Energy bills

[JackyJoll]

If you’re desperate for a visitor experience, there’s a Nuclear Archive and a mock-up of the Dounreay Materials Test Reactor.

The Dounreay Fast Reactor Control Room was going to be set up in an Edinburgh museum. Don’t know if it happened.

[Count Steer]

The last Dounreay reactor shut down in 1994.

Fuel reprocessing stopped in 1998.

I’d say decommissioning could have been committed to earlier than it was. I could also say “What’s the rush?”

I’d also say “2333” is a pessimistic exaggeration. The site will be pretty benign long before you’re dead.

The 300 years appears to be when tidal erosion will probably collapse a 213ft deep shaft that they appear to have used as a nuclear dustbin.

The sheer volume/mass of material they've got to deal with is impressive ie 900 tonnes of radioactive sodium.

(I did do the visitor thing there but before they started kitting visitors with lab coats and radiation badges and taking them into the depths of the plant. We were in the area and it seemed rude not to given our links with the atoms business ).

[JackyJoll]

I think there’s hardly any sodium left.

I’m not particularly “in the know,” but the Shaft has been surrounded by a concrete curtain and will be emptied in a timescale that doesn’t involve centuries. Yes it was used as a disposal route- waste disposal was different in the 1950s.

There was a seasonal tourist route through the Prototype Fast Reactor, from mid-1970s to (I think) early 1990s. “You are now standing on a nuclear reactor.” The route was within areas where protective gear and dosimetry was not required. The modern standard is Supervised area.

[wheelnut]

I’ve just realised my (not so) ‘smart’ gas meter hasn’t been working for the last 7 months. I sense a big bill coming

[Felix]

I’ve just realised my (not so) ‘smart’ gas meter hasn’t been working for the last 7 months. I sense a big bill coming

I know folk on a new (ish) estate that have paid now gas or electricity for a good 5 years. When they did look into it they were told no such address existed so left it at that. One person on the estate kept badgering Scottish power until they recognised she had a meter and the address existed they waved the first years bills due to her honesty and an apology and started afresh. She gets bills but her neighbours dont.

[Horse]

I’ve just realised my (not so) ‘smart’ gas meter hasn’t been working for the last 7 months. I sense a big bill coming

Check your supplier's T&Cs and policies. When my gas meter stopped giving readings, and they took months to fix it, they (after me requesting it) gave me £30 compensation for poor service.

However, it wasn't a smart meter and I used to submit monthly bills, so had reported it failing.

In your position, how could you know it had failed?

[Felix]

I’ve just realised my (not so) ‘smart’ gas meter hasn’t been working for the last 7 months. I sense a big bill coming

I know folk on a new (ish) estate that have paid now gas or electricity for a good 5 years. When they did look into it they were told no such address existed so left it at that. One person on the estate kept badgering Scottish power until they recognised she had a meter and the address existed they waved the first years bills due to her honesty and an apology and started afresh. She gets bills but her neighbours dont.

I know folk on a new (ish) estate that have paid no gas or electricity

Oops

[Mr. Dazzle]

I see "they" are predicting the average bill might it £6k a year in April 2023. That's more than three times what it is now.

I have to admit, when I was looking at my budget I assumed the current bill might go up threefold as a worst case. It looks like my worst case might be exceeded.

Surely the government will have to take more direct action next year if this does prove to be the case. If the average bill is approaching a quarter of the median household income....well....it's a lot, isn't it?

[MrLongbeard]

£6k a year

You can buy a lot of jumpers for £6k.
Wife has been told to go buy a heated jacket, because if prices do get anywhere close to that I ain't running the heating

[Cousin Jack]

As a kid we had 1 open fire in use, and 5 more open but unused. It was a bit chilly in winter but we didnt die.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Heating is actually only a small part of my bill. Our house is modern and very well insulated, we barely even need the heating on in winter cause our body heat keeps it pretty warm by itself. It generally comes on for half an hour first thing then never kicks in again all day. Gas is also way cheaper than leccy anyway of course.

I've been looking at our big hitters. The fridge is a bigger cvnt than I realised. WFH and running multiple PCs and monitors is also juicier than I thought.

We have electric ovens and gas hobs. I should probably boil/fry/steam more and bake less We've been gifted a hand me down air frier which helps quite a lot actually.

Small children who generate washing like an army don't help.

Over the past few weeks nearly half our daily bill is the standing charge (~40p/day)! That's summer lf course, but obviously I can't not pay that.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I cleaned the coils out on our fridge yesterday.

See...academically like, if you'd asked me what is gonna knock fridge performance I'd have immediately said dirty coils. It never occurred to me to clean them though.

Man they were dusty, as was the fan which blows air over them. They're inside a cover, whcih was pretty choked up with dust too. My smart metre reckons the fridge is drawing 75W less now

Apparently you're supposed to clean them every 6 months. First I've heard of it.

[Noggin]

I have similar on the standing charge. Previously it was almost double the actual cost of the electricity.

Ok, there's only me here and the heating isn't electric (it's within the building charges, as is the hot water) but I've found the air fryer, pressure cooker and induction hot plate have really helped. I just use what I need, rather than having a huge oven on to reheat/cook stuff for one person!

I'm about to lend a bigger air fryer to some friend up here - not because of the cost of electric as such, just cos they don't have an oven!! LOL

I do have to have a chat with EDF as my account seems to suggest that my usage was as high or higher in May, June and July as in the previous 3 months. Given that I wasn't here for those three months, I suspect there may be an issue with the Linky meter!!

As a kid we had 1 open fire in use, and 5 more open but unused. It was a bit chilly in winter but we didnt die.

I grew up in a 'in progress' renovation of an old farmhouse. Coal rayburn in the kitchen, wood burner in the sitting room. My sister and I lived in the attic (it was way cooler to me that it sounds!!). She remembers horrific cold and thinking she was going to die for 8 months of the year whereas I remember it all quite fondly!! LOL But then, I have my window open in the winter here because as soon as all the other apartments have people in them and the heating gets turned up, I'm way too hot in my place!! (Autumn is the only time I might consider using the tiny oil filled rad - pre heating going on -, but I try not to)

[Noggin]

I cleaned the coils out on our fridge yesterday.

See...academically like, if you'd asked me what is gonna knock fridge performance I'd have immediately said dirty coils. It never occurred to me to clean them though.

Man they were dusty, as was the fan which blows air over them. They're inside a cover, whcih was pretty choked up with dust too. My smart metre reckons the fridge is drawing 75W less now

Apparently you're supposed to clean them every 6 months. First I've heard of it.

I'm not sure I can get my fridge out to clean them

[Mr. Dazzle]

I'm not even super bothered about the saving, it might be a couple of quid a month.

It's more the principal of the thing! . As I said, it's an obvious way to make it more efficient which just didn't register in my brain before.

[Mussels]

I'm not even super bothered about the saving, it might be a couple of quid a month.

It's more the principal of the thing! . As I said, it's an obvious way to make it more efficient which just didn't register in my brain before.

You work in car design, the benefits of continuous improvement must be ingrained. Good call and I must look at mine after my leccy monitoring smart plug turns up on Friday.

[Count Steer]

I put in a pond pump...just before the electricity prices went berserk. I think it's 300W and on 24/7. (Going to have to fit a timer and switch it on just dawn to dusk I think). Meanwhile I decided to make some savings to compensate so have decommissioned a fridge (half sized, wine cooler with propane refrigerant) because we were running 3 fridges! Must clean the heat exchangers on the remaining 2 and have a look what else is wasting leccy. Probably stop putting the top oven on to heat plates at the same time as I put the main oven on to cook the food

[JamJar]

I cleaned the coils out on our fridge yesterday.

See...academically like, if you'd asked me what is gonna knock fridge performance I'd have immediately said dirty coils. It never occurred to me to clean them though.

Man they were dusty, as was the fan which blows air over them. They're inside a cover, whcih was pretty choked up with dust too. My smart metre reckons the fridge is drawing 75W less now

Apparently you're supposed to clean them every 6 months. First I've heard of it.

My fridge is only 2 years old and is sealed at the back.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yeah mine was "sealed" too. Nothing a screwdriver couldn't fix

[Cousin Jack]

I have 3 refrigeration things - a fridge/freezer, a separate freezer and a wine fridge. All built in to the kitchen, so a bastard to remove! I have never seen the back of any of them.