Seems like a problem worldwide that solar panels' prices are getting real cheap but the cost of installing them including lines company consent is now holding overall price stable.
The electricity price for home charging an EV is only around 3.5c/km (based on typical 5km/kWh consumption @ 18c/kWh) so prices doubling would still have EVs a lot cheaper than fuelling an ICEV which usually runs to ~23c/km (8.5L/100km @ $2.80/L), plus the much lower maintenance cost for an EV.
We are about to complete our 12 month contract with Octopus and I noticed that they no longer have fixed period fixed rate contracts going, presumably so they can react to the volatile wholesale prices. I do wonder too how long Meridian will offer 5 year fixed rate contracts on their solar or EV plans for the same reason.
The beauty of having solar is that we have insulated ourselves from what is looking more and more like a train wreck of an electricity supply sector in NZ, and that situation is one we well imagined when we decided to invest in our present system. Essentially we have paid what currently is the equivalent of ~9 years of electricity use but as prices rise that pay back period essentially gets ever shorter plus our fixed price EVs' charging is included in the equation.
The electricity price for home charging an EV is only around 3.5c/km (based on typical 5km/kWh consumption @ 18c/kWh) so prices doubling would still have EVs a lot cheaper than fuelling an ICEV which usually runs to ~23c/km (8.5L/100km @ $2.80/L), plus the much lower maintenance cost for an EV.
We are about to complete our 12 month contract with Octopus and I noticed that they no longer have fixed period fixed rate contracts going, presumably so they can react to the volatile wholesale prices. I do wonder too how long Meridian will offer 5 year fixed rate contracts on their solar or EV plans for the same reason.
The beauty of having solar is that we have insulated ourselves from what is looking more and more like a train wreck of an electricity supply sector in NZ, and that situation is one we well imagined when we decided to invest in our present system. Essentially we have paid what currently is the equivalent of ~9 years of electricity use but as prices rise that pay back period essentially gets ever shorter plus our fixed price EVs' charging is included in the equation.