Fiddling while Rome burns?

The energy cap is being reduced atm so bills should be lower. However it will then be reviewed and a new cap issued in July. In the meantime although energy is more expensive if we use less of it we will have lower bills anyway.

I don’t know why labour keep ‘banging the drum’ that energy bills are going to be reduced, when it’s certainly not going to be the case.
Bills are going to skyrocket!

Like you Nanny27. a dear friend in her 70s back on the 1970s had solar panels on her bungalow.

Most people told her it wasn't a good investment. She said she wasn't doing it for herself but for the planet.

When i lived abroad 40 years ago my house had solar panels and provided 90% of our energy.
40years ago!!

AuntieE

Well,we are all old enough (except for some thick-headed politicians, that is) to know that war in the Midde East will cause fuel shortages. So it can hardly suprise us.

As evironmentalists have been telling us for years that using fossil fuels is ruining the earth and its atmosphere, perhaps fuel shortages are actually a good thing!

And as all transport will become dearer, due to the diesel shortage, we are not all that likely to be able to afford to go on holiday, are we?

I prefer to be able to keep the house warm in winter and eat at least one full meal a day, even if doing so does me, due to inflation, that holidays are reduced to day trips within walking or biking distance.

Remembering the oil shortages.
But then came privatisation 😡 from then on energy companies have had us over a barrel. 🤬🤬
As I’ve mentioned many times we lived off grid for 20 years with solar/ wind/ good insulation/ inverters to convert the 24v goinging into the batteries to give us 240v.

My son has been solared panelled up to his eyeballs for a few years now including the garage and various sheds.

You do need a storage battery though as he reckons selling it back to the grid is not worth it.

Apparently one day last week we were being 91% fuelled by renewables so it is getting better and definitely the way to go with nuclear of course.

OldFrill

With all these solar panels are coming from China, through the Strait of Hormuz, there may be significant delays and vast extra costs.

Iran are allowing Chinese shipping through the strait, but at a cost. $2 million a ship.

Grammaretto

if there's a silver lining to the Middle East war could it be the speeding up of finding and using alternatives to oil, insulating houses, improving public transport, and so on.? I would like to think so.

We were discussing exactly this earlier. Hopefully, focussing the minds.
Terrible as the situation is, that could well be one positive for the planet.

I wondered if the advice to continue as normal was political speak for please don’t stock pile or panic buy? Diesel fuel shortages will soon affect life in the uk- buses and lorries ( food deliveries ) use it.
Yes I think we should be mindful of fuel use and be aware of lower fuel food and transport options.

We are not New Zealand... Very little if our oil comes from ME 5% I believe...in saying that we should still be mindful and not scaremonger as we have been told our supplies are fine..... at the moment.

Cossy

Yes, I believe we should be aware, but I don’t think we should be panicking nor should our governments be scaremongering.

If NZ only have 25 days of oil left are they rationing?

Don't worry about rationing. They have plenty of sheep to eat. They won't starve.

I don’t think it’s unnecessary to try and free the people of Persia from a backward regime.

Well,we are all old enough (except for some thick-headed politicians, that is) to know that war in the Midde East will cause fuel shortages. So it can hardly suprise us.

As evironmentalists have been telling us for years that using fossil fuels is ruining the earth and its atmosphere, perhaps fuel shortages are actually a good thing!

And as all transport will become dearer, due to the diesel shortage, we are not all that likely to be able to afford to go on holiday, are we?

I prefer to be able to keep the house warm in winter and eat at least one full meal a day, even if doing so does me, due to inflation, that holidays are reduced to day trips within walking or biking distance.

Australia is pretty much the same according to family.

Grammeretto noticed your comment on changing your walking plans. Fir quite some time I have wondered at my neighbours driving round trip 100/120 miles once a
week to go on an avg 6 mile walk. Loads of country and coastal areas nearby and within walking distance, never figured the sense in it.

Very wise.

Perhaps New Zealand should not have shut down their one oil refinery.

They do produce crude oil but have no means to process it.

if there's a silver lining to the Middle East war could it be the speeding up of finding and using alternatives to oil, insulating houses, improving public transport, and so on.? I would like to think so.

They come with brackets to fit them, they're very light and easy to install.

From what I've read they've got a lot more than 27 days... More like 60 days.
No need to panic. Yes oil prices have gone up, but they will fall. I don't drive so petrol prices don't affect me directly, but I do get taxis so obviously those prices will increase. I'll just travel less and only use taxis for appointments.

I've lived through this several times (as I'm sure we all have here) so I'm sure I can do it again, I just cut back on luxuries and stick to essentials.
I was planning a holiday to Spain but I can live without that risk, I don't think I'd feel particularly safe on a plane right now no matter where it's going.

But at the end of the day I'm not getting blown up, my city isn't being bombed from all angles, my home hasn't been destroyed and my family is alive...

Having listened to the education secretary on Sunday repeatedly saying we should all just carry on as usual then I really fear for any contingency planning or preparation from the govt. I have oil fired heating but have been using it less in favour of lighting a fire even though this only warms 1 room. Can't cut down on driving as live in remote location with almost zero public transport but every little helps.

Extra "are" in there must be my west country accent 😉

With all these solar panels are coming from China, through the Strait of Hormuz, there may be significant delays and vast extra costs.

I suppose Just Stop Oil is over the moon! Strangely though, they seem to be keeping quiet during this rapidly oncoming oil crisis. I'd be seriously interested to know what practical ideas they have on how the ordinary elderly person should handle it.

youtu.be/ulSsMHZSDq4?si=dTzkF2UjGJ8uhJqs

Here’s one link - there’s quite a lot of info on YouTube.