The trials and tribulations of 2022

[Hornet3d]

It has been awhile since I have posted anything here as real life has stopped me popping into the world of Poser.

As is often the case at the start of the new year we decided to have a look at our life in general and this was a topic of discussion at the odd breakfast we tend to have out now and the. At one such breakfast we were having a general talk on how life had changed. Some years ago we purchased a Honda CRV so that we could take both the in-laws and our dog for days out but this has changed a lot. At Christmas we took the dog crate out of the back so we could get Christmas trees in but it never went back and it was now early February. The reason was fairly obvious as, with the dog getting older he was not really into long walks but sadly the last six years have also taken their toll on the in-laws who also now struggle with long walks. It was fairly obvious that the CRV, much as I loved it, no longer fitted our life style.

When we returned home we were browsing the car dealerships and came across an ex-demonstration Toyota Aygo, well long story short, we went for a test drive that day. The trade in I was offered was only £4,000 short of what I paid for the CRV six and a half years ago so three days later we did a swap.

This all happened second week of Feb so just before petrol prices started to rocket. With the road tax being half the price and the Aygo covering roughly twice the miles per gallon of the CRV it was a lucky move and with a years Toyota Road Side Assistance we also saved a little more.

The downside was I now needed to return to eBay to sell some of the CRV stuff such as the cover and dog crate. I was pleased that they both sold but was not happy being in the position of waiting on couriers to collect and deliver the goods which they seem to fail to do on a regular basis.

 

[Hornet3d]

That is the transport side of life sorted for a while but with my pension rising by 3.5% and inflation expected to rise by around eight percent I guess there are going to have to be other changes. This is particularly true with energy prices which are forecast to rise by around over £700 a year, which is more than my Poser budget. Happily I have a two year agreement that runs until August 2023 so I will not have to pay the increase until then but it is still a worry moving forward.

We have pre loaded a lot of our purchases for 2022 by which I mean we have tried to order the stuff we know we are going to need in 2022 in the first few months as we expect the price to rise. In addition there are more and more items going out of stock as imports are being delayed for various reasons with non imported also being hit due to transport and staffing issues

Covid is still an issue here with a massive increase of infections recently, help no doubt by the attitude that covid is behind us and most people have return to living normally. I say most people as we still mask up when out we go to a restaurant or the supermarket. Last weekend we had dinner with my sister and nieces and two days later one of my nieces proved positive for covid. Happily she only appears to have had bad flu like symptoms and appears to be on the mend. We are testing every day and so far we are clear but we still have our fingers crossed.

The dog is also having some health issues, not surprising considering his age, and we are awaiting the results of some tests which is worrying as is the £150 a visit charge. We have long since given up on pet insurance when it rose to £80 an month with an excess charge of 20% on each claim and 30% on certain treatments. Instead we put a small amount away each month into a savings account but at £150 a shot that will not last that long.

So even as early as April we are beginning to see how 2022 may pan out and I have to say it does not look a lot better than the last two years.

 

[Satira Capriccio]

No. It doesn't. How is it that we so quickly forget "history." Understandable when that history is 500 years ago, 100 years ago, 10 years ago. But 2 months ago? How do we forget what happened a matter of weeks ago?

Let's do the same thing over and over and over ... nevermind that it's the same results every time.

 

[Hornet3d]

I should put my musings into some sort of context in that, despite the bleak out look I still regard my wife and I to be very lucky. The people I fear for most are those who were already struggling to cope before the massive increases. The food banks that have been a life line for many are struggling with the increased demand and there are reports that some in the food banks are turning down fresh vegetables such as potatoes as they cannot afford to cook with energy prices at the point they are. If you were already struggling, how are you possibly going to find and extra £700 a year for electricity and at the same time food prices are going up. Even essential foods such as milk is said to rise quite quickly in the coming months.

With many companies said to have defrauded the government by claiming covid handouts that they were not entitled to, which is reported to be in the billions, it is hard to fathom why there is no attempt to recover the money. Money that could be better spent helping those that are in real poverty.

 

[Stezza]

I just find it amusing that homes in England have solar panels

 

[Hornet3d]

I just find it amusing that homes in England have solar panels

You are not the only one. Our next door neighbour inherited his solar panels from the previous owner which apparently made the sale a little more difficult as ha had the negotiate a deal company that installed them. He doesn't talk about them much but I don't think he is too impressed but perhaps that will change as the prices go up.

The previous owner tried to drum up support when he had his done as he could get a deal with the installers but there were no takers. That was ten years or more ago and out of about forty houses only two have the panels installed one at each end of the street. I thought they were fit and forget but the support team seem to visit next door at least once every six months

 

[McGyver]

Maybe the neighbor’s panels are older models with lower yield or they are worn out… that’s a problem with solar panels, over time they are less and less efficient… Newer ones are supposed to have a longer lifespan, but it all depends on the manufacturer…
Also eventually they need to be replaced… the industry claim is 25-30 years, but I’ve heard plenty of people claiming theirs had started to decline well before that.
Newer ones are supposed to last 40-50 years… but since the newer technology and materials have only been around for ten to fifteen years, I don’t really buy that entirely… unless the companies also make time machines too.
Solar technology has made huge leaps in recent years, but unfortunately the majority of panels out there aren’t that sophisticated and are years behind the cutting edge… At least in my experience… in the US… I have no idea what the situation is like in the UK, which I imagine might be a little more consumer friendly.
The solar industry here is a mess… it could be so much better, it’s really disappointing once you start to look into it.
Lots of companies seem to be trying to sell older tech, lower efficiency panels like they are state of the art, especially ones where you get rebates or incentives from the government or power company.
You really have to research quite a bit if you want the best value for the investment.

Just to clarify, I’m not trying to detract from solar, I’m just bummed out that in many cases, at least around here, it isn’t as awesome as it could be… We really, really need it to become far more mainstream ASAP.

 

[Hornet3d]

Maybe the neighbor’s panels are older models with lower yield or they are worn out… that’s a problem with solar panels, over time they are less and less efficient… Newer ones are supposed to have a longer lifespan, but it all depends on the manufacturer…
Also eventually they need to be replaced… the industry claim is 25-30 years, but I’ve heard plenty of people claiming theirs had started to decline well before that.
Newer ones are supposed to last 40-50 years… but since the newer technology and materials have only been around for ten to fifteen years, I don’t really buy that entirely… unless the companies also make time machines too.
Solar technology has made huge leaps in recent years, but unfortunately the majority of panels out there aren’t that sophisticated and are years behind the cutting edge… At least in my experience… in the US… I have no idea what the situation is like in the UK, which I imagine might be a little more consumer friendly.
The solar industry here is a mess… it could be so much better, it’s really disappointing once you start to look into it.
Lots of companies seem to be trying to sell older tech, lower efficiency panels like they are state of the art, especially ones where you get rebates or incentives from the government or power company.
You really have to research quite a bit if you want the best value for the investment.

Just to clarify, I’m not trying to detract from solar, I’m just bummed out that in many cases, at least around here, it isn’t as awesome as it could be… We really, really need it to become far more mainstream ASAP.

That is a point that I never thought of the next door neighbours panels are getting close to the 20 year mark so that they may well be dropping in efficiency. Most of the work done in the UK was done with government grants but despite the drive to eco-friendly fuels the grants have been scaled back considerably. It is also true here in the UK that there is a very big cowboy element in the industry so getting a company that will sell you the latest tech and then fitting it to a high standard is hard to find.