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Post by PG on Oct 11, 2021 11:50:53 GMT
I had a conversation ....... ......The Government needs to set proper standards (which would ban the crap solar installations) and then it needs to provide real direction for affordable and deliverable alternatives. The alternative will be a winter death rate in 20 years time which will make Covid appear like an irrelevance. Remember that pre WW2 the average life expectancy was in the 60's and a common cause of death was breathing difficulties brought on by the cold and damp. With a 10 to 15 year window to change every house in the UK, the Government had better get their finger out and quickly. I really sometimes wonder what civil servants and ministers do all day. Attend meetings no doubt. Because anybody with half a brain (and maybe that rules some of them out), an internet connection and a few hours can find out more and suggest more sensible stuff than I've ever heard on any subject. Not just climate stuff, but any subject at all. I mean if the cabinet spent an hour each day doing research themselves they might learn something rather than just being fed either sycophantic crap, or 193 reasons why stuff can't be done, from senior civil servants. |
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Post by michael on Oct 11, 2021 11:57:37 GMT
We’re in a similar situation. Earliest part of our house is 18th century so solid walls etc. We’ve applied external insulation, replaced all the windows and doors and insulation the roof. We’re mulling over what to replace the oil boiler with but heat pumps do not seem up to the job unless you go for full underfloor heating or double up on radiators. The other option is a wood pellet boiler but you need an enormous amount of space to do this before getting onto the vast costs associated with installing them. They’re also a massive source of CO2 but that doesn’t seem to matter much with green calculations.
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Post by johnc on Oct 11, 2021 12:04:44 GMT
I do wonder if the more recent announcements are perhaps a sop for COP-19
EDIT: whilst on the subject of Cop-19, we have just had a note of all the road closures around the SEC, including the Clydeside Expressway which will last for over 3 weeks. Don't bother coming to Glasgow in that period because you will just sit in stationary traffic and lots of emissions because the north side of the city will be grid locked.
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Post by Alex on Oct 11, 2021 12:34:54 GMT
I think the problem here is that a lot of the solutions are just too expensive for the individual. I dont doubt some of you could find the money to implement these things if you really really had to but the basic fact of it is that most people can't so it does require se proper joined up thinking from government. Using ground source heat pumps on a bigger scale to provide community hot water supplies would be a better solution than trying to persuade individual households to go it alone. Likewise with solar panels why not get whole streets done in one go by one contractor who can charge less per house than if they were all separate projects.
It could be done but there just doesn't seem to be the political willpower.
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Post by michael on Oct 11, 2021 12:50:32 GMT
I think the problem here is that a lot of the solutions are just too expensive for the individual. I dont doubt some of you could find the money to implement these things if you really really had to but the basic fact of it is that most people can't so it does require se proper joined up thinking from government. Using ground source heat pumps on a bigger scale to provide community hot water supplies would be a better solution than trying to persuade individual households to go it alone. Likewise with solar panels why not get whole streets done in one go by one contractor who can charge less per house than if they were all separate projects. It could be done but there just doesn't seem to be the political willpower. There’s is no government money, it’s all our money anyway. The issue is that right now it works the opposite as you describe. Those who are able to fund the ‘eco’ solutions, either by getting in early on the generation grants at home or on a commercial scale are taking it whilst those those less able to afford it are subject to high taxes to pay for it. Taxing the poor to pay the rich. For some reason if you challenge this eco lunacy you get accused of being a climate change denier. |
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Post by racingteatray on Oct 11, 2021 14:33:06 GMT
I just had to renew our gas/elec contract with Octopus. It went up from £90/month to £140/month. I couldn't find anything better with anywhere else that looked big enough to not go tits-up in short order.
Given I currently have a surplus of about £250 on our account, I couldn't help thinking that's just going to sit there and grow.
We seem to have quite particular energy usage in this house - we seem to use more electricity than modelled but less gas. Possibly that's due to having underfloor heating that runs off the gas boiler, which I believe is quite efficient.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Oct 11, 2021 15:06:55 GMT
We seem to have quite particular energy usage in this house - we seem to use more electricity than modelled but less gas. Possibly that's due to having underfloor heating that runs off the gas boiler, which I believe is quite efficient. Well you do live in London, just north of The Tropics.  I think that underfloor heating, providing low level background heat, in a well insulated home can be quite economical. |
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Post by Boxer6 on Oct 11, 2021 19:25:17 GMT
I do wonder if the more recent announcements are perhaps a sop for COP-19 EDIT: whilst on the subject of Cop-19, we have just had a note of all the road closures around the SEC, including the Clydeside Expressway which will last for over 3 weeks. Don't bother coming to Glasgow in that period because you will just sit in stationary traffic and lots of emissions because the north side of the city will be grid locked. COP-26 John. Yes, we've had several 'briefings' on this already, and typically, being the people, "on the ground", only now are we being asked/told to devise full contingency plans to help deal with some of the most vulnerable people in the city! Being where we are, in the North-East, we won't be quite as badly hit as, say, someone with offices nearer the centre .. .. ..
.. .. sorry - couldn't resist that!  |
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Post by johnc on Oct 12, 2021 8:03:23 GMT
I do wonder if the more recent announcements are perhaps a sop for COP-19 EDIT: whilst on the subject of Cop-19, we have just had a note of all the road closures around the SEC, including the Clydeside Expressway which will last for over 3 weeks. Don't bother coming to Glasgow in that period because you will just sit in stationary traffic and lots of emissions because the north side of the city will be grid locked. COP-26 John. Yes, we've had several 'briefings' on this already, and typically, being the people, "on the ground", only now are we being asked/told to devise full contingency plans to help deal with some of the most vulnerable people in the city! Being where we are, in the North-East, we won't be quite as badly hit as, say, someone with offices nearer the centre .. .. ..
.. .. sorry - couldn't resist that! Thanks Ian. I thought 19 didn't sound right when I typed it, so 26 it is! The Clydeside Expressway is my go to means to get in to the city with Great Western Rd being the virtually stationary (on a good day) alternative. Thankfully I don't need to use it to get to the office so I am just going to stay here and meetings in the city centre will be off. |
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Post by Alex on Oct 12, 2021 8:21:20 GMT
I think we've become a bit too used to using -19. Not sure why?
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Post by ChrisM on Oct 12, 2021 20:53:33 GMT
I think we've become a bit too used to using -19. Not sure why? Rory Bremner? |
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Post by Grampa on Oct 18, 2021 10:03:19 GMT
Just had to get a new fixed rate plan for my Mum's house (my brothers and I are her landlords) - £5 a month for gas and electric for almost a year as we'd built up a lot of credit since buying the house before she moved in then rises to £79. That'll do!
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