Cheery's path to fulfilment - finishing the DIY, looking after myself, appreciating the garden 🌻

Cheery_Daff

😂 I don't do anything if I'm not dressed! 😂

Anyway, reporting back: 

BEFORE 10.30 - GET UP!
✅ up and dressed 
✅ breakfast
✅ washing on

10.30-12.30 INTERVIEW PREP
✅ Read recent annual reports & strategies
✅ Read at least one thing written by each member of the panel

12.30-1.30 LUNCH
✅ Lunch, possibly with leftovers for tomorrow 
✅ peg washing out

1.30-3 INTERVIEW PREP
✅ Read outside commentary about the organisation more widely
✅ Identify potential interview questions from the job description

3-5 OUT?
✅ Mr C may want to nip out for a late afternoon coffee
✅ pick up some yogurt & fruit if we do go out
✅ bring washing in

5-7 TEA
✅ make tea, and also a couple of pasta bake-type things in the oven for meals this week - I don't want to be cooking in the evenings.

7-9 POTTERING
⭐ nice bath and wash hair?
⭐ re-do nail varnish
⭐ flute practice

9 ONWARDS - WINDING DOWN
⭐ start re-doing the edge of my blanket
✅ bed at a decent hour! 

Washing got hung up inside, not out, we went out earlier than planned, and I didn't get the more 'leisure' activities done in the evening, but overall not bad!

Cheery_Daff

Bit of a faff with the Octopods this morning. Had an email on Saturday saying my fixed tariff was ending today, and I'd be switched to flexible unless I signed up for another fix. Went to the app and my only options are flexible or a fixed price 12 month contract. Where's Agile?? I like the Agile tariff! 

After some searching I found it on their website, not as an option on my list of easy fixes, but I've clicked the button and it says it's 'signing me up to Agile' and it might take 14 days to connect my smart meter 🙄 It had better not! 

Will report back 😬

Anyway, on the cards today: 

⭐ quick workout
⭐ shower & wash hair
⭐ work - lots of things to make progress on today, mustn't get sidetracked!
⭐ more interview prep tonight
⭐ re-do nails
⭐ flute practice

Ready, steady, GO!

Cheery_Daff

Oh, ok, no faffing - had an email to accept the T&Cs, and now I'm switched back to Agile, in less than 5 minutes 😂

Definitely worth it for us - this is our use against the previous flexible tariff for September

Cheery_Daff

And this is most of October, agile vs the current 12 month fix

Hmm, picture won't upload (maybe too quick after the last one!) But it's £57 on agile vs £65 on the fixed tariff. 

greenbee

I had this on Friday - just before the plunge pricing (and I’d used lots in the early morning slot!). It took seconds and backdated to midnight that morning. But yes, not easy to see how to do it, you have to look at all the options and it’s right at the bottom of the page! 

themadvix

It definitely seems worth it for you then Cheery! So many options available with Octopus - there's something for everyone (if they're prepared to get a smart meter - had a brief conversation with a friend who doesn't have one the other day.... I just don't get it!).

greenbee

themadvix said:

It definitely seems worth it for you then Cheery! So many options available with Octopus - there's something for everyone (if they're prepared to get a smart meter - had a brief conversation with a friend who doesn't have one the other day.... I just don't get it!).

Because burglars might hack into your smart meter data and find out you're a way and come into your house to steal the passwords to you computer so they can steal your money? Or Bill Gates will use it to give you a Covid vaccine with a microchip in through your toaster...

Or... dynamic pricing means electricity companies can cut you off more easily can put prices up when it's more expensive (and reduce it when it isn't)?

I'm with you, I don't understand not wanting smart meters, but you only have to look at the energy board to find plenty of resistance. 

themadvix

Agreed @greenbee - her concern was that they would charge her more when she wants to use electricity.... completely ignoring the price cap and also the benefits of using it off-grid. She's not generally a conspiracy theorist or technologically inept, so I don't understand it at all. I think I could convince her, given time.

What amazed me was that my Mum asked about the size of the radiators she is planning on replacing - should she get oversized ones. Despite being a Friend of the Earth all her life, she's remarkably resistant to change, had a gas fire installed only a few years ago (and has just got a 'self-charging' (don't get me started) car rather than a plug-in), and is convinced we'll regret the heat pump/our house will always be cold, so this interest in radiator sizes really surprised me! (She does have a smart meter, but also thinks we charge our car from our solar.... 🙄 We'd be waiting a long time!)

greenbee

I have a self-charging hybrid... but wasn't actually looking for an EV at the time as I was selling one house and hadn't bought the next (and there wasn't much second-hand about either). Good news on your mum being interested in her radiators - make sure they upgrade the pipework to 22mm/28mm if they're taking up the floors.

I could charge an EV from my solar as it regularly gets up to 9kW. But at this time of year I'm not sure it's a viable option!

badmemory

The reason I didn't want a smart meter proved to be correct when I got one when I got solar.  I cannot read it.  I do not like being out of control.  I have absolutely no problem with my old gas meter even though it is much lower down.  I have been reading my own meters for almost 60 years now & don't like being dependent on others.