london
Google often does lovely headings in their search page, and today i saw one that is particularly spectacular to commemorate the 107th anniversary of a cartoonist i have never heard of.
winsor mcCay, nemo in slumberland.
Not sure if the link to the google page works, but for today anyway u will be able to see it just by going to the google search page.
added. go here to catch up on all their doodles.
i discovered the doodle when i opened the search page to google DMT, as it was mentioned as being very similar to the visions experienced by this neurosurgeon who had a near death experience and is now convinced there is an afterlife.
this article refuted it and worth reading even if u believe in an afterlife and the near death visions of people who have come back from the dead.
Added.12.30pm i see the first sign of winter, british gas raising its electricity and gas rates. haha. it will be raised 6% from 16nov. this happens so often that it can be permanently added to the first signs that winter is coming.
naturally, i could not be bothered as its effect on me is minimal. when u use so little energy, it does not matter how much they raise the rates.
it just means that i save more for every 1kwh of electricity i cut from using. to me, that is a great incentive to cut my usage even more.
unfortunately i have to live with others who are not so thrifty. haha.
but i guess that is life too. lots of people who are wasters of energy, of food, of water, etc etc. they dont see it , that is why they blame the govt, british gas, everyone but themselves for the price rises.
you dont get newspapers saying to people why dont u cut down on your usage of electricity and gas? that is a better way than shifting from one gas provider to another, chasing that elusive cheap rate.
people always say they have cut their usage to the bone, but of course if u look at it , u will find there is plenty of savings to be made.
i find it saves money not to use the oven. or use it less. i find that cooking the same amount of pork as a roast costs more in the oven than if u cook it as a stew on the stove.
Added.20.10.12 found out that using the top oven is just as economical as stewing. but the temp of roasting is important too. set it to 200C for 15mins(i was roasting pork and i wanted the crackling) and then bring it down to about 170C for the rest of the time. roast it for about 1.5hr and then let it cook inside the oven using up the residual heat. if roasting beef, i think u can just set it to about 170C.
and my pork stew , thinly sliced pork with ginger, garlic, onions , chilli,black soya sauce ,tastes marvelous. full of flavour. the way i cook it is to bring it to the boil from cold, and simmer on low heat, lid tightly shut, for about 5minutes and then switch off and keep covered and let the heat continue to cook the meat till the whole thing cools. even better if u can wrap the pot in insulation, a single size duvet, or sleeping bag, will do.
or one of those shopping bags with insulation which u can find in supermarkets for bringing back frozen foods.
i just remembered, i can use a blanket. i have found so many fleece blankets, i can use them.
Added. 20.10.12 the blanket etcdont seem very necessary, the pork gets cooked anyway
Showing posts with label gas and elect bills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gas and elect bills. Show all posts
Monday, 15 October 2012
Saturday, 4 August 2012
electricity may-july2012
london
Electricity bill today 1.5.12 -31.7.12
327kwh used over 91days
first 181kwh x 23.513 = £42.56
bext 150kwh x 11.203 = £16.80
total £59.36 for the quarter. pretty good i think. (it goes to show how confusing all this is because i thought it was pretty good, until i check with previous summers and realise it is not really. previously it was .16p a kwh. ) if even i find it confusing to compare with my own bill , i cannot see how anyone can compare with different companies. it is a minefield. i guess the only way is to stop using it as much as possible.
0.18p per kwh
3.59kwh per day
0.65p a day
I checked and compared with the same period last year, and noticed that i used about 50kwh more last year and the bill was about the same as this. it shows how much the prices have risen. even cutting my usage by 50kwh this year i still could not reduce the bill from last year. i managed to just keeping it steady at about £60. this is the summer bill, winter will surely be a lot more.
discounts -£3
vat 5% = -£2.78
they informed me that i am on the variable standard rate. and there are other rates, like clear and simple, online variable, and fixed price which they say is cheaper for me if i switch.
buggers to them for having all these different rates. I had a look at the price per unit of the various plans and it is not easy to understand. at present i got a cheaper price per unit than advertised. so what is going on?
these idiots ...
so i am not changing the tariff.
the savings is not a lot anyway even if i switch. and i bet there are lots of hidden disdvantages... like stopping sending me postal bills and doing it online. i like the postal bills because i can file them away... my printer do not work so i cannot print it off the internet.
when u consider in the same period 2010 it was about £45 u can realise how much prices have jumped. 30% in 2yrs.
Went to tesco and saw basmati 4kg x2 for £6.99. i bought them. last time i bought tesco's basic basmati rice £4 for 5kg, which we like a lot. but no more of those for sale. this one is laila brand. i m not bothered what brand, as they are all the same really. just look at the grains, some are larger than others. no difference to the taste, only thing to remember is to use less water if the grains are smaller.
sainsburys is selling branded basmati 10kg for £9 now. branded basmati rice has gone down in price from last year.at least the supermarket price.
i go to brixton and see their brasmati prices and it is higher for the same brand. there may be a glut of rice in london. maybe india and pakistan are finding it more worthwhile to sell to britain rather than to their countrymen. maybe the supermarket is able to get bulk discounts and so can undercut the independant retailer.
thai rice is still expensive. it is more fragrant but it costs double.
i tasted thai rice at rita's. it was elephant brand i think. it was delicious. i saw the price of it in a filipino shop in earls court, where rita buys her sambal. i went there to buy the sambal, and found it has monosodium glutamate in it, and so i did not buy it. no wonder it tastes so good. haha.
the thai rice costs £8.50 for 5kg. i decided not to buy it because the way simon and i go through rice, it would be gone in a jiffy. haha.
Added. 11.7.12 it puzzled me why thai rice is so expensive. today i read this in the new straits times, it seems the new thai govt headed by thaksin's sister) wants to support the farmers where their power base comes from; so to fulfill their election pledge they guarantee to buy their rice at a high price. thai rice is so expensive now and as a consequence, exports have gone down.
and rice from india and vietnam are overtaking it.
thailand used to be the largest exporter of rice, and thai rice has a reputation for good quality, but it seems not any more, as farmers have gone for quantity. the govt is sitting on a large stockpile of this rice. we might well find a drop in thai rice price in future when this comes into the market. the quality would drop too, and i wonder if any of us will want to buy it unless it is v cheap. maybe only the good quality will sell abroad.
link to nst article
it seems india came back into exporting rice, after an absence of 4yrs. fr 2008. so that is why we have this glut of basmati rice.
Added. 14.8.12 read here that the rupee is in freefall. now worth £1=86.8rupees. i remember when i last time visited india, in the 90s, it was £1=60rupees. it means a holiday in india is cheaper now. and that might explain why the basmati rice is so cheap here.
Electricity bill today 1.5.12 -31.7.12
327kwh used over 91days
first 181kwh x 23.513 = £42.56
bext 150kwh x 11.203 = £16.80
total £59.36 for the quarter. pretty good i think. (it goes to show how confusing all this is because i thought it was pretty good, until i check with previous summers and realise it is not really. previously it was .16p a kwh. ) if even i find it confusing to compare with my own bill , i cannot see how anyone can compare with different companies. it is a minefield. i guess the only way is to stop using it as much as possible.
0.18p per kwh
3.59kwh per day
0.65p a day
I checked and compared with the same period last year, and noticed that i used about 50kwh more last year and the bill was about the same as this. it shows how much the prices have risen. even cutting my usage by 50kwh this year i still could not reduce the bill from last year. i managed to just keeping it steady at about £60. this is the summer bill, winter will surely be a lot more.
discounts -£3
vat 5% = -£2.78
they informed me that i am on the variable standard rate. and there are other rates, like clear and simple, online variable, and fixed price which they say is cheaper for me if i switch.
buggers to them for having all these different rates. I had a look at the price per unit of the various plans and it is not easy to understand. at present i got a cheaper price per unit than advertised. so what is going on?
these idiots ...
so i am not changing the tariff.
the savings is not a lot anyway even if i switch. and i bet there are lots of hidden disdvantages... like stopping sending me postal bills and doing it online. i like the postal bills because i can file them away... my printer do not work so i cannot print it off the internet.
when u consider in the same period 2010 it was about £45 u can realise how much prices have jumped. 30% in 2yrs.
sainsburys is selling branded basmati 10kg for £9 now. branded basmati rice has gone down in price from last year.at least the supermarket price.
i go to brixton and see their brasmati prices and it is higher for the same brand. there may be a glut of rice in london. maybe india and pakistan are finding it more worthwhile to sell to britain rather than to their countrymen. maybe the supermarket is able to get bulk discounts and so can undercut the independant retailer.
thai rice is still expensive. it is more fragrant but it costs double.
i tasted thai rice at rita's. it was elephant brand i think. it was delicious. i saw the price of it in a filipino shop in earls court, where rita buys her sambal. i went there to buy the sambal, and found it has monosodium glutamate in it, and so i did not buy it. no wonder it tastes so good. haha.
the thai rice costs £8.50 for 5kg. i decided not to buy it because the way simon and i go through rice, it would be gone in a jiffy. haha.
Added. 11.7.12 it puzzled me why thai rice is so expensive. today i read this in the new straits times, it seems the new thai govt headed by thaksin's sister) wants to support the farmers where their power base comes from; so to fulfill their election pledge they guarantee to buy their rice at a high price. thai rice is so expensive now and as a consequence, exports have gone down.
and rice from india and vietnam are overtaking it.
thailand used to be the largest exporter of rice, and thai rice has a reputation for good quality, but it seems not any more, as farmers have gone for quantity. the govt is sitting on a large stockpile of this rice. we might well find a drop in thai rice price in future when this comes into the market. the quality would drop too, and i wonder if any of us will want to buy it unless it is v cheap. maybe only the good quality will sell abroad.
link to nst article
it seems india came back into exporting rice, after an absence of 4yrs. fr 2008. so that is why we have this glut of basmati rice.
Added. 14.8.12 read here that the rupee is in freefall. now worth £1=86.8rupees. i remember when i last time visited india, in the 90s, it was £1=60rupees. it means a holiday in india is cheaper now. and that might explain why the basmati rice is so cheap here.
Friday, 4 May 2012
electricity bill feb-april 2012
london
I notice bills come fast and furious at the beginning of the year. so far i got the water bill, the tv license bill, the flatservice charge bill.
now it is the electricity bill.
but since i got a direct debit of £20 monthly i dont have to comeup with the cost .
What is irritating to me who like to compare the usage from each quarter is that the last bill ended on 20jan. instead of to the end of the month.
so this bill is for 101 days instead of the usual 93days.
21 jan12 to 30 april 12
442kwh over 101days . I actually used 372kwh from 1.2.12-30.4
first 199 kwh x 23.513 = £46.79
next 253 kwh x 11.203 = £28.34
total £75.13
1kwh =0.17p average
4.376kwh per day usage
0.743p per day
considering this is a winter bill, it is not too bad. but i have noticed the bill is creeping up from an average of about £57 to £67 per quater now. the problem is it is difficult to compare like for like, because it depands on how much electricity i use. my usage fluctuates. when those companies compare prices, they take as a guide average usage, but that is not a good measure to compare. comparing by the cost of kwh per hour is also difficult because of the front loading of the costs ... no wonder people find it difficult to compare. i think for practical purposes is comparing costs per kwh over the whole period is the best way.
but u will soon find that it is no indicator of how thrifty that person is. a person who uses a lot of electricity will have a lower cost per kwh usage than someone who uses very little.
I can understand if someone not bother to be thrifty and save electricity. the amount saved in terms of money is not a lot. i do it, simply because i dislike waste. i think it a waste of electricity to use a full kettle of water to boil when u only want one cupful of hot water. or to heat up a room to keep warm when just wearing warm clothes can produce the same result.
I notice bills come fast and furious at the beginning of the year. so far i got the water bill, the tv license bill, the flatservice charge bill.
now it is the electricity bill.
but since i got a direct debit of £20 monthly i dont have to comeup with the cost .
What is irritating to me who like to compare the usage from each quarter is that the last bill ended on 20jan. instead of to the end of the month.
so this bill is for 101 days instead of the usual 93days.
21 jan12 to 30 april 12
442kwh over 101days . I actually used 372kwh from 1.2.12-30.4
first 199 kwh x 23.513 = £46.79
next 253 kwh x 11.203 = £28.34
total £75.13
1kwh =0.17p average
4.376kwh per day usage
0.743p per day
considering this is a winter bill, it is not too bad. but i have noticed the bill is creeping up from an average of about £57 to £67 per quater now. the problem is it is difficult to compare like for like, because it depands on how much electricity i use. my usage fluctuates. when those companies compare prices, they take as a guide average usage, but that is not a good measure to compare. comparing by the cost of kwh per hour is also difficult because of the front loading of the costs ... no wonder people find it difficult to compare. i think for practical purposes is comparing costs per kwh over the whole period is the best way.
but u will soon find that it is no indicator of how thrifty that person is. a person who uses a lot of electricity will have a lower cost per kwh usage than someone who uses very little.
I can understand if someone not bother to be thrifty and save electricity. the amount saved in terms of money is not a lot. i do it, simply because i dislike waste. i think it a waste of electricity to use a full kettle of water to boil when u only want one cupful of hot water. or to heat up a room to keep warm when just wearing warm clothes can produce the same result.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
electricity bill nov2011-jan2012
london
I have deliberately stopped logging onto the internet at home over the past few days. Oh not to test me or impose a fasting haha. it is just that I noticed that i have come quite close to my broadband limit of 40GB and it has still 7days to go before the end of january. i had used 33GB .
So i just decided i shall not switch on the wifi.
when simon came back from his mum's, i told him i am near the limit. later he told me it must be because he downloaded something on Utube, and did not realise he has set it to automatically download the series so it has been sending him huge downloads now and then. I noticed there were spikes of 5G downloads frm the graph at the talk talk website.
Well, i keep an eye on my download limit as i dont want to have talktalk force me into their higher tariff.
i have not deprived myself entirely from the internet as i continue to get my daily emails by getting online at the library.
lately, simon is having trouble with his laptop. it wont start.
I have been reading a book called 23 things that capitalists wont tell you by Ha-joon chang and in it the author said the invention of the washing machine did more to change society than the internet. And i agree with him.
The internet allows us to find a new way to waste a lot more time...
and by shifting our buying patterns online instead of in shops, it has not enlarged the market, simply destroyed the shop keepers.
I got my electricity bill today.
1nov2011- 11.1.2012 324kwh over 72days
First 142kwh x 24.076p = £34.19
next 182 kwh x 11.765p = £21.41
total £55.60
0.17p per kwh I have noticed since 2008, when it was 14p per kwh, it has gone up 1p every year rising to 18p per kwh last quarter to drop slightly this quarter.
12.1.2012-20.1.2012 38kwh over 9days
first 18kwh x 23.513p = £4.23
next 20kwh x 11.203p = £2.24
total £6.47
0.17p per kwh
grand total £62.07
( 0.766p a day, 4.469kwh a day. I used quite a lot of electricity this quarter. 362kwh over 81days. if taken over the full 3 month period i calculate it will be actually 438 kwh over 93days.
-discounts £3.96
+Vat 5% £2.85
They have reviewed my annual usage and kept the monthly debit the same at £20 a month.
Added 4.5.12 it is really irritating that they do not charge for the whole month. this one ends 20 jan. i only found out when i got the feb-april bill today. it makes it difficult to compare.
added. i have discovered that getting the average rate per kwh is not a useful tool. this is because of the front loading of the first 180kwh or more accurately the first 1.9kwh per day.
so if i use only 1.9kwh that day, it would cost the full tariff of 23.51p per kwh.
But if i use 3times that ... 5.7kwh it will be 1.9x23.51=44.67 + 3.8x11.2p=42.56. grand total 87.23/5.7=15.3p per kwh.
the more i use the cheaper it gets until it reaches the 11.2p per kwh mark.
I think long before that the company will reimpose another tranch of 180 kwh at the higher rate. depand on it. haha;.
otherwise everyone will be using as much as they can, especially businesses. perhaps businesses have an even cheaper rate, because as we all know, in life if u use a lot, your rate is lowered.
it is a quirk of maths that fools the person who borrows money off the loan shark in payday loans.
borrow £300 for a week or two and repay with £75 interest. to someone who is foolish that seems ok. not realising it is silly to give another person £75 of your hard earn cash just to be able to get to use £300 for a few weeks.
I would rather do without , say eat rice and salt fish only for 2wks,( i know my parents and grandparents have done this very thing and it is surprisingly quite delicious, salted fish and rice...u can eat a lot of rice that way...) if i need to save money to pay the rent rather than borrow. i dont care if the diet is monotonous, just thinking of the money i save is warming my heart and soul. but i guess i am in the minority.
2.2.2012 thurs
ah, finally we are getting a cold snap that is worthy to be called that. according to the weather website for kensington it is minus1.6C.
I think it is lovely. it is bright and sunny outside, with cloudless blue sky; very nice. and not really cold at all, at least inside the flat. even though i have not got the heating on. I am confident nowadays that i wont need to put on the heating at all.
in fact, i like this cold weather, breathing it in, makes me feel i am breathing in something fresh and clean because of the coldness gives me that impression.
Elsewhere it is colder, high wycombe, which is the default location for the weather website that i put on the sidebar in my laptop says it is minus 6C.
I have deliberately stopped logging onto the internet at home over the past few days. Oh not to test me or impose a fasting haha. it is just that I noticed that i have come quite close to my broadband limit of 40GB and it has still 7days to go before the end of january. i had used 33GB .
So i just decided i shall not switch on the wifi.
when simon came back from his mum's, i told him i am near the limit. later he told me it must be because he downloaded something on Utube, and did not realise he has set it to automatically download the series so it has been sending him huge downloads now and then. I noticed there were spikes of 5G downloads frm the graph at the talk talk website.
Well, i keep an eye on my download limit as i dont want to have talktalk force me into their higher tariff.
i have not deprived myself entirely from the internet as i continue to get my daily emails by getting online at the library.
lately, simon is having trouble with his laptop. it wont start.
I have been reading a book called 23 things that capitalists wont tell you by Ha-joon chang and in it the author said the invention of the washing machine did more to change society than the internet. And i agree with him.
The internet allows us to find a new way to waste a lot more time...
and by shifting our buying patterns online instead of in shops, it has not enlarged the market, simply destroyed the shop keepers.
I got my electricity bill today.
1nov2011- 11.1.2012 324kwh over 72days
First 142kwh x 24.076p = £34.19
next 182 kwh x 11.765p = £21.41
total £55.60
0.17p per kwh I have noticed since 2008, when it was 14p per kwh, it has gone up 1p every year rising to 18p per kwh last quarter to drop slightly this quarter.
12.1.2012-20.1.2012 38kwh over 9days
first 18kwh x 23.513p = £4.23
next 20kwh x 11.203p = £2.24
total £6.47
0.17p per kwh
grand total £62.07
( 0.766p a day, 4.469kwh a day. I used quite a lot of electricity this quarter. 362kwh over 81days. if taken over the full 3 month period i calculate it will be actually 438 kwh over 93days.
-discounts £3.96
+Vat 5% £2.85
They have reviewed my annual usage and kept the monthly debit the same at £20 a month.
Added 4.5.12 it is really irritating that they do not charge for the whole month. this one ends 20 jan. i only found out when i got the feb-april bill today. it makes it difficult to compare.
added. i have discovered that getting the average rate per kwh is not a useful tool. this is because of the front loading of the first 180kwh or more accurately the first 1.9kwh per day.
so if i use only 1.9kwh that day, it would cost the full tariff of 23.51p per kwh.
But if i use 3times that ... 5.7kwh it will be 1.9x23.51=44.67 + 3.8x11.2p=42.56. grand total 87.23/5.7=15.3p per kwh.
the more i use the cheaper it gets until it reaches the 11.2p per kwh mark.
I think long before that the company will reimpose another tranch of 180 kwh at the higher rate. depand on it. haha;.
otherwise everyone will be using as much as they can, especially businesses. perhaps businesses have an even cheaper rate, because as we all know, in life if u use a lot, your rate is lowered.
it is a quirk of maths that fools the person who borrows money off the loan shark in payday loans.
borrow £300 for a week or two and repay with £75 interest. to someone who is foolish that seems ok. not realising it is silly to give another person £75 of your hard earn cash just to be able to get to use £300 for a few weeks.
I would rather do without , say eat rice and salt fish only for 2wks,( i know my parents and grandparents have done this very thing and it is surprisingly quite delicious, salted fish and rice...u can eat a lot of rice that way...) if i need to save money to pay the rent rather than borrow. i dont care if the diet is monotonous, just thinking of the money i save is warming my heart and soul. but i guess i am in the minority.
2.2.2012 thurs
ah, finally we are getting a cold snap that is worthy to be called that. according to the weather website for kensington it is minus1.6C.
I think it is lovely. it is bright and sunny outside, with cloudless blue sky; very nice. and not really cold at all, at least inside the flat. even though i have not got the heating on. I am confident nowadays that i wont need to put on the heating at all.
in fact, i like this cold weather, breathing it in, makes me feel i am breathing in something fresh and clean because of the coldness gives me that impression.
Elsewhere it is colder, high wycombe, which is the default location for the weather website that i put on the sidebar in my laptop says it is minus 6C.
Friday, 4 November 2011
aug-sept-oct2011 electricity bill
london
it is that time of year again for bills. period 21july - 31oct2011
i used £65.54 for 103days +duel fuel discount £3.85 - Vat5% £3.08
before 17aug 2011
103kwh used over 28days
first 55kwh x 22.145p = £12.18
next 48kwh x 10.224p = £4.91
total £17.09
16.5p = 1kwh
after 17aug 2011
257kwh used over 75days
first 148kwh x 24.076p = £35.63
next 109kwh x 11.765p = £12.82
total £48.45
18.8p = 1kwh
Grand total £65.54
note the increase in tariff after 17aug ... from 16.5p to 18.8p for each kwh.
i used 3.67kwh a day before the increased tariff and 3.426kwh a day after the increase.
i used 360kwh over 103days . average of 3.495kwh a day.
0.610p a day before the increase on 17aug, and 0.646p a day after the increase.
Added. After posting the above i got a knock on my door and it was the gasman come to read the meters. i had allready sent the reading to british gas on 31oct. which they have used to calculate my bill.
i guess the gasman is here to verify that what i sent is correct.
Added I love to play around with typeface, and here is what some one said are the worst fonts in the world. I think it a laugh, as no fonts (or typeface) are any worst than another.
it seems the worst voted by about 100 people who work in the business in australia is the olympic typeface. but i like it, as it has a vaguely greek look which u can find on greek tavernas and so appropriate for the olympics with its greek origin.
there is mention of a book by simon garfield 'just my type' listing all the typefaces.
it is that time of year again for bills. period 21july - 31oct2011
i used £65.54 for 103days +duel fuel discount £3.85 - Vat5% £3.08
before 17aug 2011
103kwh used over 28days
first 55kwh x 22.145p = £12.18
next 48kwh x 10.224p = £4.91
total £17.09
16.5p = 1kwh
after 17aug 2011
257kwh used over 75days
first 148kwh x 24.076p = £35.63
next 109kwh x 11.765p = £12.82
total £48.45
18.8p = 1kwh
Grand total £65.54
note the increase in tariff after 17aug ... from 16.5p to 18.8p for each kwh.
i used 3.67kwh a day before the increased tariff and 3.426kwh a day after the increase.
i used 360kwh over 103days . average of 3.495kwh a day.
0.610p a day before the increase on 17aug, and 0.646p a day after the increase.
Added. After posting the above i got a knock on my door and it was the gasman come to read the meters. i had allready sent the reading to british gas on 31oct. which they have used to calculate my bill.
i guess the gasman is here to verify that what i sent is correct.
Added I love to play around with typeface, and here is what some one said are the worst fonts in the world. I think it a laugh, as no fonts (or typeface) are any worst than another.
it seems the worst voted by about 100 people who work in the business in australia is the olympic typeface. but i like it, as it has a vaguely greek look which u can find on greek tavernas and so appropriate for the olympics with its greek origin.
there is mention of a book by simon garfield 'just my type' listing all the typefaces.
Monday, 25 July 2011
electricity bill may-june-july2011
london
So my early summer electric bill came to £59.29 + £2.73 5% vat - duel fuel discount £1.27 - direct debit discount £3.39.
i used 370 kwh over 91 days. averaging 4.06kwh a day. average of 16.02p a kwh.
first 180kwh x 22.145p = £39.86
next 190kwh x 10.224p = £19.43
total £59.29 for 3months.
Not bad considering it was a rather cold spring though not too good either as april was warmest for god knows how many years.
however, i think the biggest increase was the change to charging the first 180kwh instead of 125kwh before.
That put £6.50 onto the bill just like that.
it penalises us low users obviously as it is a big increase for a usual bill of about £50.
Still, i can console myself that in money terms it is a small increase.
remember that something that cost 10p and gone up 20p is a 100% increase, but it is only 10p more moneywise.
it is like the basic toilet paper I buy, used to be 51p now 60p, 20% increase, but in money terms only 9p. for 4 toilet rolls of 200 sheets each.
Even then it can be expensive if people use a lot of it like i know some people do. especially after sex to clean themselves up.
use a towel, it is cheaper though if it is fucking and you get shit, then u have no choice lah. haha.
(I think this is way too much information haha/ some things u just have to accept a lot of toilet paper will be used.)
I had thought of erasing the last bit about shit, but decided heck this is my blog and i shall write whatever comes to mind. shit happens.
i was reminded at how much people use toilet paper when some friends of mine came to stay and they used up heck of a lot of my paper so much so that it clogged up my toilet.
then i went to a friend's place for sex, and i used up heck of alot of his toilet paper and nearly clog up his toilet. So i guess i m as guilty of it as anyone. i wanted to use the shower but his shower is an old fashioned hand held one that is difficult to get hot water without a lot of adjusting.
here is where it would be very useful to have what- do- u- call it? a douche basin that the french use. i forgot what it is called.
added. i remember now, a bidet.
here is a link with explicit instructions on how to use a bidet.
Added. there is a heat wave in mid and eastern america which seems to be breaking all records. america always have such extremes of weather, very hot summers and very cold winters. i have said this uk weather is ideal, and now i hear of this heat wave, and the extreme weather in other parts of the world, i am even more convinced of it.
even malaysia is not immune to extremes. very hot summers and the ground so dry and parched, or torrential rain during the monsoons which can go on for days and days so that nothing is dry and all the year, humid as anything.
added. I have often wondered how america has not got all the credit problems that the EU and countries like greece have. America seems to be able to get credit easily... but now it seems it too is not immune to being in debt.
America has reached its limit of borrowing, and have to vote to increase it. But it seems it might not happen, in which case america will not have any more money and will default.
That will bring a downgrade in its credit worthiness and means increase interest rate on its borrowings.
Will it get to that or will the vote go through and the borrowing limit raised? so far no one seems too worried about the debt, trillions of dollars which makes the whole EU debt look small by comparison.
Europe is all in a dither about the greek debts , but not america. Why i wonder? is it because so many of them are invested so heavily in the dollar and america, they cannot afford to have america fail?
remember that story about u owing a small sum and it is u who worry, but owe the bank £100million and it is the bank who worries.
Well, owe the world trillions of $ and it is the world who worries. haha.
Added. this link to my question what % of GDP is the debt may explain why
Added 29.7.11 1.06am. From what i can gather, the stalemate has occurred because the republicans wants the govt to balance the budget. Obama doesnot want to do that, and wants to continue with his deficit budget. i guess he is working on the assumption that he must stimulate demand.
What is surprising is that the conservative-lib dem coalition here in uk is reducing spending and raising taxes ( exactly what the republicans wants) and everyone here agrees it is necessary.
Why obama do not want to do this? obama is like labour party in uk. maybe democrats in usa are equivalent to labour in uk.
at first i thought the republicans are the bad guys and now i come to see what they are asking, i thought that demand is reasonable so they are not the bad guys after all.
usa must cut spending and raise taxes that is inevitable as it cannot go on increasing its debts. obama may not want to do it as it will be unpopular and the democrats may lose the next election for president.
maybe obama wants to export the debt by increasing inflation and letting the $ fall. that way its debtors like china and japan take the burden. But that wont go down well for those buying american debt and there will come a time when it will be harder to sell it.
Well the latest is that the House of representatives, (which has a majority republican ) narrowly passed a motion which raise the limit by another $900billion borrowings but insists there must be $900billion cut in spending too. it willbe voted against in the senate as the democrats have a majority there.
the voting has all been on party lines.
some republicans want to call the bluff of the market, which has warned of a recession if usa defaults.
if the credit agencies downgrade america from AAA status, investors will have to divest themselves of american bonds, as they are not allowed to invest in anything less than AAA. but america is so big, no one can sell all their investments. so it looked like america is willing to bet they wont sell.
or the credit agencies wont downgrade america by giving the excuse that it is a technicality.
it sounds rather exciting doesn't it?
who will blink first?
So my early summer electric bill came to £59.29 + £2.73 5% vat - duel fuel discount £1.27 - direct debit discount £3.39.
i used 370 kwh over 91 days. averaging 4.06kwh a day. average of 16.02p a kwh.
first 180kwh x 22.145p = £39.86
next 190kwh x 10.224p = £19.43
total £59.29 for 3months.
Not bad considering it was a rather cold spring though not too good either as april was warmest for god knows how many years.
however, i think the biggest increase was the change to charging the first 180kwh instead of 125kwh before.
That put £6.50 onto the bill just like that.
it penalises us low users obviously as it is a big increase for a usual bill of about £50.
Still, i can console myself that in money terms it is a small increase.
remember that something that cost 10p and gone up 20p is a 100% increase, but it is only 10p more moneywise.
it is like the basic toilet paper I buy, used to be 51p now 60p, 20% increase, but in money terms only 9p. for 4 toilet rolls of 200 sheets each.
Even then it can be expensive if people use a lot of it like i know some people do. especially after sex to clean themselves up.
use a towel, it is cheaper though if it is fucking and you get shit, then u have no choice lah. haha.
(I think this is way too much information haha/ some things u just have to accept a lot of toilet paper will be used.)
I had thought of erasing the last bit about shit, but decided heck this is my blog and i shall write whatever comes to mind. shit happens.
i was reminded at how much people use toilet paper when some friends of mine came to stay and they used up heck of a lot of my paper so much so that it clogged up my toilet.
then i went to a friend's place for sex, and i used up heck of alot of his toilet paper and nearly clog up his toilet. So i guess i m as guilty of it as anyone. i wanted to use the shower but his shower is an old fashioned hand held one that is difficult to get hot water without a lot of adjusting.
here is where it would be very useful to have what- do- u- call it? a douche basin that the french use. i forgot what it is called.
added. i remember now, a bidet.
here is a link with explicit instructions on how to use a bidet.
Added. there is a heat wave in mid and eastern america which seems to be breaking all records. america always have such extremes of weather, very hot summers and very cold winters. i have said this uk weather is ideal, and now i hear of this heat wave, and the extreme weather in other parts of the world, i am even more convinced of it.
even malaysia is not immune to extremes. very hot summers and the ground so dry and parched, or torrential rain during the monsoons which can go on for days and days so that nothing is dry and all the year, humid as anything.
added. I have often wondered how america has not got all the credit problems that the EU and countries like greece have. America seems to be able to get credit easily... but now it seems it too is not immune to being in debt.
America has reached its limit of borrowing, and have to vote to increase it. But it seems it might not happen, in which case america will not have any more money and will default.
That will bring a downgrade in its credit worthiness and means increase interest rate on its borrowings.
Will it get to that or will the vote go through and the borrowing limit raised? so far no one seems too worried about the debt, trillions of dollars which makes the whole EU debt look small by comparison.
Europe is all in a dither about the greek debts , but not america. Why i wonder? is it because so many of them are invested so heavily in the dollar and america, they cannot afford to have america fail?
remember that story about u owing a small sum and it is u who worry, but owe the bank £100million and it is the bank who worries.
Well, owe the world trillions of $ and it is the world who worries. haha.
Added. this link to my question what % of GDP is the debt may explain why
Added 29.7.11 1.06am. From what i can gather, the stalemate has occurred because the republicans wants the govt to balance the budget. Obama doesnot want to do that, and wants to continue with his deficit budget. i guess he is working on the assumption that he must stimulate demand.
What is surprising is that the conservative-lib dem coalition here in uk is reducing spending and raising taxes ( exactly what the republicans wants) and everyone here agrees it is necessary.
Why obama do not want to do this? obama is like labour party in uk. maybe democrats in usa are equivalent to labour in uk.
at first i thought the republicans are the bad guys and now i come to see what they are asking, i thought that demand is reasonable so they are not the bad guys after all.
usa must cut spending and raise taxes that is inevitable as it cannot go on increasing its debts. obama may not want to do it as it will be unpopular and the democrats may lose the next election for president.
maybe obama wants to export the debt by increasing inflation and letting the $ fall. that way its debtors like china and japan take the burden. But that wont go down well for those buying american debt and there will come a time when it will be harder to sell it.
Well the latest is that the House of representatives, (which has a majority republican ) narrowly passed a motion which raise the limit by another $900billion borrowings but insists there must be $900billion cut in spending too. it willbe voted against in the senate as the democrats have a majority there.
the voting has all been on party lines.
some republicans want to call the bluff of the market, which has warned of a recession if usa defaults.
if the credit agencies downgrade america from AAA status, investors will have to divest themselves of american bonds, as they are not allowed to invest in anything less than AAA. but america is so big, no one can sell all their investments. so it looked like america is willing to bet they wont sell.
or the credit agencies wont downgrade america by giving the excuse that it is a technicality.
it sounds rather exciting doesn't it?
who will blink first?
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
electricity bill feb-march-april2011
london
my electricity bill for 1 feb 11 to 20 apr 11.
total cost for 359 kwh over 79days = £55.35
plus vat at 5% £2.51= £57.86
minus discounts £4.98 = £52.88
breakdown as follows
1feb-27feb 132kw over 27days
first 53kwh x 22.145 = £11.74
next 79kwh x 10.36 = £8.19
total £19.93
28 feb - 24 mar 117kwh over 25days
first 49kwh x 22.145 = £ 10.85
next 68kwh x 10.301 = £7.00
total = £17.85
25mar - 20april 110 kwh over 27days
first 53kwh x 22.145 = £11.74
next 57 kwh x 10.224 = £5.83
total £17.57
grand total £55.35
What is interesting is this... the price for the next kwh varies for each of the 3months. Why? i wonder.
and it is now the first 155kwh used over 79days is charged at higher rate.
i was a bit puzzled when i saw this bill has the 3months charged separately, and it is because the lower rate has been changed at a different rate for each of the three months.
As usual, there was no mention of this in the news.
typical of these people to confuse things and not make it easy to compare.
a person just looking at the money value of the bill will think they have a lower bill than usual... but in reality the bill is lower because they have been charged for kwh used over 79days instead of the usual 93days.
It would have been 390kwh over 92days.
this compares well with my last months usage of 420kwh for the same length of days.
my usual summer usage is about 300kwh. let me see if i can attain that this summer.
here is the link to all theprevious bills. (more for my own reference this)
my electricity bill for 1 feb 11 to 20 apr 11.
total cost for 359 kwh over 79days = £55.35
plus vat at 5% £2.51= £57.86
minus discounts £4.98 = £52.88
breakdown as follows
1feb-27feb 132kw over 27days
first 53kwh x 22.145 = £11.74
next 79kwh x 10.36 = £8.19
total £19.93
28 feb - 24 mar 117kwh over 25days
first 49kwh x 22.145 = £ 10.85
next 68kwh x 10.301 = £7.00
total = £17.85
25mar - 20april 110 kwh over 27days
first 53kwh x 22.145 = £11.74
next 57 kwh x 10.224 = £5.83
total £17.57
grand total £55.35
What is interesting is this... the price for the next kwh varies for each of the 3months. Why? i wonder.
and it is now the first 155kwh used over 79days is charged at higher rate.
i was a bit puzzled when i saw this bill has the 3months charged separately, and it is because the lower rate has been changed at a different rate for each of the three months.
As usual, there was no mention of this in the news.
typical of these people to confuse things and not make it easy to compare.
a person just looking at the money value of the bill will think they have a lower bill than usual... but in reality the bill is lower because they have been charged for kwh used over 79days instead of the usual 93days.
It would have been 390kwh over 92days.
this compares well with my last months usage of 420kwh for the same length of days.
my usual summer usage is about 300kwh. let me see if i can attain that this summer.
here is the link to all theprevious bills. (more for my own reference this)
Monday, 7 February 2011
electricity bill nov10-jan11
london
this is that time of year when people get their winter bill.
£60.32 after adding vat and minus duel fuel discount.
i got the bill today. just the electricity bill as i did not use any gas at all.
for the period nov10-dec10-jan11.
420kwh over 95days was £63.22
5%vat =£2.65.
total £65.87
minus discounts for duel fuel, £5.55= £60.32
I pay £15 a monthly debit. but this has not been able to cover the amount and i built up a debit of £27.50 so they calculate the new direct debit to be £20.
The bill this time is made up as follows
186 kwh used over 42days
first 58kwh x 22.378= £12.98
next 128kwh x 10.638= £13.62 total £26.60
after 10.12.11
234kwh used over 53days
first 105kwh x22.145 = £23.25
next 129kwh x 10.368= £13.37total £36.62
grand total £63.22
4.42kwh per day.
It is very low, and that is how i like it.
it is very similar to last year's bill, for the same period, and that was supposed to be the coldest in 30yrs, and this year was supposed to be coldest in 100yrs. All a bit of a rubbish really haha. i now dont care what they call it, coldest in whatever number of years... rubbish!!! it does not affect my usage of electricity.
What i find puzzling is how they allocate the first kwh usage that is charged at the higher rate.
before 10.12.10 they take the first 58kwh
after 10.12.10 they take the first 105kwh. even though it is only a difference of 11days between the periods.42days vs 53days.
i have long ago realised they will screw the tariffs to their advantage, so no point complaining. The only way is to use as little as possible. Stop heating up the whole house!!! you will do yourself a big favour not to mention the planet as well. if i hear anyone talk of saving the planet and i find out they are heating their house like that i shall knock their heads together!!!
The temp so far is mild. normal temp should be max 7C and min 3C, but it was max 11.9C and min 10.8C yesterday. the wind was strong though about 40km/h. personally i think all these statistics of what is normal is not much practical use. haha. nothing beats the actual temp now. And whatever it is, it is just right for now and to be enjoyed. so enjoy it if it is mild like now, or -4C in the past.
Added 9.2.11
Read this in the dailymail today
it says british gas will now charge its top rate on the first 180kwh of electricity per quarter rather than the first 125kwh.
and it mentioned a reader being charged £22.549 for the initial units and £9.59 for rest. his tariff is different from mine, i wonder why?
it will make the monthly cost go up an extra £6.
Ah , so that explains my initial units being raised.
I have been studying the figures and it does not really make much sense. i wonder whether they take a fixed 128kwh from the total used, and charge that at the lower rate, and any balance is charged at the higher rate.
Ah well, nevermind, whatever, as they say...
just cut down on the usage is my answer to all this sheenanigans.
this is that time of year when people get their winter bill.
£60.32 after adding vat and minus duel fuel discount.
i got the bill today. just the electricity bill as i did not use any gas at all.
for the period nov10-dec10-jan11.
420kwh over 95days was £63.22
5%vat =£2.65.
total £65.87
minus discounts for duel fuel, £5.55= £60.32
I pay £15 a monthly debit. but this has not been able to cover the amount and i built up a debit of £27.50 so they calculate the new direct debit to be £20.
The bill this time is made up as follows
186 kwh used over 42days
first 58kwh x 22.378= £12.98
next 128kwh x 10.638= £13.62 total £26.60
after 10.12.11
234kwh used over 53days
first 105kwh x22.145 = £23.25
next 129kwh x 10.368= £13.37total £36.62
grand total £63.22
4.42kwh per day.
It is very low, and that is how i like it.
it is very similar to last year's bill, for the same period, and that was supposed to be the coldest in 30yrs, and this year was supposed to be coldest in 100yrs. All a bit of a rubbish really haha. i now dont care what they call it, coldest in whatever number of years... rubbish!!! it does not affect my usage of electricity.
What i find puzzling is how they allocate the first kwh usage that is charged at the higher rate.
before 10.12.10 they take the first 58kwh
after 10.12.10 they take the first 105kwh. even though it is only a difference of 11days between the periods.42days vs 53days.
i have long ago realised they will screw the tariffs to their advantage, so no point complaining. The only way is to use as little as possible. Stop heating up the whole house!!! you will do yourself a big favour not to mention the planet as well. if i hear anyone talk of saving the planet and i find out they are heating their house like that i shall knock their heads together!!!
The temp so far is mild. normal temp should be max 7C and min 3C, but it was max 11.9C and min 10.8C yesterday. the wind was strong though about 40km/h. personally i think all these statistics of what is normal is not much practical use. haha. nothing beats the actual temp now. And whatever it is, it is just right for now and to be enjoyed. so enjoy it if it is mild like now, or -4C in the past.
Added 9.2.11
Read this in the dailymail today
it says british gas will now charge its top rate on the first 180kwh of electricity per quarter rather than the first 125kwh.
and it mentioned a reader being charged £22.549 for the initial units and £9.59 for rest. his tariff is different from mine, i wonder why?
it will make the monthly cost go up an extra £6.
Ah , so that explains my initial units being raised.
I have been studying the figures and it does not really make much sense. i wonder whether they take a fixed 128kwh from the total used, and charge that at the lower rate, and any balance is charged at the higher rate.
Ah well, nevermind, whatever, as they say...
just cut down on the usage is my answer to all this sheenanigans.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
aug-sept-oct 2010 elect bill
london
I post my gas/elec bill here for my own reference, and also for others to compare if they wish.
I have no gas bill as i used 0 gas.
the electric bill is as follows
21jul-28oct 325kwh used over 100 days.
first 137kwh x22.378p = £30.66
next 188kwh x10.636p = £20.00
total £50.66
vat £2.35
= £53.01
discount for duel fuel, £3.52
looks like i use about 3.25kwh a day. about 50p a day.
Added. it is 14C now. 10.20pm. the highest temp today was 14.9C at 3.30pm.
what a strange weather we are having. it seems to be rising, it was 13.5C at 9pm.
the tube strike is on tonight. for one day, and so making it as disruptive as possible without the strikers losing pay.
firemen will go on strike too.
Ah well, they did warn that there will be a lot of strikes as the austerity measures start to bite.
Maybe it will encourage a lot of people to move back to the centre of london and that would be good for those of us who live within the boris bike area who are letting out flats or rooms. Maybe more will take up cycling too.
people who live in rented rooms may well find that even if the room rent in the centre is higher than in the suburbs, after u include cost of transport into the centre to work, and the time spent, and the agro with tube or bus strikes, u will be better off finding a room in the centre.
Added 3.11.10. read in the papers today that food prices went up the highest in oct since june 2009. i had noticed rapeseed veg oil is £1.18 for 1litre; used to be less than £1. costs the same as sunflower oil now. price of sunflower oil is the same.
Tesco used to sell porridge 57p for 1kg. not any more now they are more expensive than sainsburys.
i dont notice the rise in prices in other goods because i never buy the normal prices anymore. haha.
i buy when it is reduced price.
You may well ask how i manage to do it, how do i avoid the basics. it is because i stop buying coffee, or tea, or fresh milk or suger which to many people constitute basic foodstuffs.
i buy tea leaves and one pack lasts me a long time. This is because i dont use fresh lot of tea leaves but top it with hot water in the pot throughout the day like we chinese used to do and did when i was growing up in my home.
I am so used to drinking weak tea without milk or suger like i did when i was growing up that i dont like it any other way now. it is like i have gone full circle back to childhood practises.
and i have enough of coffee from my gym, so i never want to drink coffee at home.
i stopped buying butter, or margarine. jam is enough and it lasts me a long time.
sometimes i buy peanut butter but not often as it is so sweet.
veg i buy when there is a special offer, like tesco now selling two cauliflowers for £1.
that should last me a long time.
their basic eggs are still £1.45 for 15.
As for bread, i never buy the full price. wait till they reduce it to 6p. haha. or 30 or 40p. i think bread is not very healthy,its the gluten... i think the body finds it hard to digest it that is why u get people being gluten resistent. too much carbohydrate is not good for you anyway esp in the form of bread. Rice is ok or potatoes,but go easy on them. i know a lot of people will disagree with me about carbohydrates being bad for us.
So if i dont get any bread reduced to that price, then i run out of bread, and it is a good thing that i dont have any bread to eat. i find it is addictive, and if i have it, i tend to eat it. so if i dont have it because there are no reduced priced breads so much the better i think .
( in the past, before i knew to freeze bread, it can go bad if it is not eaten. that is why i developed this habit of eating it quick as i dont like throwing away food. Now, it is just as quick to toast it straight from frozen so now i leave the bread in the freezer and take out just the exact amount i need. simon can finish it fast, that is why sometimes when i want to eat bread, there is no more left. it stops me from eating too much of it.)
i hear that the tramps are hanging around the bread shops to get their sandwiches when they throw it away at the end of the day. those sandwiches are full of salt , or suger... so i m not sure it is the most healthy food for these down and outs to be eating. it might be a mixed blessing to eat those thrown away sandwiches.
I saw a picture in the paper this morning, about the tomato fight in london yesterday, mimicking the spanish tomato fights. what a waste of tomatoes. Wish they would let us have it free instead of wasting it like that.
Tomatoes are so impossible to buy cheap and ripe anymore. And yet they are perfect for making pasta tomato sauces.
I post my gas/elec bill here for my own reference, and also for others to compare if they wish.
I have no gas bill as i used 0 gas.
the electric bill is as follows
21jul-28oct 325kwh used over 100 days.
first 137kwh x22.378p = £30.66
next 188kwh x10.636p = £20.00
total £50.66
vat £2.35
= £53.01
discount for duel fuel, £3.52
looks like i use about 3.25kwh a day. about 50p a day.
Added. it is 14C now. 10.20pm. the highest temp today was 14.9C at 3.30pm.
what a strange weather we are having. it seems to be rising, it was 13.5C at 9pm.
the tube strike is on tonight. for one day, and so making it as disruptive as possible without the strikers losing pay.
firemen will go on strike too.
Ah well, they did warn that there will be a lot of strikes as the austerity measures start to bite.
Maybe it will encourage a lot of people to move back to the centre of london and that would be good for those of us who live within the boris bike area who are letting out flats or rooms. Maybe more will take up cycling too.
people who live in rented rooms may well find that even if the room rent in the centre is higher than in the suburbs, after u include cost of transport into the centre to work, and the time spent, and the agro with tube or bus strikes, u will be better off finding a room in the centre.
Added 3.11.10. read in the papers today that food prices went up the highest in oct since june 2009. i had noticed rapeseed veg oil is £1.18 for 1litre; used to be less than £1. costs the same as sunflower oil now. price of sunflower oil is the same.
Tesco used to sell porridge 57p for 1kg. not any more now they are more expensive than sainsburys.
i dont notice the rise in prices in other goods because i never buy the normal prices anymore. haha.
i buy when it is reduced price.
You may well ask how i manage to do it, how do i avoid the basics. it is because i stop buying coffee, or tea, or fresh milk or suger which to many people constitute basic foodstuffs.
i buy tea leaves and one pack lasts me a long time. This is because i dont use fresh lot of tea leaves but top it with hot water in the pot throughout the day like we chinese used to do and did when i was growing up in my home.
I am so used to drinking weak tea without milk or suger like i did when i was growing up that i dont like it any other way now. it is like i have gone full circle back to childhood practises.
and i have enough of coffee from my gym, so i never want to drink coffee at home.
i stopped buying butter, or margarine. jam is enough and it lasts me a long time.
sometimes i buy peanut butter but not often as it is so sweet.
veg i buy when there is a special offer, like tesco now selling two cauliflowers for £1.
that should last me a long time.
their basic eggs are still £1.45 for 15.
As for bread, i never buy the full price. wait till they reduce it to 6p. haha. or 30 or 40p. i think bread is not very healthy,its the gluten... i think the body finds it hard to digest it that is why u get people being gluten resistent. too much carbohydrate is not good for you anyway esp in the form of bread. Rice is ok or potatoes,but go easy on them. i know a lot of people will disagree with me about carbohydrates being bad for us.
So if i dont get any bread reduced to that price, then i run out of bread, and it is a good thing that i dont have any bread to eat. i find it is addictive, and if i have it, i tend to eat it. so if i dont have it because there are no reduced priced breads so much the better i think .
( in the past, before i knew to freeze bread, it can go bad if it is not eaten. that is why i developed this habit of eating it quick as i dont like throwing away food. Now, it is just as quick to toast it straight from frozen so now i leave the bread in the freezer and take out just the exact amount i need. simon can finish it fast, that is why sometimes when i want to eat bread, there is no more left. it stops me from eating too much of it.)
i hear that the tramps are hanging around the bread shops to get their sandwiches when they throw it away at the end of the day. those sandwiches are full of salt , or suger... so i m not sure it is the most healthy food for these down and outs to be eating. it might be a mixed blessing to eat those thrown away sandwiches.
I saw a picture in the paper this morning, about the tomato fight in london yesterday, mimicking the spanish tomato fights. what a waste of tomatoes. Wish they would let us have it free instead of wasting it like that.
Tomatoes are so impossible to buy cheap and ripe anymore. And yet they are perfect for making pasta tomato sauces.
Saturday, 24 July 2010
gas and electricity may-june-july 2010
london
Added.6pm
Simon came back with a microwave. It seems he went to argos to buy it for £25. I asked him why, he said the one i got now is not good. it groans a lot he said. It doesn't, just moans a bit when u start it, and i said to him well if u have been around as long as that machine, you would groan a bit too. haha.
he cannot see that it might groan, but it works.
These old models do last a long time, and is idiot proof. So even the most cack handed guest can work it without damaging it.
After all, new does not mean it lasts. The one we bought, only about 4yrs old (or may even be just 3yrs old) has gone kaput recently. Our young guest wrecked it and shorted the electricity in the flat while he was at it. So much for new things. Ah well, i think it is a waste of money to buy new, especially when i got this recycled one that works just fine.
But it is simon's money, so i guess he can spend it the way he wants.
I remember my mother shaking her head when my father came home with something he bought that she did not think much of. And i can understand how she feels. haha.
I got the bills today posted to me.
Gas bill is 74p
I used only 1 metric unit used over 82days
1 metric unit= 11.18kwh x6.620p = £0.74p
last year I used 77.12kwh, costing £5.40
Electricity bill is £43.46p
I used 285 kwh used over 82days
First 112kwh x 22.378p= £25.06
next 173kwh x 10.638 = £18.40
total used £43.46
They summarised my last year's electricity usage as 1328.42 kwh costing £198.13 less £4.44 credit for dual fuel discount and it came to £193.69
I am delighted at these figures. even with the coldest winter for how many years it has not increased my bills.
Added.6pm
Simon came back with a microwave. It seems he went to argos to buy it for £25. I asked him why, he said the one i got now is not good. it groans a lot he said. It doesn't, just moans a bit when u start it, and i said to him well if u have been around as long as that machine, you would groan a bit too. haha.
he cannot see that it might groan, but it works.
These old models do last a long time, and is idiot proof. So even the most cack handed guest can work it without damaging it.
After all, new does not mean it lasts. The one we bought, only about 4yrs old (or may even be just 3yrs old) has gone kaput recently. Our young guest wrecked it and shorted the electricity in the flat while he was at it. So much for new things. Ah well, i think it is a waste of money to buy new, especially when i got this recycled one that works just fine.
But it is simon's money, so i guess he can spend it the way he wants.
I remember my mother shaking her head when my father came home with something he bought that she did not think much of. And i can understand how she feels. haha.
I got the bills today posted to me.
Gas bill is 74p
I used only 1 metric unit used over 82days
1 metric unit= 11.18kwh x6.620p = £0.74p
last year I used 77.12kwh, costing £5.40
Electricity bill is £43.46p
I used 285 kwh used over 82days
First 112kwh x 22.378p= £25.06
next 173kwh x 10.638 = £18.40
total used £43.46
They summarised my last year's electricity usage as 1328.42 kwh costing £198.13 less £4.44 credit for dual fuel discount and it came to £193.69
I am delighted at these figures. even with the coldest winter for how many years it has not increased my bills.
Monday, 10 May 2010
gas electricity bills may-june-july 2010 did u consider switching gas/electricity suppliers?
london
My advice is dont.
A friend who was so tempted by the savings (£126) he switched suppliers. And now he tells me that the savings is really only £20. They did not add in the vat 5%, and he was comparing their figures with his which includes vat.
Do like what i do, switch off and turn the gas lever off. That way I dont care what they charge, by using less I will always pay less. hahahaheeeeh.
I found out that the gas lever must be turned off, because there is a small leakage even if u turn the pilot light off and turn off the boiler. I found this out when BG changed my meter. It is a far more sensitive meter, and i noticed that the dial had moved even though all the gas boilers were completely turned off.
And also turn off the electricity to the boiler... because even when the boiler is completely shut down, it still uses electricity if the electric switch is on. that switch controls the spark that lights the pilot light, why it should still be sending electricity through the boiler is a mystery but it does.
#
My friend asked me what my usage is like. I was curious too so i looked it up and gave him the figures.
My latest electricity bill came as well so i was able to incorporate it.
Electricity
2nd quarter May-june-july2009 315kwh £48.66
3rd quarter Aug-sept-oct 2009 304kwh £47.75
4th quarter nov-dec2009-jan2010 409kwh £58.97
1st quarter Feb-mar-april2010 296kwh £46.08
total 1324kwh £201.46
Gas
2nd quarter May-june-july2009 31.8kwh £2.18
3rd quarter Aug-sept-oct2009 0kwh £0
4th quarter Nov-dec2009-jan201063.02kwh£4.32
1st quarter Feb-mar-Apri2010 0kwh £0
Total 104.82kwh £6.50
(5%vat not included in those figures above. it is about £2 for each quarter's electricity bill.)
My strategy of cutting down my usage is a good one, and has borne fruit. haha.
Added. 5.36pm. I switched channels on tv just now and caught gordon brown giving his resignation speech. What a fresh development, which opens up the chance of a libdem-labour coalition with lots of bits and pieces from other parties... this gives the lib dems more choices. We live in interesting times, as the chinese would say. haha.
I cannot help wondering that even though we see all of them saying through gritted teeth, 'the people have spoken, they have not given anyone victory', (the bastards) and all of them privately thinking 'now we are forced to deal with each other and make something out of this mess'. haha;.
My advice is dont.
A friend who was so tempted by the savings (£126) he switched suppliers. And now he tells me that the savings is really only £20. They did not add in the vat 5%, and he was comparing their figures with his which includes vat.
Do like what i do, switch off and turn the gas lever off. That way I dont care what they charge, by using less I will always pay less. hahahaheeeeh.
I found out that the gas lever must be turned off, because there is a small leakage even if u turn the pilot light off and turn off the boiler. I found this out when BG changed my meter. It is a far more sensitive meter, and i noticed that the dial had moved even though all the gas boilers were completely turned off.
And also turn off the electricity to the boiler... because even when the boiler is completely shut down, it still uses electricity if the electric switch is on. that switch controls the spark that lights the pilot light, why it should still be sending electricity through the boiler is a mystery but it does.
#
My friend asked me what my usage is like. I was curious too so i looked it up and gave him the figures.
My latest electricity bill came as well so i was able to incorporate it.
Electricity
2nd quarter May-june-july2009 315kwh £48.66
3rd quarter Aug-sept-oct 2009 304kwh £47.75
4th quarter nov-dec2009-jan2010 409kwh £58.97
1st quarter Feb-mar-april2010 296kwh £46.08
total 1324kwh £201.46
Gas
2nd quarter May-june-july2009 31.8kwh £2.18
3rd quarter Aug-sept-oct2009 0kwh £0
4th quarter Nov-dec2009-jan201063.02kwh£4.32
1st quarter Feb-mar-Apri2010 0kwh £0
Total 104.82kwh £6.50
(5%vat not included in those figures above. it is about £2 for each quarter's electricity bill.)
My strategy of cutting down my usage is a good one, and has borne fruit. haha.
Added. 5.36pm. I switched channels on tv just now and caught gordon brown giving his resignation speech. What a fresh development, which opens up the chance of a libdem-labour coalition with lots of bits and pieces from other parties... this gives the lib dems more choices. We live in interesting times, as the chinese would say. haha.
I cannot help wondering that even though we see all of them saying through gritted teeth, 'the people have spoken, they have not given anyone victory', (the bastards) and all of them privately thinking 'now we are forced to deal with each other and make something out of this mess'. haha;.
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
water bill 2010, tv license
london
Typical of life to have bills coming all at once. I am putting this in here just for the record.
The tv license was up for payment £142.50 every 1st march.
Water bill is broken down into
Water 318 x 48.72p supply charge £154.93 Fixed charge £27.00 Total £181.93
Wastewater 318 x 22.18 supply charge £ 70.53 Fixed charge £36.00 Total £106.53
Charges £288.46
And maybe you can compare ur bills with mine. Water bills are fixed at least for me, as i dont have a water meter, but what about your usage of electricity and gas? Are they even less than mine? if so, tell how u do it. haha.
Typical of life to have bills coming all at once. I am putting this in here just for the record.
The tv license was up for payment £142.50 every 1st march.
Water bill is broken down into
Water 318 x 48.72p supply charge £154.93 Fixed charge £27.00 Total £181.93
Wastewater 318 x 22.18 supply charge £ 70.53 Fixed charge £36.00 Total £106.53
Charges £288.46
And maybe you can compare ur bills with mine. Water bills are fixed at least for me, as i dont have a water meter, but what about your usage of electricity and gas? Are they even less than mine? if so, tell how u do it. haha.
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
electricity bill for nov 09-jan.10
london
the electricity bill came. I pay for it by direct debit of £15.00 a month.
Total bill came to £58.97 - dual fuel discount £1.45 - direct debit discount £3.85 +5%vat £2.68 =£55.27.
I used 409 kwh over 92 days
first 126kwh x 22.542p = £28.40
Next 283kwh x 10.802p =£30.57
compared with my last elect bill I have used 100 kwh more this period. I thought the extra was due to my guest john M musthave used that much when he was here. But I had a look at last year's nov-jan bill and I used about that much kwh too. So no increase in usage for that time of year.
I guess it is not bad seeing this winter was the coldest in 30yrs.
the electricity bill came. I pay for it by direct debit of £15.00 a month.
Total bill came to £58.97 - dual fuel discount £1.45 - direct debit discount £3.85 +5%vat £2.68 =£55.27.
I used 409 kwh over 92 days
first 126kwh x 22.542p = £28.40
Next 283kwh x 10.802p =£30.57
compared with my last elect bill I have used 100 kwh more this period. I thought the extra was due to my guest john M musthave used that much when he was here. But I had a look at last year's nov-jan bill and I used about that much kwh too. So no increase in usage for that time of year.
I guess it is not bad seeing this winter was the coldest in 30yrs.
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
new gas meter installed today, my gas bill for oct09-jan10
the new metric gas meter. it is set to 9999999 and will trip to 0000000 if i use enough gas. 
london
I was thinking that if he (the gas man, funny i assume it willbe a man. I have yet to meet a woman doing this job. he said he comes from ghana.) comes after 10.30am i shall go to the gym anyway, and he will have to come another day. Paul L told me to delay this replacement as long as possible, as it can lead to trouble.
But he came at 9.30am so I had the new meter installed. he showed me where the gas lever is located that switches of the gas supply to the flat. Very useful to know, it was hidden behind the pipes.
I will be replacing my gas water boiler in the bathroom in future with a induction electric heater, and the old gas boiler will have to be dismantled and removed and it would be important to know where the gas supply can be turned off.
the gas man said he has a bad back, and when i tried to lift his tool kit, it was very heavy so no wonder he got bad back. I suggested he put the tools in two bags or get wheels. A lot of people dont realise their work can ruin their back, and they will be saddled with bad back simply because they did not look after themselves while at work.
After installing, he tested it by switching on my hot air heater, and i did the same for my water boiler in the bathroom and i was really surprised that both worked very well. Both their pilot lights came on without any trouble. The pilot lights were the problems before in my getting them to work. So it looks like the problem is corrected. It still wont encourage me to turn on the heater.
Now i am so used to the temperature in the flat, even in the coldest days, that i dont notice if it is cold. Only when i touch a surface and find out it is cold, do i remember it is cold. I am warm inside my warm clothing so i could not care less if the furniture is cold.hahahheee.
I am glad i got blogger, because my laptop frozed and the whole post disappeared. But because blogger saved the draft, i was able to retrieve it without having to write all over again.
Added. I received my gas bill some time ago, am putting it here for my own record.
31.july09-31oct09
0 gas used. cost of gas £0.00
31oct09-3.feb10
2imperial units used over 96days.
63.02kwhx 6.86p= £4.32
total cost of gas used £4.32 plus vat at 5% .21p =£4.53
I was at the gym reading the newspapers, and someone left the metro there. it is a free newspaper distributed at the tube stations, and there i read a voucher for 2main meals for price of 1 at malaysian restaurants.
it is at www.metro.co.uk/malaysiankitchen.
it is worth it, i saw one of the restaurants listed was bonda cafe, which does very reasonable main dishes about £5 each, and this one means it will be even cheaper.
vouchers are printed in the metro till friday 19feb and valid to redeem till monday 8march.
Go for it u londoners.
You only have tomorrow's and fridays' metro to find the vouchers but there is nothing to stop u taking two or three newspapers. haha.
though there is only 2wks to redeem the vouchers.
Saturday, 31 October 2009
my electricity usage
london
How is your electricity and gas usage? How does it compare with mine? Its time for the quarterly reading,(aug,sept,oct) and i have sent off mine today.Its all done online.
Looking back on 30.7.09, the last date i sent to British gas, my electricity reading was 51204. Now it is 51508. i used 304units. my gas usage is nil.
It will be interesting to see what my electricity bill will be. British Gas should be sending me the invoice soon. Most probably they will want to send a gas engineer to read my gas meter, just to make sure i was telling the truth about my gas use.haha.
I went out earlier, just got back, to check my oyster card got enough money in it, as tomorrow i shall be doing a session with the charity i volunteer for. There was enough money. I thought i shall walk to the supermarket and see what is reduced. The sainsburys have removed their reduced section. hmm, I realised they have removed that section some time ago, 1 or 2wks ago, but it did not register as i have not really been going bargain hunting recently. so where do they put their reduced meats or have they completely not reducing their meats anymore???
the bakery section is still reducing, when i was there they were reducing jam doughnuts, a pack of 5, from 65p to 10p. they are not so nice as the doughnuts with the hole in the middle but still, it was cheap so i bought 2 packs, one to freeze. the assistant asks me to buy 4packs, but i told him they are not so nice as the ones with the holes.
I hope sainsburys are not stopping the bargain meats at the end of the day. this is a new development.
there were quite a number of kids, teenagers dressed in fishnet stockings, hanging about the place. It is halloween tonight. I thought they are out rather late, it being 9pm.they are supposed to be knocking on doors, but i live in a flat so it is easy to ignore them when they come calling.
How is your electricity and gas usage? How does it compare with mine? Its time for the quarterly reading,(aug,sept,oct) and i have sent off mine today.Its all done online.
Looking back on 30.7.09, the last date i sent to British gas, my electricity reading was 51204. Now it is 51508. i used 304units. my gas usage is nil.
It will be interesting to see what my electricity bill will be. British Gas should be sending me the invoice soon. Most probably they will want to send a gas engineer to read my gas meter, just to make sure i was telling the truth about my gas use.haha.
I went out earlier, just got back, to check my oyster card got enough money in it, as tomorrow i shall be doing a session with the charity i volunteer for. There was enough money. I thought i shall walk to the supermarket and see what is reduced. The sainsburys have removed their reduced section. hmm, I realised they have removed that section some time ago, 1 or 2wks ago, but it did not register as i have not really been going bargain hunting recently. so where do they put their reduced meats or have they completely not reducing their meats anymore???
the bakery section is still reducing, when i was there they were reducing jam doughnuts, a pack of 5, from 65p to 10p. they are not so nice as the doughnuts with the hole in the middle but still, it was cheap so i bought 2 packs, one to freeze. the assistant asks me to buy 4packs, but i told him they are not so nice as the ones with the holes.
I hope sainsburys are not stopping the bargain meats at the end of the day. this is a new development.
there were quite a number of kids, teenagers dressed in fishnet stockings, hanging about the place. It is halloween tonight. I thought they are out rather late, it being 9pm.they are supposed to be knocking on doors, but i live in a flat so it is easy to ignore them when they come calling.
Friday, 7 August 2009
gas and electricity bill 1.5.09-30.7.09
london
I know people must think I am desperate to find something to post when i start posting my gas and electricity bills. haha. Not at all.
I want to post it because i want a record of it, and I am rather proud that i have kept it so low. I thought u might like to see how it compares with ur own bills.
I only used 1 imperial unit of gas for that 3month period.
And it equals 31.80 kwh x 6.86p = £2.18
I used 31kwh for the 6days before the 10%reduction of electricity rate on 6.5.09
First 8kwh x 22.799 =£1.82
next 23kwh x 11.059p=£2.54
total £4.36
I used 284kwh for the 85days after the reduction in electricity rate.
first 116kwh x 22.42p =£26.15
next 168kwhx10.802p=£18.15
total £44.30
Grand total £48.66
+vat 5% £2.25 =£ 50.91
(It appears that i pay the higher rate on the first 1.36kwh used everyday=30.6p
i used 56p a day of electricity. 3.46kwh average a day.)
I know people must think I am desperate to find something to post when i start posting my gas and electricity bills. haha. Not at all.
I want to post it because i want a record of it, and I am rather proud that i have kept it so low. I thought u might like to see how it compares with ur own bills.
I only used 1 imperial unit of gas for that 3month period.
And it equals 31.80 kwh x 6.86p = £2.18
I used 31kwh for the 6days before the 10%reduction of electricity rate on 6.5.09
First 8kwh x 22.799 =£1.82
next 23kwh x 11.059p=£2.54
total £4.36
I used 284kwh for the 85days after the reduction in electricity rate.
first 116kwh x 22.42p =£26.15
next 168kwhx10.802p=£18.15
total £44.30
Grand total £48.66
+vat 5% £2.25 =£ 50.91
(It appears that i pay the higher rate on the first 1.36kwh used everyday=30.6p
i used 56p a day of electricity. 3.46kwh average a day.)
Friday, 8 May 2009
electricity bill 1feb09-30apr09
london
Just for my own record and for anyone who wants to compare their bill with mine.
1feb09 -actual 50573 you gave us your meter reading
5feb09 -actual 50591 we read your meter
=18.00 kWh used over 5 days (actual)
6feb09 -actual 50591 we read your meter
30apr09-actual50889 you gave us your meter reading
=298.00 kWh used over 84 days (actual_
First 122 kwh x22.799p £27.81
Next 194 kwh x 11.059p £21.45
total cost of electricity used £49.26
I use 3.55kwh a day.
A year ago, over the same period in 2008, it seemed i used 8kwh a day.
the link below is for last quarter's bills.
http://wwwcreatingmylife.blogspot.com/2009/02/celebration.html
I was curious to see what the 20jan08-30apr08 bill is like.
so here it is.
Electricity
between 20jan08-29feb08 455kwh over 41days.
between 1mar08-30apr08 319kwh over 61days.
first 140kwh x21.599p £30.24
Next 634kwh x9.860p £62.51
Total £92.75
7.58kwh a day.
Gas bill
51 units of Gas used =1596.37kwh over 102days
first 749.00kwh x6.151p £46.07
next 847.37kwh x2.580p £21.86
total £67.93
Just for my own record and for anyone who wants to compare their bill with mine.
1feb09 -actual 50573 you gave us your meter reading
5feb09 -actual 50591 we read your meter
=18.00 kWh used over 5 days (actual)
6feb09 -actual 50591 we read your meter
30apr09-actual50889 you gave us your meter reading
=298.00 kWh used over 84 days (actual_
First 122 kwh x22.799p £27.81
Next 194 kwh x 11.059p £21.45
total cost of electricity used £49.26
I use 3.55kwh a day.
A year ago, over the same period in 2008, it seemed i used 8kwh a day.
the link below is for last quarter's bills.
http://wwwcreatingmylife.blogspot.com/2009/02/celebration.html
I was curious to see what the 20jan08-30apr08 bill is like.
so here it is.
Electricity
between 20jan08-29feb08 455kwh over 41days.
between 1mar08-30apr08 319kwh over 61days.
first 140kwh x21.599p £30.24
Next 634kwh x9.860p £62.51
Total £92.75
7.58kwh a day.
Gas bill
51 units of Gas used =1596.37kwh over 102days
first 749.00kwh x6.151p £46.07
next 847.37kwh x2.580p £21.86
total £67.93
Thursday, 7 May 2009
10%BG cut in electricity prices
electricity reading 50925. 
london
I read this in the bbconline, saying British gas(BG) is cutting 10% off its electricity tariff effective immediately. So I quickly sent them a reading of my electric meter, 50925 so that I get full advantage of this cut, rather than let them estimate it. I would advise anyone whose gas or electricity company changes the tariff to do so. It is always good especially in a price cut to let them know your actual reading.
BG has been very slow to cut their electricity tariff.they are the last to cut their electricity tariff. This cut comes after they have raised electricity prices twice last year totalling 26%.
Of course, I shall not be going back to my old spendthrift usage. I shall continue to keep it low, as much as possible. I shall continue to switch everything off and monitor my usage carefully always to find ways of reducing it even further. They have started this frugality of mine with gas and electricity, and so they shall reap the whirlwind of their raising the tariff. haha. serves them right. BG will not be getting much out of me. I can tell you revenge is sweet. haha. and what they said about it being best served cold is v true. haha.
I have used so little gas, it is nil for the last quarter Feb-April 09, and my electricity usage is so low over that period, it is not big enough for them to send me a bill. haha. they know if they send me a bill, it would be so low i shall be asking for another reduction in my direct debit of £17 a month. Summer is coming and it will be even less.
Added. Guess what!! i just wrote the above, when the door bell rang. it is the electricity man come to read the meter. !!!
so i asked him to read it out to me, and he went 5..1.. I immediately corrected him, saying it is zero,and he said u r right, and went on to complete the reading. I know it will happen, because the arrow was very close to the 1 mark, but u dont read it as one, because the next one shows the arrow at 9.
A lot of them make this mistake, and so instead of giving the correct reading of 50925, they give 51925, which is like 1000 units out. I have in the past been given a inflated bill because of this mistake, and in those days i dont take much notice of it, and paid up, to end up with a huge credit which they then take a age to catch up and at the end still have to pay me back. No more of that nonsense now. I keep a close eye on these guys. Modern meters dont have this complicated system of dials, they are all digital, so that most of the time the meter man dont have to learn how to read it.
I read this in the bbconline, saying British gas(BG) is cutting 10% off its electricity tariff effective immediately. So I quickly sent them a reading of my electric meter, 50925 so that I get full advantage of this cut, rather than let them estimate it. I would advise anyone whose gas or electricity company changes the tariff to do so. It is always good especially in a price cut to let them know your actual reading.
BG has been very slow to cut their electricity tariff.they are the last to cut their electricity tariff. This cut comes after they have raised electricity prices twice last year totalling 26%.
Of course, I shall not be going back to my old spendthrift usage. I shall continue to keep it low, as much as possible. I shall continue to switch everything off and monitor my usage carefully always to find ways of reducing it even further. They have started this frugality of mine with gas and electricity, and so they shall reap the whirlwind of their raising the tariff. haha. serves them right. BG will not be getting much out of me. I can tell you revenge is sweet. haha. and what they said about it being best served cold is v true. haha.
I have used so little gas, it is nil for the last quarter Feb-April 09, and my electricity usage is so low over that period, it is not big enough for them to send me a bill. haha. they know if they send me a bill, it would be so low i shall be asking for another reduction in my direct debit of £17 a month. Summer is coming and it will be even less.
Added. Guess what!! i just wrote the above, when the door bell rang. it is the electricity man come to read the meter. !!!
so i asked him to read it out to me, and he went 5..1.. I immediately corrected him, saying it is zero,and he said u r right, and went on to complete the reading. I know it will happen, because the arrow was very close to the 1 mark, but u dont read it as one, because the next one shows the arrow at 9.
A lot of them make this mistake, and so instead of giving the correct reading of 50925, they give 51925, which is like 1000 units out. I have in the past been given a inflated bill because of this mistake, and in those days i dont take much notice of it, and paid up, to end up with a huge credit which they then take a age to catch up and at the end still have to pay me back. No more of that nonsense now. I keep a close eye on these guys. Modern meters dont have this complicated system of dials, they are all digital, so that most of the time the meter man dont have to learn how to read it.
(thank goodness i m honest. haha. The thought did cross my mind that i could give them a bigger figure than my actual usage, and so get the benefit of the tariff cut for more electricity than i have used to date. But it only fleeting cross my mind. I just dont want to bother with being dishonest. it makes life so difficult. so much easier to just tell the truth.haha. i m glad i follow this philosophy. otherwise i would have been found out when he comes to read the meter, and sends in a different reading from mine. haha. It pays to be honest people. I highly recommend it. You sleep easy in ur bed and have not a worry in the world.
Added. Actually i had another think and realise that to gain i should have given them a smaller figure than the actual used. Just goes to show that even being dishonest i cannot get it right. hahah. maybe i realise it, that i will be shooting myself in the foot. I cannot even be dishonest to win. haha. I guess it makes even more sense for me to be honest. haha.
Added. 2.38pm.I was at the library reading all the papers, and none of them mentioned this 10% reduction. so it looks like for these kind of news, the internet is better. The announcement by BG has missed the deadline for today's papers.
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