On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:46:53 +0000 someone who may be Adam Funk wrote this:-
Indeed, but not always. I am currently having a row with a utility company because I want to pay them more than on their "highly accurate [1]" estimated bill. This appears to cause them great confusion. As far as I can see they are all incompetent.
[1] their phrase, not mine.
That hasn't been my experience. We've found all our utilities to be fair and efficient, sensible and polite at all times.
Mary
On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:14:01 GMT someone who may be Helen Deborah Vecht wrote this:-
Tumble driers do gobble up energy. If someone feels they have to have one then they are well advised to get a gas fired one.
Alternatively clothes can be put on a line outside or inside, a rack (the victorian style someone has pointed to is great in the right place), or a heated rail.
Used properly dishwashers are not particularly energy or water intensive. Heating up a bowl of water takes energy as well. For small households that means having a small dishwasher rather than a big one.
Why on earth would one want to do that?
It's understood that they are incompetent.
If they don't want to show up and read the meter and underestimate readings and those readings are low than actual, then they should expect to receive less money. When they do read the meter, the situation will be corrected and they'll get their money.
If they want to lend money interest free, that makes buying from them somewhat more attractive.
.. provided that one can find a well made and reliable one. I have never identified such a product
.. and produce condensation in their hermetically sealed homes.
.. or use more crockery and run the machine less often, or use a dishwasher able to run part loads.
On Sat, 13 Jan 2007 10:27:02 +0000 someone who may be Andy Hall wrote this:-
I can't think of any hermetically sealed homes. In fact I can think of very few hermetically sealed buildings either.
Of course those drying clothes inside need to make suitable ventilation arrangements.
Even clothes washing machines don't halve the energy consumption with a half load button. It is even more difficult with a dishwasher due to the lower water content.
Or get off your fat arse and do the washing up in the sink. You never know, you might meet the wife
It doesn't need to be halved.
If it's reduced somewhat then that's reasonable. On mine, it reduces to about 2/3 of normal.
In any event, the electricity consumption is quite small because water content is small in modern machines. I checked the spec. on mine and even on the most intensive 75 degree program it only uses 17 litres and 1.7kWh, which I don't regard as a lot at all.
Not as hygienic. It's difficult to deal with water at 75 degrees, even with Marigolds.
I'd rather meet her somewhere else other than at the sink. She agrees.
I thought the current thinking was that we have rather too much hygiene in the home. Babies put everything in their mouths to check the taste. One wonders how any of us survive.
But you asked her just to make sure :-)
There's truth in what you say, of course. However, washing things in hand hot water where there has been food around is likely to impart quite a lot of bacteria
Naturally, although she did ask for the ball and chain to be undone first.
because the rate goes up next month and you will have to pay for some electricity that you have already used at the new rate, if the current bill is low.
tim
You seem to have done extraordinarily well.
For me EBICO is 9.53p and the best offer from Uswitch is
8.91 plus a standing charge of 15.00 per quater. (so the break even is 2500 units per quarter, which is rather a lot)Yes, I may be able to find something cheaper. But it's the finding that's the problem. (It's only after I decided who to switch to that I discoved that Uswitch doesn't have all companies in their database)
tim
they should give you an official form with it on.
TBH if they make a mistake you are stuffed without this form.
tim
It was really the *pay* aspect that I was querying.
Granted it makes sense to provide a reading at reality if the estimate is too low at the point of price change in order to lock in a lower rate for what was actually used.
However, *paying* them for it is a completely separate issue.
Some homes, we don't allow any products that have built in bactericides into the house. We wipe the work surfaces down everyday but with the washing up sponge that gets replaced when it wears out.
Washing up is done by hand in hand hot water. Just like may parents did and their parents before them. We have survived, presumably much to the surprise of the "How clean is your house?" lot.
But then don't underestimate the ignorance of the public. Saw a wonderful bit of marketing exploiting this the other day. A little packet of wipes impregnated with something to kill bacteria. It proudly announced that it kills 99.5% of all bacteria within 5 seconds "even MSRA". Er pardon, MRSA is easy to kill in the enviroment. The hard bit is killing it in a person without killing the person...
But they are bacteria that would be on your hands and utensils anyway. Your immune system will alreday know about and be able to deal with them. Also they aren't going to multiply very well on a "clean" and dry plate.
But not the chastity belt?
Exactly. Presumably the food that we eat is free from harmful bacteria, so the crockery and cutlery (and pots 'n' pans) should be likewise, unless of course it's left to fester for a few days.
Frank Erskine typed
Even if the washing up is left to fester, few bugs will survive on clean, dry crocks.
You do eventually wash the dishes, I take it?
Possibly. IICBA.
;-)
On Sat, 13 Jan 2007 19:27:03 +0000 someone who may be Andy Hall wrote this:-
Query all you like. However, I wanted to pay them the right amount rather then a low estimate. If that's what a customer of mine wants to do then I'm happy to facilitate this.
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