Compulsory water metering

[Doctor Drivel]

Lord Hall, Wokingham is in the south, complete with a criminally insane nut house.

[Andy Hall]

What's the difference between a Loiner and a Tyke?

[tonytrans]

Boils down to two factors - how big your property is (dictates th rateable value - what you pay if you do not have a meter is based o this) and how much water you use (how many people you have is probabl the biggest influence on what you use and what you pay if you have meter). My wife and I are emptynesters (family have fled), now fortunately, living in a relatively large house before we downsize Therefore, water based on rateable value is costly for us as we us little water, so a meter gives lower cost. In fact, when we switched i halved the bill. Conversely, if you have a relatively small property an a couple of teenagers who are always showering and washing hair, or yo use a hosepipe a great deal, it is probably better to be based on th rateable value. Unfortunately, it is not easy to measure how much wate you use without a meter so that you can make a decision. The water companies are saying that it will not cost us more - did yo ever know this promise to be delivered? Remember metrication an decimalisation? None of us would pay £4 for a gallon of petrol, ther would be a riot - but we pay £0.90 for a litre (the same) and ar relatively happy. Sadly, I think we will all lose out in the long term, we always do, bu I suppose a meter is the fairest as we pay for what we use. The regiona water authorities charge much different prices also - I moved fro Somerset to Peterborough and my water rates doubled

-- tonytrans

[Mary Fisher]

A Tyke is a Yorkshireman, a Loiner is a citizen of Leeds. All Loiners are Tykes but ot all Tykes are Loiners.

They're all horrible.

Mary

[Mary Fisher]

And stupid.

[:::Jerry::::]

privitisation.

Whilst there is nothing wrong with nationalising a 'safety critical' service industry were the private company operating it has failed in the delivery of that vital service, witness F... Railtrack!

[mike]

Guy King wrote in news: [e-mail]:

The government has decreed that umpteen thousand houses will be built.

They are getting no bungs in any shape or form from the construction industry, like there was no payback for the peeress from the concrete firm that had a worked-out quarry in the middle of nowhere parlayed up into a Chunnel terminus.

Scramble! Pigs approaching at angels five

mike

[mike]

Gully Foyle wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Killfile her like I did some time back.

I just see enough of her in quotes to reassure me it wasn't a mistake :-))

mike

[Andy Hall]

No that's in Crowthorne.

[:::Jerry::::]

Read what I said, take note of the word 'effectivly' and then remember who the NG came into existance.

Again, read what I said, "the Gas distribution system", yes there was individual coal gas plants but they didn't survive the switch to Natural gas!

existance

I suggest that you find out what you are talking about, any railway historian will call the period from 1955 to (around) 1968 the 'modernisation period', so you are (yet again) wrong.

Ever heard of the West Cost electrification, the East Coast electrification, the Kent Coast electrification scheme, the London to Bournemouth electrification scheme etc etc etc - never mind the millions spent on the replacement of steam with diesel and electric traction, the rebuilding of many out of date stations, the rebuilding of many out of date freight handling yards and lets not forget that international UK rail success story, the ISO container system.

Feel free to find a clue, or better still, a brain cell....

[Andy Hall]

Careful. Bacon could go up.....

[Matt]

If you are referring to the hotchpotch 132kV grid that existed from just before the second world war (1938?) then that is correct. Before that was formed there were regional grids established from the early 1930's, it was the interconnection of these grids by engineer's operating overnight and out of sight of senior management that proved the viability of a grid system. It was only experimental and as soon as word got out the idea was quickly quashed only to be almost immediately re-established as war broke out. Disruption of the grid system during the war was substantial and so the country reverted to regional grids during that time.

The BEA (i.e. nationalisation) came into existence in 1948 (following the 1947 Electricity Act). However the fully interconnected grid system as we now know it came into existence AFTER nationaisation. The 275kv supergrid commenced construction about 1950, with the 400kV system following in the mid 60's.

Given what you wrote on the electricty grid are you *really* sure about that? Cities had their own gasworks feeding their local area, transport of gas across the country only came about in the 60's

[:::Jerry::::]

Wasn't Telford built 'over the heads' of those who were being NIMBY?....

[:::Jerry::::]

water her

sensibly.

Suggest she moves to Dover or Folkestone then! :~)

[Matt]

I'll tell you Dribble, the white rose of Yorkshire, on a green background representing the rolling hills together with a set of pit head gear in silhouette.

[Dave]

But they are as sharp as knives :-)

Dave

I've got me coat on, I'll switch off the light when I leave.

[Guy King]

The message from ":::Jerry::::" contains these words:

Very likely - just like the White Elephant Centre in Woodside.

[Andy Hall]

That makes no sense. Why do you imagine that nationalising something safety critical will make it better? The reality is that the failings of the railways come as a result of decades of lack of investment while in both the public and the private sector.

[:::Jerry::::]

critical'

something

No, the failing were caused by putting profit before safety, corners were being cut to save money, even though the money was (indirectly) being supplied by HMG via subsidises to improve and modernise the network.

There was not a lot wrong with the track / signalling infrastructure when Railtrack took over, by the time they went bankrupt it took another two years to sort out the resultant mess, never mind the lives that had been lost.

[Matt]

Probably spent it on bottled water.