canalsiderenovation

I booked the cheapest EPC I could find on the Internet. Less than £40 as I recall. I don't think he had ever done one before as he asked me for all the info and was in the house less than 30 mins. Our RHI is £11203.08 and we are a couple of years now into receiving payments. Our plumber did everything so his price included all the ASHP and all the plumbing of kitchen, bathrooms etc but the (less said about that the better) but our RHI covered a very significant sum and worked out cheaper than what we would have paid for the equipment alone.

Hi After receiving our Octopus statement I thought I'd report back on our energy use with our ASHP and Octopus Go Faster. As anyone knows it took me a long time to get settings that worked well and our external insulation definitely helped. I can now give figures of our electricity use from 3 July 2021 until 3 March 2022. In total we have used 5,215.80kWh over the 200 days of which 2469.70kWh has been at our cheap Octopus Go Faster rate of 5.5p between the hours of 20:30-01:30, the remaining is at 14.63p. The Standing Charge is 25p a day. We found in summer our use was very little, between 3-4 units a day. We completely programmed the DHW off on the ASHP as our solar was diverting excess to our large tank. Our heating is controlled by the thermostats. Rooms are set as a minimum of 21 degrees (our bedroom is the exception at 20.5 degrees as I don't like to sleep too warm) with the whole house consistently heated even rooms we aren't consistently using like bedroom/ensuite. During the Octopus cheap times the temperature raises up to about 22-23 degrees in some rooms (those we use often) which means they generally stay warm, tripping in early morning on some cold days. The hot water is similarly programmed in to trip in at 8:30pm during the cheap tarrif for a couple of hours if it isn't at 48 degrees although the solar has generally got this way over, particular recently. On days we had temperatures go below freezing with some very cold days we were using around 35-40 units just on our heating and hot water but in the main this has been in the cheap times. We also have a wood burner and the free wood we have been storing from CRT cutting down trees in the storms definitely comes in useful. With us still experiencing some frosts we have had heating kicking in again recently overnight though days have been fine. Overall we have made the Octopus Go Faster Tarrif work for us and the heat pump is programmed to suit this. Had we not got specific times of cheap electricity I may use the ASHP slightly differently but either way we are warm and generally pleased with things.

I can't see your pictures but we ordered today from DIY kitchens. Minor adjustment to the wood laminate colour of the worktop but we are sorted and looking forward to having the storage too. It wasn't cheap but it does give us all the space we need. I'll update at the end of April when it's all in.

Only a laminate, we weren't set specifically on worktops from DIY kitchens but we had lots of samples from different places as we needed a 4m worktop on one side to avoid a join so that limited options. In the end this one was a close match to our flooring https://www.hcsupplies.co.uk/product/laminate-worktops/duropal-wellington-oak-2050mm-x-600mm-x-40mm We then realised it was cheaper and also available at DIY kitchens. We may have an od bits left about 500mm so perhaps a shelf for a plant or something.... We are trying to avoid it looking too kitcheny. I think we may go for Option 2.

I think so, to be honest our current desk is 800mm and it's a pain as our plugs are on the wall (we had them put high rather than lower for practical reasons of having things on the desk) and I hate having to stretch over to try and reach them and both of us being small in height the 800mm does our head in! Working with kitchen units has its limitations in the availability of unit designs but DIY kitchens have been amazing. Things like the corner one aren't available online at the reduced height but they are doing it for us. The units on the desk are dressers with the single drawer at the bottom and 300mm in depth but good for what we need and books etc.

No, we won't have stools DIY kitchens put them on as an asthetic finish! They are using reduced height base units of 575 plus 100 legs (adjustable) so the joiner can shave down the 150 plinth and 40 worktop = 71.5cm. Actually 75cm is more for people of 6ft + high. We'd be more like 66cm ideally as we are both lacking in the height department! https://ergodesks.co.uk/blogs/news/what-height-should-my-desk-be I measured the current desk (a cheap Argos one) and it's 71 high which is what we currently use (or the dining table which is marginally higher) so I think the base units will be fine. Here's the plan. The desk alcove for each will be more as we are changing the middle unit from 400 to 300 so I'd guess 900ish each. The middle one is for support of the worktop really. We would prefer not to have it but I think the 3630 worktop will need some sort of support. We both work from laptops and we will have the other length under the window of worktop if needed (my other half has long sheets of A4 plans paper so she frequently moves from a desk and lays them out along the kitchen worktop instead so that's why the extra worktop space under the window is useful)! We also need the storage below....

Not really, like kitchen cupboards but you will see inside those tall ones on the right and left as they are open shelves with no doors. Whatever is on there will be the same for all carcasses.

Me again! Soooo, office design. We have looked at IKEA, Wickes, B&Q, DIY Homefit, Lark & Larks and DIY Kitchens and have got designs for all. The quality and price for DIY kitchens is cheaper than all of the others and Howdens, even with my dad's trade account won't budge a penny! They have used base units and some dresser units to come up with something that works well for us and reduced height units. And now, colours. The dresser has some open shelves so the carcass colour will be visible on these open shelves (bookcase like). The design is based on a dark blue and we were sort of set on that but the carcass colour can't be blue and they recommended the graphite (very dark grey). The room isn't that big (2180*3630) and the floor is pretty close to the worktop colour (a grey/brown wood LVT). The walls are and will be staying white. (There is another base cupboard on the left hand of the plan and window you just can't see it) as it's hard for me to rotate and crop it). And to now throw two options into mix: Option 2: Wood worktop, darker grey carcass and open shelves, cornflower blue doors. Option 3: Wood worktop, lighter grey carcass and open shelves, cornflower blue doors. I don't know if this is a bit wishy washy with the light grey especially as our walls are white so if the open shelves will look a bit dirty.

We have the showerwall panels in the bathrooms (the ones backed onto the wood) and like them but we disregarded them for two reasons - we couldn't find a colour we liked which went with the patterned worktop we have. The majority of panels we saw are patterned like marble or stone effect which we have which disguise any joins and the plain colour ones are awful and the joins are far more noticeable and secondly, they are so expensive especially if they were to go on the wall opposite floor to ceiling and we want the same thing behind the sink as we do on the wall opposite! I'm not a huge fan of grout but I've never had issues keeping it clean in the last house. Bit of bicarb works a treat That's a really good idea @dpmiller and @Tempand gets away from using edging.

As the sink is silver as are taps and door handles I think it will end up being silver.....

Yes we have been looking into layout and like the brick type of layout. The places we have been to said 2mm spacers.

Thanks @Temp I'll look into the links. I actually like them @Russell griffithsand we have a tiler to do them properly! We have been to quite a few tile places and looked at budget options as it's not a room we want to spend a lot to be honest! Trying to find the shade of green we liked (pale sage) was generally with the smaller tiles (we have found one similar to Topps but Johnson's outlet as they are half the price and offer Blue Light discount). The corner is more a side, I was probably unclear. It's more of two sides. At the back of the sink the tiles will go to the top of the wall units then come round the two sides so it will be the top of the sides that will need edging and the sides of the side tiles if that makes sense, excuse the mess. See pic (oh wow look at that I got it to flash don't ask me how)!! It's not a large room and more of a walk through, cleaning etc and not somewhere we spend lots of time if we can help it because I'd we are in there we are cleaning, handwashing stuff, cleaning grubby things in the big sink etc. It's more something practical. With pale sage colour I don't think a dark grout will go well, most pictures seem to have them with white grout but a protector definitely sounds like a good plan! Any particular recommendations of grout or adhesive and protector as I'll get them all from Screwfix/Toolstation.

Hi Our utility walls are always a mess and we are looking to tile one wall floor to ceiling where we have a bench (always getting marked as we sit on there taking off shoes etc) and then also tile around the utility sink from worktop to wall units and the side walls of the sink as it's continually filthy from scrubbing things, etc. We are looking at some metro style tiles in sage green. As we come around the side walls of the sink some of the top tile edge will be exposed and also the side edge. I know there is a silver edging which I'm not really a fan of but has anyone got similar that can tell me what colour/style of edging they used. Thank you!

Wishful thinking perhaps! I can't get the links to work but this is what Octopus sent me. My account still shows my current rates above. Guess I'll have to wait until my fixed term ends. I'm already on Go Faster so hopefully everything will stay the same ??

Same here. We heat the hot water by ASHP to the set 48 degrees kicking in during the Octopus Go 5.5p cheap rates (8;30pm for an hour and half only). We have been fine with this even on days of very minimal solar but in the past week we have noticed with some spring sunny days in the day the water temperature has risen to 56 degrees so the ASHP hasn't kicked in to heat the water in the evening as it's hotter than the 48 degrees. Last summer I turned the ASHP controlling the hot water off completely for 4 months as we just didn't need it as the solar was doing it all.

Our Go Faster Tarrif comes to an end this Friday with Octopus but I can't seem to find what the new rates will be I'll roll onto. Does anyone know who has recently rolled over? We are currently paying the following with the 5.5p per kWh between 20:30-01:30 which has been great for us in winter and on average half of our use is at the cheap times (hot water and heating mainly and running appliances when we have had limited solar). I'm presuming it's going up but I don't know what to!

It's all off unscrewed completely now. I'm going to clean everything today. Then tomorrow CT1 clear around tray corners where it meets showerwall, let it dry then Forever White over top around tray (only the sides against wall). Then screw channel back on, put back on glass and CT1 clear on OUTSIDE ONLY none elsewhere inside. Hopefully then this will solve everything....

It's off - there was a plastic seal! I'm a bit confused really as I didn't see any silicone inside to be honest but but we were getting water that appeared to be on the skirting (you can see the mark) and the opinion was it was water getting trapped in the channel. Do I now need to also remove the metal channel to see if there is any water or sealant in there before putting everything back and resealing?

It's off - there was a plastic seal! I'm a bit confused really as I didn't see any silicone inside to be honest but but we were getting water that appeared to be on the skirting (you can see the mark) and the opinion was it was water getting trapped in the channel. Do I now need to also remove the metal channel to see if there is any water or sealant in there before putting everything back and resealing?

I see the glass is fitted into the metal channel but how on earth do we get the glass out of it.

So the mission to take the screen off and reseal the tray as we have a leak where water is running from the skirting and I believe it's due to an incorrectly fitted screen thanks @Nickfromwales Removed silicone inside, removed bar, removed silicone on outside. It's still stuck! How the hell do you get the glass off the tray? Does it come out with the metal bit against the shoerwall, e.g. is the glass sealed into that or is there a knack. The bottom bit is moving but nothing else!

We are looking into prices for a fitted furniture for the office and my dad has kindly filled in the forms to open a trade account. His local Howdens is different to mine and I'm just wondering how this will work in practice. Can I log into his account as him and do a design and get a price or should he send me as a 'customer' of his into Howdens and let them do a design and then send the price to him. Obviously my dad won't be charging me any profit and will let me have items as trade prices, e.g. what Howdens charge him and I'm presuming they will be a lot cheaper than the prices we would get just going in without any discount but I don't know just how discounted they are!.

We have the TP link, we found if far easier to set up and it works great and we have WiFi all through the house now. Even got my parents a whole set up for their home/business when the main router is some 400m away in a separate building as the signal was so poor in the house streaming was impossible. It's a full signal now. If only we could get something similar for our mobile signal. It's fine if we have WiFi in the house as we can use wi-fi calling but if the power goes, no signal and outside the house no signal either.

@Nickfromwales exactly which bit do you mean? You can see here the build up of silicone and where it's run under the skirting This is the inside: How on earth do the damn screens come off?!?

Oh hell, I'll have to look into taking it all apart what a nightmare.