Well we have had some progress...

We have had our posts painted and roof treated for rust. I can now open and close front and back door as adjustments have been made (much easier now) also the bathroom door opens fully which is great. So Beatty Passive have tidied up on their to do list, which is helpful.

It's still cold and expensive to run.

We still have outstanding issues apparently, which are the landlord's responsibility so guess who is next on my list....

We still have a dead tree in the garden well the trunk which must stand around 30 plus feet tall, it's a dead Dutch Elm and the bark is shedding it sways around in the wind and it's a toss up between who it hits either our roof or our neighbours, will ruin the seal once it does go I am sure so we will no longer be air tight. On the plus side we may get some additional heating then.

The metal drainage is still all buckled, next time my Mum or someone trips over I am going to get them to ring that dreaded 'if you have suffered an accident' telephone number and make a claim.

The lawn and garden area is so steep I can't access and is rendered useless and I can't access my laundry line I have to employ a carer to do this.

The biggest problem for me is still cost of electric and lack of warmth.

Yes we had the 'independent' adviser around who is currently being employed by the same firm who built our house, on a large new project in Norwich, although those houses do have solar panels and a combi boiler which we don't (at least someone benefitted from our problems) And while he couldn't come out right and say it was silly we were all thinking it, the best we could get was 'it is comparative to other all only electric heated houses' I may not be as technologically intelligent as my degree is not around energy efficiency but, who in their right mind pays to have all electric heating in this day and age???? You would have to be slightly challenged to build a new house with those limitations surely. At the end of the day it boils down to money and numbers, regardless of the fancy language talking, our 'almost' Passive house is no more cheaper to run than any other fully electric heated house and it is three times as expensive as one with oil fired or gas heating which still has the added benefit of being warm.

I will be joining my neighbours and buying a portable gas heater or two, yes it goes against all the Passive House and environment ethics but really, cold in this day and age, in a brand new house? as my local MP is now the Minister for Housing and Planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government I think its time we had a chat, I have started contacting the other residents as feel a united front will be better placed in this instance having an implication amount of heat feels different to everyone. While I would agree with that I don't think having my teeth chattering in bed and wrapping up in a blanket to keep warm is good. 

There is no such thing as independant

I am too annoyed to put my feelings on here at moment, I will when rational again.

Had some independant advice

from a man who works for Whole House Energy UEA. He spent a long while asking questions, looking at and making suggestions. It was good for him as he hadn't been in the buildings since they had been finished. He also made some very sensible suggestions (which my Dad liked) on how to improve energy efficiency within the bungalow down to bill payer level.

• Our summer heating light on the MVHR unit is continually on, unless that is the heating is actually switched off completely. Andrew said he would expect it to go off this time of year, at night especially, as the temperature outside has dropped and it is cooler than we would like/should be inside the bungalow the outside sensor should pick up on this and it should automatically switch to normal mode - it doesn't appear to be programmed correctly
• It also looks like the Thermostat is not reading correctly,there are two temperature readings the floor temperature and room temperature are reversed (mildly dyslexic) which made him question if it was working the right way around, as in seems to be chucking hot air out in summer when not needed and none in winter when it is needed. We also have the icons on the screen for both heating 'of'f', and heating 'on' simultaneously which is a contradiction in itself obviously(I photographed this one as doubted I would be believed)
• The time on the water cylinder is set wrong, and it couldn't be gauged if it is on a timer, and if not why not? How do we control? If not. is it possible to fit a timer to the water heater and use an economy night tariff, this would make it a much cheaper way to run the system and using washing machine, charging laptops, phones etc all on the economy tariff. Also gives the option of having a lone storage heater.
• Is it possible to add a 'Timer' on the towel rail? this may be enough additional heat to warm through the whole bungalow in winter, as I am sensitive to the cold having a  lack of mobility
• Maybe the speed of actual fan needs turning up, adjusting slightly he said it is possible it may not be set adequately. He did try and make some heat come through the bedroom filters but with no success
• Changing of the filter, the light is on constantly and although I have asked repeated for this to be done I have heard nothing (the council may need training in this as no one knows seems to have any idea what I am talking about) I am happy to do myself if someone shows me but the maintenance once yearly I may not manage....not sure how this will go, the last workman out to fit a kitchen hob tried to put a hole through the wall, it took a lot of persuading not to do so. One of many concerns is i can't watch workmen all the time when doing things.

Taking all these things into account and changing my tariff more regularly may have a difference so over the next year we will again monitor it. I have actually managed to hook up with some similar Social Housing builds in the UK now so if anyone else would like to compare information who hasn't already been in contact then please feel free to message me.

Phone call today

to say someone is coming to sort out the outstanding jobs next week, can hardly contain my excitement, however I have been here before so will pace myself.

Had a nice man from UEA call yesterday who found a few irregularities that I will need to raise. Most disappointing is my energy use we believe is correct which no matter how much you dress it up still doesn't mean cheaper bills for tenants, I still have to follow this up with Brandon who has been recorded as stating it does, our GYBC most recently in the latest magazine and Penny who have all quoted the same, and that's without Eric's contribution still I will get to it. The energy consumption is good and it is good for the climate and fuel however there is not a financial benefit to the tenant, this is a shame as I am sure a small modification could do both - lets hope in future builds this happens for the initial outlay the gains would outway costs even for LA

It seems the Summertime switch is stuck on, the thermostat is reading wrong and possibly the heating duct is not carrying the hot air to the two bedrooms, our filters need changing and we have a massive hot water tank continually heating which is overkill. Don't get me wrong, I love this house even though it transpires its not a Passive haus but merely using some of the components used in a  , and it is extremely well insulated, nice area and neighbours and I wouldn't change any of that we have no damp or mould, limited space but that's our fault for hoarding. We are grandparents to pets three cats and a dog so all the plus and none of the responsibility - how good is that.

The garden is coming on nicely and even the area where the soil is, we thought not so good the plants are flourishing, must have something to do with the spiders, which are massive here, and yes I do mean massive, thank god we are air tight, I have it so bad that I am known to pass out and on occasion am physically sick when I see them.

They say it should warm up for a little longer

the weather that is, I hope so which means we will be warmer longer,  all to soon starts the mad dash to the bathroom, not quite the advert where you add scarf, hat, coat and gloves just to venture down your hall but almost, certainly you don't hang about once winter starts, bedrooms are places some people like cold not me, joints doing move too well at the best of times in the cold it is extremely painful just to turn over if cold. Dare not have a bath as I did each evening in the blissful days of living with my parents, in reflection I didn't realise how good I had it. Heating water constantly costs us a fortune so we are economical with it, 2-3 loads of washing a week, one bath and two, maybe three showers, too costly in my new Eco house.

We have now been in exactly a year and about to number crunch the figures, we know they are not as good as we were lead to believe but it will be interesting to see the difference to my old accommodation that had a good old Gas combi boiler and electric, I know its more expensive and I had the added luxury of being warm so time for truth.

We are not 'certified' it seems

merely using 'certified' components of Passivhaus, eg walls, windows and frames etc.

The team at 'The Enterprise Centre UEA' sound very nice, looking forward to meeting them and benefiting from their help.

I love my Mum and Dad

I am so proud of them both.

Passive house article on 4th September in EDP

Well my Dad a well educated man, not one to cause a fuss unless really upset, was incensed today, enough to write to the EDP a letter (see below) following reading an article promoting Passive Houses. What really makes him mad is a senseless waste of energy and money especially when it's attached to a government body or similar.  I do hope it gets published - will wait and see..... it may stop someone else having such high fuel charges!!!

8 September 2015

Is the Passivhaus the way forward? (EDP Property supplement 4 September)

Passivhaus may be energy efficient, but there will not be any saving on energy costs unless total energy needs are properly considered by the developer (in this case Gt Yarmouth Borough Council).

Our daughter has lived for one year in an adapted-for-disability Passivhaus built for GYBC in Martham.  It has the super-insulation and Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) but no heat pump, no solar panels and crucially, no heating system.  The only means of heating it is with plug-in electric heaters, the thinking presumably being that since the house is energy efficient there will not be much need for them.

Last winter was not severe but heating was necessary, and hot water is needed for baths, showers, etc., all consuming full-price electricity.  Compared with a traditionally built house with gas or oil fired heating, she is using only one third the amount of energy but paying three times as much per unit for it.  The net result is no saving whatever; not what she was led to expect when GYBC first promoted the concept.

​

The Passivhaus may be good for the environment but if not sensibly equipped, provides little advantage to those living it.

Ok so have been inspected...

its our 6 monthly building check now that we have been in for a year so lets see what happens now. I am told that many of the new passive tenants are finding their homes with no heating cold, and someone is going to come and give us some individual guidance on how to use our ventilation units effectively in case we are not using properly and have read the guidance wrong, as the properties are supposed to be warm. Welcome is what I say, it will be nice to be warm in winter again it was bloody cold last winter. If it doesn't work then we will be raising the issue all over the place, plan of action is formed and ready to go, fed up is not exactly the wording I would use.

Electrics fused

yet again, next doors went today and am fully expecting ours to go in next 24 hours it always does once a week, no set times just happens day or night takes whole lounge down.

Back from Holiday Blues..

Yep had a lovely Holiday, weather was true to British standards in managed several seasons in one day, however on the whole it was rather pleasant. Back to reality and work onwards and upwards as they say.

Well a pleasant lady phoned prior to Holidays to come and inspect our property unfortunately we had to ask for a re -book as wouldn't be here. My neighbours both were and frankly it's not looking too good. Next doors both sides showers/wet rooms have been fitted at wrong angle so they both have issues with water running out, not good for disabled people or anyone else for that matter. The patio and front doors seem to have dropped on all our three bungalows and opening doors is still difficult, my wheelchair still scrapes on ledge of doors, they are not disabled friendly. One neighbour claims subsidence, although I haven't seen this I would bot be surprised. My garden is proving a bone of contention at the moment, we have a small (very small) paved area and all the rest is grass, again not good for the wheelchair which means 90% of my garden I cant access. Why didn't someone think to put in paving all the way around, using wheelchairs with a lawn mower is not fun or even for me possible. I can't reach the laundry line, we had to have it  moved, the mound of grass under where it had been placed meant there was not room to hang clothes.

Pleasant lady phoned back to re book which we did only to have appointment cancelled due to technical reasons, I am assuming someones car didnt start or they called in sick (probably the thought of coming to see me) I am awaiting a call back this was a week ago so haven't given up yet. Neighbours are so fed up they are going to contact environmental health, personally I think Brandon our local MP should become involved after all it was government money and he has a duty to protect government funds. I feel a letter coming on......

And no Sweet Pea before you ask again, none of outstanding issues have been addressed either so no I can't recommend at this stage I suggest you private message me again and I will tell you in more detail about those and heating costs, this may help in deciding factor and better to be aware prior to asking for bids.

Rudyard Lake

Part way through a lovely Holiday with parents. Weather hasn't been too bad and conservatory is proving useful sun warming joints lovely. Be back soon to add more to blog.....

Lounge fused again

Every Friday between midnight & midnight, it trips, today at 20:36, last Friday at 14:30 the Friday before at 02:15, no pattern it is really annoying as it takes TV and all lounge plugs out the cooker and MVHR system. Cant be normal.

Wow

on 3 full months from your last bill.

Average usage: 1098  kWh - £127

Your usage: 3452 kWh - £400

More information

User Type	kWh	Cost in £'s	CO2(kg)
Low	257	30	138
Average	1098	127	590
You	3452	400	1854
High	3648	423	1959

Passive house now has me nearly three times higher than I was paying for dual fuel, tacking poverty, I don't think so, just because you use less energy, if it is three times more expensive it is a mere play on wording.

Sorry

No our snagging list hasn't been addressed yet. Spooky you should ask, I have just sent in an email to GYBC and no answer, yet,  I will follow up with a paper copy and if still no response then guess it will be MP again, well he hasn't heard from me in a while and at least he will know I am still alive! Many of these issues are simply rectified, and yes I have checked there is no TPO on said tree in fact it is described as a rather poor and unremarkable specimen. Am seeking further advice on water heating and will let you know outcomes

I am aware that it is nearly 10 months since the bungalows were finished so thought I best follow up on some outstanding jobs, not sure if yours or councils but suspect you can forward to relevant department if needed. I am conscious that the warranty must expire after a year. 

Still waiting for our dead Elm tree (T007) to be taken down, I am surprised it hasn't fallen down and smashed into one of the properties before now. Also the Oak tree which I believe is based at 19 Oak Tree Close and large canopy that hangs over covering  next door (8a) garden has still not been trimmed down. The recommended was two meters prior to bungalows being built, but suspect closer to three meters now that it needs cutting back, this was in the report provided. It is now blocking out sunlight to the properties 8B and 8C also, I have highlighted the issues from the Arboricultural report which was made back in April 2013, instead of sending the whole report.

The is also an issue with the electrics, for some reason they keep tripping on the same circuit, randomly probably once or twice a week, this also seems to be happening to our neighbours 8C, we don't have many electrical appliances attached to throw the switch and its intermittent in when it trips with no pattern as its happening to us both it would indicate a problem.

Other jobs:

The posts holding up carport 8B/C have yet to be top coated and rust is eating through.

We still haven't had the keys back that Steve the builder handed back into the council just after we had moved in, this is giving me some concerns and would actually void our insurance, I suspect it's cheaper to find them than replacing the locks!

Can someone tell me what the wiring is for in the hall and above the two doors, it looks like communication wiring but I don't know what its for to know why its left curled up and hanging.

Also as an extra, we found last winter to be cool, often with health conditions you feel the cold more so than a normal person may, what plans are there if these bungalows don't work out to be warm enough? My neighbour has had to resort to a portable gas heater to keep warm, obviously as these energy efficient houses work out more expensive to run than the regular gas/oil heating because of the cost of water heating, additional electric heating is also out as would just increase further.

Many thanks

Scarecrow festival

Well actually its a village festival that has a Scarecrow competition with healthy amounts of participation. Not sure what my theme will be as its the first one we have done, its all about raising money for the village though, so good cause. Personally I am backing our little day care unit and the people who attend which are mainly warden controlled, they are a lovely bunch.

Well have decided on a Gardener Miss Polly Potter and her faithful companion Phat-a-killa (a very brightly knitted catapilla in orange and green) this is a contribution to the Yarnbombing, yes new to me too. We really enjoyed making this well I was clerk of works and Jean did the actual work, complete with mop head hair and straw hat and body, Wellies, the works really.

Energy usage and bills at the six month stage!

I think I have worked the high electric bill problem out:

Our overall Energy use is low i.e. we have used a total of  2000 KW over a three month period from December 14  to  February 15 (the coldest months traditionally). Whilst my parents who live in a 1950s 2 bed bungalow (which is reasonably efficient but not as efficient as a sealed as a Passive house) used 2000 KW of Energy just in Feb 15 alone, again one of the coldest months in UK Winter, so yes I can see how much more energy efficient we are overall.

However......all our water heating (which is one of the biggest culprits), and energy use is electric whilst my parents are Dual Fuel. This means whilst they used 2000 KW in February alone their cost for their 2000 KW was much cheaper with Gas 3.2 per unit and electricity almost three times higher at 11.7 per unit. This would account for why our bill is exceptionally high, even changing tariffs to a cheaper supplier would only save approx £15.00 a year. My Dad is a very logical, intelligent man, who likes things just right, and likes to understand the whys and wherefores, hence my interest and his in our Energy bills.

The expensive users which will be clocking up the meter again I suspect will be mainly heating of any sorts but, in our case water and minimal household heating. This overall works out to my parents paying over a three month period the same as we pay for one month. When I look back and compare my own energy bill from the same period  in the old property in Great Yarmouth I find the similar figures, I am paying on the whole more now in my energy efficient house than I was because the Gas is so much cheaper, as is oil.

The houses are lovely and I wouldn't change mine for the world, (apart from having alternative cheaper way of heating water) my house may be very energy efficient and certainly does attain to the claims but it doesn't look like they do anything to tackle fuel poverty which was one of the aspects the government were hopeful of cracking down on. And its certainly not cheaper at the moment to run for me, which I believe is one of the famous quotes flying around on several web pages I have looked at recently. Admittedly we do not have gas but it does have oil which most residents appear to be on as obviously it would be far too expensive to run a household just on electricity. Although it is certainly cheaper than having night storage heating as pointed out to me - although I believe storage heating is mostly outdated now going out last century and actually I cant recall anyone I know still having them.

 

I can understand my other neighbours concerns, and both in Caister and Bradwell, over costs of heating, and dread to think what mine will be like if I am not extra careful. Thankfully our Winter this year was not bad - so far! 

Now I just have to dig out all those quotes about our energy bills being lower......

Energy Bills

OK well I have now been in for a 6 month period and so far my electricity bill has been about 30.00 a week. Now it has to be said I have been very cautious over the winter period so far and to be honest not really warm enough for my particular body needs. I will need to put more heating on in form of electric heating. I have a small oil filled radiator in bathroom which does make it comfy and once it heats up it does hold for a while. I have another radiator that I brought with me on the just in case factor and I will be plugging that into my bedroom plus I am going to have to start using the hall heating. I am expecting my bills to go up as I have been using the bear minimum as part of an experiment to see how cheap running a passive house would be, my new experiment will be how much will it cost to live... comfortably which means with more heating on and I will do this over the next 6 month period as am hoping it will be cheaper overall and cant afford for heating to go too sky high.

My neighbours bill has been much higher than mine but she has tried to keep warmer and has found it much more expensive.

I have to say at the moment I am missing my radiators and constant temperature throughout the bungalow, in the evenings the bedrooms are noticeably cooler.

Yes: Car Park done!

At long last the car park has been completed, sensibly thank goodness, I can not reverse out of my drive without going at an angle. And it looks much neater. This has inspired me to do some more to the outside front of my garden. I need to organise a few tubs and shrubs I think. I have ready my electricity bill but haven't had time to work out yet, I will do this as soon as possible and let you all know.

Lovely weather..

on Tuesday we had our first taste of summer, able to sit in garden sun on face, nicely sheltered, spent around 1/2hr having an indulgent break with piece and quiet. I have noticed that out neighbours over the road in the big houses have an array of ducks perching on their roofs this seems unusual however maybe not, they are perfectly comfortable and have good views. There seems to be a maximum of around eight at any one time. It is lovely and peaceful here and very private in my back garden, for that I will be eternally grateful. You have to think about those poor people in the flats in Great Yarmouth surrounding those that had the drugs raid. I could see our block ending up a bit like that before long and am so glad to be away from them. We are going to have to look at garden before long and what we are going to do, we have a slop and have called in some expert help in way of parents for some practical inspiration. Any ideas welcome will try and attach pictures for you the first and last show the slope. Ideally I would like more of a seating area, I cant access the side and grass areas on powerchair.

Communications is not a strong point..

..it seems that if it can go wrong it will go wrong, I wish we had Robert Halfon as our MP he strikes me as the sort of person who would get in there and get it done or sort it out asking some outright questions at the very least. The car park was doing well as in work was started to complete and finish however it didn't last. Now I can't reverse in and out of my drive without hitting a great lump of dirt!

Not sure if this is what they call a modern feature and is staying or if an oversight and further work to continue and level out covering in Tarmac maybe. It has been difficult enough to reverse in and out of my drive over the last 6 months.This latest alteration I have put up with over the
last two weeks as thought it prudent and only fair to give benefit of doubt and yes I realise that it can't all be done at once. The men arrived to put in new fence  it seems its not a new fence or even all new posts just snipping away at the wire fence that is already there. Well that is a slight exaggeration two men did turn up and replace two posts as well as snipping at the fence:

For some reason they didn't think it would be a good idea to put the posts for the gateway in line with the corresponding dropped paving slabs laid for the foot path, leading from the car park, this will be really interesting, its not rocket science for heavens sake, surely just looking at it tells you that if the paving curbs dip with a gap in a long line of paving curbs then thats where the gate will go. I shouldn't be surprised as it just adds to the string of unfinished jobs and I am not even sure who the butt stops with now so many people have had their fingers in the pie I do intend to follow up though. Dont get me wrong if you do a good job I will give relevant praise, but if you dont I will let you know.

For those of you who have been following my blog, and thank you for those who have sent personal messages, offered advice or views and asked questions. From my list of unfinished snagging jobs published on 22.12.2014 here are those that are still unfinished and awaiting follow up.

(pale blue is original issue, dark blue immediate response at time August-December and Purple as of now)

1.  Keys the missing set, where are they now, who has them and when can I expect them to be  returned? Poses all sorts of potential problems, from Insurance to human rights, it really has been too long now. Not knowing if someone has been in your house when you are out or even if you are there is not a very nice thought.

This one is with the council as the builders say they have returned the keys to them, its now been over 4 months.
Keys are still missing, these were handed into the Council in September 2014 who said they would pass onto us but we have still not recieved, this means that one set of keys is still missing and I am not sure of Insurance implications, I will find out this week as our locks may need changing if they can not be produced.
2. Wires above doors and in hall, bare wires are left curled around, what are they for and when are they going to be finished off, some sort of explanation would be good.

Awaiting a response
Still don't know what these wires are for and they are dangling unceremoniously.

 4.Shed electric supply, when are we getting? Was asked for and we agreed to pay towards costs, freezer will have to go into shed. Fridge freezer lovely idea but not practical as I can’t reach fridge and no room for both. Already agreed the fridge freezer is impinging on living area by OT and social services recommend under counter fridge so I can access if needed. Also needed as Tarmac gets hot then sticks to wheels, need storage outside for chair and scooter, when someone comes indoors they generally can take off their shoes and put slippers on, I can’t do that with chair wheels and the tar sticks to wheels and it is spread through the house, I can’t keep an indoor and outdoor wheelchair as the storage area for my wheelchair indoors has been used with the heating system, so cant use my indoor chair and keep the outdoor one in a secure dry place. Nowhere secure outside to leave as electric at front of house, chair will get wet, damp and probably stolen (wheelchair standard homes part M of building advises of need for storage with power point for charging)

Awaiting a quote.
Nope given up decided to use an outdoor extension lead, good job Amazon is quicker.

 8.Tree in garden the dead one when it is going to be removed.

The council have passed this one  to lady who deals with trees and hedges, I haven't heard anything yet.
Dead tree still waiting to be cut down it hasn't fallen down yet but suspect its a matter of time. 

12 Metal grill in car park, not fit for purpose, catches my tyres on wheelchair both my carers have tripped on it where it lays uneven, the grill is very cheap and tinny, something more hardwearing is needed

Builders turned over the warped bits so they can dent other way, love the logics.
The grill is all bumpy up and down its very flimsy and not really fit for purpose of vehicles crossing on daily basis my wheel chair tyres are not liking it - needs something more substantial.
15.Top coat of paint needs doing on metal supports in car port needs doing.

Yep coming back after Christmas to paint all those areas left with undercoat.
Rust coming through looks horrid and could look so nice, shame

The end of February is the end of the 6 month period so will be able to do a comparable bill review from previous heating costs to current heating costs.

PR event

with Motability, what a lovely day. Met with Patrick, Sophia, Jackie and loads more of their colleagues, hugh departments, I had no idea of how many people work there or the volume of claims they have more than 640,000 Motability cars on the road.

Met Mark Harper MP for disabled people who was very pleasant and asked interesting questions, very handsome chap. Also met with Robert Halfon MP for Harlow who I have to say is really nice, shame he is not local to me. I get the impression he is someone who will get things done, and will hound his prey until he gets results,  I hope he has a long career.

Well it was a good start - Unfortunately did not last...

... work started on the car park and although progress was made ie the two tanks buried, the second week work ground to a definite halt. This seems to be around communications I suspect, anyway it is now really hard to back out of drive yesterday it was impossible with next door neighbour parked in their drive and yes I crunched the back of new car into the metal pole sticking out of ground. Parking sensors will only go so far. Needless to say that has now been removed at least the gigantic mud mole hill should do no actual damage to the vehicle. All this simply adds to the fact I am going to find it very difficult to reverse out of my drive, swing my nose round to miss metal support post of carport to pull forward and turn. The bungalows are supposed to be built with disabled in mind, how is this then? I am already catching my wheelchair base on the lip of the front door as its not flush and yes the specific disabled doors purposed for wheelchairs are flush as my parents paid a fortune for theirs to be fitted so I could gain access to their house. This is something that would be builders with similar needs should look out for, it seems I am going to have to go back to ramps totally unnecessary. To add to this the cheap drain guard covers put down across drive way are all poking up at angles again. This means I catch the wheels of chair and again the underneath which can do real damage to the chair - someone is going to trip and its not going to be pleasant. This has already been put in the snagging list along with several other items, not all of these being the builders fault for example I still have a set of keys missing. I am going to enquire with Insurance company to see how that stands, suspect they will want locks changed which could work out very expensive. I am off later to meet with Minister for Disabled which I am sure we will both get a lot out of.

Minister for Disabled!

Yep, I am going to meet him next week and really looking forward to it, I have so many questions.....

Half a car park!

Well things have started to move forward, the tanks to carry excess water away from the bungalows have been dropped under the car park and covered over, now we just have to wait for the tarmac, planting of surround and fencing. I am concerned that any car parking outside my drive will actually block me in as the plans were not to scale and the path running along side the original path, which is now double width has shortened the length of the space which now encroaches to the front of my bungalow. 'Bruce'  my trustee VW transporter is going to make mince meat out of anything that gets in his way when reversing! Lets hope someone sees sense and thinks before marking out.

Had a oil filled radiator on in my bedroom last night...

...it was bliss, yes we have the MVHR system and its ok but its lovely when you have some real warmth when its so cold, especially when the snow is falling and you can hear the hail bouncing off the windows.

Mr Tigs has taken his medicine and as long as he is comfortable and not in pain I am happy, he doesn't do very much other than sleep and walk around patio then back. He has had to adjust to a tray and I have spent a small fortune on cat litter. One of the trials of this disease means that he recognises that his body needs vitamins and minerals which he isn't making himself so its common for them to start eating the litter to try and replace what their body wants. Needless to say this is not good especially if its the clumping sort, so we have worked our way through the shops and internet to find something suitable which won't be either appealing to eat but still suitable for his needs. Success with a wood pellet formula, nothing nasty in contents in way of chemicals also not appealing to eat. He was actually a little disgusted with me for taking his original away but needs must and he has decided better to use than cross his legs. Prior to this little set back I had looked into the fact that Cat Flaps can be fitted to Passive houses, they are relatively expensive around two thousand to maintain the sealed unit and still let cat pass not that I will be following that idea up but for anyone who is thinking about building a Passive house I would if you are or likely to want a pet incorporate or at least think about it prior to building, I suspect that route would be much easier. I managed to sleep until around 2am this morning before

Yay! Heating is working

the lounge is constant more or less and it can be described as adequate heating, I still prefer a boost in bathroom and when really chilly my bedroom also as my asthma is affected by temperature change resulting in that night time cough. On the whole all is good heat wise.

On the personal side not good at all, my foster cat was taken to vets and has been diagnosed with Leukemia, needless to say I am devastated. At present he is on much medication and I realise as time goes I am going to have to make that dreaded decision, but when the time is right for him. Its very depressing to see a seemingly fit healthy and playful animal go to a withdrawn, constantly tired with everything being an effort mode. Hence I will have more on my mind than efficiency of house so will be sporadic in feedback at times in future I am guessing.

And no if anyone is wondering the car park is still a mess.....

Still lots to unpack

truth is we brought too much with us, amazing how possessions add up, then using that popular latest term to' declutter', well just how do I know what I won't use again? thus results in my overly packed house.

Following the Christmas period where the decorations had to come out (this was mandatory I was told) I am now getting used to having my lounge back and still I have little room, I have come to the conclusion that a much bigger shed is needed, so that will fall onto the next purchase list. Having both had the seasonal infections we are only now starting to look at getting straight. Much of my furniture is still too big for this bungalow, its a fine line between function and space and everything has to have maximum storage potential.

Got up in night only to find temp plummeted again, 19 degrees had to play with the thermostat again, now have managed to get to 20.9 in about 5 hours, I will have another look tomorrow at the instructions I was pretty sure I had followed them but had set temp to 23 as knew we were going cold. I have and am prone to chest infections and the only way I can breathe is to have warm air in lungs, when propped up.

Will have been in 6 months on Feb 23rd so will take meter readings and compare with last years at old house with gas central heating and electric bills. I shall have to bear in mind that it is a different heat though as it would have been much warmer overall temperature.

New mattress arrived today so hopefully a better nights sleep - I have to say it is lovely and quiet here compared to living in central town. Overall I have to say I love my new home, my neighbour is lovely and I love my garden.

Oh I did get chilly...

It was decidedly chilly the other night, I did get cold, enough to decide that although most people may be warm enough I need more in the way of back up heating (yes mental note to phone Ben back but given my problems at the moment this will have to wait - sorry Ben B I will call you back) The thermometers all read 19-21 but my bones were still cold, and started to seize up thus resulting in more pain, may be its to do with my medical condition feeling the cold, anyway I now have installed a small oil filled radiator in bathroom and a larger one in bedroom, will see if this helps and what costings work out like. Its likely to get warmer again the forecast says but we haven't had our cold snap yet.

We are still struggling with storage space, the fridge/freezer being stuck out in middle of the lounge really throws me off, how to arrange the lounge without noticing is difficult, especially with a wheel chair and leaving room to get through, most difficult. We did try without a table but that didn't work, you do need to have comfy space to eat. I am going to go on the idea of putting a fridge under the hob space (will attach a plan, if anyone of you has a bright idea then please feel free to message me, ideas appreciated!)

Of course the measurements are not showing as correct the inside of wall on far right of picture is actually 4.42 mtrs, not as stated.

My fridge freezer is the second left square from the sink, and as per above statement the measurements on these plans are out, the lounge from wall on extreme left side to fridge/freezer is actually closer to 2.5 mtrs.

I will post my layout so far with my ideas once I can transfer to this computer.

First Energy bill is in....

Your electricity use so far £247.52

This is for period 18 August 2014 - 30 December 2014, its hard to compare at the moment as I am used to having a gas and electric bill. Also the period we had a very mild September, October and November only turning cooler in December. I will monitor and report back the next three months which will give a fairer idea I suspect. I do know that the amount the supplier quoted as anticipated use is no where near, initially asking for £114.00 per month, this has now been reduced. We are not overrun with gadgets and I only use the tumble drier occasionally, at the moment. The little radiator which has been remounted in the hall has been on a couple of times and I have a coal effect fire for glow in the lounge occasionally I will tweak the fan on but this is few and far between. The warmth given out by the glow is lovely, one of those ones you could fall asleep to, because the rooms are small and mainly white or pale in decoration this is needed as a focal point of some sort.