ᐅ Additional meter for heating electricity tariff: yes or no?
Created on: 23 Oct 2023 13:08
D
Dachshund90
Hello everyone,
I would like to hear your opinions on the above-mentioned question, as two electricians have different views.
Conditions:
- Ground source heat pump 8 kW with cooling function for summer
- Photovoltaic system SE+NW 16.38 kWp
- New single-family house with 193 m² (2,076 sq ft) living area
We now want to determine the size of the distribution board. Of course, it is also crucial to know how many meters I will need and how much space should be reserved for them.
One option is to go with 3+1 meters to be ready for everything. However, there is a price difference depending on whether you can leave out two meter slots and have only 1+1 in the panel.
Additional costs come from meter rental fees and usually the higher basic charges, which reduce the savings from the cheaper heating electricity tariff. If I roughly calculate this, you would need to consume quite a lot of electricity (single-family house > 6000 kWh) to benefit significantly from the lower tariff. Does anyone have a clear example calculation?
The questions are:
1. Is the heating electricity tariff generally worthwhile, and from what consumption level? If it’s currently not worth it, should space still be reserved? Who knows how the difference between tariffs will develop.
2. Can the electricity generated by the photovoltaic system be used both for self-consumption within the house (household appliances, etc.) and for the heat pump?
Thank you for your assessments. I am happy to answer any questions.
Good luck
I would like to hear your opinions on the above-mentioned question, as two electricians have different views.
Conditions:
- Ground source heat pump 8 kW with cooling function for summer
- Photovoltaic system SE+NW 16.38 kWp
- New single-family house with 193 m² (2,076 sq ft) living area
We now want to determine the size of the distribution board. Of course, it is also crucial to know how many meters I will need and how much space should be reserved for them.
One option is to go with 3+1 meters to be ready for everything. However, there is a price difference depending on whether you can leave out two meter slots and have only 1+1 in the panel.
Additional costs come from meter rental fees and usually the higher basic charges, which reduce the savings from the cheaper heating electricity tariff. If I roughly calculate this, you would need to consume quite a lot of electricity (single-family house > 6000 kWh) to benefit significantly from the lower tariff. Does anyone have a clear example calculation?
The questions are:
1. Is the heating electricity tariff generally worthwhile, and from what consumption level? If it’s currently not worth it, should space still be reserved? Who knows how the difference between tariffs will develop.
2. Can the electricity generated by the photovoltaic system be used both for self-consumption within the house (household appliances, etc.) and for the heat pump?
Thank you for your assessments. I am happy to answer any questions.
Good luck
H
HeimatBauer23 Oct 2023 16:57Check very carefully whether the basic electricity supplier offers a heating electricity basic supply tariff. It is often well hidden, as it can sometimes be around 11-12 cents.
D
Dachshund9023 Oct 2023 17:01HeimatBauer schrieb:
Take a close look to see if your basic electricity provider offers a heating electricity basic supply tariff. It’s often well hidden, as it can sometimes be around 11–12 cents per kWh. According to their website, it’s 25.8 cents/kWh, so that’s not a saving.
At the moment, it doesn’t really seem worthwhile. The question remains whether it’s worth spending the money for the space it takes up in the cabinet.
R
Radfahrer23 Oct 2023 18:41I have had a secondary meter for almost 20 years.
In the first 10 years, there was even an additional 15% discount on the reduced electricity rate.
The basic fee initially was 50€ and is now 90€ per year.
Unfortunately, the price difference is currently so small that it no longer covers the basic fee.
Overall, it was really worth it, especially because we hadn’t installed the brick facade on the house during the first 5 years (leading to higher consumption).
Due to some changes, for example integration into Home Assistant, the consumption has decreased so much that today I wouldn’t install a secondary meter anymore.
For a new build, which will probably require even less electricity, it already seems uninteresting even without photovoltaic panels.
In the first 10 years, there was even an additional 15% discount on the reduced electricity rate.
The basic fee initially was 50€ and is now 90€ per year.
Unfortunately, the price difference is currently so small that it no longer covers the basic fee.
Overall, it was really worth it, especially because we hadn’t installed the brick facade on the house during the first 5 years (leading to higher consumption).
Due to some changes, for example integration into Home Assistant, the consumption has decreased so much that today I wouldn’t install a secondary meter anymore.
For a new build, which will probably require even less electricity, it already seems uninteresting even without photovoltaic panels.
X
xMisterDx23 Oct 2023 23:09I’m also quite surprised. Here, the heat pump rate is 11 cents lower than the regular electricity rate. In return, you have to agree to be disconnected in certain situations. And even with this lower electricity price of 25 cents/kWh, it takes decades before it becomes worthwhile compared to natural gas at 10 cents/kWh :p
K
KarstenausNRW23 Oct 2023 23:32xMisterDx schrieb:
I also find it quite surprising. Here, the heat pump tariff is 11 cents lower than the regular electricity tariff. However, you have to agree to be disconnected in certain situations. Even with this cheaper electricity price of 25 cents/kWh, it takes decades for it to be worthwhile compared to natural gas at 10 cents/kWh. What a terrible electricity price for heat pumps, including the penalty of shutdowns. In most parts of the country, you can already get "regular" electricity at 24.x cents.
That’s exactly why heat pump–specific electricity tariffs are usually unnecessary. Usually, but not always.
But what is cost-effective compared to natural gas? 10,000 kWh of natural gas equals 2,500 kWh of electricity for the heat pump. So, €1,000 versus €625 (seasonal performance factor of 4 with 25 cents/kWh). For new builds and considering energy policy outlooks (carbon pricing, phase-out of fossil fuels, rooftop photovoltaics), I see no reason at all to rely on natural gas anymore.
Add to that the massive price increases for gas heating systems (sometimes 60–80% from 2021 to today) and the falling costs for heat pumps and photovoltaics.
R
Radfahrer24 Oct 2023 05:23None of us have crystal balls, and even without the back-and-forth from our government, no one can predict where the prices for electricity or gas, or heat pumps and gas heating, will go. However, I can calculate the costs from the past 19 years, and in my case, the total expenses for the gas heating are clearly much higher.
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