Energy Matters Global and Domestic

[mickthemaverick]

.................. and the more that increasing population wants more electricity to satiate their 'better' lifestyles.

I definitely believe that sacrifices need to be made on a global scale to attack this problem. Here's a couple of suggestions that I could live with if necessary:

1) Turn off the internet

2) Only use TV as a means of broadcasting live events of whatever nature.

As we know neither will ever happen but just imagine the worldwide reduction in energy consumption by not needing the Film and TV Production companies at all!! (Not to mention the huge loss of jobs of course, but it is supposed to be a sacrifice!!), let alone the power consumed accessing the internet for unNECESSARY purposes (Just like I'm doing now! )

[myglaren]

Yes and no on the doom-mongering for me. Whilst I fully agree that journos are there to sell copy, they are actually writing about a reality here. Like it or not, too many people are wanting too much electricity at a time when it's highlighting weaknesses in the supply sector. I'm not sure when we'll ever get to the stage where energy generation right across Europe and the UK is consistently rock steady and something not to be concerned about. The more capacity they build, the more the population grows to suck it all up, and the more that increasing population wants more electricity to satiate their 'better' lifestyles.

The Jevons effect!

[Paul-R]

As we know neither will ever happen but just imagine the worldwide reduction in energy consumption by not needing the Film and TV Production companies at all!!

You'd still need some production facilities. I'm of an age when I can remember TV programmes being transmitted live. I particularly remember an episode of Emergency Ward 10 where the actor forgot his lines and had to be prompted from off-screen. Other programmes such as hour long dramas and (I think) Doctor Who were recorded "as live".

Ah, the simpler days when we were happy to be presented with what was available.

[bobins]

I can't remember what it was, but there was a live drama broadcast in the UK many years ago where one of the cast actually died during transmission

[mickthemaverick]

I can't remember what it was, but there was a live drama broadcast in the UK many years ago where one of the cast actually died during transmission

Are you sure that was a 'live' drama then bobins?

[bobins]

It was....... up to a point

[mickthemaverick]

I have moved this discussion to the All Our Yesterdays thread to avoid going any further off topic here!!

[myglaren]

Lots of those Celsius thingys here today.

Confirmed with a digital thermomometer.

Looked in the attic but can't make any sense of it.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Vanessa is in the chair...Jezza must be on his hols.
In the void which is Ofgem, National Grid, and the UK Government who are responsible for these things like Energy Security and supply, we have to throw it open to the great British general public to make their suggestions...

Richard from Leeds gave us his solution...(his words)

The answer is not to argue over who can give the biggest cuts because we all have to pay for it in the end. The answer is to bring in rationing in household use, lower demand equals lower energy costs, set a tariff of £1500 and anybody who uses more than that is fined £2000 and double the cost of energy over that tariff

Jill (lead climate advisor for the Essex federation of WI's)
Kept getting unnecessarily interrupted by the host but Jill came up with a less severe cliff than our Richard, and made a decent point. Not a literal word for word transcript but this was her view.

We need to use less energy and on a sliding scale the less energy you use the lower the unit price, and the more energy you use the higher the unit price. Abolish the standing charge and recoup it in the unit price just as the unit price per litre for petrol covers all the infrastructure and administrative costs involved in getting that litre of petrol into your tank..

Yes Jill may have something there.

Regards Neil

[bobins]

Whilst 'Jill' has a good point, there'll be the usual howls from the pensioners that they need to heat their homes to a higher degree and it'd be so unfair to make them pay a higher rate. To combat that, I'd suggest means-testing the pensioners - those that can afford the higher rate would pay it, those that can't get an even cheaper rate.

Richard's idea has been used in indurstry for a very long time.

[Gibbo2286]

Whilst 'Jill' has a good point, there'll be the usual howls from the pensioners that they need to heat their homes to a higher degree and it'd be so unfair to make them pay a higher rate. To combat that, I'd suggest means-testing the pensioners - those that can afford the higher rate would pay it, those that can't get an even cheaper rate.

Richard's idea has been used in indurstry for a very long time.

Don't knock the pensioners bobins it's true that as you get older you do feel the cold more, most of my life I've worked in outdoor or almost outdoor environments winter and summer but to sit around the house now I'm not comfortable if the room temperature drops below 22 degrees.
Means testing is already done to some extent and to extend it into this sphere would only add to the number of civil servants we have to pay for.

[bobins]

Means testing is already done to some extent and to extend it into this sphere would only add to the number of civil servants we have to pay for.

Civil servants, Gibbo ? That's a terribly outdated view It'd be contracted out to the cheapest company - what could possibly go wrong ?

[mickthemaverick]

I introduced a new energy saving trick today. Since becoming conscious of the energy we used to waste by boiling the kettle half to three quarters full each time we wanted a cuppa and changing that to only putting 3 cupfuls in each time we want two cups (nobody wants the kettle to boil dry), I have had an idea mulling around. So the new procedure is 3 cupfuls in the kettle for tea in bed. Make two cups of tea and pour the remainder into a vacuum flask. At breakfast we repeat that thereby giving us two cupfuls in the vacuum flask which we will use for elevenses coffee!! You don't want boiling water for coffee anyway so it will save the energy previously used to heat the extra cup each time in the morning which then got cold again, plus the three cupfuls at 11!! win-win!! We used to heat 9 cupfuls and drink 6, now we will heat 6 cupfuls and drink 6 thereby saving a whole boiling of 3 cups which only went cold again !!

PS when pouring the water into the vacuum flask it's wise to use a tea strainer as the very last bit of water in a boiled kettle may have the odd bit of scale in it which you don't want in the flask!!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Make two cups of tea and pour the remainder into a vacuum flask. At breakfast we repeat that thereby giving us two cupfuls in the vacuum flask which we will use for elevenses coffee!!

PS when pouring the water into the vacuum flask it's wise to use a tea strainer as the very last bit of water in a boiled kettle may have the odd bit of scale in it which you don't want in the flask!!

The vacuum flask has only fairly recently had a renaissance in chez Falcon, within the last couple of years, but its back, more so for days out and off piste scenic spot refreshment stops, as well as those relaxing mindfulness moments at the charger...

I overfilled the kettle to 5 cups today...saw my mistake and emptied some out.

The other day bearing in mind that even with all the focus on the world market price of gas, the gas unit price for domestic consumers is still masses lower than electricity, its cheaper to heat stuff with gas if you have it. I boiled a mugful and a bit of water in a pan (stainless steel) and used that for my cup of tea.

I have always rated tea from water boiled in a pan to be a noticeably inferior drink to tea from water boiled in a kettle, but in reality that time it wasn't bad. Maybe you become used to tea made from water with microplastics in it from the ubiquitous plastic kettles and its just a question of acquiring a taste for Tea with pan boiled water.

I have an aversion to aluminium camping kettles which may be more efficient than the open pan, and stainless steel hob top kettles, probably have too long a payback period.

Proper Energy Matters Domestic discussion...contributions and admissions welcome

Regards Neil

[bobins]

There was a chap who messaged Ken Bruce on his radio show yesterday about a great energy saving idea. Instead of using 240v equipment, he was going to use building site 110v kit - think of the volts he'd save !