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Subject Topic: Following on from heating post......
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via mobile 24/3/2022 at 1:38pm
 Location: Scotland
 Outfit: Coachman Highlander (Amara)
View feeblecat's Profile View Profile   Reply to feeblecat Reply   Quote feeblecat Quote  
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I resisted a smart meter for years and finally succumbed. It's been a revelation, I am able to see at glance what I'm using and where and I have already started making the small changes which I'm hoping will make a bit of a difference. For example, all the things I leave on standby get turned off now when not in use. Lights and lamps too. Might not seem like a lot but it all adds up over the month.


24/3/2022 at 1:40pm
 Location: East Herts
 Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
View Colin21's Profile View Profile   Reply to Colin21 Reply   Quote Colin21 Quote  
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We are lucky in that our house, being built in 1992, is very well insulated. Apparently the builders won an award for them when they built them. Our front is south-facing too, and that is where our main living room is.

If our heating bill went up to £245 a month Pixie, that would cause us enormous problems. We would either have to turn our boiler off completely or start going to food banks to eat. If it goes up to half that we will have to make some serious cut-backs. We are already considering whether we will be able to use our old caravan at all this year or whether we are going to have to sell it. At least it doesn't cost us anything if we aren't using it, so I suppose we could still have a holiday in it on the front drive.


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Best Regards,
Colin


via mobile 24/3/2022 at 1:51pm
 Location: Scotland
 Outfit: Coachman Highlander (Amara)
View feeblecat's Profile View Profile   Reply to feeblecat Reply   Quote feeblecat Quote  
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We certainly aren't what you would call well off but we get by with a reasonable, not lavish, lifestyle But it is so disappointing that having worked all our lives and finally paid off the mortgage and looking forward to having that bit extra into retirement it is all going to be swallowed up on just getting by. I know we are luckier than a lot and I do count my blessings but it still rankles.


24/3/2022 at 2:03pm
 Location: Turriff Aberdeenshi
 Outfit: Romahome R30 Dimens
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I agree with you, Feeblecat. It's wonderful having the freedom of retirement if you have the means to make the best of it. Pensions certainly don't keep up with costs, but if they did, they would probably be cut if the cost of living fell!

When my house was built, nobody in this village had electricity or central heating. There was a fireplace in each room and lighting was by oil lamps.

I've spent out on insulating the house as far as practical, have efficient white goods and LED lighting. I'm avoiding getting a 'smart meter' as I doubt if I could make many more savings. Modern appliances use very little energy on standby and many will have clocks and timers that you want to keep active. Saving a fiver a year hardly seems a big deal.

Post last edited on 24/03/2022 14:09:53

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Two drifters off to see the world.

I'm tired of reality, so I'm off to look for a good fantasy.


via mobile 24/3/2022 at 6:26pm
 Location: Ayrshire
 Outfit: Auto-Sleeper MHs
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I’ve resisted a smart meter because our mobile signal is so poor that we used to have to go out to the pavement to take calls. Thankfully the new phone has “WiFiCall”.
I’m dreading the end of landlines because our broadband width is so narrow that I get thrown out of zoom meetings when our neighbours get home from work or school & start gaming or whatever. Don’t think Mountain Rescue & other emergency services are happy either, because we’ll lose any mobile signal in a power cut. Which many of us have had this winter.

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2024 = 20 sites / 41 nights. 2023 = 9/23. 2022 = 13/35. 2021 = 11/29. 2020 = 4/20. 2019 = 13/35. 2018 = 20/33. 2017 = 10/22. 2016 = 19/33. 2015 = 15 sites / 27 nights. Didn't count 1976 to 2014.


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via mobile 24/3/2022 at 6:35pm
 Location: Scotland
 Outfit: Coachman Highlander (Amara)
View feeblecat's Profile View Profile   Reply to feeblecat Reply   Quote feeblecat Quote  
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Quote: Originally posted by Fiona W on 24/3/2022
I’ve resisted a smart meter because our mobile signal is so poor that we used to have to go out to the pavement to take calls. Thankfully the new phone has “WiFiCall”.
I’m dreading the end of landlines because our broadband width is so narrow that I get thrown out of zoom meetings when our neighbours get home from work or school & start gaming or whatever. Don’t think Mountain Rescue & other emergency services are happy either, because we’ll lose any mobile signal in a power cut. Which many of us have had this winter.



Smart meters don't connect via WiFi. It connects via a radio band or something similar that I don't understand. So no wifi or Internet required.


24/3/2022 at 7:23pm
 Location: East Herts
 Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
View Colin21's Profile View Profile   Reply to Colin21 Reply   Quote Colin21 Quote  
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As I understand it, smart meters work by a kind of mobile phone signal rather than wi-fi, so internet access isn't really relevant.

However, there is another way we are lucky here as we have had full fibre broadband for many years. We are more limited by our own computer equipment than by our broadband. We have incredibly fast broadband, (200mbps) and could have 5 times faster than we have got, but there would be no advantage to us because of our own equipment.

I agree Capt., even we wouldn't notice a saving of £5 a year. Just taken a look at our smart meter display and we have used £2.26 worth of gas and electricity so far today.



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Best Regards,
Colin


25/3/2022 at 9:19pm
 Location: Turriff Aberdeenshi
 Outfit: Romahome R30 Dimens
View Capt Lightning's Profile View Profile   Reply to Capt Lightning Reply   Quote Capt Lightning Quote  
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The previous owner of my house was not short of money, but not keen on spending it.

One day he dropped round and I invited him in. He stood in the hall and said "it's nice and warm in here - I was aye guy frugal wi' the fuel".

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Two drifters off to see the world.

I'm tired of reality, so I'm off to look for a good fantasy.



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