All of the above is brilliant- even if it is left field debate has been stimulated. Redskies has nailed it. We are really going to have to make do with less. Yes, less. Our lifestyle cannot be sustained in it's present form. I just read on the BBC that by 2050 we will be using 6 times more electricity. Where from?
Right now I am doing this on my solar charged i pad in front of the log stove. In between I am re reading 'Independence Days' by Sharon Astyk. Lovely and gentle, and all about doing with less. If we can do with less, we can surely work less. That must be good, especially when we are unable or too old to work?
Random thoughts.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.
Robert Frost.
Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.
Briggs 2.0 wrote:
My bug-bear are the rising cost of utility bills. I've worked on cutting my home's water consumption by half, however, the standing charge now forms quite a large chunk of the bill so to invest more will not reduce my bill, unless I manage to get completely off-grid. We have no gas supply and I've reduced my heating bill to zero but it's the electricity bill that's twisting my melon at the moment. Solar panels and switching as much of my demand to 12v is a major priority.
Briggs 2.0 wrote:
My bug-bear are the rising cost of utility bills. I've worked on cutting my home's water consumption by half, however, the standing charge now forms quite a large chunk of the bill so to invest more will not reduce my bill, unless I manage to get completely off-grid. We have no gas supply and I've reduced my heating bill to zero but it's the electricity bill that's twisting my melon at the moment. Solar panels and switching as much of my demand to 12v is a major priority.
Briggs 2.0 wrote:
My bug-bear are the rising cost of utility bills. I've worked on cutting my home's water consumption by half, however, the standing charge now forms quite a large chunk of the bill so to invest more will not reduce my bill, unless I manage to get completely off-grid. We have no gas supply and I've reduced my heating bill to zero but it's the electricity bill that's twisting my melon at the moment. Solar panels and switching as much of my demand to 12v is a major priority.
Google "no standing charge electricity" for options
Thanks. I'll check it out. It's the water bill I want to do away with. I don't think it will be possible for us to do away with the electricity.
Move to Scotland . We do pay water rates, but after that you use as much water as you want. I've never, ever been in an area with a hosepipe ban, although the call does go out occasionally that the reservoirs are low. Obviously we try not to leave taps running, but showers in this house are not brief affairs, except for DH, who is in and out in 5 minutes. The water is lovely and soft, although I've noticed it's more chlorinated in this area than elsewhere. I think if we lived in England, our bills would be horrendous.
Agree with Feisty, water in Scotland and even the northern counties is soft. Love to wash my hair as soon as we get to the MILs it makes huge difference and of course you need less shampoo and body wash and indeed soap powder.
Behind every great man is an even greater woman. She carried you, raised you and made you who you are.
Does it rain more in Scotland?
Having said that, I'm in Wales and we're metered!
Not sure if it rains more, but it rains a lot . The only times I've been in Wales, it's rained - a lot . Metering water anywhere in the UK is ridiculous. People use what they need. It's a money making ruse and nothing more.
jansman wrote:I just read on the BBC that by 2050 we will be using 6 times more electricity. Where from?
By 2050 - fusion I expect. If fusion doesn't happen then we won't be using 6 times as much electricity. But it will. And we will.
Seems fusion is perpetually 30 years away at least with some reports saying 50-80 years for a commercial set up. I've read on an American scientific website that it will be the end of the century at least but can't find the link again.
I fear that if we are really to use 6 times more electricity then the world will go down the fission route.
If fusion gives us cheap energy, we will probably just use it more excessively.
The USA grew their oil usage at 7% per year* until they started running out and OPEC put up their prices in the 1970s.
Now they're fracking, oil is cheap again and their oil exports and probably usage are rising.
What we need to decide is how much is enough, and stick to it.
* A constant 7% growth means the rate of use doubles in 10 years. It also means that in each 10 years more is used than in all the previous decades combined. **
debate has been stimulated. Redskies has nailed it. We are really going to have to make do with less. Yes, less. Our lifestyle cannot be sustained in it's present form. I just read on the BBC that by 2050 we will be using 6 times more electricity. Where from?
. We do pay water rates, but after that you use as much water as you want. I've never, ever been in an area with a hosepipe ban, although the call does go out occasionally that the reservoirs are low. Obviously we try not to leave taps running, but showers in this house are not brief affairs, except for DH, who is in and out in 5 minutes. The water is lovely and soft, although I've noticed it's more chlorinated in this area than elsewhere. I think if we lived in England, our bills would be horrendous.
