There are, however, applications which allow internet based control of lights, heating, audio visual items etc. But in every case the householder has to make an active decision to install/ enable those functions. So the simple answer to your question is don't install home automation systems if you believe that hacking is a threat. We do use automation though because of its convenience.
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I was listening to the 'smart home' being discussed on the radio. Installation costs of around five figures were being bandied about to 'do it all' with your smartphone etc. At ten grand or so, I'm quite prepared to get of my arse and draw the curtains and
turn the light on myself.0 -
I'd like to see the App that can set & fire up my Log burning Stove
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That would be good, a sort of conveyor system, really nice on dark windy nights...mind you all I say is "we need some more logs" and that works too...
No gas in my village 40 yrs ago when I changed from oil to a new self-feeding solid fuel boiler. The boiler hopper was automatically topped up from the bunker outside by an auger. The cutout failed when I was away for a weekend and I came home to a shut down boiler and maybe half a hundredweight of anthracite in my kitchen.
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I'd like to see the App that can set & fire up my Log burning Stove
Not an 'App' but is there anyone you could text, like a wife or partner etc, obviously after they have finished the dishes
I tried it just the once Dave. . . I think it was Wife #3
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I have remote security cameras which can be controlled and viewed using the internet. The biggest problem I have had with them is internet reliability. If my link to the service provider is interupted for whatever reason the house modem needs manually re-setting before you can gain access again. That is impossible when away from home. I assume this would render any devices useless if control relied on connections to the internet. I do have other wireless, locally controlled only devices. They are a excellent devices for a disabled person who cannot reach their controls and certainly cheaper than those controlled via the internet.
peedee
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I was listening to the 'smart home' being discussed on the radio. Installation costs of around five figures were being bandied about to 'do it all' with your smartphone etc. At ten grand or so, I'm quite prepared to get of my arse and draw the curtains and
turn the light on myself.Write your comments here...
Your unenthustiac to switch lights on and off for security reasons when you are away in your caravan then? Cost under £100, not £10,000.
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Switched supplier tonight to a 12mth fixed tariff with Sainsbury's using MoneySaving Expert, with a £30 cash back, and a projected saving of £70 per year.
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Switched supplier tonight to a 12mth fixed tariff with Sainsbury's using MoneySaving Expert, with a £30 cash back, and a projected saving of £70 per year.
Write your comments here...
Had a reply from my supplier Sainsburys seems best they can offer me is a 12 mth deal. This deal increases my present monthly DD from £63 to £77 .....
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We found taking a good look at our property and making it as energy efficient as possible gave us the best savings. We still check on offers each renewal period though. Luckily, we have an endless supply of almost free wood for the stove, that helps as well.
Good glazing, insulate everything, heavy lined curtains, switch off what you don't need, put on a long sleeve t shirt ond long trousers and turn boiler heating down on tick over. It all helps. Not advocating huddling around a candle, wrapped in blankets, but
just saving a bit on heating costs that makes sense. Going away in MH every fortnight helps as well!
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Prompted by this discussion I put in our latest meter readings on the EDF site and immediately got a reduction in monthly payments (it's been milder til now and I know the heating hasn't been on as much.) Although we're on a fixed deal til next year we can reduce payments when needed. A smart meter would automatically adjust payments too.
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My next move will be to Ovo.
I have been with OVO since January. The customer service is excellent and I'm happy with the tariff.
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Switched supplier tonight to a 12mth fixed tariff with Sainsbury's using MoneySaving Expert, with a £30 cash back, and a projected saving of £70 per year.
Write your comments here...
Had a reply from my supplier Sainsburys seems best they can offer me is a 12 mth deal. This deal increases my present monthly DD from £63 to £77 .....
Have you had a look at any of the comparison sites to see if there are better deals. If there are you can then get back to your present supplier with the figures and see if they can match or beat them. Your supplier won't want to loose a customer.
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The thing I don't get is.......so many people don't know what their annual usage is (in kWh) or what they pay per kWh for each of gas and electricity.
Many 'comparison sites' base their figures on 'typical' usage and not your own usage (which could be significantly different).
To carry out a true comparison, you have to use your own usage figures (readily available by reading your meter). I find using a simple spreadsheet to be the best way and get the unit costs (a rate per kWh and a standing charge, usually) from the suppliers'
web sites.Some people think they have a 'good deal' with their supplier, simply because their monthly payments are less than they were previously paying......when it might just mean that they aren't covering the true bill and will have it to pay later.
You wouldn't decide which bread, beans or petrol to buy based on a 'forecast annual spend' so why do so many people just accept these forecast figures from energy suppliers?
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The thing I don't get is.......so many people don't know what their annual usage is (in kWh) or what they pay per kWh for each of gas and electricity.
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I don't but I'm not faffing with spread sheets .... I just pay the bill
Money to burn!
peedee
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The thing I don't get is.......so many people don't know what their annual usage is (in kWh) or what they pay per kWh for each of gas and electricity.
....
I don't but I'm not faffing with spread sheets .... I just pay the bill
Money to burn!
peedee
Must have!
I don't know, these wealthy pensioners.....just too much money!
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The guy from moneybox live was interviewed by Bbc News this morning . Apparently, because the pricing is so vague, it is almost impossibke to compare like for like. Also the claims by companies about what you will save if you switch to them are highly misleading or worse.
Cheers ..........k
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What's so hard? It's two figures - a cost per kWh and a standing charge??
Can people not compare the price of fuel at garages either, because they give the price of both petrol and diesel?
Or the price of bread, because there are several different types of loaf?
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What's so hard? It's two figures - a cost per kWh and a standing charge??
Can people not compare the price of fuel at garages either, because they give the price of both petrol and diesel?
Or the price of bread, because there are several different types of loaf?
Agreed, I changed supplier. New supplier offered a set payment by DD(guaranteed not to rise) they based it on the 'estimated usage' supplied by previous supplier. The new supplier is gambling on my annual usage giving them a profit-£130 below my previous
supplier. It ain't rocket science-as Ian says, the figures are there0 -
It takes just 6 lines to build a spread sheet, less if you don't bother with the VAT calculation, thereafter just put in the two tariffs to make a comparison. The most difficult part is finding the tariffs. The companies have a habit of making these difficult to find on their web sites. However "Which" does publish these when you use the "Switch with Which" web site.
peedee
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The guy from moneybox live was interviewed by Bbc News this morning . Apparently, because the pricing is so vague, it is almost impossibke to compare like for like. Also the claims by companies about what you will save if you switch to them are highly misleading
or worse.Cheers ..........k
Listened to BBC radio 4's money box, on again tomorrow eve or on I player. Turns out the savings your supplier quotes on your bill if you change from current tariff they offering doesn't deliver full savings suggested because of way figures projected. The
closer you are to end of fixed tariff contract worse the decripancy will be. All these decripancy are admitted by the suplliers when asked! Official figures used to make the comparison use current figures til end of your contract and highest cost for the balance
of a year, they are squewed but even when this was pointed ou t before it was introduced it was ignored. The calculations on switching sites use the same official figures. Well worth a listen.0 -
The thing I don't get is.......so many people don't know what their annual usage is (in kWh) or what they pay per kWh for each of gas and electricity.
....
I don't but I'm not faffing with spread sheets .... I just pay the bill
Write your comments here...
I don't believe that anyone who is familiar with building/ entering data into a spreadsheet would describe the quick and easy use of a fuel consumption/ tariff spreadsheet as "faffing around" I can make a sponge cake in around the same time, or make a meal
every night. More likely you are unfamiliar with spreadsheets - their usage in many situations is very useful, which is why schools teach ICT to teenagers.0
