There's a very big problem with the majority of the population having pretty much no understanding of energy. For many years now I've been a part of a local group that has been trying to do little things to encourage people to adopt a less energy profligate lifestyle. It's staggering how few people really grasp the important stuff. The most common question that's been asked at open days we've held is from those worried about the cost/energy usage of charging their phone. Trying to explain that a phone uses a tiny amount of energy rarely succeeds. People that worry about charging their phone will very often not bat an eyelid at leaving a dozen lights on when they aren't needed.Stinsy wrote: ↑Fri Aug 26, 2022 9:12 amI’m a big believer in taking responsibility for yourself.
Throwing up a few panels and installing a few batteries has significantly reduced the impact of the recent energy price rises for us lot to one degree or another.
I’m jealous of those who have a logpile / wood burner that’ll keep them warm this winter. I’m relying on my A2A and resistive heaters together with my 0230-0630 7.5p/kWh cheap slot to keep my gas consumption under control this winter.
However the majority seem to be planning on doing precisely nothing to mitigate their costs this winter…
Even my wife still struggles with trying to understand energy. I think she's grasped the basics that things that get hot or that move heavy stuff around use a lot of power, but she can't wrap her head around the effect of time. A few weeks ago I tried to explain that something left on for hours that only used a small amount of power will use quite a lot of energy. Our water butt has been empty for weeks, and it had just started raining. She heard it start to fill, and she know that it uses a lot of energy to fill from the well, as the pump (around 600W) has to run for around half an hour to fill it (we don't do this, doesn't make sense really). I suggested she keep an eye on the level and timed how long it took to fill. This seems to have helped her get a feel for energy as "volume", as she could equate the slow trickle from the rain to the high volume from the hose.
Many people will be struggling because they have never understood the basics. A neighbour of ours gave some slow cooking lessons a while ago, showing others how she'd been taught as a small girl to use a hay box to cook stews. This seems to have taken off, as there is now a thriving recipe and idea exchange group on the local social media forum, with people being amazed that they can cook meals mostly with heat that would otherwise be wasted. The government should really be trying to educate people as to how best to save energy and yet stay safe, as this seems to be something that our education system has failed to do.
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, about the size of a thumb, living in there where its damp and the hunting is good. I picked him up and took him to another shaded composter. Hopefully settling in fine. I am actually in debt to myself to the tune of the remaining Ripple WT Kirkhill payments and the batteries we are ordering Mid Sept. I won't let myself off the hook and there will be no more big purchases until next Spring and I've cleared the debt and brought the bank account back up. I'm also due SWMBO 5 grand for our new eyes!