Preparing for Winter

BigMummaF

Thanks for supplying a scientific answer about the taiters MrsMc As for indoor windows, I think you could use a very fine film of either washing up liquid, shampoo or liquid soap, just as an ordinary window cleaner--it works on bathroom mirrors anyhoo

My mind is a terrible pit of quicksand, & I'm wary of changing suppliers for the very reasons you've mentioned Ceridwen ...the info goes in OK, but the recall to deal with it is the soft sludge burying all the details, only to emerge at some innappropriate time, like bubbles from a bath after a beans on toast supper :rotfl:

jamanda

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Hi Jamanda

My rectangles (like to be awkward lol) are 3 1/4" X 3" or about 8cm x 7cm...
I am using 3 1/4 needles and double knit wool(21 stitches and 20 rows)... doing rib (P1 K1)...I figured rib is thicker than plain knitting -so should be warmer this is the last pic I have but he has now grown to 30 squares lol

Ooh thanks. That looks lovely and cuddly already. I may have to investigate the wool situation here, I'm sure there is some somewhere and could possibly get some bits from elsewhere.

PS How do you know it is a "he"?

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

Ceridwen.... My mum had a similar problem with the energy suppliers... When my mamma died a couple of months ago-everything fell to mum to sort out, I took the readings and phoned them through, explaining that we needed to close the account etc and would pay the final amount (once told what it was) once mum had been given the power to access her account... "yes, no problem".... then a bill comes to mum a "final demand" for mamas last amounts (taking into account that in 93 years mamma had never been late paying anything)... I was on the phone as not only was the "final demand" the 1st bill we had.. but they were demanding it on an estimate :eek: .... "oh yes yes no problem ".... then we get a letter threatening court action again on the estimated amount :mad: ....another phone call, refusing to talk to anyone below mamager and reading them the riot act.. and they finally shut up...and provided a proper bill..
We had the same set to with the council... apparently mamma had to pay an extra weeks rent in lieu of notice (how do they expect you do give notice that you are going to die I do not know:mad: )..and again even though the situation was explained we still got threatening letters -so much so, mum paid it from her own money -my mum has never been late paying anything and was getting upset and stressed.. I personally would have let them take me to court and shown them for the complete ignorant insensitive incompetent pillocks they are ... How mum coped with all this having just lost her mum and my sister in the same week I will never know
ooopppsss rant over

MRSMCAWBER

jamanda wrote: »

Ooh thanks. That looks lovely and cuddly already. I may have to investigate the wool situation here, I'm sure there is some somewhere and could possibly get some bits from elsewhere.

PS How do you know it is a "he"?

:rotfl:
I don't know..a bit like our car is always SHE :rotfl:

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

ceridwen wrote: »

No central heating yet - am using odd blasts from fires as necessary.

Wasnt necessary yesterday - think a bit of "righteous indignation" was keeping me warm. I swopped energy supplier (again) recently from one firm to another - to get a fixed price deal. Have been awaiting final account from previous firm and got home yesterday to a letter from them telling me "Your bill is based on an actual meter reading - you owe us over £100 - which we will collect by direct debit on 22 September":eek:

Point being - thank goodness I rang them to say "You've given me a bit of a shock with that - now how much of a shock am I going to have when the final electric account from you comes?" - as, in the course of the phonecall it emerged that this WASNT an "actual" meter reading - it was an estimated one (how come? I told my new supplier the actual reading weeks ago) and they had overestimated my usage by hundreds of units (just goes to show how economical with fuel I am now being). So - I've told them to cancel the direct debits (I thought already had been by new supplier!) and not just go into my bank account and help themselves - I will send them a cheque when I know what the correct amount is. I will also contact my bank myself and stop those direct debits (double whammy - to be sure and certain - after a previous experience with a certain firm with a name reminiscent of food - when they helped themselves for several months before I realised - and I never could get my money back from them).

Have had a further thought overnight - must check that my unit price is the correct one as well (ie at the rate chargeable at the time I left them - as they have doubtless put the price up since).

So - for those swopping fuel suppliers - keep a watch on these points. If I'd not checked up they would have charged me loads I wasnt due to pay and I would never have known (now wondering if that might have happened during previous supplier swops:cool: ).

I'd echo this I had the same problem with my dual fuel account when changing from British Gas.I got final accounts for £114 electric and £193 gas ,I nearly choked and then read my meter.I gave them readings and they actually ended up owing me £12 for gas and £29 for elecric.To add insult to injury they then sent me a further two cheques for £5 and £6 as they realised they had'nt calculated the amended bill properly.If I had'nt checked and paid the bills I'd have been a total of £359 worse off.Always double check.

ceridwen

BigMummaF wrote: »

My mind is a terrible pit of quicksand, & I'm wary of changing suppliers for the very reasons you've mentioned Ceridwen ...the info goes in OK, but the recall to deal with it is the soft sludge burying all the details, only to emerge at some innappropriate time, like bubbles from a bath after a beans on toast supper :rotfl:

The plot thickens Big Mumma....I've been on the phone now to my old supplier. Turns out that the new supplier told old supplier the wrong final figures for meter reading for some strange reason. Result is that the old supplier owes me about £150 (sounds more accurate - I've obviously been very good with my fuelsaving!). So - old supplier suggests:

a. Either I leave things as they are - and pay them £200 odd I dont owe them and dont get back the money they owe me BUT new supplier would owe me £350 worth of fuel (at their 13% higher price).

b. Or I put myself to more hassle and ask new supplier why they got the figures wrong/tell them the correct ones (AGAIN) and ask old supplier to give me back the £150 they owe me.

No wonder the old supplier suggested this - they'd get £350 they arent due!
My head hurts...now wondering what rate I am paying on the bit of an overdraft I have for a few weeks....and how that compares to paying nothing for my first £350 (old price worth) of units with my new supplier.......:eek: IYSWIM

mardatha

Yes Kitty, its important to keep a sense of proportion here eh! And chest complaints carried off a LOT of people before central heating. I get flu every year, the real thing. And in between flu I have ME which feels the same. So I wont cut back on my coal, thats the one thing that makes life bearable for me, a nice cosy house. I can scrimp on elect and food and clothes and going places instead.

bertiebots

kittie wrote: »

phone bills are bugging me. 2/3 the cost of my total quarterly energy bill and nothing I can do about it. Line rental alone is about £10.50/month. I signed up to together 3 and my bill this quarter was £62 and the actual cost of calls was <£4

If we didn`t need the internet I would just use a payg mobile or better still carrier pigeons

Have you thaught of transfering to someone who has unlimited calls for a fixed fee like sky or talktalk...they work out much better value and you dont have to worry everytime you make a call! these 2 firms have there own lines so you dont need to pay line rental to bt on top! We are with talktalk and for £20 per month get unlimitted calls,line rental and broadband...and nectar points too! If you go through a cashback site they are doing some very good offers that would probably pay for the first month or two at least;)

oliveoyl

We all need some of these to keep us warm and happy this winter

Pooky

oliveoyl wrote: »

We all need some of these to keep us warm and happy this winter

Oh they look great!

Although I guess it would be easy to over heat them.......If my feet get that cold then I use my normal wheat bag heated up and placed on my beanbag....my feet on top, then a blanket and I'm set for the evening....lovely to wriggle your toes into.