We test home energy, smart technology, EVs and networking in the homes we actually live in. You get the real costs, the compromises, what worked and what we would do differently.
From tariffs and solar to Home Assistant and Wi-Fi. Every subject is grounded in equipment and services we genuinely use.
Independent experiences, honest verdicts and the details that only become clear after living with the technology.
After years of using Eve sensors and smart plugs, unreliable connections and frequent battery changes are undermining temperature and humidity monitoring at our second home. We are now planning a more dependable setup around Apple Home, Aqara and our wider UniFi plans.
Real generation, home use, battery and export data from the first six months of our 7.6kW east-west solar array and Tesla Powerwall 3.
How a UniFi Dream Router 7 and U7 Lite fixed our Wi-Fi coverage, raised speeds to 500–600 Mbps in weaker areas and connected our UK and French homes.
Why EDF's 24p export rate changed the calculation for our solar, Powerwall and EV charging setup, despite Octopus having a cheaper off-peak history.
Our honest Peugeot e-308 GT review after 10,000 miles, covering real-world range, reliability, home-charging costs, Normandy trips, cabin technology and tyre damage.
How we stopped a supplier-managed daytime EV charge from draining the Tesla Powerwall, what the automation taught us and why parts are now disabled pending an EDF rebuild.
How we used Home Assistant to boost our Mitsubishi hot-water cylinder when the Powerwall was full, and why parts are now disabled while we rethink the logic for EDF.
Our real-world Pod Point vs Hypervolt Pro 3 comparison, covering reliability, Ethernet, smart tariffs, Home Assistant and missed overnight charges.
A dated timeline of the missing readings, tariff delays and export problems we experienced after switching from E.ON Next to Octopus in February 2026.
What our 7.6kW east-west solar array and Tesla Powerwall 3 cost, what went wrong during installation and the lessons we would use if doing it again.
