The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

[TastyReuben]

Nor mine but that's fine by me - I didn't send them one either. Its never been something we do so I don't even think about it.

My family are hit-and-miss; some do, some don't, and no one really cares.

MrsT's family...it's a cardinal sin, nearly unforgivable, to fail to wish happy birthdays, happy Thanksgiving, merry Christmas, happy New Year's Eve, and happy New Year's Day, as well as failing to check up on a person before and after major events, like surgery or a wedding.

 

[caseydog]

I was feeling pretty good this morning, and then I had a sneezing fit. Now my surgical wounds are hurting. But, it could have been worse -- it could have happened in the first days after surgery.

CD

 

[TastyReuben]

When I say MrsT is the most negative person I've ever known, here's what I mean (conversation from five minutes ago):

Me (looking outside): Oh, looks like the freezing rain has started!

MrsT: Well that's just great! First day of the year and we're probably going to lose power and sit around freezing. 2021 is already crappy! I hate this year!

See what I mean?

 

[mjd]

When I say MrsT is the most negative person I've ever known, here's what I mean (conversation from five minutes ago):

Me (looking outside): Oh, looks like the freezing rain has started!

MrsT: Well that's just great! First day of the year and we're probably going to lose power and sit around freezing. 2021 is already crappy! I hate this year!

See what I mean?

Maybe you can gently remind her that 2020 wasn't a barrel of laughs. ;-)

 

[caseydog]

When I say MrsT is the most negative person I've ever known, here's what I mean (conversation from five minutes ago):

Me (looking outside): Oh, looks like the freezing rain has started!

MrsT: Well that's just great! First day of the year and we're probably going to lose power and sit around freezing. 2021 is already crappy! I hate this year!

See what I mean?

We get ice storms down here that are brutal. You can't drive on ice, trees take a pounding, but in the 25 years I have lived in Frisco, we have never lost power from an ice storm. I belong to an electric cooperative (socialized electricity in the eyes of conservatives). Where I live, we can't choose our electric provider, yet, we pay lower prices, have more reliable power, and we get dividend checks about once a year -- profit sharing. We are not customers, we are owners.

My parents and sister are happily part of the "free market" electricity crowd, where you have the freedom to choose your electricity provider, although in reality, they are just middlemen. There is only one power grid, and the company that owns and operates that grid sells power to the middlemen, who resell it. The company that owns an operates the power grid is isolated from the consumer of the electricity, and has little incentive to make their grid better. Soooo, my parents and sister lose power all the time, even during very light rainstorms. But, they are supporting "free market capitalism." Just like free market healthcare -- pay more, get less.

(steps off soapbox)

BTW, I am a supporter of free markets for things like TVs and cars. But, when it comes to things like infrastructure and health care, not so much.

CD

 

[caseydog]

It's 37F outside, wet, but not raining, and somewhere pretty close to me there is a fireworks show going on. Not amateur stuff in somebody's driveway, but big, loud fireworks. I can't see them from inside my house, but I can hear them. The grand finale is happening right now. I have no idea where, exactly, it is, or who's doing it. Weird.

CD

 

[rascal]

We get ice storms down here that are brutal. You can't drive on ice, trees take a pounding, but in the 25 years I have lived in Frisco, we have never lost power from an ice storm. I belong to an electric cooperative (socialized electricity in the eyes of conservatives). Where I live, we can't choose our electric provider, yet, we pay lower prices, have more reliable power, and we get dividend checks about once a year -- profit sharing. We are not customers, we are owners.

My parents and sister are happily part of the "free market" electricity crowd, where you have the freedom to choose your electricity provider, although in reality, they are just middlemen. There is only one power grid, and the company that owns and operates that grid sells power to the middlemen, who resell it. The company that owns an operates the power grid is isolated from the consumer of the electricity, and has little incentive to make their grid better. Soooo, my parents and sister lose power all the time, even during very light rainstorms. But, they are supporting "free market capitalism." Just like free market healthcare -- pay more, get less.

(steps off soapbox)

BTW, I am a supporter of free markets for things like TVs and cars. But, when it comes to things like infrastructure and health care, not so much.

CD

We've been with the same power co for 40 years, few name changes but much the same. Our power bill is $220 in summer per month and $350 in the winter. Wife found out when power companies were chopping prices to get your business. Her friend got half price power on Saturdays and Sunday's. Wife rang up and threatened to change. We now get half price sat and sun now. Wife does washing etc in weekends now.

Russ

 

[caseydog]

We've been with the same power co for 40 years, few name changes but much the same. Our power bill is $220 in summer per month and $350 in the winter. Wife found out when power companies were chopping prices to get your business. Her friend got half price power on Saturdays and Sunday's. Wife rang up and threatened to change. We now get half price sat and sun now. Wife does washing etc in weekends now.

Russ

My coop offers a rolling averaging plan, which take an average of the last twelve months, and that is your monthly bill. It is nice since I no longer have high bills in summer, and low bills in the winter. Mine is running around 95-bucks a month right now, because I was home more this summer. In past years, it was around 80-bucks. If I didn't have that plan, my summer bills would be about $200. Winter electric bills would be pretty cheap, since my heating systems and water heater are gas. I have that on an averaging system, too. My gas bills run about $40 a month -- gas is dirt cheap in the US, because we produce more than we can consume.

Since your winter bill is high, I'm guessing you have electric heat?

CD

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

We've been with the same power co for 40 years, few name changes but much the same. Our power bill is $220 in summer per month and $350 in the winter. Wife found out when power companies were chopping prices to get your business. Her friend got half price power on Saturdays and Sunday's. Wife rang up and threatened to change. We now get half price sat and sun now. Wife does washing etc in weekends now.

Russ

We get cut price during the night, so I just have the washing machine come on at night. It doesn't really seem to make much difference.

Winter tends to be $450 for the quarter, summer was $ 350 a quarter.
We use wood for heating which is $200 a month with my parents around (or hubby at home) and about $125 a month if it is just me during the day. We got through 7-8 tonnes of wood this last season because of hubby having had a major op and being totally immobile for 3 months and because of the need to keep 2 Seniors (my parents) warm during the day. Usually we've only used 5 tonnes per winter season until now.

That is all of our bills (except for satellite broadband) because we're private water & sewage, rubbish is taken to the tip (but we think our landlady is paying for wheelie bins to be emptied from the bottom of the track from this year) and there is no gas or hard phone line on the area.

We've also stayed with the same energy provider because every 12 months, if you sign up to stay with them for another 12 months, you get 25% off all your bills for that 12 month period. Surprisingly, they are actually very good at reminding you that the period is due to expire and that to keep saving 25% you need to renew rather than letting it lapse and auto renew.

 

[Yorky]

We have an unusual pricing structure for electricity useage - the more that you use the more that you pay.

There's a fixed service charge of around US$1.50/mo.
If you use less than 50 kwh/mo, you pay nothing.
If you use more than 50 kwh/mo but less that 150 kwh/mo you pay ฿3.2484 for all units (US$0.11).
For each unit used between 150 and 400 kwh/mo you pay ฿4.2218 per unit (US$0.14).
For each unit used over 400 kwh/mo you pay ฿4.4217 per unit (US$0.15).

My bill ranges from around US$30.00/mo in the cool/dry season to US$60.00/mo in the hot/wet season.

 

[rascal]

My coop offers a rolling averaging plan, which take an average of the last twelve months, and that is your monthly bill. It is nice since I no longer have high bills in summer, and low bills in the winter. Mine is running around 95-bucks a month right now, because I was home more this summer. In past years, it was around 80-bucks. If I didn't have that plan, my summer bills would be about $200. Winter electric bills would be pretty cheap, since my heating systems and water heater are gas. I have that on an averaging system, too. My gas bills run about $40 a month -- gas is dirt cheap in the US, because we produce more than we can consume.

Since your winter bill is high, I'm guessing you have electric heat?

CD

Yip Mitsubishi heat pump, it's on now. And it's summer wtf?

 

[epicuric]

We have free market power here in the UK - suppliers are free to compete in charging as much as they can. Currently paying £220 per month, combined gas and electric, plus another £100 per month for logs during the winter.

 

[Yorky]

Gas we use only for cooking. We pay around US $12.00 for a 15kg bottle. One bottle probably lasts us 3 to 4 months.

 

[Burt Blank]

Our elecy bill average is £25 a month. I just got my winter fuel payment from the UK of £200.All the services are cheap here compared to the UK. We also get the bins emptied 5 times a week.

 

[Yorky]

Our elecy bill average is £25 a month. I just got my winter fuel payment from the UK of £200.All the services are cheap here compared to the UK. We also get the bins emptied 5 times a week.

Ours get emptied once/week on Thirstday before dawn (so the bin has to go out Wednesday night). The cost is ฿240.00/year (£6.00).