LSB

So, I've been looking at Octopus, but you only seem to be able to apply online and there doesn't seem to be anywhere to state that we have 3P. Does it matter, will that come later and what difference does it make to the cost.

Alan contact Andrew Read (andrew.reid@suffolk.gov.uk), until recently he was our local councillor, taken over by Sally Noble, but she's not been to any meeting yet so don't know her yet. Andrew has always responded to our requests or at the very least told us who we need to talk to, I think he is now our district councillor. Sorry Big Jimbo, but you should be able to find out these details for your parish. Google your parish as it's a legal obligation for the PC to publish minutes which will have the name and email address of your local councillor. Planning meeting dates are also published, find out when the next one is and go, then you should be able to get names from there, possibly no chance of talking, but will give you some details. Nag nag and nag again, don't bother with phone calls, emails / letters are more difficult for them to ignore. Jill

involve the parish council, they approved and the local councillor will attend or have the minutes of all the meetings. As the local councillor to follow up, if you ask formally via letter / email then they have to, they can't just ignore you. Then do that at every parish council meeting, ours are monthly, not sure how often yours are.

I have no idea why 3P is an issue with meters, but there are lots of posts here and elsewhere that says that many a time fitters have turned up and gone away again we have no gas and no EV and won't have in this house. new build (same land) will have EV as planning condition, but as we are very unlikely to buy EV cars then we will install wiring, but not the charging point until we have no choice.

that's interesting as I'm over 60

but if I understand you must have a smart meter and that's problematic with 3 phase. That said I'll look at them and hopefully you will also get £50 referral fee.

unfortunately as the build is using the house power the usage is only going one way, and that's not down. Lots of the tools are fuel, but lots are electric. Thanks for the response, I just wondered if I was missing a trick that everyone here knew and that there was a reasonably priced supplier out there somewhere.

thanks, I fixed long before the current crisis, the best I've found so far is 3 times what I'm paying now, for nothing different. that's with the same supplier.

and, at the moment I pay £53 per month.

we don't have gas, none around here some can't get any dual supply arrangements

I've just had the dreaded email from EON saying that my fixed tariff is ending soon. I have 3 phase, who are people finding the best company to use. We don't have a smart meter. We have 2 separate outlets each using 1 phase, one for the house and one for all the outbuildings. Suggestions greatly received. I don't really want a smart meter if I can avoid. I will have in the new build, but don't want here.

the inside DPC is wider, these pictures were from the cavity side. The other side hangs about 150mm

sorry, I meant DPC, too much going on to check what I'm typing.

This morning I have received the quote from the water board, their bit is circa 2.5k They are charging me some reduced VAT, some full VAT and some no VAT so I've asked about that. In the bigger picture I'm quite happy with that as a road closure would be an extra 3k, but they decided to come from the mains further up the road on our side as they don't want to close the road. They have sent lots of details about sprinkler systems which I'm yet to read. Their plan is to install 32mm metered as a builders' supply (which we don't need as using water from the host house) and then add the 25mm supply later and move the meter. Guess this is to stop us getting free water to build.

at least they give you a 'sale' price. thanks greatly

There is only 1 meter, on the 25, the 32 doesn't have one at all. Both have to be chlorinated and pressurised.

It was the water man that said 32 & 25, not our area of expertise. We didn't even know if we could use 32 in the house or how the difference affected the water pressure. I was just surprised that they said 2 pipes in the first place as that means that they have to provide 2 connections, one with a meter, one without.

I spent many hours / weeks looking at the ES planning passes and fails when I was applying and couldn't find any common ground. It seemed to be to be dependent on which officer you had, there was one lady that failed anything when she could think of a reason. Others, and thankfully ours, were more adaptable. But, it still took us 3 attempts, including that RAMS payment, which our architect said we should only pay once planning was received whereas it the non payment was one reason cited for refusal.

Today we've had the water board out, Northumberland, Essex & Suffolk to be precise, an odd combination considering how far away Northumberland is. He was helpful and nice, which was the biggest surprise ever. He showed us where the mains pipe is underground on his map and pointed out that if we go to the far side of our shed that is where the main already crosses the road, so no closure needed. Interestingly, he said the mains are asbestos so they can't really track and are just going by their master plan. He said if they are wrong then it's up to them to sort it out and we won't have to pay any extra, even if they have to close the road, and any negotiations with the grumpy farmer who owns the field next door will be done by NSE water. It does mean clearing out behind the sheds which will require the digger as that area has been ignored for 25 years + We then need to dig a trench to the build, which is 110m+, this means we have to have sprinklers. So, two pipes, 32mm for the sprinkler system, not metered, apparently you don't pay for water to put out your fire. And, 25mm for the rest metered. So, how will I fill the pond I wonder 🙂 They will both need to be chlorinated and pressure tested. All good so far. But, can anyone advise where we can get seriously long water pipe, the longest I can find is 50m which means 2 joins. Mr waterman said we should be able to get 100m

what bathroom does the au pair get to use in the basement Also, if the au pair is babysitting her room is 2 floors below the children

here is a photo, there is a side wall at right angles where the DPM is sticking out, but the whole of that wall has DPM at that level, same as on the external wall. The inside has scaffolding so I can't get to photo that side

So, blocks laid, DPM placed, blocks carry on. The DPM can be seen in some places and is hidden by mortar in others. Is this a damp bridging issue and should the mortar be cleared along the DPM so it's proud of the blocks. TIA

we have a lot of sheds, and had the barn that we are now converting

We bought a log splitter from Aldi circa £250, on of the best bits of money we ever spent. When we first moved in 20+ years ago I decided I didn't like the Lylandii in the garden, so I cut them all down in 1 day, 21 of them. HID cut them into lengths and over the last year I've split the lot. Very seasoned though, but in the wood shed for 19 years.

Ignore this, I was talking to Anglian Water and we use Essex & Suffolk 😚