General Chat

I agree about nationalising essential industries, Maggie. I don’t think many in our government (Lab, Tory, LibDem or others) think ahead or plan for worst case scenarios. Most of them seem to me to be a shabby shower.

Being of the suspicious nature I often wonder which of them and their rellies and mates have shares in various companies that are milking the general public for all it’s worth.

‘Be prepared’ ought to be impressed upon their brains.

They were privatised by Thatcher.

Between 2019 and 2021, oil and gas firms had given the Conservative Party £1 million in 'donations'

This is an interesting read:

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/43-lords-have-financial-interests-in-fossil-fuel-industry/

Basically, it says:

Forty-three members of the House of Lords have a financial stake in the oil and gas industry.

Analysis by The Ferret news website shows that 33 of them own shares worth at least £50,000 each, across 19 fossil fuel companies. Ten more have jobs in the sector – advising firms, or acting as chair or director.

Almost one in ten Conservative peers has financial interests in oil and gas. A further 17 peers without political affiliations also have financial interests in the sector, as do three Labour peers. Five of the 43 are Scottish politicians.

No wonder they don't want to re-nationalise he energy companies!

The cost per kilowatt hour from our supplier is 27.85p for electricity and 6.994p for gas so if the hot water is heated by gas fill the kettle or saucepan from the hot tap before heating it.

Water from a hot tap fed from a loft tank will be perfectly safe to drink so long as the tank is covered (as it should be for frost-proofing insulation), especially if the toilet or some cold taps are fed from the tank so the water is constantly changed.

And if you have solar panels you may be able to run the imersion heater on sunshine some of the time.

ZZzzz, unfortunately, when water was privatised, quite a few reservoirs were sold off for housing!
Anything for a profit, it seems. :-|

Brian, I feel fortunate that I have a gas cooker!
My electric kettle's been used about twice this year - it's usually a whistling one on the hob.

When we had power cuts during the storms, I was handing out hot water to my neighbours. A cup of tea helps the storm pass :-D

I would think a bucket in a wet room is a good idea...unlike a normal bath which saves your water...

I've got a wet room.
The water heats up a soon as the shower's turned on, and I have the shower head n a small spray 'circumference'.
If I had a bucket to catch the water I'd have to stand in it! :-D :-D :-D

I had a though today. I wonder when the water companies will put the price of water up, due to 'financial losses' - ie not making as much of a vast profit as they'd like - due to people using less water.

Next Spring is my guess, Maggie. :-0

If they take on board the fact that the country needs more reservoirs and decide to build one or more, water rates will undoubtedly go up big-time!

I've been keeping a bucket by the kitchen sink and filling it with surplus water when cleaning etc. I then pour it into the watering can. Trouble is, I get carried away and find I sometimes can't lift the bucket (It's a large one!)

Earlier this year I bought a small water butt that stands discreetly at the back of the garage and collects rainwater from the roof. Really pleased with that purchase. :-D

Great idea, Cynthia. OH collects the run-off from the guttering around the greenhouse into a bucket and also has a drip-feed system onto the plants in there.

Brian, what electricity company are you with as it sounds really cheap? My dad is on a cheap rate for gas and electricity because last in 2020 he locked the price for both for 3 years! His rates wont change until August 2023 so hes not feeling the pinch at all and getting all this free money from the government.

Did you lock the prices at a good rate?

Florence in the hebrides

Thankfully our water is included with the council tax and everyone is on scottish water

Grr. One short sharp shower two days ago, wetted the ground but not enough to do much to my water butt and nothing since and non3 forecast.

Actually that might work seeing as we didn’t get the forecast rain storms so fingers crossed that we get any non forecasted rain.

Unfortunately, due to the 'unforeseen' amount of rain (despite all the thunderstorm warnings), Southern water has been 'forced' to - yet again - empty sewage into the sea along the South Coast.

Strange how their report waffles on about how they, apparently, are focussed on improving the environment.

They've also made millions in profit, as have their shareholders :-|

Maggie
It would seem that Southern Water just couldn't cope with all that 'unexpected rainfall '

https://www.southernwater.co.uk/water-for-life/our-bathing-waters/beachbuoy

Wrong sort of rain and, of course, Brexit. :-S

It's amazing how, with vast profits, and modern technology, Water companies are unable to upgrade/improve the system created by the Victorians, over 140 years ago, isn't it?

It also makes you wonder where all the Sewage treatment plants have disappeared to, or why new ones haven't been built..

I agree Maggie about upgrading and also dredging rivers etc. Some havent been done for years, the silt builds up and then the rivers are not so deep. Hence they cant hold as much water as they use to so they overspill onto the land and flood it.

What exactly do the water companies do with their income?

If every householder was able to have a water butt in their garden and collect the rainwater, that would be very useful and not go to waste.

Florence in the hebrides

Florence
I think we know what they do with all that money ;-) ;-)

Flush it away :-D :-D :-D