Electric cars

[peteo48]

Why did they perform a full assessment for a smart meter ?

Round me they've just swapped meters.

Complicated - older property for a start but the main stumbling block derives from when the present kitchen was installed. The current electricity meter is attached to the back panel of a kitchen cabinet. The other issue was the age of the main fuse, and, indeed the rating. The installation was described as "non standard" although I'm assured it is safe.

The options were as described above, remove the kitchen cabinet OR dig up the drive. This was to enable them to isolate the power inlet - not just a matter of turning the power off at the consumer unit. The drive option would have been attractive if we hadn't just shelled out £9k for a new one because the meter would then have been mounted on the outside wall in a cabinet (we had this in our previous house - a new build).

Too much hassle so I have binned the idea.

[Kremmen]

Ah, got ya.

[richardfrost]

Right now, the car that makes most sense to me is a plug in hybrid. No range anxiety and can spend the vast majority of it's time pooling around on EV and being recharged on my drive from a mains plug.

Lucky old you - having a driveway and a mains plug.  Lots of us don't - and that may be one of the biggest obstacles against buying an EV (apart from the current price.)
Interesting if someone knows the average number of GB households with driveways against those houses, flats etc. without. 
Not to mention when my street will be up and running with chargers at every parking space - or even at a lamp-post or two.

Did you read the rest of my post?

[R2D3]

"What China says for western consumption and what China does are entirely different things. When I worked in Australia we used to sell equipment to China and had plenty to do with the Chinese,  I have yet to meet a more slippery bunch, apparently lying is not considered wrong in China, especially where the economy and cutting pollution clash. "

So no different from our present Government.

[culzean]

"What China says for western consumption and what China does are entirely different things. When I worked in Australia we used to sell equipment to China and had plenty to do with the Chinese,  I have yet to meet a more slippery bunch, apparently lying is not considered wrong in China, especially where the economy and cutting pollution clash. "

So no different from our present Government.

Just be thankful you do not live in China....

[richardfrost]

Just be thankful you do not live in China....

When was the last time you went to China Culzean? When was it you worked with them?

There are, of course, huge cultural differences. But in most cases, they just want the same as we do.

You are so distrustful of just about every country other than the UK, and yet we are one of the shadiest nations around, with an awful government and a history of empire. We are not the shining example we think we are and we can not fix the world on our own, or disconnect from it and think 'I'm alright Jack!' That is just sticking our heads in the sand.

[Hugh R]

Right now, the car that makes most sense to me is a plug in hybrid. No range anxiety and can spend the vast majority of it's time pooling around on EV and being recharged on my drive from a mains plug.

Lucky old you - having a driveway and a mains plug.  Lots of us don't - and that may be one of the biggest obstacles against buying an EV (apart from the current price.)
Interesting if someone knows the average number of GB households with driveways against those houses, flats etc. without. 
Not to mention when my street will be up and running with chargers at every parking space - or even at a lamp-post or two.

Did you read the rest of my post?

Yes I did Richard!  And great if EV's are the norm from China, Japan (or wherever) in ten years time - but that still may not solve the GB situation of charging those EV's when they get here - or am I being pessimistic?!

[richardfrost]

Yes I did Richard!  And great if EV's are the norm from China, Japan (or wherever) in ten years time - but that still may not solve the GB situation of charging those EV's when they get here - or am I being pessimistic?!

I meant the part about on street charging not going to happen. It is too expensive, a short term fix and completely impractical with cables everywhere for people to trip over and bikes to run into. I think better batteries, shorter charging times etc. will negate the need for a national network on every street.

[Jocko]

I am getting a new consumer unit fitted in early December, not for an EV charging point but it will allow for one to be fitted. A Granny cable would suit me fine. The last time I filled my tank was the 30th of September and I still have more than half a tank left (and I am not in lockdown). The longest trip I have had recently was 17 miles. Any EV would be right for me.
Looks like Rolls Royce will be getting the finance for its small nuclear reactor programme. The government will give them £210M if private finance does the same and that should be in place this week.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59201945
With regard to China, I recommend anyone interested to read "Tiger Head, Snake Tails" by Jonathan Fenby.

[Kremmen]

Going slightly off topic, there was a news item earlier this week that referenced a street poll.

Out of 1,000 people questioned, 100% were against being forced to replace their current boiler for a heat pump. They said, nearer the time, any political party that continued down the heat pump route would not get there vote.

 

[ColinB]

Going slightly off topic, there was a news item earlier this week that referenced a street poll.

Out of 1,000 people questioned, 100% were against being forced to replace their current boiler for a heat pump. They said, nearer the time, any political party that continued down the heat pump route would not get there vote.

Yeah right, these “surveys” are great aren’t they? Without any sort of source or attribution this is fake news.

Actually, I’ve not seen anything suggesting anyone’s going to be forced to replace a boiler with a heat pump. But existing boilers have a finite life, and when the time comes to replace them there’ll only be green alternatives (which may be heat pumps, electric boilers, electric radiators, hydrogen, or something else). So the consumer will always have a choice; whatever happens though, it seem clear that energy is going to be more expensive in future. And why not, if by paying more humanity has a better chance of surviving climate change? And ... that’s Culzean’s cue!

[Kremmen]

The person who gave out the poll information was Richard Tice. A respected ex MEP.

Further statements made on the item were that heat pumps are noisy, less efficient so will cost more to run.

Please don't assume everything you disagree with is fake.

[culzean]

Going slightly off topic, there was a news item earlier this week that referenced a street poll.

Out of 1,000 people questioned, 100% were against being forced to replace their current boiler for a heat pump. They said, nearer the time, any political party that continued down the heat pump route would not get there vote.

This zero carbon malarkey is going to be Doris Johnson's 'poll tax' -  Rumour has it that he is scared stiff of the 'Duchess of Downing Street'  and the zero carbon stuff is her idea.  Un-elected people setting government policy does not go down well with voters, a bit like Cummings.

[JimSh]

Je ne dis plus rien.   

[Neil Ives]

Je ne dis plus rien.