Preparing for troubled times ahead - Advice on what is needed.....

[Woody girl]

Some nasty 2 inch nails are now poking out of the top of the fence, if they try grabbing the top they are gonna get a shock!
Nice big bolt on the back door too.
Moved all my wood and coal into a hidden area, covered with tarp and "junk" including a tin can alarm system, for now.
New pir light.
camera set up to catch any other intruders.
I have one out the front trained on the bikes.
Unfortunately, I have a public footpath along the side of my house and garden, so security is difficult, as they don't need to come into my road to get to me.
I'm ordering nice big metal spikes for the top of the fence, but I've strung some barbed wire up as well for now.
Spent the whole day doing my best to secure everything. I'm now knackered!

 

[C_Claycomb]

I rather thought that spikes on walls might not be legal. Seems they are, but with caveats to so.

Are Anti Climb Spikes Legal - Insight Security

Learn what you need to know about UK law and the use of anti climb spikes for perimeter security.

www.insight-security.com

 

[TeeDee]

Well, I hadn't got round to putting the alarm lock on the gate. It's pretty secure anyway, but guess what? My gas bottle gotten out of store behind the garden bits, ready to go and get it filled tomorrow, has dissapeared from my back garden. They climbed the 6 foot fence last night.
So today, prickle strips went up . I'm going to get metal ones to replace the plastic ones I've put up as I want to be totaly secure.
Even here in the boonies, theft has started.
Realy annoyed with myself, as I meant to do it this weekend, but allowed myself to get roped in to making a 78 Yr old friend's house more secure first, as I felt she was more vunerable.
Flipping annoyed as I can't afford to replace the big gas bottle for my cabinet heater, which has just gone off to be serviced, now I have no gas bottle for it.
Damnation!!!!!!

How much is a new gas bottle?

 

[swyn]

How much is a new gas bottle?

This July a pair of 47kg’s were £160 delivered. So £80 each
S

 

[TeeDee]

This July a pair of 47kg’s were £160 delivered. So £80 each
S

Do you know for sure this is what Woody girl had stolen? one of those?

 

[swyn]

Do you know for sure this is what Woody girl had stolen? one of those?

No idea if she had a 47’er but I’m sure she’ll tell us if asked. A 47Kg stands nearly 1.5m tall and isn’t that easy to shift.
S

 

[TeeDee]

No idea if she had a 47’er but I’m sure she’ll tell us if asked. A 47Kg stands nearly 1.5m tall and isn’t that easy to shift.
S

@Woody girl If the above is correct and you most definitely need a 47kg bottle , Pm me your paypal or bank details and I'll sub you the funds,

 

[swyn]

@Woody girl If the above is correct and you most definitely need a 47kg bottle , Pm me your paypal or bank details and I'll sub you the funds,

The hard part is Calour only exchange and you’d have to effectively buy an empty and then exchange it for a full item. That’s the part that pi!!ed me off with the scumb;g running off with hers.
S

 

[Woody girl]

It was a 15kg bottle for my cabinet heater.
Don't worry about sending any money Tee Dee, wonderfully kind of you, but I have the caravan park, and local farm shop calor dealer looking out for it, and also a couple of friends trawling local selling sites for it.
I think it's gone for good, but there is a batillion of people here who will do the best to get me another.
Failing all that, my best friend is going to new Zealand for the winter, and has offered me her cabinet heater and gas bottle, as she will be gone for several months, in return for making sure her house is regularly checked for any problems, while she's gone.
I don't usualy use the gas heater, but I thought it wise to get it sorted this winter, just in case.
The thing has been sat there for years, empty and unused . Never a problem. I moved it about 3 feet nearer the (locked )gate, so it would be easy to get in to my friends car to get a refill, which made it more visable I suppose.
Neighbour across the road has had one sat outside the front of his house for months.....its still there. Much easier target, make you wonder why they would climb a fence to get mine?

 

[Woody girl]

Update on the gas bottle front.
A rather tatty bottle has been found and donated to me by a friend, who is refurbishing a local shop, and found it under a load of junk, in a shed at the back of the shop.
Talk about providence!
I've just given it a clean up, and it's not quite as bad as it looked, and actually still has a bit of gas left, not that I will use it, I'm just going to get a refill in a new bottle.
It has been a stressful couple of days, but I'm now happy enough. Will pick up the serviced heater on Saturday, and get the refill at the same time.
All well that ends well.
How lucky am I?

 

[Woody girl]

Wow, another pal has just turned up with another bottle, so now I have two!!!
Took me down to the depot to fill it, so will now take the old tatty bottle to a lady I know with a cabinet heater, and no gas bottle.
This has worked out well in the end.
I did pay a fiver for the decent bottle, they wouldn't take the tenner I offered.
So I payed him petrol and time money.
Thanks to a sneaky thief, two people now (almost) have heating.
I still need to pay for my cabinet heater service, which I've budgeted for, and the other lady needs to get the gas, but we are almost there.
When you put the problem in the hands of angels to sort out, and have faith all will come good,it realy works!

 

[Woody girl]

Now have a fully working gas heater at last. Just done a giant food shop and also new warm pyjamas for the winter, plus a couple of fleecy throws for the living room and bed.
Found a source of cheap logs to supplement my meagre gatherings over the last year.
Think I'm set for most of what can be thrown at me this winter now.
I'm broke, but have most of what I need for the next few months, so no more shopping trips for a long while.
I can hibernate for a long while!
I've had my flu jab at the chemist.
I can't think of anything else, except finish making my pulk.
Started making Xmas presents now.
Lavender bags and wrist warmers this week. Two pairs of alpaca wool socks already under my belt.
I'm making things that will be useful this year rather than buying useless tat for presents.
Home made cards and wrapping paper from an old roll of wallpaper, tied with hand made nettle cordage, and home made tags.
I'm quite excited about this new frugal lifestyle. It's so much simpler, even if it's hard work sometimes.
Changing the way I live, such as doing washing up every evening instead of after every meal. Handwashing smalls every few days instead of using the washing machine, and only using it for a weekly big wash of jeans ,sheets and towels etc.
My electric bill arrived the other day, estimated at £190, but it was vastly overestimated, and that's for 3 months too! It's actualy £170.
That's not too shabby these days.

 

[Decacraft]

@Woody girl that's like an inspiration story!
Good to hear your pretty set for the winter just in case and onto the next tasks.
If you don't mind me asking that does sound like a good price for 3 months, are you purposefully rationing yourself or limiting usage?

I'm waiting for 3 IBC containers to turn up so I can stack them and use them for the chickens water supply.

Really want to get a pig pen as well but there's just too little time in the day

 

[Woody girl]

Decacraft. I am being frugal with electric, I figured it would be good during the summer to get into good habits that would serve me in good stead for the winter.
I have also lived off grid in the past, so realy it's not too much of a stretch, as I've only been living a "normal" lifestyle for the past 22 years, with mod cons.
I gave up the TV six years ago, and wonder now, how I ever had time to watch it!
I'm not as mobile as I once was, and suffer from the cold, so keeping warm is extremely important to me.
I do have an air source heat pump central heating now, but I'm hoping I won't need to use it so much this winter with all the other provisions I've made.
It's been a summer of preparing for winter.
last spring, I could see that things would go belly up by winter, so I decided to spend the summer getting ready, bit by bit.
Electric usage is rationed here! Torches for midnight loo visits, I'm already using my alternative cooking facilities at least once a day. I have a gas stove for a kettle of hot water for tea, or heating a tin of soup. Also a kelly kettle, which is great when the weather is fine, not so good when it's wet and windy tho!
I'm using a slow cooker for main meals, (you can do much more than soup or stew in it.)
I haven't used my electric stove for over a week now. Several weeks like that and you've saved a lot of money.
I don't have a microwave, dishwasher, computer.
My usage consists of a radio, kettle, lights, (one on at any one time only,) and fridge freezer, washing machine, (once a week), with line drying or indoor drying in front of the fire or in the bathroom over the bath, and a weekly shower, (strip wash every morning)
I'm sure my winter bill will be more, as I will have to use the central heating at some point, and I will be using lights more, and eating hot food instead of home grown salads, but I'm putting it off as long as possible.
Recharge my phone using the jackery, and using a solar puff for a bedside light, along with battery Xmas tree lights. A solar pir light is useful for lighting the hallway, for trips to the kitchen in the dark... as long as you remember to put it outside to recharge daily.

Woodburner lit for the first time this year this morning. It was chilly!

 

[Decacraft]

I was sick of buying gas for cooking, so I decided on a bigger battery pack to power my devices, so now cooking costs me nothing, and I have no worry of running out of fuel.
Pretty much use the small jackery now for electronics only.
Have had the fire on since the weekend here, being in South wales it's not the warmest!

I don't have a TV, but I do use a pc monitor and a firestick to catch up with anything on as it uses a lot less power than a TV.

Not sure if you have some, but 12v electric blankets have been a god send, and a mini 500w oil radiator on a low setting will be running when the temperature drops.

 

[Woody girl]

I'd realy like a bigger battery, tho I think I'd go for a bluetti next time, and permanent solar panels in the garden.
I had so much to get, and on limited income, that along with everyone else's is shrinking almost hourly, I left getting the jackery too long. I could then only afford the smallest, and the solar pannel cannot be used when it's wet, so there are some limitations to it.
I'm now saving for a bigger unit, and better solar panels that can handle weather. Might have them by next winter, if there are any left, and they will cost even more I'm sure. My one mistake!. But then, I didn't anticipate a certain lady prime ministers actions .... untill too late.

 

[Decacraft]

I'd realy like a bigger battery, tho I think I'd go for a bluetti next time, and permanent solar panels in the garden.
I had so much to get, and on limited income, that along with everyone else's is shrinking almost hourly, I left getting the jackery too long. I could then only afford the smallest, and the solar pannel cannot be used when it's wet, so there are some limitations to it.
I'm now saving for a bigger unit, and better solar panels that can handle weather. Might have them by next winter, if there are any left, and they will cost even more I'm sure. My one mistake!. But then, I didn't anticipate a certain lady prime ministers actions .... untill too late.

If you can, I would suggest the ecoflow delta 2.
It's the better priced of the lot and will power most things you plug into it with a 1800w maximum and 2000w+ surge.

Did you buy the jackery panel? It's terrible!
I'd suggest a renogy 100w panel. It can be left outside as it's meant to be, I have a few of them and would recommend them to anyone.
There small and easy enough to move about if need be, and are totally weatherproof.
If you leave it in the garden with an extension lead to the jackery indoors it will charge in the rain. Mine gets around 10-20w in the day during bad conditions, so it will still charge.

Can get a panel for less than £100, although I had mine some time ago and the prices are slowly creeping up.

Other than that, If you are looking at a ground mount panel array (or on a shed roof) I'm happy to help out if you need the labour?

 

[Woody girl]

Yes I got the jackery panel! Panic bought realy, better to have something rather than nothing mindset.
I think I'm heading towards renology for solar generation, as they are cheaper and can be sited permanently. That's the first purchase. (Plus the adaptor for the jackery, so I could use it!) Could be got by Christmas if I am careful.
Then it's a better battery pack. There is a sale on at the moment, but I'm out of that sort of cash presently.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Main uses would be a beside light, the slow cooker, radio and a nebuliser, though if it could do the fridge freezer too and a kettle that would be perfect...not all at once mind! Would your recommend do all that? Fridge freezer isn't nessasary if push comes to shove, and I do have a travel kettle I could use instead of the big one, havnt tried it on the jackery yet, something I need to do.


Ooh! Just had a look at the price!!!
That is way out of my range, need something around the £500 mark, or preferably less, that sings and dances for my small needs. I don't need overkill, which that one would be for me.(nice as it would be tho)

 

[Decacraft]

Yes I got the jackery panel! Panic bought realy, better to have something rather than nothing mindset.
I think I'm heading towards renology for solar generation, as they are cheaper and can be sited permanently. That's the first purchase. Could be got by Christmas if I am careful.
Then it's a better battery pack. There is a sale on at the moment, but I'm out of that sort of cash presently.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Main uses would be a beside light, the slow cooker, radio and a nebuliser, though if it could do the fridge freezer too and a kettle that would be perfect...not all at once mind!

Shame at the cost of the jackery panel.

The delta 2 is 1000wh battery, so around 4 times bigger than your jackery battery, but its battery is different so it has a 5yr warranty and 10yr life cycle. Should power all those devices, but the fridge freezer will be the biggest draw.
If the kettle is less than 1.8kw or 1800w it will work, may need a travel kettle, although a hot plate will a whistling kettle would serve more uses, and can be used for soup and saucepans too.

In terms of future proofing, you can also get an additional battery for that unit to expand the storage.

Iv been lucky in what I would of paid the electric company to hook me up with mains and ongoing bills has been spent on solar generation. Moving forward it's bill free, and should last me at least a decade or 2.

I would really like to have an inbuilt system, with heating and hot water, but that's for the next few years to come

 

[Woody girl]

Yes, the jackery panel is certainly a bit of a rip off, but without an adapter, the only option at the time.
I don't shop online very often, and when I do, I have to use my friends computer, she's off to New Zealand for the next six months so that's a bit of a problem.
Hampshire generators were very good and allowed me to pay by bank transfer, as they normaly only do online orders, but it entailed a 50 mile round trip to get to the bank!
I don't bank online either!
So, buying new stuff will be tricky.
Plan is to save like Billy oh for the next few months and get the renology panel first with a (d4?) adaptor for the jackery, and then get a better battery unit in the summer, ready for next winter. Possibly bluetti or eccoflow.
Dammed annoyed I didn't get one before prices hiked so much, and now unable to afford a better one.
Still, as I say, I have something, which is better than nothing.
I've lived in far worse conditions! So I'm not too fazed.(just got too used to easy living!)