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Archive for 'Driving off the grid'

The real cost of cutting your carbon footprint?

Yesterday, on our second train of the day, the TGV from Lyon to Lille, there was a proud poster which I could read while queuing for the loo: using this train is by far the best way to travel to reduce the impact on the environment. Indeed, https://www.sncf-voyageurs.com states that France’s electric trains cost 3g […]

So baby, it’s cold outside…

On paper, January looks like the end of winter, the days are getting longer, work is in full swing, all should be good. The problem is, in the UK at least, the December pay check comes a week early and, for many, the next pay check is the last working day of the month… January’s […]

Water usage or how to make use of your water bill.

My rental properties were all on rated water bills: this is where a guess is made on water usage based on the number of people living in a property. So, this was a little frustrating at the time, but when I bought a house, this was one of the things I really wanted and got […]

The power of Christmas

If, like us, you are putting off having food for as long as possible today, due to overeating yesterday: I don’t blame you. But as I sit quietly with my family, I wondered how much energy did we use yesterday, catering for a large number of people and being in each other’s company all day? […]

Here’s to the holidays, 2024.

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to kick back my heals, and I am currently sitting in my lounge, planning some lunch, watching my favourite cookery programme. I’m a foodie. I have always liked delicious food – after all, who doesn’t. I love food combinations when I am doing something special. My everyday […]

Investing for the future

One of the things you hope for when ripping out your gas boiler and putting in a heat pump is things are not going to be worse for you. Obviously, having our own solar generation capability means that unlike distilling our own natural gas, we can generate our own electricity. So, if it’s sunny and […]

Standing out from the crowd

I am from the UK. That means many things but ultimately, we’re a discrete people. Quiet, laid back, we don’t like fuss. We do like to talk and share, but, you know, through quiet means. Eh, what, what’s going on? ‘Morning. Just about to talk about what’s happened since we had our gas meter removed […]

Surprising things

Few people like surprises. Some say they do, but when you ask them, it’s about fun things not things like a spider dropping down on a thread before their eyes while they watch TV. Really, do you have to? Sorry <shame>. One of the things we were not expecting with our Smart Meter when we […]

Another step in the right direction?

When we got our last EPC done in April 2022, we were a little disappointed that there were no recommendations of what to do to reduce our carbon footprint. Which was the reason behind getting the assessment redone. As it is, we’ve made some positive steps, hopefully, in the right direction. The lattest one was […]

Lived experience

The intersection of my worlds (diabetes. cyber security, developing interesting tools, cyclist, motorcyclist, skier, driver, keen walker, sustainable living, and cooking) leads to some observations. Not least when it comes to this term: lived experience. When medical studies are conducted and are published to the masses, this is the caveat emptor, your experience may vary. […]