Grumbles, Glory and All Your Off Topic Discussions

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robsmith
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Message 108715 - Posted: 26 Jun 2022, 13:57:30 UTC - in response to Message 108713.  

I thought Thames Water recycled the sewage 7 times?

The actual figure varies, seven is the top of the range, with four as the lowest. This is done by abstracting water from the river, and only really benefits the towns and cities along its banks.

I also thought all the developed world was decreasing in population.

The population of the UK has been increasing quite rapidly in recent years, with many of the new arrivals in the southern quarter of the country, while a lot of places in the northern quarter seeing a reduction.

I also thought new housing needs permission, including the availability of a water supply. If the water board is overstretched, they should say no more houses there.

In part, yes, but very, very patchy in its implementation. Sadly the water authorities voices are among the quietest "governmental" bodies when it comes to objecting to new housing exceeding their ability to supply sufficient high quality water.
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robsmith
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Message 108717 - Posted: 26 Jun 2022, 14:07:06 UTC - in response to Message 108714.  

Oh, I see the lazy view of the UK strikes again, averaging things out when doing so doesn't tell even half of the story.
While the Western quarter of the UK does have massive amounts of rainfall (look at the way Wales supplies water to Birmingham, or the Lake District supplies water to Manchester) much of the eastern part of the country is verging on a desert, only being saved by the fact that our average temperatures are quite low.
A bit nearer to where you live, Dundee has about 700mm per annum, while Fort William has about 1500mm. Averaging those two gives 1100mm....
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robsmith
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Message 108719 - Posted: 26 Jun 2022, 14:26:02 UTC - in response to Message 108718.  

I don't think we will see one until the seat polishers in Westminster enjoy a repeat of the 19th century "big stink" due to too much water having been abstracted upstream to flush the Thames properly on ebb tides.
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Sirius B
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Message 108721 - Posted: 26 Jun 2022, 16:06:14 UTC - in response to Message 108703.  

Bye.. I know that nothing will happen & they will probably laugh. What they fail to realise if they do so, is that the letter has to be added to my account. :-)
Do you plan to instigate legal proceedings? How much money do they owe?
ATM, no. Amount owed £466.04. A tidy sum.
Reason for letter was due to an incident in 2019.

Received a notification that there was still a substantial amount outstanding on the bill & that unless it is cleared, legal proceedings would commence.
Phoned council, & informed them the bill for that year was paid & gave them the dates & times the payments were made.
Unfortunately, made the mistake of assumption. I assumed that the info provided was noted on the account.

A fortnight later, received a summons, sadly for them, I attended the court.
The plaintiff explained their case, then...
...I explained mine.
Was asked to provide proof. Did so, case dismissed.
On the way out, council official asked if they could have the receipts, I gave them the bird.
Magistrate saw that & even though the case had been dismissed, called me back.
When he asked what the problem was, I told him & then said that the receipts were issued by the council via e-mail.
Their "system" had no track of them.
Go digital? F.O. will always be my response.
Have to thank Jord for that. He said, it's always best to have a paper trail. :-)
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Sirius B
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Message 108723 - Posted: 26 Jun 2022, 16:54:18 UTC
Last modified: 26 Jun 2022, 16:56:03 UTC

I'm going to enjoy receipt of the CT bill for 2023/24.
Instead of paying the whole amount of £19.76, only going to pay £1.65.
Then going to call council after the payment is made & demand a revised bill to be recieved by the end of the month (April 2023).
WHY?
Well, CT bills are calculated in March & sent out end of the month, with them normally received by April 1/2.
The Chancellor has announced that the triple lock is back in play & that pensions will rise to match inflation.
It will take effect from April 2023 & based on the inflation rate in Sept 2022.
Currently the rate sits at 11%.
IMHO, the CoE is praying that the rate will decrease by then.
Personally, I can't see it decreasing by much. :-)
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Profile Dave
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Message 108726 - Posted: 26 Jun 2022, 18:52:25 UTC - in response to Message 108713.  

I also thought new housing needs permission, including the availability of a water supply. If the water board is overstretched, they should say no more houses there.


They should but they don't.
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Profile Jord
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Message 108728 - Posted: 26 Jun 2022, 20:16:14 UTC - in response to Message 108721.  

Have to thank Jord for that. He said, it's always best to have a paper trail. :-)
Here's another golden bit then: write down your meter readings, at least once a week. I do so every Friday, usually between 8am and 12pm - but sometimes I forget and it's done later or the day after. I've got a Calc sheet (Libre Office) that 's been added to and adjusted over the years, my meter readings go back to 2011 - even though that's in my old apartment.

But that it's a good thing shows here, our network administrator has updated their software and since that time the server can no longer read out every smart meter every day, or every week. Only sometimes. Which shows in the app I have of my energy provider, plenty of days showing that there isn't anything read.

Additionally, I get an energy report from my provider every month in email, but there it only says "You have used this amount for electricity and that for gas", without showing starting and ending meter readings. I've already complained about that, because even though they should be trustworthy, they can just give any arbitrary number and say I have to pay extra. But since my readings go back to 2011, I can make a pretty good guess how much I've used per month, just based on the meter readings. That paper trail, although it's in Calc sheets, on my computer's HDD and a backup on my NAS.
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Profile Dave
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Message 108729 - Posted: 26 Jun 2022, 20:37:40 UTC - in response to Message 108728.  

Additionally, I get an energy report from my provider every month in email, but there it only says "You have used this amount for electricity and that for gas", without showing starting and ending meter readings.


The app for my supplier shows readings most days, occasionally one day is missed. It always gives the meter readings which match those I have checked manually.
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Sirius B
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Message 108732 - Posted: 26 Jun 2022, 23:02:04 UTC - in response to Message 108725.  

Is there a short version of this? How exactly did you end up overpaying them by such a huge amount?
Had you comprehended what I've posted about CT, you would see the answer clearly.
1 April 2022 CT was due & payable because of income & paid it in full.
24 June 2022, receive "amended" CT bill as income had changed.
Had no need to inform council of that fact as I knew that they would know instantly it changed (Taxman & DWP do so automatically via computer)
Now in receipt of pension. CT amount NOW £0.38 per week.
Making an over payment of £316.04
The other £150 is the Energy Rebate but as CT payers are refunded via CT.
Simple!
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Sirius B
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Message 108733 - Posted: 26 Jun 2022, 23:07:02 UTC - in response to Message 108728.  

Already do so Jord. Since Economy Energy went bust Nov 2018, been logging electric usage monthly ever since (10 readings a month. - Example already posted),
new supplier took over in March 2019.
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Profile Dave
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Message 108736 - Posted: 27 Jun 2022, 6:21:02 UTC

Why did you guys ever accept a smart meter?
Much easier to keep a track of usage and relate it to what appliances, computers etc I run. Checking readings daily on phone it is much less hassle to spot if anything is wrong. Over past two months have used an average of less than 2KWH a day from grid.
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robsmith
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Message 108739 - Posted: 27 Jun 2022, 6:37:13 UTC

Why did you guys ever accept a smart meter?

'cos it's easier to look at the smart meter in the kitchen than climbing over the bench in the garage to look at a steam meter..
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