No Waste Like home

culpepper

The composter they had was rat proof so they could put cooked leftovers in too.You could easily get some strong wire mesh and stand the dalek type on it so worms can still get in but not rats.One of ours is just an old black plastic dustbin drilled and we have 2 old (broken) plastic linen baskets out there too,as well as the dalek type.
I was interested in the amount of money they 'saved' by not wasting so much energy/food,I wonder if it was equal to either of their incomes? I thought it was a little ridiculous to give her a washing line but not secure it though.
I liked the extreme treatment they were given re lamps and mangle.I thought it probably made them appreciate the mod cons once they had them back again.
I do wonder wether they will get billed by their gas company for previous free years however as they have proof of average usage just by looking at the tv prog.

honey

larmy16 wrote:

They didnt seem to focus on the inordinate amount of clothes the kids seemed to have as well. I know they mentioned packing them away, but it seemed they had way too many to start with.

OOh I could really pick holes in that programme, but if it helps even a few people change their attitude to waste and pass it on, well then it has to be a bonus!

I thought the use of the hot air balloon a pointless extravagance (using even more uneccesary fuel!), however I appreciate I am picking holes again

Agree with you completely - it's a great idea for a programme but the thing with the balloon just made me think "well there is an expensive way to make a point" :rolleyes:

It was a bit too extreme for me (providing a mangle!!) which turned it into a bit of a comedy thing. I was hoping to pick up some good tips!!!

Rave

Agree with most of the comments so far- quite entertaining but not that informative. I was interested in the washing temperature bit though- was she referring to biological washing powders when she said that higher temperatures make no difference? I use non-bio, and I would have thought that plain detergents would still work more effectively at higher temperatures? I'm thinking of trying biological though, my mum never used it because she has very sensitive skin; mine is nowhere near as bad.

Mr Proctalgia: I would say that solar water heating is your best bet. Photovoltaics provide a pathetic amount of electricity relative to their cost; I worked out on one installation that the break even point was about 500 years! Photovoltaic technology only recently passed the point where the panels generate more energy in their lifetime than was consumed manufacturing them:rolleyes:.

Personally, I'm very keen on the idea of small wind turbines for domestic electricity generation- in fact I plan to try building one using a car alternator and some reclaimed lead acid batteries.....

competitionscafe

It might be worth investigating wether any government or local authority grants are available for installing solar panels, mini wind turbines, loft and wall insulation, etc - might make a significant difference to the cost.

Found this from 2002 Grants for solar-powered homes:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1954457.stm
(anybody got any more recent info?) Maybe Friends of the Earth or similar would be a good contact point?

edit: seems the solar panel grants are still available but maybe not for long, you might have to be quick
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4359305.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4488713.stm

Mr_Proctalgia

I remember seeing that the solar Panels that went up had a small PV in the corner so I think the system would have been this one http://www.solartwin.com/ A bit pricey for me as the local council offers them for about £1400 but I am intrigued by the simplicity. :think:

Rave - I wasn't going to buy PV panels Oh no - in true money saving style I have decided to nick them off the local parking meters instead, that way everyone will save!:A

I did get hold of 24 25Ah cyclon cells so all I need now is a free invertor, I think the planning would be a lot of hassle for a turbine although there is apparently a 1Kw model out now that is roof mountable.

se999

Hi,

For grants for renewable energy see Clear Skies:

http://www.clear-skies.org/households/GrantsAndTechnologies.aspx?intTechnologyID=1

Also a link to the Energy Saving Trust which has grant information for renewable energy, other energy saving information and grant information for transport e.g. converting cars to cleaner fuel.

http://www.est.org.uk/

Hope these help

jo_b_2

I watched the programme on video tonight and have to say that I was disappointed.

Did they really need an expert to tell them how to save money? Blind Freddy could have saved that wasteful family money. :rolleyes:

I think most people will think - That doesn't apply to me, we're not that bad and just be complacent about their own usage.

Hope the rest of the series improves.

Gingham_Ribbon

I'm not sure it will. Next week's will apparently feature a man who has a jacuzzi EVERY night and won't give it up. Yawn!

competitionscafe

Anybody who enjoyed the basic idea behind this TV series will probably enjoy a book I read recently called 'A Life Stripped Bare' by Leo Hickman, it's basically a diary of his (and his reluctant wife's) attempts to live in an ethical and sustainable way. It's not perfect, but I really enjoyed reading it - one for your Xmas prezzie list perhaps?

reviews/info
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1903919606/

He also did a whole series of newspaper articles about his 'experiment' at:
http://money.guardian.co.uk/ethicalliving

margaretclare

Hi

We've been trying to live in an ethical and sustainable way as far as we can. We've now taken it one step further by boycotting supermarkets as much as possible.

This has involved me in a bit of argument with B, who always spoke up for the 'convenience' and the 'choice'. But he's now coming round to my way of thinking.

I hadn't realised how much of a stranglehold the whole supermarket ethos had got until watching those Channel 4 programmes recently on 'Supermarket Secrets' and then reading the books by Felicity Lawrence and Joanna Blythman respectively: 'Not on the Label' and 'Shopped'.

I am horrified - you don't need a George Orwell-type dictatorship as in his novel '1984'. The supermarkets will control everything 'cradle to grave' if we're not careful! I'm also horrified because it's my generation which has allowed this to happen and we've unleashed a monster. It's my generation because we're the ones who can remember the first supermarkets appearing back in the early 1960s.

Our latest discovery is that there's a small bakery and shop in our little town which actually makes its bread etc from flour. The other one does it, as do all the supermarkets, from pre-made dough. A daily loaf of granary bread made fresh on the premises instead of being trucked all round the M25 and back again, one loaf for £1 - they will be getting our business from now on. And they're just across the street from the greengrocer's that we go to. We go there because his stuff is the same price as the supermarket - 'every little helps' - but it's far better quality.

Margaret Clare