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.

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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.