Energy Matters Global and Domestic

[myglaren]

I'm interested to see how the LED replacements for my much-loved fluorescent battens perform Mick

I hope I won't be disappointed...

My son had four fluorescent battens in his garage. Two of the tubes were out, only two years after i fitted all new ones. He didn't like the light from them anyway.
I left them in place but ran two LED strips along the rafters for him, one either side of the fluorescents but the full length of the garage, on was seven feet, the other nine although both were supposed to be seven, we ran the extra couple of feet upwards so it lights all the crap he has stashed in the 'attic' part.

They both have remote controls and can have 25%, 50% and 100% brightness, plus a stepless ramp up or down. They will also flash but that will never be used. Pointless.

The light is far better now, even with only one strip lit, is spread out over the whole garage, costs less to run of course, not that that was of any interest to him and the whole installation was pretty cheap including new wiring and a fused switched spur, about thirty quid all told.
He has declared himself very pleased, high praise indeed from him.
Naturally, I discovered LED battens a couple of days after doing the job, very reasonably priced at a local Lidl or Aldi.

[CitroJim]

That's promising Steve

[mickthemaverick]

Still our best year yet!!

MTM Original

[mickthemaverick]

Nearly slipped this month but that is because we were away for two weeks last year but home this year although unusual fan usage for last week's weather!!

MTMO

[myglaren]

Mine is in the dumps. Have grandson staying and using much more electricity. Didn't help when I left the loft lights on for a fortnight. Fluorescent plus a nine metre string of LEDs. Granddaughter staying too but you would never know, she could be a ghost for all the resources she uses.

[Peter.N.]

Turn the mains off, that's what my dad used to do when I played my music to loud - rubbish he called it, the Everly Bros, Buddy Holly and then Elvis!

Peter

[bobins]

So what have we learned from the Governments change in green targets ?

Details from the BBC website, but updates and clarifications welcome -

- The proposal that there would be no new oil or LPG boilers for off-gas-grid households after 2026 has been pushed back - the press release says to 2035
- Boiler upgrade scheme grants will increase from £5,000 to £7,500
- The PM said there would be a "new exemption" to help households who would particularly struggle to switch to alternatives.
- This seems to mean some households would still be able to buy new fossil fuel boilers after 2035. The press release suggests "this will cover about a fifth of homes" - including off-gas-grid homes

- Britain will push back the ban on buying petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035
but..... says he still expects that by 2030 "the vast majority" of cars will be electric, because of improving technology

- Plans to force landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes have also been scrapped


Anyone else found anything in the small print ?

[mickthemaverick]

I won't bother reading it bobins, whatever they say will probably change next month, and at the end of the day Mother Nature will determine how quickly she is going to punish us for our diabolical misuse of her resources regardless of what we do!! I'll just concentrate on minimising my personal contribution to the CO2 and hope others will do the same!!

[Rp0thejester]

With the way the gas and electricity prices are going up I'm not surprised he's done a u turn. Can you imagine telling people that diesel cars will be banned, petrol prices would rocket!!!! Saying electric cars only would rocket electric prices as there would be no competition, prices would soar uncontrollably!!

[Gibbo2286]

The problem with this is that people only get the headlines and they're all biased one way or the other, the current lot are worded as though Sunak has had a thought and changed his mind whereas there has been long discussion and the weighing up of the pros and cons by all the interested parties before anything is done.
But then that's politics and we don't do that here do we.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Its been a while since I caught up with Dave, thought he had gone off the boil a bit but welcome back Dave, back to your quirky and sarcastic best.

Its 15 minutes...bit long didn't watch for many but not a single rant or raised voice (apart from his clips of Big Al!)

Not compulsory, but I found it entertaining and a bit more informative than the papers or the TV news.

Link if you choose to watch

Neil

[mickthemaverick]

Yes I agree Neil, I watch him every week and generally find it interesting but this week's was very good!

[Gibbo2286]

I think he picked the wrong guy to back his story. as I recall Al Gore set up the exchange for trading carbon "Carbon trade is the buying and selling of credits that permit a company or other entity to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. "
I'd guess that's been a nice little earner for him, some countries are able to continue their excess emissions by buying credits from countries that make few or none and of course the exchange takes a fee.

[bobins]

Blackouts less likely this winter says National Grid

"There is a lower risk of electricity blackouts this winter compared to last, according to National Grid, thanks to increased generation and the ability to manage demand.

Craig Dyke, head of national control at National Grid's Electricity System Operator (ESO), which is responsible for balancing demand and supply on the network, said the main change this year was a "big uptick" in overall capacity.

On top of that, "stress events" from last year had faded, Mr Dyke said, such as lower gas stores in western Europe following the war in Ukraine and a reduction in electricity supplies from France's nuclear power stations.

"Compared to last year it is almost going back to around where it was before last winter," said Mr Dyke."

More at the BBC https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66936976

[Gibbo2286]

Did any of you have blackouts last winter? We didn't here.