Careless Tories!

[MadAmster]

With regard to the past, well, my entire Dutch life, we have never had a one party government. We did once have 2 party coalition which was the VVD, right wing liberal pro market and the PvdA, left wing working class party like Labour used to be. The last 3 coalitions have been, in chronological order, 5, 4 and 4 party coalitions. The last 2 have have featured the VVD as the largest party. D66 a centrist party that seems to float between slightly left or slightly right of centre, CDA Christian democrat Alliance, a right of centre party and the CU, Christian Union are religiously and politically right but happy to accept leftist policies that look like good ideas. Ethically they are extremely CONSERVATIVE.

Doesn't help the people still waiting for earthquake compo

[MadAmster]

As we are momentarily off Torybashing and onto a subject that actually matters, has anyone here done anything about energy self reliance?

We've been toying with the idea of solar panels for a while. Two parties decided not to take the job on as we have a 6m wide dormer window on the south west side of the roof. They were working together with the council to carry out a large project, lots of houses, close together works out cheaper... My roof and those with similar dormers in the area just got told "Nah, not taking that on, too much trouble" Recently discovered that an EDM DJ from the village runs a solar power and energy saving company (insulation and such like). We know each other slightly but he knows my youngest lad well. They pride themselves on not being cheap but they do have an excellent reputation. Now waiting for an estimate which I reckon will be between 6K and 7K. The boiler has another 3 years left in it. Looking at switching to a heat pump then and get off the gas supply. Roof is insulated. Looking at doing the same with the crawling space under the house. Wall insulation is also on the "road map". Total cost probably around 25K over the next 6 years.

[Andy_Faber]

We've been toying with the idea of solar panels for a while. Two parties decided not to take the job on as we have a 6m wide dormer window on the south west side of the roof. They were working together with the council to carry out a large project, lots of houses, close together works out cheaper... My roof and those with similar dormers in the area just got told "Nah, not taking that on, too much trouble" Recently discovered that an EDM DJ from the village runs a solar power and energy saving company (insulation and such like). We know each other slightly but he knows my youngest lad well. They pride themselves on not being cheap but they do have an excellent reputation. Now waiting for an estimate which I reckon will be between 6K and 7K. The boiler has another 3 years left in it. Looking at switching to a heat pump then and get off the gas supply. Roof is insulated. Looking at doing the same with the crawling space under the house. Wall insulation is also on the "road map". Total cost probably around 25K over the next 6 years.

Feeding excess back into the grid?

[Andy_Faber]

Not sure how reporting and commenting on the Tories self inflicted cock ups, dodgy tax affairs and general all round failings can be considered bashing!! I mean its hardly necessary to be critical, one just has to observe and report on the shambles they are making of government at the moment, they are self destructing spectaculary.

Plus we have Bridgen (recently described by a judge in court as a liar) now waffling on about Covid vaccine, which even if he had a point, he has zero credibility for stating facts. Raab under investigation for over 20 separate allegations of bullying, and Sunak basically telling complete lies every time he opens his mouth. Johnson a back bench MP is acting like Foreign Secretary, when he is not swanning around giving paid speeches and apparently Truss is planning a come back on the basis that she was "right" all along, just misunderstood!!

So that would be a no then

[Geoff Parkstone]

We've been toying with the idea of solar panels for a while. Two parties decided not to take the job on as we have a 6m wide dormer window on the south west side of the roof. They were working together with the council to carry out a large project, lots of houses, close together works out cheaper... My roof and those with similar dormers in the area just got told "Nah, not taking that on, too much trouble" Recently discovered that an EDM DJ from the village runs a solar power and energy saving company (insulation and such like). We know each other slightly but he knows my youngest lad well. They pride themselves on not being cheap but they do have an excellent reputation. Now waiting for an estimate which I reckon will be between 6K and 7K. The boiler has another 3 years left in it. Looking at switching to a heat pump then and get off the gas supply. Roof is insulated. Looking at doing the same with the crawling space under the house. Wall insulation is also on the "road map". Total cost probably around 25K over the next 6 years.

Are you going for a ground source heat pump or an air source one? The ones I've looked at are ground source using boreholes to get maximum heat exchange. Don't get much, if any, change from 50 grand for those though - and given my life expectancy I'm not sure its financially viable - although I guess it would put value on the house for my heirs!

[ramAnag]

Puzzled by the implication that Government failings and wrongdoings don’t ‘actually matter’. It’s an odd and complacent assertion. Of course, imo, both ‘careless government’ and the energy crisis/global warming situation are both things of the utmost important. They both ‘actually matter’ a great deal and they do obviously overlap...not least because of the previous PM’s obsession with lifting the ban on fracking.

On the subject of ground source heat pumps, one of my sons actually benefited from a government grant to have such a system installed. My observations are that it isn’t quite as effective at producing heat as my own oil fired system however it is enormously more cost effective and clearly much better for the planet. Unfortunately, before we all get too excited...my son lives in Germany.

[Geoff Parkstone]

And before we all get too excited, if we all sank boreholes and extracted the heat, wed probably end up with a new ice age....but at least that would combat rising sea levels

[Andy_Faber]

Are you going for a ground source heat pump or an air source one? The ones I've looked at are ground source using boreholes to get maximum heat exchange. Don't get much, if any, change from 50 grand for those though - and given my life expectancy I'm not sure its financially viable - although I guess it would put value on the house for my heirs!

My pal in Newark had to install an air source device as part of his (bloody lovely) new build. His observation is that for everything where he once had hot he now has warm. Not saying that’s good or bad (for him), just an observation. C.£20k all in.

Edit. Supporting geoffs point, it’s killed his hedge

[Andy_Faber]

And before we all get too excited, if we all sank boreholes and extracted the heat, wed probably end up with a new ice age....but at least that would combat rising sea levels

My efforts are two fold, one implemented, one planned for summer. Implemented, i fitted a leisure battery to my van, charge it up FOC when travelling, then convert the stored energy from 12v to 240v with an inverter I got from Aldi and run half my house lighting off it. Planned, a small bank of solar panels on my back roof (east facing) that I will fit myself and cable in to an immersion heater to heat (75% over the year of) my hot water. Off grid.

[swaledale]

So that would be a no then

Title of the thread is "Careless Tories" and its not a Tory bashing thread, more an observation on comment on what they are actually doing. Bashing implies criticism for the sake of it, or attacking them, whereas most posts have merely been commenting on what they are actually doing.