Preparing for Winter

Butterfly_Brain

Gigervamp wrote: »

Well, we checked our tank (oil) today and it's almost empty. This wouldn't have been much of a problem before as we pay by DD to the company that we're happy with.

Unfortunately, the company that we use, when we had our last filling, did a survey of the tank. Apparently, due to some regs (2001, enforced 2005, on NEW tank installs in England) our tank, doesn't conform, so they won't supply us until we've sorted out the tank.
Sorting out the tank involves (according to the guy I spoke to) simply lifting up the tank when it's nearly empty, and putting a couple of sleepers across the pillars, then putting paving slabs along the sleepers.

OK, ignoring how that could be a bit awkward, um, if we did that, then the pipe going from the tank would be too short. How do you add to the length of the pipe, bearing in mind that this is flammable liquid?

Sorry, kind of went off on one there!

We have a Calorgas fire and a halogen fire and the immersion for the water. But I've found that when this house gets cold, it stays cold for a long time. (18ish thick stone walls on half of it, brick on the other half.)

It's not the company's fault its this bloody nanny state's

BigMummaF

Gigervamp wrote: »

....Apparently, due to some regs (2001, enforced 2005, on NEW tank installs in England) our tank, doesn't conform, so they won't supply us until we've sorted out the tank.
Sorting out the tank involves (according to the guy I spoke to) simply lifting up the tank when it's nearly empty, and putting a couple of sleepers across the pillars, then putting paving slabs along the sleepers.

OK, ignoring how that could be a bit awkward, um, if we did that, then the pipe going from the tank would be too short. How do you add to the length of the pipe, bearing in mind that this is flammable liquid?
....

My first thought was to get in touch with your district council to see if they can help, given your husband's disability. Given that the Regulations have changed I would have thought they are legally bound to sort it for you.
My second was to ask the company who did the survey if they could recommend a qualified tradesman to do the work for you. Might be an idea anyway, to get some prices in case you have to do the job yourself.
Third was to ask your house insurance company if this sort of thing is covered on your policy. Me muvva needed a new roof & door on her garage & they did it for her--well, the council did as she pays for insurance via her lease on the flat.
Another would be to ask at a local college to see if they have student builders who need the experience. The tutor would supervise & should also know the new specifications to bring your tank up to the level required for the new Regs.

HTH & you can get it sorted out soon.

twiglet98

Gigervamp wrote: »

Well, we checked our tank (oil) today and it's almost empty. This wouldn't have been much of a problem before as we pay by DD to the company that we're happy with.

Unfortunately, the company that we use, when we had our last filling, did a survey of the tank. Apparently, due to some regs (2001, enforced 2005, on NEW tank installs in England) our tank, doesn't conform, so they won't supply us until we've sorted out the tank.
Sorting out the tank involves (according to the guy I spoke to) simply lifting up the tank when it's nearly empty, and putting a couple of sleepers across the pillars, then putting paving slabs along the sleepers.

OK, ignoring how that could be a bit awkward, um, if we did that, then the pipe going from the tank would be too short. How do you add to the length of the pipe, bearing in mind that this is flammable liquid?

Sorry, kind of went off on one there!

We have a Calorgas fire and a halogen fire and the immersion for the water. But I've found that when this house gets cold, it stays cold for a long time. (18ish thick stone walls on half of it, brick on the other half.)

When was your tanki installed? I thought tanks installed before the new regulations were ok to stay as they were? Our old steel tank is butted up against the back of the house, and it started leaking before Christmas. My boiler man said if we got another steel tank it could go on the existing pillars, even though new installations have to be 1.8 metres from the building. As it happens it was cheaper to get a plastic tank, which the boiler man has put in a different place as it sits at floor level. Total Butler have supplied my oil for years and never mentioned an issue with it!

Off topic slightly, I've just had my electricity statement from Eon and they're reducing my monthly payment from £65 to £44!!! Brilliant, this time last year it was £95 a month :eek:, reduced to £75 in summer and £65 in the autumn, but considering this is at the end of the winter quarter, I'm absolutely thrilled. And it's thanks to this forum, mainly this thread!

The family - DD18, DS21, DD23 and her BF28 - are all quite old enough to understand, but not until I really lost the plot last year did they sit up and take notice. I lined all the curtains with £2 fleeces from Mr T, turned the heating down and absolutely banned them from EVER turning it above 19C (they used to turn it to 26C and walk about in short sleeves and bare feet!), I nagged and nagged them to switch the TV/PS3/Wii etc off at the wall, not leave them on standby, and to switch the monitor off when they shut the computer down, and not to leave lights on... to use hot water bottles and wear more layers, to chop the wood from where our trees were pollarded and burn that... and it worked, it worked, and I'm so ridiculously pleased and proud of them for trying, at last, to help me out

No snow here and a gorgeous afternoon, I manured the new raised bed and am now happily planning what seeds to sow for this year.

Former_E.ON_Company_Representative:_Malc

twiglet98 wrote: »

Off topic slightly, I've just had my electricity statement from Eon and they're reducing my monthly payment from £65 to £44!!! Brilliant, this time last year it was £95 a month :eek:, reduced to £75 in summer and £65 in the autumn, but considering this is at the end of the winter quarter, I'm absolutely thrilled. And it's thanks to this forum, mainly this thread!

That's great news, twiglet.

Just make sure your statement is based on actual meter readings and not estimates. The last thing you need is a catch up bill if we have under-estimated your usage.

Otherwise, really well done on cutting back on your electricity consumption. :j

A quick heads up, twiglet. Have you had a look at the energy efficiency advice on our website (there's a link in my Personal Profile)? Particularly, the interactive house, energy menu and Winter Advice Bureau. Some good tips here to help you save further. :cool:

You might be interested in the 10:10 campaign, too. This is a climate change campaign aimed at helping people reduce their energy usage by 10 per cent by the end of 2010. More details are on our website.

We also have an Energy Efficiency team dedicated to helping people reduce their consumption. Give them a call with a list of your appliances and they will be happy to talk to you. Ask them for a copy of a booklet called '100 ways to save money by saving energy.' It's free and has many good ideas to help you save.

Hope this is of some help, twiglet. Give me a shout if you need any more details as will be happy to help.

Malc

mardatha

It's a good job we all joined up here to "prepare for winter" because this winter is going on & on & onnn ! Today we have a delicious mix of high winds and horizontal sleety snow :cool:
But the good news is the elect bill is only £62 :T - In the days before I found this forum the winter bill was around £140, and that was before the big price increases. So the new calor gas cooker has started to pay for itself, even allowing for the price of gas.
And we had a 3 hour powercut last night right in the middle of cooking the dinner. Lovely gas cooker made it all and we sat in romantic candle light and et it !;)

mrsr

Its very windy here but the sun is shinning through the windows warming the house .My electric was £72 and gas £161 i was a bit downhearted at first but when i thought about it thats a lot less than last year so it has been worth all the effort.Lets all hope summer comes soon it's been a hard winter.

downshifter

Glad to hear from our Scottish contingent, I had been wondering whether all the preparation has been put to the test. Hope you're all ok.

I got up at 6 this morning and amazed to see that all that snow that only on Wed I had been busy shovelling away to enable the catflap to open and me to get to work had virtually disappeared. Decided to take dog for muddy scramble as it was just drizzling, made it to the top of a hill and the blizzarding started, luckily dog is as tough as me and we're home now but yet again it's a whiteout. Not as bad as you're having up there but I'm so fed up of this white stuff, there's been snow in the garden now since before Christmas and I'm desperate to get going with planting etc - as it is I'll just have to do some housework now.

I dread to think what my bills might be, 3 weeks over Christmas without a boiler meant that I used the elec more than I ever would've done. Also working from home, despite being trussed up like Michelin woman I've still used it more - at least at work the heat is free. It's hard to think straight at 9 degrees when you're not moving.

DS

mrsr

downshifter wrote: »

Glad to hear from our Scottish contingent, I had been wondering whether all the preparation has been put to the test. Hope you're all ok.

I got up at 6 this morning and amazed to see that all that snow that only on Wed I had been busy shovelling away to enable the catflap to open and me to get to work had virtually disappeared. Decided to take dog for muddy scramble as it was just drizzling, made it to the top of a hill and the blizzarding started, luckily dog is as tough as me and we're home now but yet again it's a whiteout. Not as bad as you're having up there but I'm so fed up of this white stuff, there's been snow in the garden now since before Christmas and I'm desperate to get going with planting etc - as it is I'll just have to do some housework now.

I dread to think what my bills might be, 3 weeks over Christmas without a boiler meant that I used the elec more than I ever would've done. Also working from home, despite being trussed up like Michelin woman I've still used it more - at least at work the heat is free. It's hard to think straight at 9 degrees when you're not moving.

DS

That sounds awful we havn't had the second hit of snow in the southwest .The house is 19deg at the moment with a extra jumper on its bearable.I wont moan about the wind and rain here after hearing about your snow

mardatha

The snow here hasn't stopped all day and its now starting to lie and to drift. Absolutely amazed at the amount of snow we've had this year. The Scottish news is saying hundreds of motorists stuck on the A9 and hundreds without power up north.

Frugaldom

HI guys, we're southwest Scotland and after the blizzards we had earlier in the week, it's done nothing but rain since yesterday. It was horrible out at 7am this morning and the dampness makes the kitchen feel really, really cold. Electricity creeping up again, as I'm having to switch on a heater.

We've already started preparing for next winter by starting the cone collecting and mulching the hen runs but it looks more like we'll be using everything up this year. Still, the ground should have thawed enough to get the new fruit trees planted this weekend before the next freeze occurs.

Thoughts are with the northeast wing of family and friends, as they're all snowed in at the moment. Friend's just digging her car out now, although the main roads were clear enough for some of the local kids to get to school.