If things get tougher?

trying-very-trying

mummysaver wrote: »

Morning!
Ceridwen - what is the diff between a halogen heater and any other sort please?

Oh, can I answer this one, please.
I didn't see Ceridwen's post that you must have read, but my halogen heater looks just like a little calor gas fire, only instead of using gas to heat the little plates, it uses the heat from a small halogen strip bulb. There's 3 of these bulbs in my heater, each one is 400w and it does give out a great heat. I only use the 400w for half an hour on a frosty morning, and it heats the whole living room. It also swivels so that the heat circulates better, the only drawback I see is the very bright light that it emits, but as long as your not looking at it that's not too big a problem.

ceridwen

mummysaver wrote: »

Morning!

Ceridwen - what is the diff between a halogen heater and any other sort please?

.

Well - I'm not technically-minded. But - in a word - cost. The link that someone gave yesterday gave the running cost of a 2 kw fan heater as 22p per hour. Well - the most expensive to run halogen heater I have uses 1600 watts per hour (ie 80% of that if my dubious maths is correct). I have 3 fanheaters - but have put them all up in the loft and replaced them with halogen heaters. Halogen heaters have between 2 and 4 "bars" worth of heat which one switches on individually as required. 2 "bars" worth uses 800 watts (ie less than half the energy use of a fanheater on at its lowest setting). Halogen heaters just seem to cast out a lot more warmth for one's money - I think its to do with fanheaters throw out the heat all round the room (including up to ceiling level- but halogen heaters just throw the heat where its wanted (ie right at me). I have bought 3 different qualities of halogen heater - the cheapest was less than £10 and only has 2 "bars" worth of heat (its an 800 watts one). the middle quality one has 3 "bars" worth of heat and was about £15. The dearest one (Argos) was £30 plus and has 4 "bars" worth of heat. I usually use 2 "bars" worth. I am guesstimating - but think a halogen heater on 2 "bars" worth would cost about 8p per hour to run currently.

One just has to remember its not a good idea to sit looking at the light they cast out (its BRIGHT!). So I make sure I am either sitting with my back to the one I have on - or I turn it round, so its not facing me.

maz1964

thanks retiredladay - marion

for the price i think its at 79.99 so ive read somewhere if i order in aug , i think you have helped me make up my mind ill go for the standard one. if i have guest will have to more salad, lol

so thanks to all for the good feedback

ciao for now have a fun rest of the week MAZ

ceridwen

Valli wrote: »

This water problem has really got me thinking. For instance, when we flush the loo we don't NEED to use water which is of drinking quality. And having had my water butt for only 2 weeks now I have been using it to water my garden - pots and grow bags - ever since. I haven't had to use tap water and the butt is virtually full. So there is a saving there just in the fact that I am collecting water which is unpurified. I don't pay for water as such - so I'm not saving me money but I know its greener. The water authority aren't purifying water unecessarily.
What I was wondering is can we not store enough rainwater to use for flushing toilets? I know this is done in new build 'green' houses but is there a retro fit to use in a bog standard semi?

There could well be - if there is, then chances are its mentioned on one of my "Fave Websites" I list at the bottom of the "page" on my blog. Half of my "fave websites" are "transitioning to the future" type ones...with various environmental "solutions" on them. (see my M.S.E. homepage).

ceridwen

Charis wrote: »

Yes, if you've got a grand or two to spare.

Or you could fill a watering can and leave it by the loo.

http://www.cat.org.uk/information/catinfo.tmpl?command=search&db=catinfo.db&eqSKUdatarq=20020925160005





Errr....Charis....now you just know what I'm gonna say next...my theme tune.....

BLOG PLEASE!!!!:D

Well - with t'useful info you come out with yourself........join the clan;)

[Deleted User]

watering can by the loo. Ahhhh penny has dropped :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

good job we are all in this together and we can cheer each other up. Another bloomin pouring wet day here, when is it going to stop raining?

All this stuff, having to watch every penny is a real nightmare for so many people and what could be depressing is that this is a fact of life for the long term? so, we`ll tackle it as it happens and we`ll stop worrying

The important thing is to take one day at a time and not to waste the day, moping or pro-crastinating or,dare I say it, browsing on the pc. I used to feel good in my young (very skint) mum days if I managed to do one positive thing each day. some examples: sew, knit, crafting, turn out a cupboard with the radio on, make something special from a few boring veg. I used to dress the children in bright (pvc) rain gear and go and see how many puddles we could stamp in

Hugs to all and long live our self-help community

sammy_kaye18

morning all

shock shock horror horror shock shock horror - its raining in wales......again. will it never end?? am freeziing but still no heating on not yet and not for a few months yet - i refuse! I'm hoping by the time little one goes to school it will still be ok weather wise and the temps wont have dropped so i can then trundle round looking like the michelin man in my own home happily - bobbly hat and all.

Got to say i was shocked yesterday. My bf cleans cars out after they have been lent out - and he found a few pennies in the centre console about 2 months ago, showed his boss thinking it could go towards work do etc and he said 'well there no good to us keep them', so he kept his lunchbox in work and started putting the coins in there - he came home yesterday and there was abotu £7 in coppers, and small silver. He said all the other things he finds magazines, cds, condoms, medicines, books, an iPod! get given back to the boss and the client is called to collect their possessions but boyfriend was shocked when he was told to just keep the pennies as 'no one misses a few pence'.

Charis

kittie wrote: »

watering can by the loo. Ahhhh penny has dropped :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

The last laugh is on me. I have a watering can by the loo today -- because the town's water mains are being replaced and our water is cut off again. We had this all a few months back, being cut off for a few hours at a time. Today it is off from 8.30am - 5.00pm! Thanks to Ceridwen and her emergency preparedness blogs/posts I had bought two huge water canisters in June. They are so large I can't lift them when they are full :rolleyes:

good job we are all in this together and we can cheer each other up.
Another bloomin pouring wet day here, when is it going to stop raining?

It is sunny here this morning on the English side of the Welsh border. There are clouds lurking, so don't know how long it will last.

All this stuff, having to watch every penny is a real nightmare for so many people and what could be depressing is that this is a fact of life for the long term? so, we`ll tackle it as it happens and we`ll stop worrying

When you watch programmes like last night's 'Who do you think you are?' and see the appalling poverty in the 19th century it does make you keen to make sure we have some sort of structure to our post oil communities. My ancestors came from the area of London they were talking about - it makes very depressing reading http://www.casebook.org/victorian_london/morebg.html

The important thing is to take one day at a time and not to waste the day, moping or pro-crastinating or,dare I say it, browsing on the pc.

That is one thing I am guilty of!

I used to feel good in my young (very skint) mum days if I managed to do one positive thing each day. some examples: sew, knit, crafting, turn out a cupboard with the radio on, make something special from a few boring veg. I used to dress the children in bright (pvc) rain gear and go and see how many puddles we could stamp in

That's an excellent idea for anyone at any stage of life. Especially on those days when we feel down in the dumps. Now, shall I wire brush the steps today, ready to paint the edges white so my guests can see them in the night (one street lamp for the whole cul de sac) or shall I mow the lawn...decisions, decisions. :rotfl:

Hugs to all and long live our self-help community

Indeed :beer: :hello:

ceridwen

Hi Charis

Re the water containers - I've got my uses then;) There are advantages to being a pessimist I reckon (though I would use the word "realist":D ).

As well as my 25 litre water container - I have a 110 litre waterbutt out back (for water that doesnt need to be drinking quality) and I have found out how to get 5 litre water containers for nowt:

- ie buy my Ecover washing-up liquid in the 5 litre containers and once I've used it up I get to keep the container as a 5 litre storage container (or - if, like me, you're too impatient to wait months to use up that much washing-up liquid - then empty out the contents into those darn plastic containers they sell our milk in these days).

Gigervamp

Ceridwen, you don't use those bottles for storing drinking water do you? The chemicals from the washing up liquid might have leached into the plastic, and the plastic probably isn't food grade anyway.
The plastic demijohns you can get for winemaking hold 5 litres and are pretty cheap.