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 Post subject: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 10:39 
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Hibernating Druid

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Our price fixed deal ends soon with British Gas and the new tariff they want to charge is shit value. We have both our gas and electricity with them.

Who is everyone with? Any good deals out there? Who should I avoid too?

Thanks yous.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 10:42 
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Heavy Metal Tough Guy

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Dunno, but when you switch make sure you go through quidco - you can normally get 50 or so quid for a new account.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 10:42 
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Hibernating Druid

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Good!

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 10:47 
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Master of dodgy spelling....

Joined: 25th Sep, 2008
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I used a company called the utility warehouse, came in cheaper than Eon.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 10:54 
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Goth

Joined: 31st Mar, 2008
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EDF are the cheapest I could find. They are a bit useless though as their online meter reading entry rarely works properly for me and also the one on the phone. Recognises my input but not what to do with it.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:01 
SupaMod
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I've just switched to British Gas, conversely. I think I've got WebSaver 4 tariff (with the shiny "this is how much energy you're using right now") monitor*. Impressively, I have looked around the website and I can't find anywhere for it to actually tell me what tariff I am on. Great.

*This is all very nifty and I'm sure it helps you to save energy, but it's plugged into the wall with a screen that's always backlit. Er...

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:06 
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Hibernating Druid

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Yeah, we already have one of those things, Grim...

It's in a drawer now.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:07 
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ugvm'er at heart...

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Grim... wrote:
I've just switched to British Gas, conversely. I think I've got WebSaver 4 tariff (with the shiny "this is how much energy you're using right now") monitor*. Impressively, I have looked around the website and I can't find anywhere for it to actually tell me what tariff I am on. Great.

*This is all very nifty and I'm sure it helps you to save energy, but it's plugged into the wall with a screen that's always backlit. Er...


I assume the monitor has a sensor that wraps around your feed line to the meter? I wonder on the range from those things, as my meter is in the cupboard down in the entrance hall, my flat is on the second floor...


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:11 
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Excellently Membered

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
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The TV told me too late that we should all get fixed price tariffs due to an impending 15% rise in prices later this year.... alas I can't find any.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:13 
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Hibernating Druid

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Grim... wrote:
WebSaver 4 tariff

Looking into that though now. Ta.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:14 
SupaMod
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Trooper wrote:
I assume the monitor has a sensor that wraps around your feed line to the meter? I wonder on the range from those things, as my meter is in the cupboard down in the entrance hall, my flat is on the second floor...

Yup. And it struggles with signal from my meter (which is near the fence that hides the Tomcat) into the living room, if that helps you.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:19 
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ugvm'er at heart...

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Grim... wrote:
Trooper wrote:
I assume the monitor has a sensor that wraps around your feed line to the meter? I wonder on the range from those things, as my meter is in the cupboard down in the entrance hall, my flat is on the second floor...

Yup. And it struggles with signal from my meter (which is near the fence that hides the Tomcat) into the living room, if that helps you.


It does indeed, no chance one of these will work for me then.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:25 
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Hibernating Druid

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All it does is tell you that your Tumble Dryer is very naughty.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:44 
SupaMod
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Est. 1978

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And your cooker, kettle, dishwasher, PC* and kitchen lights.

* :(

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:46 
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Hibernating Druid

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Oh yeah, the kettle is very naughty.

Doc! Would it be more energy efficient to microwave your tea & coffee?

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:48 
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UltraMod

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Grim... wrote:
British Gas WebSaver 4 tariff

This is the cheapest one out there at the moment.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:52 
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ugvm'er at heart...

Joined: 4th Mar, 2010
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Zardoz wrote:
Oh yeah, the kettle is very naughty.

Doc! Would it be more energy efficient to microwave your tea & coffee?


Do you only boil the amount of water you need? If so, then I doubt it, unless both/either systems are uber lossy, then it takes the same amount of energy to raise the temperature of the same amount of liquid, regardless of the medium, I would have thought?


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:53 
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Hibernating Druid

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Trooper wrote:
I would have thought?

Sorry, but I only accept pure science.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:55 
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UltraMod

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Also, there are rumblings about some massive price-hikes from all suppliers over the next few months, so locking into a fixed-price tariff perhaps may be a sensible option at this stage. YMMV obv.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:00 
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baron of techno

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
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Zardoz wrote:
Trooper wrote:
I would have thought?

Sorry, but I only accept pure science.


Time to update this, perhaps..
viewtopic.php?style=2&p=40594#p40594


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:00 
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Sleepyhead

Joined: 30th Mar, 2008
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Our house is some kind of massive energy pit, as I've just received my second consecutive quarterly bill for over 500 quid.

:'(

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:01 
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ugvm'er at heart...

Joined: 4th Mar, 2010
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Zardoz wrote:
Trooper wrote:
I would have thought?

Sorry, but I only accept pure science.


Ah, I specialise in unrefined science, if you want it processed, then that costs extra.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:05 
SupaMod
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Curiosity wrote:
Our house is some kind of massive energy pit, as I've just received my second consecutive quarterly bill for over 500 quid.

:'(

Have you checked the meter reads to make sure they're accurate? I saved ~ £300 on a £800 (combined) bill doing that.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:05 
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Sitting balls-back folder

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Trooper wrote:
Do you only boil the amount of water you need? If so, then I doubt it, unless both/either systems are uber lossy, then it takes the same amount of energy to raise the temperature of the same amount of liquid, regardless of the medium, I would have thought?
All other things being equal, it comes down to the efficiency of the system - ie environmental losses, the inherent (in)efficiency of the method of transforming electricity into working heat, and so on.

A 3kW kettle element is probably not very efficient, but then I imagine quite a few of the microwaves will be lost by simply missing the water, too.

Edit: Oh, I completely missed your "uber lossy" caveat. Duh.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:06 
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Hibernating Druid

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Good Kalmar!

Really then I should fill the cups I'm going to use for brews with water then pour them into the kettle. Obviously I'd allow for steam loss.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:06 
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baron of techno

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BikNorton wrote:
probably not very efficient, but then I imagine


POOR/10 must try harder :nerd:


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:07 
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ugvm'er at heart...

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Curiosity wrote:
Our house is some kind of massive energy pit, as I've just received my second consecutive quarterly bill for over 500 quid.

:'(


Blimey! My bill is around £300 a quarter. This is for a new build, large, 2 bedroom flat with two people living in it. Everything is electric here, including heating and cooking. I also run about a billion computers 24/7 :D


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:10 
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BikNorton wrote:
........, but then I imagine quite a few of the microwaves will be lost by simply missing the water, too.

.


FFS, it's right there in the box, how can they miss at that range?


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:10 
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ugvm'er at heart...

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BikNorton wrote:
Edit: Oh, I completely missed your "uber lossy" caveat. Duh.


It was the cod german that threw you off, wasn't it?

Racist.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:10 
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ugvm'er at heart...

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Warhead wrote:
BikNorton wrote:
........, but then I imagine quite a few of the microwaves will be lost by simply missing the water, too.

.


FFS, it's right there in the box, how can they miss at that range?


<insert topical football joke>


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:13 
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Sleepyhead

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Trooper wrote:
Curiosity wrote:
Our house is some kind of massive energy pit, as I've just received my second consecutive quarterly bill for over 500 quid.

:'(


Blimey! My bill is around £300 a quarter. This is for a new build, large, 2 bedroom flat with two people living in it. Everything is electric here, including heating and cooking. I also run about a billion computers 24/7 :D


My last four bills have been:

500 (estimate)
60 (actual)
500 (estimate)
550 (part actual, part estimate)

I think the real reading will be a bit lower, as we use the gas a lot less now and that's the estimated bit.

We have the bottom two floors of a 4 storey Victorian house with huge ceilings and lots of big windows. It gets tres cold in the Winter.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:18 
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ugvm'er at heart...

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Curiosity wrote:
We have the bottom two floors of a 4 storey Victorian house with huge ceilings and lots of big windows. It gets tres cold in the Winter.


I have the other problem, I'm surrounded by well insulated new build flats. My flat is impossible to cool down, super cheap to heat, but my lounge runs at a constant 24 degrees with no heating on, peaking to 30 degrees in summer, even with the windows open.
I don't mind it too much as I grew up in a warm house, and think anything under 22 degrees is arctic, but it is like a sauna at times.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:21 
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Part physicist, part WARLORD

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Trooper wrote:
I don't mind it too much as I grew up in a warm house I'm a cold-blooded Lizzard woman, and think anything under 22 degrees is arctic, but it is like a sauna at times.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:29 
SupaMod
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Trooper wrote:
I have the other problem, I'm surrounded by well insulated new build flats.

That's just like when I used to live in Aragon Tower - we didn't turn the heating on once while we were there, but it did get hot in the summer. Being so high up, having the windows open in the living room and one of the bedroom (at the other side of the tower block) for about three minutes would cool it right down, but on anything but a completely still day the wind would destroy the flat on its way through.

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:36 
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ugvm'er at heart...

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Grim... wrote:
Trooper wrote:
I have the other problem, I'm surrounded by well insulated new build flats.

That's just like when I used to live in Aragon Tower - we didn't turn the heating on once while we were there, but it did get hot in the summer. Being so high up, having the windows open in the living room and one of the bedroom (at the other side of the tower block) for about three minutes would cool it right down, but on anything but a completely still day the wind would destroy the flat on its way through.


Same here, but to a lesser degree. I always have the bedroom window open, pretty much all year round. Opening the windows in the lounge can get a nice draught through most days, but if it is windy then forget it! :D


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:51 
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A traditional kettle on a gas hob is both more efficient and cheaper than either an electric kettle or a microwave due to the losses involved in generating the electricity.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:52 
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Hibernating Druid

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Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
...due to the losses involved in generating the electricity.

You mean generating the heat?

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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:57 
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Heavy Metal Tough Guy

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Seeing as a lot of electricity in the UK is generated by burning gas, I guess it's more efficient to cut out the middle man and burn the gas to heat water yourself, rather than burn it to heat water 100 miles away, use that to make electricity, send it down wires and then use it to heat water again.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 12:58 
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Zardoz wrote:
You mean generating the heat?
No, I mean what Squirt said: the big plant at the other end of the wire that comes into your house. If you look closely at your gas and electricity bills, the price-per-kilowatt-hour might differ by as much as a factor of five because of this.


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 Post subject: Re: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 13:07 
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Hibernating Druid

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Right, see what you mean.

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 Post subject: Energy suppliers
PostPosted: Tue May 24, 2011 13:22 
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baron of techno

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Doctor Glyndwr wrote:
If you look closely at your gas and electricity bills, the price-per-kilowatt-hour might differ by as much as a factor of five because of this.


I've not had a gas bill yet, but I think when I looked into it, gas was something like 5p a kWh - I thought it would be much cheaper, I get off-peak power for not much more than that.


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