# Health & Safety again!!!!



## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

We need a new teapot.
The one we are currently using is a straight sided metal one which dribbles when we pour into the mug.

Fed up we went to Wikinsons this morning to replace it with one with a spout similar to the one we have in the mh.
We looked around and unable to see one asked an employee.

"We don't sell them," she said.
"Why," said we.
"Health and safety," she said, "They get hot."

Words fail me.
Came home and ordered one from Amazon!


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

I think the fault may just possibly be with Wilkinsons rather than the HSE.


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

I'm sure you are right but we couldn't be bothered to argue, just took our custom elsewhere.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I thought this was in Jokes and Trivia at first. Did you ask them if they had them in chocolate.:grin2::grin2:

cabby


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

It will be an EU Directive, I am sure. :wink2::grin2:


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

peribro said:


> It will be an EU Directive, I am sure. :wink2::grin2:


Try one of these Peter :grin2:

Terry


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## colonel (Oct 11, 2008)

peribro said:


> It will be an EU Directive, I am sure. :wink2::grin2:


Thank the saints we left the EU - didn't we?


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

colonel said:


> Thank the saints we left the EU - didn't we?


Oh no we didn't :grin2:

Terry


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

colonel said:


> Thank the saints we left the EU - didn't we?


Nope.

Peter is probably right. It will be the EU's fault not Wilkinsons. It probably has something to do with the law against bendy bananas. Those bloody rascals in Brussels again eh!


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

as an avid watcher of HSE rules, words fail me..... to say this has not come from the HSE would be an understatement _par excellence_..... the HSE despair of the way they are accused of everything and everything else as well......

they have many staff members simply trying to disprove such false statements - obviously Wilkinsons has not been visited yet..... it all comes down to the lazy staff at Wilkinsons who cannot be bothered to find out things and take the easy route out and one that is difficult for the average person to argue with.....

It would be worth a Customer Service comment TO Wilkinsons pointing out that if their staff tell such blatant lies then the result WILL be an increase in on-line trade away from High Streets......

Dave


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

barryd said:


> Nope.
> 
> Peter is probably right. It will be the EU's fault not Wilkinsons. It probably has something to do with the law against bendy bananas. Those bloody rascals in Brussels again eh!


Careful, you sound like you're jumping over the fence a bit there


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

We had fun today, we had new "smart" meters fitted. I wasn't that fussed about them tbh, I know what appliance uses what power & I'm not about to switch the oven off in the middle of cooking dinner because it's using too much leccy. After four pleading phone calls from British Gas I gave in & agreed to have them fitted today.
Started about five to three when two British Gas techies arrived in two separate BG vans. Having assessed the job, checked that the boiler (new last December) worked OK, etc., they started on the Electric meter first. I must say they were extremely through & very safety conscious, they even fitted a lock to the main consumer unit to stop it being inadvertently switched back on. The guy working in the meter box put on two pairs of gloves, one on top of the other, when working on the live cabling. He also wore a helmet & face shield at this time. They had two tablets which they used to take numerous photos during the changeover. They took even more photos on a mobile phone. I suspected one guy was actually a trainee although they didn't mention this. They pointed out that a bung was missing from the underside of the incoming cable block, which could mean that (if stupid enough) someone, having gained access to the box, could insert a finger from underneath & possibly get a shock. Anyway they cut a piece of rigid perspex to cover this area & stop anyone accessing it in future. Bear in mind it must have been like this for probably 35 years since the house was built, certainly for the 23 years we've been here. They said our local distribution company, Western Power Distribution, (WPD) would be notified to come & fit the missing rubber bung.
They then moved on to the gas meter, which was connected by two flexible pipes, which is apparently not legal. Only one flexible pipe is allowed, so they had to make up a rigid copper pipe for the outlet. They also replaced the regulator & the incoming flexible pipe. All good so far, but they then informed me that the Gas Control valve (main shut off valve) had the handle secured to the spindle by a nail & it should be a split pin. No problem I said, I have plenty of split pins. Oh no, we have split pins as well but we can't touch that, that's distribution, we'll have to notify them to come & fit one. With that they were finished & off they went in their two BG vans. This was about 5.15 pm.
About 6.30 pm a WPD van arrived with two techies. I was staggered, (I was half way through an ice cream at the time). I thought it would be sometime never before anyone came to replace the missing bung, but here they were & a few minutes later they were done & gone. Sit down to try & finish my tea & OH says "they're here again" & not one but two National Grid vans arrive. Believe it or not these guys had come from Birmingham city centre to replace the offending nail with a nice shiny new split pin which took all of two seconds. But why two of them? Well again one was a trainee but why he couldn't have come in the same van I don't know.
So, five vans & six techies later we have our smart meters installed & working. I'm still not convinced of the value of this exercise but it will save me having to read the meters occasionally & e-mail the readings in to them. I can see why it's costing a fortune though. Also, although the readout unit is supposed to be able to be plugged in anywhere in the house, it doesn't seem to be very happy to be working in the lounge. I'll have to investigate further in due course, they did say to leave it for a week & see how it goes but of course I didn't try it in the lounge until they'd left. Probably leave it plugged in the kitchen anyway, where the old NPower unit was, but that one only showed leccy.
Anyway I'm delighted with the impeccable service, why don't things always work like this? Nevertheless, I remain to be convinced of the value of this expensive exercise.


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## icer (Dec 11, 2006)

We had new super duper meters fitted a couple of months ago, we have 2 electricity comsumer units.
A straight forward exercise 1 man 1 van on this occasion.
We are with EDF, as we live near France it seemed sensible to extend " entente cordial " to the French Govenment backed power company.
Anyway both meters were fitted and the 2 mobile units were fitted with brand new rechargable batteries from their celophane wrappers and off he went.
We were away for about 5 weeks and when we returned we wanted to move said mobile units. Problem was batteries only lasted 10 seconds with power switched off, this was on both units. In meantime has received a few letters from EDF saying everything was up and running. Oh and an email asking if we would like our meter to report home more frequently,?
Anyway, I phoned them, can you send me some more batteries, both sets are duff....Ah she said, there is a problem with power consumption of the unit, the batteries will not work. Still she says quite chirpily it only uses about a £1 per year. Well says I, you can credit my account with that £1 then, for both of my accounts, whilst she readily agreed she said no one else had asked that, I said if its not sorted she can do it again next year as well, remains unconvinced this will happen!

I do not know how many of EDF customers have been converted yet, but @ £1 a throw they must be laughing all the way to the bank. Savings on no meter readers, up to date info, to make life easier, and customers paying for the privelege.
Come on EDF pull your finger out and get it sorted. We do not want to have yet another reason to dislike the French, I live 50 miles from Dover and that fiasco they pulled at the start of our school holidays was well out of order!!!

Ian


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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

At the moment it's in the suppliers interest to get you to take a Smart Meter, as it helps them retain a customer. Not all suppliers are as advanced in this roll out, therefore if you changed supplier for a better deal you could lose the Smart functionality if the cheaper supplier doesn't have the required systems to support smart half hourly data.

2020 is the target set by a government requirement for the roll out to be complete, the suppliers pay the costs that ultimately gets past on to the customer in their tariffs.

The next development for Smart Meters will see them automatically search other suppliers for a better deal tariff wise, just think about the confusion that could cause 

BTW have you ever thought who pays for the free electric car charge points around the country ?

Terry


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## emmbeedee (Oct 31, 2008)

dghr272 said:


> At the moment it's in the suppliers interest to get you to take a Smart Meter, as it helps them retain a customer. Not all suppliers are as advanced in this roll out, therefore if you changed supplier for a better deal you could lose the Smart functionality if the cheaper supplier doesn't have the required systems to support smart half hourly data.
> 
> 2020 is the target set by a government requirement for the roll out to be complete, the suppliers pay the costs that ultimately gets past on to the customer in their tariffs.
> 
> ...


The smart meter won't help BG retain me as a customer. I'm what's known as a "rate tart" in the industry as I've switched suppliers so many times. The only reason we're with BG is because I'm a member of Martin Lewis's cheap energy club & this is the deal he negotiated. We'll see what happens next year, but if BG don't offer the best deal I'll be off.:wink2:


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

We pay a monthly standing order that evens out the costs over the year, with a standard meter.

As a matter of interest, with a smart meter sending 30 minute readings automatically, how do you avoid peaks and troughs in billing ...... high in winter and low in summer?





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## dghr272 (Jun 14, 2012)

HurricaneSmith said:


> We pay a monthly standing order that evens out the costs over the year, with a standard meter.
> 
> As a matter of interest, with a smart meter sending 30 minute readings automatically, how do you avoid peaks and troughs in billing ...... high in winter and low in summer?
> 
> .


The most advantageous tariffs are for those that pay by DD, the supplier would set a monthly payment to even out the summer/winter variances, and review annually or if a large spike or dip occurs. It effectively means you are overpaying part of the year and underpaying the other period.

If you're not on a DD scheme, peaks and troughs are unavoidable, but with correct data and no estimated reading at least the bills are accurate.

The governments reasoning for Smart Meters is to make consumers more aware of their consumption in the hope of encouraging energy efficiency. Yes it has some cost savings in terms not employing meter readers, or as many account query staff, although these can be wiped out by the IT and capex costs for suppliers to implement SM, but the largest part of anyone's bill is the generating costs.

Terry


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## HurricaneSmith (Jul 13, 2007)

That's interesting Terry.

I've had more than one invitation to take up a smart meter from my supplier. No-where did they say that I could continue paying direct debit to smooth out payments. Looks like they're missing a trick.





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