Allotments 4 All

Am holding back the reins here  :o for fear of offence - golden MP pensions, allowances etc - nooo , give the nag her head  :) Time for a new board Dan methinks!

Interesting to note that, although diesel was always cheaper than petrol, since the lorry blockades of a few years ago, diesel is always more expensive.

it makes you wonder if it is the government holding a warning over the lorry drivers not to cause any more problems or they will make matters even worse.

cj :)

Interesting to note that, although diesel was always cheaper than petrol, since the lorry blockades of a few years ago, diesel is always more expensive.

Good point - How did that turn around??

I believe the price of diesel went up above petrol several years ago because it was said to be environmentally unfriendly, so an extra tax was put on it.

I found this site which shows petrol prices in Europe. 

http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/eupetrolprices/default.asp

Diesel is more expensive here but petrol is cheaper than in some European countries such as Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands and Finland .  France was a lot cheaper than the UK a couple of years ago but we noticed last year that we were paying as much over there as here.  On the Price Comparison site it shows the petrol price in France to be marginally lower than here.

On the subject of France, I believe lorries over 7.5 tonnes are not allowed to drive on any roads in France on a Sunday.  I think Nick queried this.

We owe it to future generations to cut down on fuel wherever possible.  Public transport in Salisbury has improved dramatically and there are several Park and Rides.  Our nearest one saves my OH some petrol and the cost of parking.  I have my own car but do use the bus whenever I can. 

Our electricity bill has actually gone down.  This is because we have put in more insulation and changed to energy saving light bulbs.  I swapped my home insurance when it was due and paid less than last year.  Unfortunately we have oil fired central heating and this has gone up hundreds of pounds a year.

I would like to see the Government bring in regulations for all new homes to have solar panels and, wherever possible, small wind turbines.  It would also be helpful if the prices for solar heaters and wind turbines were a lot cheaper.

What about multi-fuel cars with a solar panel instead of a sun roof?  Could they not design ones with some sort of turbine fitted into the roof so that batteries could be charged?   

We have got to realise that fossil fuels are limited and the more we can do now to cut down on our use, the better it will be.   

I'm sorry to be a pain here, but isn't the idea to get us to use less ? or are we turning into Americans ?

There IS a finite amount of oil.
Our use IS rising.
The world demand IS also rising which is driving the price up.

Yes, I know a thick wedge of the pump price goes in TAX, but if the Government don't get it from fuel, it will get it from somewhere else (speed cameras, parking tickets ?)

Is every trip you take REALLY necessary? How many houses only have one car these days ? Yes, it will have an impact on today's lifestyle, but what about our tomorrows ?

Yes, we can reduce our use of plastic bags, but isn't that just p1ssing in the wind compared to our car usage.
(and don't start me of the excessive use of cardboard use around Easter eggs)

Are we complaining now just because we've had a long period of economic stability and growth with rising standards of living, and we've go too accustomed to a comfortable life.

Have we become a 'spend now, worry about it later' nation ?

As for those feeling the pinch today, just wait until April, when the 10% tax band disappears and the starting rate becomes  20%.


I'm now off to my nuclear proof burrow before you lot put me in a saucepan, gas mark 5.

Whilst I can see all viewpoints here, particularly the environmental ones, until the government improve the public transport system there is no way people are going to reduce their car usage to a level that will make any difference.  I wish I could use my car less, but it's essential for me to care for my grandmother who is unable to use public transport due to her age and mobility, not to mention the lack of helpful routes to where she needs to go.  I'd also love to get a more environmentally friendly car but find myself totally priced out of the market.  I car share where possible, I use the train for uni but the bottom line is the government seem to be taking about 75% in tax, yet I fail to see where this is going in terms of environmental issues with regards to transport.

OK, the government do have to do something about it - But so do we - We owe it to us.

Little changes like getting rid of plastic bags is good, but as long as we make sure that the next step is better by far - Not by 0.00001%

Every little thing helps, but along with those ideas we have to have the big ideas working.

Quote from: Paulines7 on March 06, 2008, 01:03:02
Our electricity bill has actually gone down.  This is because we have put in more insulation and changed to energy saving light bulbs.  I swapped my home insurance when it was due and paid less than last year.  Unfortunately we have oil fired central heating and this has gone up hundreds of pounds a year.

You may be able to find an alternative for the heating oil one of my neighbours has oil fired heating/hot water & after doing a bit of research on the internet we found that you can use either waste vegetable oil or biodiesel instead of kerosene. Which you use depends on the type of boiler you have. In his case it was only possible to use biodiesel but this has still resulted in huge savings on his energy bill and is a slightly greener alternative.



I don't drive so I find it difficult to take an interest in petrol prices. But I am completely dependendent on public transport which is awful in this area although I travel free with a disabled pass I have to fit my life around the buses the first bus is not until 10:00 & the last one home leaves at 16:45 which is something I have always found to be seriously restrictive & would like to see drastic improvements made to. Unfortunately all the meetings to discuss public transport locally are in the evening when I can't get there because it would leave me stuck 12 miles from home with no bus until the next morning.

Just thank our lucky stars that the pound/dollar rate is around the 2 dollar mark, otherwise how much would we be paying for our petrol.

All the more reason why we should buy British products to keep the price of the pound up.

another question isn't it more friendly to the environment to  keep older cars on the road? As I believe most of the damage caused is in the production of the vehicle?

Quote from: Baccy Man on March 06, 2008, 08:39:11

Quote from: Paulines7 on March 06, 2008, 01:03:02
Our electricity bill has actually gone down.  This is because we have put in more insulation and changed to energy saving light bulbs.  I swapped my home insurance when it was due and paid less than last year.  Unfortunately we have oil fired central heating and this has gone up hundreds of pounds a year.

You may be able to find an alternative for the heating oil one of my neighbours has oil fired heating/hot water & after doing a bit of research on the internet we found that you can use either waste vegetable oil or biodiesel instead of kerosene. Which you use depends on the type of boiler you have. In his case it was only possible to use biodiesel but this has still resulted in huge savings on his energy bill and is a slightly greener alternative.

Thank you for this helpful information Baccy Man.  Does your neighbour make his own biodiesel or have it delivered?

Sorry to hear about your problems with transport.  Is there not someone who lives nearby that would give you a lift to a transport meeting or are you really out in the sticks? 

Quote from: Paulines7 on March 06, 2008, 09:39:07
Thank you for this helpful information Baccy Man.  Does your neighbour make his own biodiesel or have it delivered?

My neighbour buys large quantities of waste vegetable oil & I turn it into biodiesel for him, I often help him out with things like this I also designed & built a sytem for him to use filtered rainwater for flushing the toilet.
The process of making biodiesel is very similar to distillation which is something I understand a lot better than he does you can buy it ready made but it is fairly simple & somewhat cheaper to make your own. I will try & find the info again so I can give you a few links.

Quote from: Paulines7 on March 06, 2008, 09:39:07
Sorry to hear about your problems with transport.  Is there not someone who lives nearby that would give you a lift to a transport meeting or are you really out in the sticks? 

Transport wise I am used to it I have lived here 8 years & I knew how bad the buses were before I moved in. I usually pass on something in writing to someone who is able to attend the public transport meetings which are held in towns 12, 18 or 30 miles away & ask them to emphasise the point that I can't attend myself because of the lack of public trasport. It has improved slightly over the years but still has a long way to go.

Quote from: Paulines7 on March 06, 2008, 09:39:07
Sorry to hear about your problems with transport.  Is there not someone who lives nearby that would give you a lift to a transport meeting or are you really out in the sticks? 

I really do think this is one of today's problems with society. We are all very self centered (me included). When I drive, very rarely is there more than one person in the car. When we just pop to the shops, I'm sure I could be getting something for the nextdoor neighbour to save them a trip (car milage) - but do I think of this - Nope, never.

The modern world has lost its sense of community, where we all help each other (and save many petrol miles).


Also, 6 years ago I could see that my parents were getting to the stage where they would need to use more public transport, be able to walk to the shops etc. So, after a lot of persuasion, they moved house to where all these facilities are already in place. An expensive and heart wrenching time, but now ... there are absolutely no regrets.

My brother lives out in the country, his kids constantly complain there's nothing to do and he complains that he is a full time unpaid taxi driver, and spends so much time and money commuting to work. I say tough - you chose to live there.

Why fight to force the councils to provide extra transport, just move to where it already exists.

These days we just sit back and complain that things ain't good enough and its up to someone else to put it right. Meanwhile, what are we, as individuals, doing ? Its easy to blame someone else.

I suppose 'transport-wise' we should bring back the old WW2 slogan "Is your journey really necessary?"

I was amazed this morning.  I was walking down into the village to post some letters.  Our drive is evens one side, odds the other.  We are number 33 (on the odd side ;D).  As I passed number 27, the occupant got into her car, backed out of the drive and drove in the same direction as I was walking.  I passed her parents bungalow (No. 5) and there was her car parked :o  Even if she was going on somewhere else afterwards, the walk there and back wouldn't have taken long.

I am beginning to think that 'man' is going to lose the use of its legs, simply because they refuse to use them.

On the subject of public transport.  It is virtually non-existent round here.  If you haven't got a car you go nowhere!!!

We live in the village of Alton (as in Towers).  We get more coaches, cars, etc through the village in Summer, and could really do with a congestion charge.  You have to plan your journey at the height of the season, because if you go out of the village in the wrong direction, and try to get back - you join the queue.  Management at the Towers seems to think that issuing 20 free tickets to local residents makes it all right.  I send for them each year as a matter of principle, but have very few takers.  2007 four, 2006 none (and unlike a lot of villagers I don't sell them).

valmarg

Not everyone is in a position to move to where the public transport is pesky
wabbit.If only life was so simple. :)