General Chat

Pam, we re fortunate that our power bills are not too high.

We don't use may appliances and are on mains gas. We have a wood burning stove for winter and reverse cycle air conditioning, which really got a work out this summer!

I know that my daughter and her partner have amassive power bill every quarter.

Allan

Allan,

Yes, I know that the biggest bill my kids have is for air con and we don't have that up here. No ceiling fans or anything like that. On the odd occasion during the heat of summer we drag out the $14.99 pedestal fan and put it on but that's mostly to blow the heat out after the sun has gone down. This house is well designed to take advantage of any breezes that are available, plus we have lots of trees around shading the walls of the house from the sun.

I don't know that we would be able to afford to go and live in a town now. I hear so many towns people talking about how their costs have risen.

We, too, use gas for cooking and heating water, but that's bottled gas which we use approx one bottle per 1/4 which costs $135 delivered and I think that's quite reasonable.

I was looking at the size and designs of some of the houses they were showing on TV when talking about electricity costs and thinking that these houses are huge and don't have windows in the right places to catch breezes, no verandahs or anything shading the reo'ed walls from the sun. Is it any wonder that power is costing them a fortune. I don't believe these houses are designed for the Australian climate.

Pam.

Pam I agree with you, but amendments to the Building Regs now require all new homes to be energy efficient. No more electric water heaters, full insulation etc.

Our house faces west. The family room (built on the east cops the morning sun: nice in winter but not so nice in summer, and the living room has the sun in the afternoons. we should ideally be orientated North South, not the way we are!

Allan

Allan we have only one wall that's exposed to the sun and that's from the west. The others have verandah's and porches shielding them which we find works well for keeping the heat out in summer and the warmth in in winter. The west facing wall we've dropped a very large shadecloth from the roof to the ground which shields the wall from direct sun in summer and the cold in winter. The cloth is the same colour as the wall is painted so is almost unnoticeable until you get close to the house. Of course, this being a farmhouse means that we aren't held to the same criteria of aesthetics that houses in the towns and cities are but it sure is cheaper than air con or fans and a lot more comfortable, too.

I must go now. Have the washing finished and hung out and I have to drive in to town to the post box today. Am waiting on some information on a job that I have starting in the near future.

All the best Allan and hope you have a great day.

Pam.

Thanks Pam

There may be a change of plan here: the rain has just moved in again.

Have a nice day

Allan

What a lovely thread this is. I have just had a very long read and found each post interesting.

One of these days,fingers permitting, I will join in properly :-))

Hello my friend Susanwithnumbers - although you're probably tucked up in bed now. You know you are always welcome on here:-))

Sue xx

Good morning, although I don't think any one is here. All this talk of keeping the sun out is strange indeed. We spend all our time trying to keep our houses warm.

Having said that, it is a lovely sunny morning and as my computer desk is next to a window I have had to pull the blind (shade) down to keep the sun off my arm.

I have a myriad of things to do today, one of which is to go to the allotment of course.I was looking at the calender and according to that the first earlies (potatoes) should be ready this week, but the weather has been so bad this year, that they haven't even flowered yet, so no way are they ready

Hi Linda:-))

Sue xx

Hi Sue, sorry I came here first, but then went off to tend to my other emails.

I am going to be industrious and fill my hanging baskets and the flower tubs on the patio. they should have been done a while back, but I didn't want to do them before we went on holiday. As we had the ashed off holiday then the real one, it means that I am a bit late. I am then going to go and have my hair cut. i still go to the same hairdressers near where I used to live, so it is a bit of a drive, but I will go to the cemetery at the same time. Then I have to go to the allotment, then i have a fair bit of paper work to do including filling in the claim form for the travel insurance, so I am going to be a bit of a busy bee today

Good morning Linda and Susanwithnumbers

Good evening Sue.

Linda all the talk about keeping the sun out was to make the Brits jealous :0))

Today has been cold, damp and miserable and I will shortly be lighting the fire.

Mind you, the lamb stew I made was really nice!

Allan

Hello Joan, we posted at the same time. I grow cut and come again salad on the patio,so like you I can just cut the leaves I want. I prefer to have them near the house so they are handy. I grow them in the old galvanised zinc bath tubs which were once a feature of houses pre bathroom days. The rest of the garden is just normal house garden, but we also have an allotment which is only about three minutes walk from the house so we grow all the rest of the veg there, plus it has a large fruit cage, so we grow lots of raspberries, blackcurrants and gooseberries, I make them into jam.

Good evening Joan.

You snuck on the thread whilst I was slowly typing :0))

Allan

Well it is actually sunny here today Allan,so for once our weather is better than yours.
I am glad the lamb stew turned out well, but are you trying to vie for my spot as cook in Tec's kitchen???????

I must set about my many chores now as OH is giving me the "are you on the computer again" look

Bye for now.

Hello Linda and Joan.

Linda - this afternoon I trimmed back my hanging baskets of geraniums. I've been meaning to do it for awhile as they're looking very straggly. Now they looked chopped up but I know they'll come back nicely come spring.

Joan - we only have a small veggie garden but OH manages to put quite a lot in. He has capsicums, cabbage, broccoli carrots, lettuce and cauliflower in. He's also got parsley, rosemary and basil. I've got mint in a big pot. The polystyrene boxes is a good idea.

Sue xx

Joan OH and I have also used those polystyrene boxes, they are fantastic.

We are currently growing potatoes in an old plastic fish pond that we have which sprung a leak. Good old recycling!

Allan

Hi, Allan:-))

Sue xx

Bye Linda: enjoy your day

Allan

Hi everyone,
It's sunny here!

Happy Birthday Pat,

Many Happy Returns - Hope you are having a good birthday, though I expect you're having to work.
Are you enjoying the football?

Tec.