-Mongrel-

This is an extract from a 2013 Govt survey/paper. I've linked the whole PDF thingy at the bottom. The estimated cost of heating a typical three bed-house with oil has been second only to LPG for most of the past seven years. In January 2013 the estimated national average cost of using oil for heating and hot water in a typical three bedroom house was just under £1,700 per year, compared to around £1,250 for gas.10 11 While the average cost of heating oil is almost 50% higher than mains gas, the cost of using LPG is almost double that of gas. UK average heating oil and LPG heating costs have risen over the last four years, during which time LPG has been consistently the most expensive and heating oil has been the most volatile. If I read it right, LPG is twice the cost of gas, and half as much again as using solid fuel. http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CIgBEBYwBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parliament.uk%2Fbriefing-papers%2FSn05806.pdf&ei=iPtFUtPtBOfW7Qb6pYGoAw&usg=AFQjCNGVId1uqVuUK_flPgrOejo6WHkoeg&sig2=4H0LG79XV04ucXAhVGmWVA&bvm=bv.53217764,d.ZGU

Spot on Kes and Mungler.

The being paid for it is what makes the difference though Luke. The OP can do the wiring and apparently as an ex installer, building control are going to let him sign it off too.

If it's a joke, why did you shoot it?

Because you no longer do domestic electrical work?

Nope, you are right. If you install into your own home then you don't need any qualifications, but, if it's part of an extension for example, then the electrics will need to be certified, you can't do that as a layman. If you are being paid for it and not qualified, you will be working illegally.

Make sure you know what you can and can't shoot (one of ours wanted us to shoot crows and ravens, obviously we had to politely decline the raven shooting) Be prepared to explain what you would or wouldn't do regarding footpaths/public access. Establish how best to verify boundaries (for several of our perms we used Google maps to give us photo 'maps' of the land and then marked all of the boundaries. Find out how he wants you to notify him that you will be shooting. Is there anything he doesn't want shot? Any no go areas, can you drive over all of it, some of it or none of it?

You're probably right, however, most authorities/companies/insurers etc only deem you to be competent if you hold the relevant qualifications. To be paid for it you must be registered, same as in gas work.

Very impressive. I really do need to get more off a grip on the blacks this winter.

Basically you need to be certificated to do and more importantly certify electrics. It appears the OP used to be certificated and has just been told that he can self certificate his install.

The fact that they always cover their faces proves that they know what they are doing is wrong. As said, if they were legitimately going about their business they wouldn't need to cover their faces. Criminals one and all in one way or another be it just trespassing or abusive. They'll get no shrift from me until they are prepared to stand up and be counted. THEN, I will be prepared to discuss things with them. I had one come over and remonstrate with me about shooting birds this summer, I just let him have his say, didn't even bother to address any point he'd made, just told him he was trespassing and that he needed to return to the public footpath or I'd call the Police He did try the right to roam rubbish, but was told in no uncertain terms that the right to roam only encompassed public access land, not private property. He then puffed and blustered briefly...and left.

Yeah it is, I may have to do a few miles to get to a perm but not along motorways or high speed roads. MT's it is then.

So BFG AT's are popular, and seem to be fairly 50/50 orientated but how bad does it need to get before they start to struggle?

Thanks for the offer George but I'll get a full new set on her, didn't spend all I had to play with on the truck so there's cash for tyres and odds n ****.

Me again! Sorry! I would like some real life reviews of tyres please. I do spend a lot of time on the perms and the Pajero expired end of last year which meant I got away with the van while it was dry! No longer! I bought the Disco after getting stuck a couple of times...too embarrassing, even if the farmer found it funny rather than annoying! Now, the Paj had Grabbers which seemed to do the job, but there are many other (and some cheaper) options. I'm looking for a 50/50 mud biased tyre, when it gets slick it gets deep and slick! What do you use and/or recommend?

Spain

Retrospectively, couldn't agree more. Will certainly be much more cautious in the future. However, what do you do with a property that is worth less than you paid for it to the point that if you could sell it (unlikely) you would probably not even see your initial deposit. As far as I'm concerned, you grit your teeth, knuckle down and find the extra to keep paying the mortgage until it either comes back into equity or is paid off. I'm sure I'm not alone in having this type of issue. It was bought fifteen years ago when times were good and it didn't look like ending, plenty of us believed that.

I'm 25% down on where I was 2 years ago, but that's across the new build industry. Lack of building has meant more companies trying to get the work with a result that the prices have been squeezed and squeezed. Gas engineers locally used to command at least £150/day and I was on more. Going rate now is £120/day and it's not any better on price unless you do stupid hours. I'm still doing better than most as I have a few specialist skills but suffering still even so. When you've earned well for twenty years (had my own business until 3 years ago) you tend to have a lifestyle suited to your income. However, 2 hard hits from companies going bust soon puts you back to square one. The only good news is we didn't lose our home. That all said, it is beginning to pick up again. There is definitely more work out there, and as such I'm hopeful. Not sure I'll set up in business again though, to-o-o-o-o-o much stress.

Difference there being that someone will be along to ticket them at some point while cyclists do at the moment, seem to get away with flouting pretty much all of the rules and laws of the road. Red light? Skip it or ride up the pavement, across the pedestrian crossing and rejoin the other side of the road. Riding in a group 3 wide? Sod everyone else! The peloton is more important! Barrel along pavements and through parks at silly speeds? Go on then, won't be there fault of course when they collide with someone and injure them...not that there is any comeback for the injured party because there's no need for them to be insured...and on that point, while stationary at lights about 3 weeks back a cyclist came clattering up between the lines of traffic, had a bit of a wobble and proceed to scrape up the side of the car. When I got out and yelled at him that he'd damaged the car and I'd need his details, he stuck two fingers up and continued on his way. Oddly enough, no, I don't like cyclists very much.

200tdi then.

Yeah, you see, this is where your four feet and mine is probably different. It may well not be four feet but is just my illusion of what four feet is? Dunno, how long is the average bird? What is four bird lengths?

I'm with Jdog on this one. I have days, especially recently when a magnet has had the opposite of the desired effect with birds looking at range then flaring off. Lose the magnet and just a flapper and/or floaters has worked more often than not for me.

Indeed, but at least MOST drivers are insured and pay their share unlike the bike fascists who just THINK they own the road. Somehow I suspect you could well be one, not sure why.

Personally I have an AA S510 for the stalking, a Hatsan Escort Camo semi auto shotgun and a Browning B525 for clays/pigeons and wildfowling, a couple of old 12g hammer guns oh, and an old BSA Meteor air rifle.

Welcome Scott, probably just around the corner if you are in Hove. Have a good mooch about, this place is a mine of information.