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In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

Archives for December 2007

Sky+ box
Any ideas how to get the latest sky+ box for cheap? It sells for £99 on sky's website with an additional £30 installation charge, £70 on ebay and until Christmas eve, Currys had a special in-store offer selling it for £29.00. Any idea if it is available in deals periodically? If yes, where to hunt for it? Thanks!
Internal oak doors - best sealer?
hi I have some new oak internal doors. Can anyone recommend the best thing to wax, oil or seal them with so they keep their colour as near to natural as it is now. had bad experience with sadoline clear in the past - very orangy. thanks
Garage Conversion
We are seriously considering converting our integral garage into an extra living area. We have a huge shed which can store all our odd bits so we're just not using the garage. The garage currently has a double skinned external wall and already has a bedroom extension above so the footings are good. There is electric,…
Double Glazing - condensation or leak?
One of my double glazed windows in the front room has water around the frames. I am not sure if it is condensation or rainwater. The window has a small ledge overhanging it on the outside so not sure if it is rain. When I open the window there is water collected at the bottom and top of the frame around the outside of the…
Dealing with rust damaged concrete
I've got a downstairs bay window which is made from reinforced concrete pillars, lintels and sills. At the bottom of one of the pillers the concrete has been blown (for about 5 inches up the pillar) - the reinfocring rod has rusted and cracked off the concrete. I couple of pieces have completely come off and there are…
shower room revamp
Hi we want to revamp our shower room maybe turn it into a wet room. I have no diy skills but could do some labouring work ie rip out old tiles ,sinks,toilet etc, would any one know how much this would cost us in labour ?. Or of any builders in south Herts that could quote us we need about 20m tiles wall and floor. With…
What Type Of Saucepan Is Best
Hi I'm looking at buying a new set of pans .. to fit in with my new kitchen and American style fridge / freezer Is Anodised pans the best ? or copper bottom stainless steel or solid copper thanks:beer:
Advice about roof
If anyone can give me some advice about this I would be most appreciative. Although our roof tiles are fine, the kind of lining that lies underneath them is ripped and has holes in it. I'm guessing this is why our loft seems slightly damp. Is there a way to patch this up or do we need to get some roofing people in to sort…
Triton T801 electric shower not working
My old Triton T80i just stopped working. There is power to the isolating switch but no light on the shower nor water. I found an old post on the forum which mentioned a 'solenoid' or 'water inlet filter' as likely cause. Can I investigate these in the unit, how do I do this and what should I look for? If this fails, should…
How to stop a rug slipping on laminate flooring
I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction with this please I have a long rug in the hall that keeps slipping around. I was under the impression that you could buy some kind of rubber tape to tape to the bottom of the rug to stop the rug from slipping around. I've had a look on the net and can't find…
Help For My Mum - Anyone Urgently
Hi Guys, my mum has been on the phone in floods of tears, her obnoxious neighbour wants to have some workman stand on her garage so that he can have his extension outside wall pointed. The houses are normal semi's with garages which are attached. he has built on to his garage upstairs and made some more bedrooms. he built…
Bathroom installation advice.
We decided to have a new bathroom (new suite, tiling, removing radiator and having a towel radiator fitted on another wall) and need some advice. Initially I had decided to do the tiling myself (never done it before:eek: ) and get blokes in to do the rest, ie remove old tiles myself, get plasterer in to skim walls and…
Cooker Wiring (again)
I’ve found several posts concerning wiring in a new electric oven but I would be obliged if anybody can help with this particular problem. My old oven was rated at 2.5kw and it had been wired via a standard 13 amp plug and double socket behind the oven to a cooker circuit that was protected by a 32 amp MCB. The other…
Cine to DVD
For Christmas I converted 40 year old cine film to DVD by projecting onto the wall and recording with a camcorder. My parents and siblings were delighted with the chrismas surprise but the quality could have better as the pic kept going in and out of focus. I assume this is to do with the camcorder readjusting to the…
Rechargeable iron, any good?
I need to get a new iron, and thought that a rechargeable iron, with no lead to catch in the ironing, would be a good idea. They also seem cheap, £20 - £30. Does anyone have any experience with these, and would they recommend one?
URGENT - Emergency Joiner/Burglary Advice
Please help. Sorry, I can't think straight - I am too traumatised! I don't even know where to post this! To explain, briefly. We were awoken at 4am this morning by two masked men, who beat down our front door and ran upstairs to our bedroom. My partner tried to protect us by barring our bedroom door, but one got through.…
Removing a Cat Flap
Hey guys, I have just moved into a new home and the previous owners have a (very rubbish) cat flap fitted in their rear uPVC door. Any ideas on how I remove and repair this?
testing florescent lighting tube
is there anyway I can test a tube to find out if its the tube or something else wrong like the fitting etc thanks
Hotpoint Wahing Machine problem
Hello I have a Hotpoint washer dryer which after a cycle is leaving clear water in the fabric softener compartment. The manual suggests to check there are no kinks in the water inlet hose, which seems to be ok, it runs through the cupboard under the sink so I can see its ok. Any suggestions? Its a pain having to take the…
painting ceiling - advice needed
I need some advice about painting a ceiling (never done one!) Basically, at the moment, the ceiling is painted in sheen/silk (its shiny) and is very nicotined (from previous owner of house). What is the best way of getting rid of nicotine stains?can i paint matt emulsion directly onto ceiling when it is sheeny at the…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving

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