Finding the chase and cutting to it

It’s a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon in early October and I’m sitting in the kitchen with my feet up. It’s the first time today I’ve had a chance to rest and I’d like to explain why. Doesn’t sound in the least interesting! Harsh, but true 🙁 Here’s why I’m writing this. We’re still in the […]

Isn’t it a Saturday? Time of fun and joy and more importantly, the weekend? Yes, but I’m listening to the news… Ah, that’s where you’re going wrong! There are a few major takeaways today. Numero uno A couple of weeks ago now, a cable importing electricity from mainland Europe into the UK had a fire […]

Having heard about induction hobs in 2006, they have been on my radar but not something I’ve considered more than a “when I fit my dream kitchen, I’d like…” Our recent forays in the garden and making burgers have brought on a different issue though: how can we do the onions etc that we love […]

Sounds great, sign me up! Love your enthusiasm (must say, it’s a little unusual)… Focus! You’re right. Like many, we’re using smart meters and online portals to see what energy we’re using at any one time. Good for us and good for the planet. But not making the most of the collected information that’s out […]

Gas, not electricity. Four weeks ago, we noticed that our boiler light was red and the unit was definitively not heating anything: not the floor or the water which (during the summer) is its sole raison d’etre. Oh dear, we said, how annoying or words to that effect 😮 Still, the sun was shining and […]

Over the past few months, I’ve been discussing reducing our energy footprint and especially our bill. Really this is about achieving the best bang for your buck and is one of the reasons the world is looking to incentivise reducing our carbon and other emissions. We were lucky and did this early enough that we […]

We moved house 7 years ago (almost to the date) and got a bit of a shock when our first month’s energy bill came in – our electric bill was £101.  For a month. My friends are all groaning at this point, as I tell of how I sat in the kitchen looked up to […]

Being diabetic, I have a bigger footprint than the average person on the planet. As a household, we’re making an effort. The Electric Car According to the New Scientist this week, in the UK, a fully electric car has a much lower carbon emission footprint than a hybrid petrol/electric car this year and on-going years.  […]

Running the Leaf between the 10th August 2017 to the 9th August 2018 If we’re talking about power consumption, we need to discuss the Leaf.  How much is it costing us to run, bearing in mind we are now funding every mile from our home electricity supply? Month Distance travelled (miles) Energy economy (m/kW) Power […]

How on a minute, is there something you want to tell me? What do you mean? Well, you’ve blogged once in a blue moon the past year and this week, this is your fourth… Oh, I had an operation last week and while I am not up to my usual fettle (I am sleeping nearly […]