How to Get Through The Tough Times The Old Style Way.

GreyQueen

silvermaid wrote: »

My mum says 'ne'er cast a clout 'til May is out' and she's from the south of Ireland

We have this saying well down in Southern Softie Sassenach Territory too. The "may" is the hawthorn tree's flower aka "the may" not the month of May. Hawthorn typically flowers mid to late May in my part of the world. Folklore has it that it is unlucky to bring the flowers indoors as they will cause a death in the family. Which folklorists attribute to the fact that the flowers apparently smell like the very early stages of decaying flesh (eww:(). Really OS folks would have laid out their own dead so I guess they would have known.......

Thanks for the recipes and I will check them after my shift. So many options and so little time.

lostinrates

GreyQueen wrote: »

the flowers apparently smell like the very early stages of decaying flesh (eww:().

Oh wow, I love the smell of black thorn blossom, so that's a bit worrying! I can't stand lily scent though...smells like widdle to me.

mardatha

Re hawthorn blossom - my dad used to go mad if I brought that stuff home when I was wee. He wouldnt have it in the house.

SD-253

Catbells wrote: »

I happened to be in the other day when a young chap from Energy Management knocked on the door offering insulation to my loft. He said it was in response to the energy companies overcharging over the past 10 years and was a way of 'giving back the money' to consumers. I would get £300s worth of free insulation to the loft (10"thick) and I would have to pay the balance - about £190. Since my loft is not insulated I went for it. One or two people here are trying to focus on energy saving and this might help.

Think you made a mistake. The mere fact that they said
"He said it was in response to the energy companies overcharging over the past 10 years and was a way of 'giving back the money' to consumers"
A bit unlikely that he/they would say that but more importantly admit to overcharging. Assuming they fitted it not a terrible price as in you do not have to fit it. BUT I recently spotted a deal for my mate NOTE not on benefits an organisation was fitting roof insulation for £47 and doing wall insulation for £67 (or vice versa). I also got triple or double rolls (depends on the gap between the joist) of 7" insulation for £1 a roll (carbon offsetting by an electricity company can't remember which). All in all a poor deal but you will still get your money back possibly in one year. They did fit it????
If they had said carbon offsetting it would have been believable also it is not normal for salesman to do this it is done by post? or a card in local paper.

jackieglasgow

Some of the Energy companies do, do the home insulation thing door-to-door. In fact, one of the big ones is advertising at the moment for staff to do exactly this.

SD-253

Woo are you saying they haven't fitted it yet? Have they measured your attic? "I would get £300s worth of free insulation to the loft (10"thick) and I would have to pay the balance - about £190." If they haven't measured you attic how can they come to that figure? You may find that the "about £190" ? may turn out to be more? Possible?
If you haven't done it yet try the following ring up the council see what they have on offer or what they know is on offer from other sources. Do a search for offers BUT start here as money saving expert often know about insualtion deals.
Your offer sounds iffy.

SD-253

jackieglasgow wrote: »

Some of the Energy companies do, do the home insulation thing door-to-door. In fact, one of the big ones is advertising at the moment for staff to do exactly this.

also it is not normal for salesman to do

SD-253

Energy saving trust includes an 0800 number worth a look at.

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Home-improvements-and-products/Home-insulation-glazing

SD-253

Arhh Now we are getting somewhere http://www.enactenergy.co.uk/insulation/ assuming this is the same people
Loft Insulation from £199

Nothing on there site about giving back money that was overcharged. Thinking about it surely they would have to give it back to those who were overcharged?

kitschy

My parents who are both retired had their cavity wall and loft done recently for free, from a company who called at the door. They had previously been quoted a lot as the company said their conservatory would mean they had to get scaffolding etc, so put the idea to rest. Then a man came to the door and told them they could have it done for free. My Mum checked it out as Dad has had a few strokes and can't always be relied upon to relay information accurately and it was completely kosher. The company came back within the month, and did both the cavity wall and loft insulation for them, completely free of charge. My cousin boarded the loft out for them at the same time, so they were dead chuffed.

So, yes, although you should be a little bit cautious, some things are as good as they sound

Can we remember that, even if we disagree with one another, we can still be polite, as it's a support thread, not a competition to see who can be in the right.