It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

greenbee

I have a friend who specialises in sustainability for historic buildings - there's a lot that's possible in terms of retrofitting, but it needs to be done properly. I'm currently looking for a new house, and she's come up with affordable, sustainable, eco-friendly solutions for everything I've looked at. Having help from someone who knows what they're doing has been eye-opening - particularly in checking the misinformation others have provided (she's able to give me transparent pricing that mean I can challenge what I'm being told - and helps me challenge the BS). 

Woolsery

greenbee said:

I have a friend who specialises in sustainability for historic buildings - there's a lot that's possible in terms of retrofitting, but it needs to be done properly. I'm currently looking for a new house, and she's come up with affordable, sustainable, eco-friendly solutions for everything I've looked at. Having help from someone who knows what they're doing has been eye-opening - particularly in checking the misinformation others have provided (she's able to give me transparent pricing that mean I can challenge what I'm being told - and helps me challenge the BS). 

Being an old cynic, I think the current energy crisis is being allowed to happen as a motivator for change. You and I may navigate through it successfully because we have some modest resources and the ability to seek out the relevant info, but my concern is for the majority, not in such a fortunate position.

As I said earlier, those who can, will install things like solar arrays, batteries and heat stores to lower their bills, but that isn't possible for those on lower incomes.

enkeltliv

Woolsery said:

greenbee said:

I have a friend who specialises in sustainability for historic buildings - there's a lot that's possible in terms of retrofitting, but it needs to be done properly. I'm currently looking for a new house, and she's come up with affordable, sustainable, eco-friendly solutions for everything I've looked at. Having help from someone who knows what they're doing has been eye-opening - particularly in checking the misinformation others have provided (she's able to give me transparent pricing that mean I can challenge what I'm being told - and helps me challenge the BS). 

Being an old cynic, I think the current energy crisis is being allowed to happen as a motivator for change. You and I may navigate through it successfully because we have some modest resources and the ability to seek out the relevant info, but my concern is for the majority, not in such a fortunate position.

As I said earlier, those who can, will install things like solar arrays, batteries and heat stores to lower their bills, but that isn't possible for those on lower incomes.

Being cynical facilitates a full spectrum of thought processing. My cynicism takes me to similar places. I think the Powers are clapping their hands that they have a society that understands the price rises are because of waring atrocities. However, these hikes were happening anyway, they've been compounded, yes, but happening. 

Woolsery

enkeltliv said:

Woolsery said:

greenbee said:

I have a friend who specialises in sustainability for historic buildings - there's a lot that's possible in terms of retrofitting, but it needs to be done properly. I'm currently looking for a new house, and she's come up with affordable, sustainable, eco-friendly solutions for everything I've looked at. Having help from someone who knows what they're doing has been eye-opening - particularly in checking the misinformation others have provided (she's able to give me transparent pricing that mean I can challenge what I'm being told - and helps me challenge the BS). 

Being an old cynic, I think the current energy crisis is being allowed to happen as a motivator for change. You and I may navigate through it successfully because we have some modest resources and the ability to seek out the relevant info, but my concern is for the majority, not in such a fortunate position.

As I said earlier, those who can, will install things like solar arrays, batteries and heat stores to lower their bills, but that isn't possible for those on lower incomes.

Being cynical facilitates a full spectrum of thought processing. My cynicism takes me to similar places. I think the Powers are clapping their hands that they have a society that understands the price rises are because of waring atrocities. However, these hikes were happening anyway, they've been compounded, yes, but happening. 

Definitely already on the cards and the war was a very covenient distraction when certain matters pertinent to recent history were just coming to light....and I don't mean the nonsense about parties etc. But I can't go there.

Frustrating it's often necessary to talk in riddles, but keeping on the straight and narrow, the World Bank's recent prediction of 37% rises in global food prices this year on top of the energy hikes should give pause for thought. If we are to be hit hard, what does it mean for less affluent countries where food makes up a much higher proportion of family budgeting? I think I can guess.

EssexHebridean

Datchet said:

nannygladys said:

Asparklyblonde - I start my broad beans, sweetcorn and beans in the larger yogurt pots, I started it a few years ago now and got dds involved in saving me their pots, I heat a nail up to melt holes in the bottom (but you have to be careful as the nail gets very hot quickly) and each year after they have done their job, wash and store for the following year. I have too many pots now, but they're all strong and not splitting at all.
I was lucky a couple of years ago, one of the old guys at the lottie gave me a stack of peat pots that he couldn't use, so I'm working my way though them as well. 
I also recently started planting up my old recycling boxes with salad leaves and made a makeshift glass cover for them, as we have huge hinged bins now. 
I do try to recycle everything if I can into something else to use.
Nannyg

Bravo! I have seeds in old lurpak and yoghurt pots, our classic is ‘ bog-roll beans’ old clear plastic meat package holds 6 or 8 upright toilet roll middles, with garden compost/ spent tomato bag compost, 1 or 2 beans per roll. As mentioned above, we sell them at end of drive, one pack of 6 for £1 ! One year we didn’t do this and people came to the door to ask for them!
even the seed is recycled. The big clearer Perspex tubs that retailers put bird seed / lard balls / sweets in make great cucumber and tomato pots. You can see how much water you need to add when watering.
happy growing!

Bog-roll beans here too! In fact we use toilet roll inners as seed pots for most things - full height for beans, but down for most other stuff. Works a treat. For trays to stand them in we favour the larger sized mushroom tubs - those work well. I rarely buy supermarket meat so don’t often get meat trays, although we do have one that a duck came in currently. The clear yogurt pots that the likes of Ye0 V@lley package in are useful with holes added too. 

Our shopping turned up yesterday - done via click and collect and dropped off by my Mum thanks to our current plague-ridden state. 4 items unavailable - the “value” range grapes (not an issue as Mum had some she wasn’t going to use she had passed to us anyway) both “tasty snack” items I’d put down - a large sharing bag of crisps and a bag of Bombay Mix - but annoyingly also the eggs - I’d selected the mixed-weight 15 pack and forgot to accept subs on that item. It meant that my planned baking of muffins had to alter to a banana & treacle tea loaf - but I’m not complaining as I’d forgotten how tasty that was! Everything else turned up fine which I was pleased about - the only other minor annoyance was that the apples were French - not what I would have chosen myself but can’t be helped this time. 

In spite of heating being off now our electricity use is hovering between £1.50 - £2.20 a day depending on use of shower/WM/DW etc. That’s according to the monitor which I think is feeding back a bit high, I’ll do meter readings regularly into the app for the next few weeks to try to get a clearer picture although this month will be disrupted by being away. 

Woolsery

EssexHebridean said:

Datchet said:

nannygladys said:

Asparklyblonde - I start my broad beans, sweetcorn and beans in the larger yogurt pots, I started it a few years ago now and got dds involved in saving me their pots, I heat a nail up to melt holes in the bottom (but you have to be careful as the nail gets very hot quickly) and each year after they have done their job, wash and store for the following year. I have too many pots now, but they're all strong and not splitting at all.
I was lucky a couple of years ago, one of the old guys at the lottie gave me a stack of peat pots that he couldn't use, so I'm working my way though them as well. 
I also recently started planting up my old recycling boxes with salad leaves and made a makeshift glass cover for them, as we have huge hinged bins now. 
I do try to recycle everything if I can into something else to use.
Nannyg

Bravo! I have seeds in old lurpak and yoghurt pots, our classic is ‘ bog-roll beans’ old clear plastic meat package holds 6 or 8 upright toilet roll middles, with garden compost/ spent tomato bag compost, 1 or 2 beans per roll. As mentioned above, we sell them at end of drive, one pack of 6 for £1 ! One year we didn’t do this and people came to the door to ask for them!
even the seed is recycled. The big clearer Perspex tubs that retailers put bird seed / lard balls / sweets in make great cucumber and tomato pots. You can see how much water you need to add when watering.
happy growing!

Bog-roll beans here too!

Leeks are great in the longest inners you can find. Means you can start earthing up before they're even planted.

basketcase

Woolsery said:

EssexHebridean said:

Datchet said:

nannygladys said:

Asparklyblonde - I start my broad beans, sweetcorn and beans in the larger yogurt pots, I started it a few years ago now and got dds involved in saving me their pots, I heat a nail up to melt holes in the bottom (but you have to be careful as the nail gets very hot quickly) and each year after they have done their job, wash and store for the following year. I have too many pots now, but they're all strong and not splitting at all.
I was lucky a couple of years ago, one of the old guys at the lottie gave me a stack of peat pots that he couldn't use, so I'm working my way though them as well. 
I also recently started planting up my old recycling boxes with salad leaves and made a makeshift glass cover for them, as we have huge hinged bins now. 
I do try to recycle everything if I can into something else to use.
Nannyg

Bravo! I have seeds in old lurpak and yoghurt pots, our classic is ‘ bog-roll beans’ old clear plastic meat package holds 6 or 8 upright toilet roll middles, with garden compost/ spent tomato bag compost, 1 or 2 beans per roll. As mentioned above, we sell them at end of drive, one pack of 6 for £1 ! One year we didn’t do this and people came to the door to ask for them!
even the seed is recycled. The big clearer Perspex tubs that retailers put bird seed / lard balls / sweets in make great cucumber and tomato pots. You can see how much water you need to add when watering.
happy growing!

Bog-roll beans here too!

Leeks are great in the longest inners you can find. Means you can start earthing up before they're even planted.

Good idea about the leeks - I'll nick it, if you don't mind?

BTW - I think my cynicism is 'not taking me' down some of the same paths as yours...

Woolsery

basketcase said:

Woolsery said:

EssexHebridean said:

Datchet said:

nannygladys said:

Asparklyblonde - I start my broad beans, sweetcorn and beans in the larger yogurt pots, I started it a few years ago now and got dds involved in saving me their pots, I heat a nail up to melt holes in the bottom (but you have to be careful as the nail gets very hot quickly) and each year after they have done their job, wash and store for the following year. I have too many pots now, but they're all strong and not splitting at all.
I was lucky a couple of years ago, one of the old guys at the lottie gave me a stack of peat pots that he couldn't use, so I'm working my way though them as well. 
I also recently started planting up my old recycling boxes with salad leaves and made a makeshift glass cover for them, as we have huge hinged bins now. 
I do try to recycle everything if I can into something else to use.
Nannyg

Bravo! I have seeds in old lurpak and yoghurt pots, our classic is ‘ bog-roll beans’ old clear plastic meat package holds 6 or 8 upright toilet roll middles, with garden compost/ spent tomato bag compost, 1 or 2 beans per roll. As mentioned above, we sell them at end of drive, one pack of 6 for £1 ! One year we didn’t do this and people came to the door to ask for them!
even the seed is recycled. The big clearer Perspex tubs that retailers put bird seed / lard balls / sweets in make great cucumber and tomato pots. You can see how much water you need to add when watering.
happy growing!

Bog-roll beans here too!

Leeks are great in the longest inners you can find. Means you can start earthing up before they're even planted.

Good idea about the leeks - I'll nick it, if you don't mind?

BTW - I think my cynicism is 'not taking me' down some of the same paths as yours...

Oh I'm sure I nicked it from someone myself. As a walker I'm used to taking the paths less travelled, though as in life, some lead nowhere enlightening in the end. Working out a personal route from maps is more interesting than taking the routes in the glossy guides.

YorksLass

Once new gas boilers are banned it will be interesting to see how cash strapped councils cope with alternative heating for their housing stock since it's their responsibility to provide adequate and affordable heating for their tenants.  Somehow I don't think they will relish the thought of spending money on expensive heat source pumps.

Rosa_Damascena

YorksLass said:

Once new gas boilers are banned it will be interesting to see how cash strapped councils cope with alternative heating for their housing stock since it's their responsibility to provide adequate and affordable heating for their tenants.  Somehow I don't think they will relish the thought of spending money on expensive heat source pumps.

It will come council tax revenue! Although by the time it happens there will be huge economies of scale, much like electric cars (far too expensive at the moment).