Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

About electricity, in the Telegraph yesterday is an article by Christopher Booker. Apparently last Tuesday Parliament debated a new 200 page energy bill,with a new amendment to endorse that within 6 years we should all be forced by law to make a severe cut in the amount of electricity we use. It said that by 2020 our usage must be cut by 103 terawatt hours,27% and that by 2030 to 40% which is 154 terawatt hours. Currently we use 378 terawatt hours, so substantial cuts. Apparently the debate took place in an almost empty house and when it came to the vote MPs came in from all over the building and they voted it IN by 396 votes to 8!!!!!!!! AAAGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Interesting times ahead methinks, the article is in the Sunday Telegraph for June 9th if anyone wants to read it thierselves.

See GQ's post 3 below this, article in the paper was incorrect and online has appology and explanation.

spanishlivinginUK

pineapple wrote: »

I don't know but can you tell me are these chimineas any good and what did you use yours for? I'm quite tempted but I want something that is useful as well as pretty.

We had a clay chimenea just for deco and to light at night and seat around in the summer, really nice on a cold night, but it couldn't be used to cook.
This one would be used the same, just to have a fire in the garden. but its nice to know it could be useful to cook on it if needed. There are forests nearby where we could get wood if we had to, you can use the top as a stove.

westcoastscot

GQ interesting post as usual - not sure I ever did thankyou for the heads up about Ferfal's blog - really interesting!

Mar no plans to ever leave here now - we are very fortunate to have the best of every world! Our diet is plain - we still look forward to peas in spring, strawberries in late spring, that sort of thing as if it isn't seasonal we don't have it! When we had the croft we used to shoot and trap for food - we're all pretty proficient - but I rehomed our guns when we came to the mainland as we wouldn't use them just for sport. I have an axe by the back door and a small bushman , although my kids will swear that I can talk people to death!!!

When we lived in the Wilderness, a visitor once asked what we would do if an axe murderer came - my kids said "invite him in for a cup of tea, he'll need one!!" - we were a four mile hike from a very minor road

edited to say: Mrs L thanks for that - will go have a read. I wonder how they'll decide who has to reduce what? We use very little as it is.

GreyQueen

Afternoon all.

Mrs LW, I had a look at that T*lepgraph article and the writer has posted something new at the end of it which appears to be a grovelling apology and a redaction. If anyone would like to see:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/10107478/MPs-want-to-turn-your-lights-off.-A-shame-no-one-told-you.html

I must remember to look at it fully next week.

Even if the writer has got hold of the wrong end of the stick, it is an interesting concept. The usual way that these things work is rationing-by-price, where the poorest are on pre-pay meters and self-disconnect when they have no money. It's not usual to form the idea that rationing might be by any other mechanism, and affect people regardless of income.

I suspect that the more affluent would always see themselves all right, even if the rest of us were cutting back.

My city has, alongside many others, times when some of the streetlights are turned off in the small hours. The rationale is moneysaving and environmentalism, but folks aren't too happy. It doesn't affect me personally as city centre neighbourhoods like mine are on special measures due to our high crime levels and the fact that the streetlights being off would mean that the CCTV wouldn't work properly. Come back, George Orwell, all is forgiven.

My own leccy consumption is pretty low at 2.1 kWh per 24 hours but it could go lower, such as spending less time on MSE, f'rinstance. I've made a deliberate choice to have the most energy-efficient appliances I could lay hands on over the past several years, although it ususally means paying more up front.

Bob, thanks for the Aldi tip, I am really thinking I ought to saddle up the pony and pedal over to ours, which is a fair old haul from my gaff. I could always refuel with chocolate once I got there.

Mar, I always love it when I see a newspaper story of some oldie smashing the living daylights out of a mugger a quarter of their age cos they used to be a championship boxer, or a lady of a certain vintage giving some lout a handbagging. It's dangerous to assume that old people are benevolent duffers; send the RV into the fray and we shall cheer.

Well, this ain't getting the ironing done. There's one shirt, a small hankie, a pillowslip and a tea towel clamouring for my attention. Don't tell VJsMum, she thinks I only itemise to wind her up.......:rotfl:

I may be gone for some time................pls send chocolate if not back later. GQ xx

ETA; ironing safely accomplished. I've had the same iron since about 1987; it doesn't get a lot of use, lol.

VJsmum

pineapple wrote: »

I don't know but can you tell me are these chimineas any good and what did you use yours for? I'm quite tempted but I want something that is useful as well as pretty.

Hi
We recently bought one of these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LA-HACIENDA-STEEL-PIZZA-OVEN-CHIMENEA-CHIMINEA-PATIO-HEATER-BBQ-GRILL-/350801548288?pt=UK_Garden_Firepits_Chimeneas&hash=item51ad66d400

It is very good, barbeques likea dream - and on Saturday we cooked pizzas and they were fab. Also used as a pation heater.

VJsmum

GreyQueen wrote: »

Well, this ain't getting the ironing done. There's one shirt, a small hankie, a pillowslip and a tea towel clamouring for my attention. Don't tell VJsMum, she thinks I only itemise to wind her up.......:rotfl:

:wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave:

mardatha

Would this elect thing tie in with smart meters? If that was a mistake, you can bet your life some wee sod in a govt office just read it and had a light bulb moment..
GQ I did the same and replaced everything with energy saving new ones - which take twice as long and aren't any better really. Apart from the smart TV, that's quite good. Gawd it's round & round the mulberry bush innit! The more you go forwards, the more you go backwards

[Deleted User]

Thanks GQ I only had the actual newspaper to read, have just read the online page and 'tis as you say. I must admit, my first thought on reading the article was that it was a very good way of hiding, if that's the right way to put it, the fact that there would not be enough capacity in the future because of the EU legislated closures of so many of the existing power stations and the reluctance to build new Nuclears by the power companies who are owners now and the general delapidated state of the National Grid, how better to make capacity compatible with usage and user needs than to legislate that users MUST use less!!! Call me a cynic, but it's not beyond the bounds of possibility.

GreyQueen

VJsmum wrote: »

:wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave::wave:

:happyhear You know my teasing is only a sign of affection........:p.

I'm heading out with pals in a whiley...........we are going into Forn Parts. Not as far as crossing the county line, but I shall make sure I have sufficient resources in my everyday bag to withstand a minor incident; torch, map, peanuts, water bottle, mac and a warm layer.

There's countryside out there with critters in it. Coos, mostly.

Random factoid; of cows, species kept for dairying have the most dangerous bulls, whereas beef species have more chilled ones.

The most dangerous of all are Jersey bulls. Don't be fooled by their doe eyes, they are horrible critters.

Old country joke; Sign on gate; admission free - the bull will charge later.

pineapple

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

how better to make capacity compatible with usage and user needs than to legislate that users MUST use less!!! Call me a cynic, but it's not beyond the bounds of possibility.

I've mentioned this before but in Uganda we had something called 'load shedding' ie on alternate days you either had a power cut in the morning or a power cut in the evening. It was on a known schedule so it was quite do-able. Of course the better off had generators...