Taxi Driver Online

Has anyone had one of these fitted yet? I am looking into having one to replace my gas central heating. I am also looking at solar panels at the same time to help with the running costs.

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Grandad,

My understanding is they are not all they are made out to be. Require quite a lot of electric ( 50X the power to run a fridge)

I can't remember the channel name but there is a chap on you tube who is in the building trade that's done a lot of video rants about various types of heating systems, Insulation double glazing etc. he seems to know his stuff.

I know he has done a couple of videos about Air source heat pumps and lists all the pros and cons plus a few tips about what to look out for if you decide to go for one

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

I don't think you can compare the running cost of a heat pump to a fridge. The comparison would need to be against the cost of gas central heating or storage heaters.

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Grandad,

watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhAKMAcmJFg&t=616s

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Tread warily grasshopper...

we had it installed by landlords about 9 years ago to replace night storage heaters

big unit in the loft ( 6 blokes to lift it after cutting big hole in ceiling)

very technical control unit

installers had no idea how to operate it, it was wildly uncontrollable, we darent touch it

any issues the heating contractors had to ring Mitsubishi in telford....who i think
rang Japan

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

I've had one, do not have one they cost a fortune to run and your house is cold. These things need banning out of every home in the country.

Not looked into these with any kind of diligence but based on what I have seen they are not recommended due to many reasons.

Don't get suckered in to the government's wishes.

The intellectually bankrupt politicians that have been pushing for these know nothing about their practicality.

They are trying to push people into investing into these dreadful machines. I think because they have "green" credentials and it helps them meet our carbon emission promises that will never be fulfilled but the politicians don't care about if they save the public money or not or if they work efficiently.

They are poor return on investments. You will most likely lose a lot of money from having them let alone trying to save any against other options.

Solar is another option that offers a poor return on investment. Also, solar panels on average last about 20-25 years depending on the quality of the panel you buy from after which they will need replacing. They have come down on price in the last decade but they are still not really a viable option. Britain is obviously not the best place in the world to have them as we don't get much sun. Australia or California maybe bit not Britain.

I know with the current ridiculous prices for electricity in this country it is tempting to look for other options and try to have independence without relying on the system to provide for us which is severely broken at the moment.

However, the government and the energy market will have to ensure our energy prices get cheaper in the future because the economy will flat line resulting in chaos if we have more years like this one. The reason they have given us vouchers to pay for the high prices is basically a stealth maneuver to bail out the energy companies. If they didn't do that all of them would probably have gone bust.

The reasons for this are that if they did not give us the vouchers or discount energy subsidies then the poorest people in our country would have either had to have gone without heating for the winter through choice or in some cases would have gone into negative balances on their account/meters to keep themselves warm through the winter. They would have gone into a lot of debt just to keep warm and the energy companies would not have been able to recoup that from their customers because those customers cannot pay what they don't have. You can imagine what madness this would have caused in the markets.

People also would have had less money to spend on other things in the economy exacerbating our recession and turning it into a depression (which could still happen) due to the high bills. Even with the financial help some people are really struggling in this country as I am sure you are aware.

The government obviously knew this which is why they did what they did. They are removing the cap from next year with the hope that they can get gas or other energy cheaper and our problems go away. If the war with Russia and Ukraine continues this is wishful thinking to say the least so we will have to wait and see what happens.

If they have to subsidize us again next year then we have some serious problems on our hands as a country because we already have a high national debt and high inflation so it's not an option they will want to pursue.

My suggestion would be to look into having a coal fire or wood stove for heating and a wood stove for cooking. This might be a viable alternative and not make you reliant on the energy companies. You can also pick up loose wood in local woodland and places which can help. You will be surprised how much is around when you know where to look. They will be more helpful on your wallet and not big investments minimizing your risk.

You were doing quite well until the last paragraph.

You do know that the government in its infinite wisdom is banning the sale of coal from 2023. As for wood burners, absolutely hopeless for cooking on, as you clearly cannot regulate the temperature. Even if you have ( legal) access to woodland, the wood available needs to be dry, which means a one year wait to burn it.
If my gas boiler needed replacing I would replace it with another gas boiler. It’s a known technology. They might suggest putting in a “hydrogen ready” replacement, which the country is not. Where will this hydrogen come from? The natural gas pipe network won’t support it, it’s too leaky. Good luck with getting solar panels in 2023, the back orders are long.

The dash for zero carbon is insane.

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Former taxi driver

Mine were fitted within a week of ordering. on 19th December.

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Grandad,

Ref log burners, folk were blagging Argos catalogues, soaking in water overnight, drying under pressure (brick on top) and using as fuel

Burned well

or a real railway sleeper sawed into blocks, 10 years worth of tar goes well on a fire


or...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMQU74ig4-k

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

In relation to coal yes the government intends to ban it.

However, there will be a black market for it if it does get banned (there always is) so it won't be difficult to get it. Might be bit more expensive due to it becoming illegal but still possibly cheaper than using energy companies. The government can shove their zero carbon mandates where the sun don't shine.

Gas boilers are very good yes but I was making suggestions based on flexibility and not relying on one source for energy which is what I think Grandad was aiming for because the energy bills are a racket at the moment.

Hydrogen is not a feasible solution because the energy return on investment is very poor. Oil is still the best fuel on the planet as it is very dense although it is becoming more and more expensive to extract. natural gas and coal are the best after oil.

I wonder how a black market for coal will work?
I am aiming to be self sufficient for my energy. One of the ladies in our office is completely off grid for energy and water.

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Grandad,

In that case Pete look into GROUND SOURCE heat pumps they are more to install but a more effective solution than air source

Self sufficiency in energy is very difficult to achieve in an ordinary house solar panels are mostly the cheaper chinese imports but the tech has been advanced in the US but mostly for commercial installations.

I am hoping in a few years time that panels with 30 percent + efficiency will become affordable then I'll consider it

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

I can't have a ground source heat pump due to the number of trees in and around my garden.

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Grandad,

I have a relative in Jersey and he says there crap, wait for hydrogen boilers.