ENERGY MATTERS

[Tripps]

Agreed Kev. There are however other ways to reduce energy use. Change bulbs etc. Whe all that sort of thing is done, just grin and bear it, and switch to Octopus.

I was given a standalone device a while ago, under some green initiative, which clips round the input feed, and send information on usage to a remote reader. I used it for a while, and it was very handy when I accidentally switched on my underfloor heating which I thought had been disconnected, but the novelty soon wore off, and I don't bother any more. I suspect that's what most people would do. Tell me if I'm wrong.

What I do, is read the meter on the last day of every month, and check that usage is reasonable, compared to last month, and the same month last year. I find it remarkable that my usage is fairly constant all year round.

It was an increase in that figure which gave the first clue that something was wrong when the heater was on.

[Big Kev]

The display unit that came with my meters is in a drawer somewhere
90% of my bulbs are led (the rest are 'low energy' and take 20 minutes to warm up) and I've beefed up the insulation, installed new doors and windows and the underfloor heating (wet system), I check my meter readings on my supplier's app after the meters have sent it and all has been good so far.

[Tripps]

The display unit that came with my meters is a drawer somewhere

I rest my case m'lud.

[Stanley]

I agree with what Kev says but I quite like the readout monitor as it reminds me of what gobbles the leccy. Biggest surprise for me was that the phase converters in the shed and the big (for domestic) electric motors are less power hungry then I expected. The real culprits are the washing machine on a hot wash, the microwave, the kettle and the rings on the hob, all leccy used for heat......

[Tizer]

There's a section of the population that doesn't give a damn about saving energy or avoiding waste, even when it could save them money. They're probably the same ones who don't bother voting in elections. I can't see the energy companies or the government ever converting them to energy savers.

When we were in the Home Counties on the weekend it was depressing to see the grass verges alongside slip roads leading to and from main roads covered in rubbish thrown out of car windows. At least it made me feel better once we got back here where there is much less of that sort of waste.

[plaques]

Halogen light bulbs to be banned under EU ruling. People are being pushed down the road of using the more efficient LED bulbs in place of the existing Halogen type. Halogen will still be available until the existing stocks are used up. Link.. Generally speaking I've no problem with this but admit that I like the high intensity halogen where I do my reading. A secondary problem is that many of our lamps and glass shades are upward facing which in themselves tend to cast a shadow. Changing over will not be as easy as suggested.

[chinatyke]

Generally speaking I've no problem with this but admit that I like the high intensity halogen where I do my reading.

On some light fittings, like the halogen down lighter type, you can use a LED bulb with the diffuser removed. For example, they are used in our lifts, and provide pin point light sources. Take care, you may expose bare contacts.

A secondary problem is that many of our lamps and glass shades are upward facing which in themselves tend to cast a shadow. Changing over will not be as easy as suggested.

Have you tried the 'corn-stalk' LED bulbs for this application?

corn stalk type LED bulb

[plaques]

To be honest China I didn't know that this type of bulb existed. A quick search shows that the 'drivers' transformer / rectifiers are also available. Now that I know I didn't know (been dying to do a Donald Rumsfeld) I'll have to get my act together. Thanks for the tip off.

[Big Kev]

I have a couple of reading lamps built into the headboard of my bed, I replaced the g9 halogens with the equivalent led bulbs. No difference in light output but you don't burn your hand when you adjust them now

[Bodger]

A GOOD FORECAST ??
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newsp ... 814.2.56.5

[chinatyke]

A GOOD FORECAST ??
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newsp ... 814.2.56.5

Love the way it is described as GOAL CONSUMPTION - looks like the Daily Mail reporters have migrated to Fairfax Media.

[Tizer]

It's worth clicking on the `View the full page' link in that item and seeing the other stories from the 1912 newspaper. There are lots of jokes on the right-hand side and they all seem to be out into what would sound like a mock Irish dialect, yet the paper, the `Rodney and Otamatea Times', was published in NZ. Did the Rodney and Otamatea area of NZ have many Irish immigrants?

[Wendyf]

Unsurprisingly it has been the best summer yet for our solar panels. Between 19th April and 21st September we generated almost 2800kwh. Amazingly we are still on the original FIT tariff and it's now all profit, the panels had paid for themselves by last year.

[Whyperion]

Halogen light bulbs to be banned under EU ruling. People are being pushed down the road of using the more efficient LED bulbs in place of the existing Halogen type. Halogen will still be available until the existing stocks are used up. Link.. Generally speaking I've no problem with this but admit that I like the high intensity halogen where I do my reading. A secondary problem is that many of our lamps and glass shades are upward facing which in themselves tend to cast a shadow. Changing over will not be as easy as suggested.

I have had to fit a halogen back in a kitchen trio as one of the LEDs failed. I have one also in a supposed reading lamp. actually it is supplying hear to the corner of the sofa where the spare anorak is, it is working as heat lamp for the cat which is currently spending 2/3rds of its day sleeping and sitting there.

[Pluggy]

Unsurprisingly it has been the best summer yet for our solar panels. Between 19th April and 21st September we generated almost 2800kwh. Amazingly we are still on the original FIT tariff and it's now all profit, the panels had paid for themselves by last year.

Similar story here. Only 800 kWh in our case (2025 for the year), but the panels have paid for themselves by last year. Now calling myself semi retired , it goes toward the pension. They have produced very close to the prediction when we bought them (if only all sales pitch were so honest). The panels make my top 5 of lifetime decisions.

[Wendyf]

Unsurprisingly it has been the best summer yet for our solar panels. Between 19th April and 21st September we generated almost 2800kwh. Amazingly we are still on the original FIT tariff and it's now all profit, the panels had paid for themselves by last year.

Similar story here. Only 800 kWh in our case (2025 for the year), but the panels have paid for themselves by last year. Now calling myself semi retired , it goes toward the pension. They have produced very close to the prediction when we bought them (if only all sales pitch were so honest). The panels make my top 5 of lifetime decisions.

Our solar panels that heat the water have been brilliant too, though it got a bit worrying this year when the water supply was drying up and we couldn't use all the hot water.

[Stanley]

No problems there now Wendy........

[Tizer]

A detailed analysis of recycling by councils in the UK...
`All the plastic you can and cannot recycle' LINK

[Stanley]

Isn't it amazing that there is no common standard.

[Tizer]

Nobody manages the whole system. We need someone to make the rules for `cradle to grave', raw materials to waste and recycled products.

[Stanley]

A bit like rail timetables Tiz. The government policy is to avoid responsibility in all areas, "Not my fault Guv" rules. Taking control of waste is just as important as economics. In the end the tide of plastic and other waste that doesn'r bio-degrade quickly could be the big news in the future. Include radio-active waste as well! Nye's 'Commanding Heights'.

[Tizer]

Another daft move by the Government that will lower our chances of defeating climate change...
`Car groups condemn grant cuts for electric and hybrid vehicles' LINK

[Stanley]

It makes you wonder where what money there is is going..... But then, should we be subsidising car buying anyway? How about concentrating on scrapping the older ones? I would have thought more bangs per buck there.....

[Tizer]

Scrapping the older commercial vehicles first (trucks, vans, buses) would be the most effective solution. Diesel bus engines running all day in town centres are probably the biggest problem of all.

[Stanley]

Add in locomotive diesels on the railway and shipping as well. Going from steam on rail to diesel was a mistake, almost everyone in Europe opted for leccy and with hindsight we should have done the same. We went for cheap and cheerful.....