Ferdinand

I would recommend try on the Property Tribes site.

Incidentally I dropped the same post over on a Gardening Forum - interesting comments. https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1058489/how-much-mains-water-do-you-use/

I think that's because as a group we are well off, with bigger houses, and mainly decent gardens. To be fair, a lot of people on BH have very good "collect rainwater to use in garden" arrangements, I think.

Do new houses in Scotland have to have a meter installed? Down Sooth I think Southern Water (ie Chichester etc) are moving forward with compulsory meters over a couple of decades. Another half dozen companies can do the same thing if they wish due to being areas of water stress. https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/experts/article-6951463/I-told-water-meter-installed-dont-want-one-compulsory.html NI are embarrassed to be installing them, but have to in new properties: https://www.niwater.com/news-detail/?News_ID=10916&FriendlyID= Wales is encouraging water meters, and will install one free: https://www.dwrcymru.com/en/my-household/water-meters And in Scotland you have to pay them to give you one as an existing householder. The last number I saw was that water meters in the whole of Scotland were under 500, which may be out of date: https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/en/Your-Home/Your-Charges/Water-Meters Which all pretty much correlates with the inverse of quantity of perceived rain, Except in NI, where they are perhaps very aware of the huge bunfight in the ROI, where water used to be free at the point of tap. No And there is now a current settlement that 'normal' water is free and billing is done for the excess aiui. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Water

I thought for a minute that you were somebody from around here, where aitches 'ardly 'ever 'appen, talking about controlling your hedges. Favourite anecdote. Sister announcing at breakfast table: "We are gong to have an arbour in the back garden." Niece, at age about 6: "With ships?" F

I get it on my bill as I have a water meter. It told me that my daily usage was equivalent to 1450 cups of tea, too. Alternatively there's a handy-dandy calculator here, which will give an approx estimate: https://www.anglianwater.co.uk/help-and-advice/save-water/water-usage-calculator/#

If you buy Postsaver (which I use on all posts) go and buy direct from the manufacturer via there website as it is about 30% of the price resalers will charge you.

I would be looking with a jaundiced eye, and reflecting on what is under that raised lawn (is it real grass?), just in case you need to excavate into it for foundations or anything. I looks newbuildy, and I wonder where they put any rubble?

Thanks. I have focused on volume of mains water used not price ? .

We have compared energy bills before. I don't think we have done water usage before. These are my numbers and relevant information. Usage 2nd half 2020 - 190l per day 1st half 2021 - 260l per day Normal mains supply. Water meter installed. 200sqm property occupied by one person. Use water butts for much gardening water, but also hose. Location: Midlands I think that difference is mainly using the hose for watering the garden, and leaving the hose on by mistake, which suggests that a more organised tank/pumped garden system is the main opportunity for me to reduce usage, plus some sort of hose time or hose max-time-on switcher-offer.

This was built. 39 Bank View Road, Derby is the one in the middle below. You can see the "blank wall" etc.

Once a name gets attached to a house it is an absolute b*gg*r to get it changed ime. Take care. Mine is called I think Hillcrest or something, and it's like Dunroamin' - you expect anyone living there to have a Dachshund and furry slippers, and a traditional bird-bath, grow Hybrid-T Roses, and make their butter into curls. I keep swatting it, but it keeps coming back like a Parking Warden. ( @canalsiderenovation should call their boat NOT-Dunroamin' )

You could do worse than choose the name for your new house, and put up a sign on a pole with it in big letters. Then use that.

It's been fine for about 4 years, so I am hoping I can trace tthe bit that has suddenly come loose.

I think Govt policy has for a number of years required fabric improvements before renewable technology gets funded. A current example is I think the investment sequence imposed for GHG funding. Previously this also applied to funding for solar panels iirc under the FIT programme. IMO there are three important lessons we have learnt: 1 - Gordon Brown's Code for Sustainable Homes taught us about the problems with gimmicks. 2 - The Conservative programme thinking about funding out of energy bill savings taught us to keep it as simple as possible. 3 - The spiralling cost of FIT when it the arates were kept high enough to be free money taught us (I hope) about realism and keeping subsidies relatively small to maximise overall returns in CO2 savings. F

I have a strange noise somewhere in (I think) my shower pipework. When I turn the hot tap off abruptly at the wash basin there is a "ker-lunk" from somewhere in the shower pipework (I think). Can anyone give any thoughts about what I need to look for? For example is it likely to be a pipe loose in its mounting? The bathroom was completely redone a few years ago. It sounds like a variety of waterhammer to me, of which I am familiar as pipe vibrations at previous houses. Thanks Ferdinand

Indeed. Not paying attention to parapet walls can have consequences. Good that you are taking the time to address it. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jun/02/deborah-orr-roof-silent-disaster

Does i require planning to remove a parapet wall? I don't know. Not that it looks like the neighbours opposite will mind.

Quite like the idea of a "ventilated ridge". Suggest Striding Edge, or the Black Cuilin. Very well ventilalted, those two ?.

Planning are mainly interested in your impact on others. In this case it might be wortha chat with planning if you are confident in the "no overlooking". "Why do they want all those rooms" would not be a relevant objection, so they would have to be more creative. For planning it might require an extra parking space to go from 4 to 5.

Buy plot, get planning, build house is perhaps more like 2-5 years after you have bought the plot.

"less" is "more". ? I think a license is >10,000l per day. ie up to 1.5 Olympic Pools per year ish.

Back on population control, I was wondering about Iran, where fertility fell from 6.5 births per woman to 2 between 1980 and 2010, largely as a result of free family planning services from the state when Mr Rafsanjani was President. An interesting case. As a result there is now a demographic window whilst there is a large young-old ratio to do things with old age care and their Health Service. It fell by about 60% in 10 years between 1985 and 1995. I remember Peter Day on R4 In Business making a similar point about China around 1995-2000, during a programme about China's future health service. An interesting account of Iran is here: https://carnegieendowment.org/2017/12/18/iran-in-transition-implications-of-islamic-republic-s-changing-demographics-pub-75042

I think we need some more information. Your first step is to work out how you are going to renovate it and what your needs will be, before you decide if you need it. It sounds as if you are looking at a Heat Pump, and I wonder if you can put more solar on the ground. The name of the game in investment-effectiveness in solar is saving money on the way in, and making sure you can maximise it. Remember that you may have an opportunity for charging car or supply-smoothing batteries in the future. In roof solar will save on new roof tiles if you have to replace these. I renovated a 67sqm 60s bungalow 3 years ago to a high standard (EPC 74C) with no panels, and the tenants tell me that bills for a family of 3 ran at about £55-60 per month all in. The thread is here and has bits in it about building quality, heat control etc

Interestingly different to the emissions per pop numbers, where France is just below the UK and Germany about 80% higher.