EH - Essex > Hebrides...the next step of the adventure?

EssexHebridean

beanielou said:

EH~~Not sure why you are with UW.
My best advice is to get away from them as soon as.
They are the dregs.

I was a bit worried that was the case Beanie - they came up cheapest for us on the MSE energy club when we switched last - we were really keen to get away from Bulb at the time  as they’d started having problems and were hiking DD’s through the roof to improve their cashflow. At least their app and billing made sense though. I’m definitely going to look at switching as soon as it’s viable to do so, but I fear that might be a good six months away. 😢

Thanks for popping in RT, greenbee & SH - interesting hearing other views on the washing machine thing too - this is a Hotpoint washer/dryer and although it’s been “ok” I wouldn’t have another of theirs. I think we’ve decided to just use the timesaver function to shorten the cycle. I do use the super short programmes from time to time but nearly every load normally has some fitness kit in it so I’m reluctant to not give that stuff a reasonable time in the machine for fear of it emerging a bit whiffy still! 😂 The difficulty when replacing will aimsuspect once again be getting a reasonably priced washer dryer - we rarely use the dryer but definitely need to have the option of it. 

Cheery_Daff

Interesting to read about all your washing machines! Ours is ancient, it was second hand when Mr Cheery acquired it, and that was several years before we got together 16 years ago 🙄 We only ever use one programme - because it's the only one that runs all the way through by itself without you having to 'turn the washer on a click' like we had to do as kids 😂 It takes a good 2.5 hours, so there's never really chance for a spontaneous wash on a sunny morning. It does my head in! But as long as it keeps going, we won't be replacing it. I assumed everyone's washer just took about 30 mins these days and we were missing out!

EssexHebridean

No - you can set them to run that fast but in a lot of cases it’ll use more power and agitate the clothes a lot more than a standard programme so likely increase wear & tear so the longer programmes are often better from an MSE perspective as they rely on soaking more than moving stuff about. That’s my understanding anyway. Your machine has done incredibly well - our first one here was the indesit that was at our rented flat - the L/L was happy for us to take it when we left. When it went wrong though it proved impossible to get anyone to fix it. I reckon the current Hotpoint is around 10 years old now - again we will keep it until it goes kaput but won’t be looking for a repair on it then as we’ve never been 100% happy with it to be honest. 

EssexHebridean

Morning all - and another grey and drizzly one here, although it’s brightening up a little now. Did get rather damp on our walk this morning - wanted to go to the war memorial though so went regardless! 

Must be said I still feel a bit under the weather (metaphorically rather than literally - that was earlier!) - nothing I can put my finger on, just a bit “not quite right”. All tests have been negative though so I’m confident that whatever it is it’s not the dreaded lurgy, I’ll carry on as normal but just being a bit cautious around others I think - we can’t put lives on hold every time we feel a bit off colour forever, after all. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Update:
Prolific : £7.29 paid/ £3.48 pending
OnePoll: 245
NSD’s 8/18 - and hoping to add another today. 

Electric overnight: £1.01 (two NSH’s, hot water)

still trying to get an accepted reading through to UW - every one I’ve put through so far is showing as zero - this time a I have screenshot the confirmation of the readings in case they claim that’s how I’ve submitted them - I’m really not happy though. I have this time actually had an email acknowledgment- starting to wonder if their app isn’t fit for purpose for economy 7 readings as this is the first one I’ve submitted through the website instead. 

(I jinxed the weather - just since I’ve been typing it’s got dark to the point that I nearly need a light on!) 

Planning to make today a mix of active/productive and lazy I think - partly to try to shake off whatever it is making me feel a bit grotty. Will head to the gym this morning as I’ve not been all week, the fibrous still feeling a bit noticeable but I’ll concentrate on leg stuff and keep it relatively short I think. Got oddments to do around the house too, although we did it’s and pieces last night to save needing to do it today. Then a date with the sofa and the last episodes of Greys Anatomy this afternoon I think! Plus a yoga practise - see, if I write it here I have to do it, yes?! 

girlatplay

We've watched up to the end of series 16 of Grey's but I refuse to pay (more - we have Prime) to watch 17 & 18 so we are waiting until we can get them for free.  We watched it constantly from 1-16 so it was a huge wrench when we finished it, especially knowing that there was another one out there.  Daft that a tv programme can make you feel like that.

RelievedSheff

EssexHebridean said:

beanielou said:

EH~~Not sure why you are with UW.
My best advice is to get away from them as soon as.
They are the dregs.

I was a bit worried that was the case Beanie - they came up cheapest for us on the MSE energy club when we switched last - we were really keen to get away from Bulb at the time  as they’d started having Robles and were hiking DD’s through the roof to improve their cashflow. At least their app and billing made sense though. I’m definitely going to look at switching as soon as it’s viable to do so, but I fear that might be a good six months away. 😢

Thanks for popping in RT, greenbee & SH - interesting hearing other views on the washing machine thing too - this is a Hotpoint washer/dryer and although it’s been “ok” I wouldn’t have another of theirs. I think we’ve decided to just use the timesaver function to shorten the cycle. I do use the super short programmes from time to time but nearly every load normally has some fitness kit in it so I’m reluctant to not give that stuff a reasonable time in the machine for fear of it emerging a bit whiffy still! 😂 The difficulty when replacing will aimsuspect once again be getting a reasonably priced washer dryer - we rarely use the dryer but definitely need to have the option of it. 

We currently have a Beko washer dryer. It is only a cheap one that we bought while we were in our last house to see if we would get on with a washer dryer. It is about 4 years old now and barring the odd bout of not drying, which is usually a blocked filter, it seems to be doing alright. 

A full wash and dry cycle takes about 3.5 hours. We just set it to be finished for when we get home from work. I have used the 30 minute quick wash lots during the summer when I was working from home. Was handy to get things dried on the line and it did seem to wash things well. Nothing ever came out still smelly.

RosaBernicia

Joining in the WM chat, if you are replacing I would think about getting one of the larger capacity ones.  I bought an extra capacity Samsung at the last house and miss it - I could chuck both bedding and towels in one 60 degree wash which now have to be done separately, and it handled washing duvets easily too.  As for brands, I had two B3ko tumble dryers fail within months so won't be buying that brand again. 

greenbee

Haven't a clue about washer-dryers, but I have a siemens WM (the last one was a siemens and lasted 16 years). When it was making an odd noise recently the repair guy (who fixed it by tightening and then loosening a screw) made some comment about the fact that the WM & DW were siemens (not much brand kudos - oddly Bosch has more, although it's a brand down in their portfolio - so good value) and the dryer was a hotpoint. I told him I wasn't stupid enough to waste money on something that's just a fan heater that goes round. He laughed, and said that he agreed - if you have a standalone dryer, keep it simple. 

EssexHebridean

GAP it’s series 16 I’m watching - I was late to the party with it in spite of thinking it sounded good for a long while but started watching during lockdown 1 and have worked through the lot. I’m with you - absolutely not paying extra to watch the new stuff and it will no doubt get included on regular Prime before all that long. 🤞🏼

More good washing machine chat too - my Mum in Law had a Beko fridge freezer at their old house and loved it RS - people do seem to either love their appliances or the opposite, I’ve definitely heard mixed reviews!w Rosa - Samsung is one of the makes we’d consider I think - we said when we got the kitchen done that we were going to buy the “better” makes from now on in the hope they would last a good many years and so be more environmentally friendly, the built in dishwasher is Bosch, the oven (freestanding) is Zanussi - and we’d already replaced a previous very elderly combi microwave with a Panasonic. The bread maker is also now a Panasonic of course, so we’re getting there. I’m trying to get my head round the new energy ratings too - they all seem to come up around E at the moment but I’ve no idea how that compares with the old system! 

RelievedSheff

We have a Samsung huge fridge freezer in the kitchen but it is really noisy. The Beko upright freezer in the garage is far quieter. 

We probably wouldn't have chosen Beko for a freezer but it was the only one suitable for a garage and guaranteed to work down to minus 15 degrees. It works a treat.