Will Cam has shingles 
Status report Page 5,986
>_< Sorry to hear that Will.
Is that on your body or on your house?
Quote: Will Cam @ 2nd October 2017, 11:07 AMWill Cam has shingles
That can be surprisingly nasty,
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 2nd October 2017, 11:09 AM>_< Sorry to hear that Will.
Cheers Herc
Quote: billwill @ 2nd October 2017, 1:41 PMIs that on your body or on your house?
Quote: Chappers @ 2nd October 2017, 8:26 PMThat can be surprisingly nasty,
I think from looking at photos on the internet, mine isn't too bad for now.
Quote: Will Cam @ 2nd October 2017, 11:07 AMWill Cam has shingles
Very sorry to hear that Will.
Get well Will soon won't you as we will all want to see you soon getting well Will.
I fell in my kitchen on Saturday morning because someone on the radio was talking about a gory operation.
Blood in the bed, blood pouring into his shirt, lakes of blood throughout the studio with some blood cascading from his microphone. Needles in every orifice, slices of flesh being moved from one part of his body to another, bandages around every part of him except his big fat mouth.
I went dizzy and my leg buckled and now the ligaments in my foot are damaged so for the time being I can't walk. 
Quote: Will Cam @ 2nd October 2017, 11:24 PMI think from looking at photos on the internet, mine isn't too bad for now.
Just you wait. It reappears when you think it's gone!
Sorry to hear that Will and hope you recover fully soon.
I've made two big discoveries recently. At the weekend I fancied a change from my usual loyalty to Tetley Original teabags and decided to try out some Yorkshire Tea. I'm now a Yorkshire Tea convert because I like to make it as strong as possible and Tetley tastes much weaker in comparrison. I'm going to buy some premium shortbread for the weekend and it's going to be f**king great.
I also finally worked out how to use a 24hour timer plug adapter which has been under the sink for over a year and never used. It can be tricky to work it out at first but it now works perfectly and I have it set to turn my bedroom heater on in 30 minute bursts during the night so I'm not sleeping in an ice cube and can wake up in a warm room. I tried it for the first time last night and slept so much better and the heat output is the lowest setting at 750kw so it's not wasting energy and is a cheaper rate as it's between the economy 7 hours.
Talking of electricity I'm on a meter with British Gas so my hot water and electricity is all done on a meter which is topped up with a pre payment card. During the summer months it's very cheap but as the colder seasons arrive and I have to turn on storage heaters and use convector heaters it can become a major budget headache.
British Gas send me an annual review of my usage and it showed what my current charge is for each KW used which has one for peak time and one for off peak times. I'm wondering if I could call British Gas and negotiate a lower price per KW. Even if it's just a few pence it could save a lot.
Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 4th October 2017, 7:28 PMTalking of electricity I'm on a meter with British Gas so my hot water and electricity is all done on a meter which is topped up with a pre payment card. During the summer months it's very cheap but as the colder seasons arrive and I have to turn on storage heaters and use convector heaters it can become a major budget headache.
British Gas send me an annual review of my usage and it showed what my current charge is for each KW used which has one for peak time and one for off peak times. I'm wondering if I could call British Gas and negotiate a lower price per KW.
I've never heard of a pre-paid gas/electricity arrangement. Interesting. I don't think such as thing is available here.
Now I'm curious about how utility costs compare between the UK and the United States.
MY HOUSE
2 stories, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths
Living area: 2885 square feet (268 square meters)
Electric: central air conditioning (upstairs unit and downstairs unit, set at 75F/24C in summer), dryer, stove/oven
Gas: central heating (upstairs unit and downstairs unit, set at 68F/20C in winter), water heater (40 gallons, 150 liters, set at 160F/71C)
Current exchange rate: $1 = £0.75, £1 = $1.33
As you can see, electricity usage is high during the summer months when the average high temperature is 98F/37C and lows seldom drop below 80F/27C. There are only about 3 months when I run the heat, and it's mostly during the night. We don't have many days when we can open the windows, but they sure are nice! Water use is much higher during the summer when we are prone to scorching droughts and I have to water my lawn to keep it alive.
Here are the relevant portions of my latest electricity/gas, water/sewer bills. How do they compare with the UK?
Quote: DaButt @ 4th October 2017, 8:08 PMI've never heard of a pre-paid gas/electricity arrangement. Interesting. I don't think such as thing is available here.
It's pre-paid in the sense that I have no payment arrangement with British Gas and I have to top up a payment card at a supermarket and can then transfer that credit to the meter. So it's pre-paid because I could top up and then drop dead before transferring it to the meter so never use the credit. I'm quietly hoping that doesn't happen though.
I live in a smaller crib than you so can't compare the utility bills but it still looks a lot cheaper than my rates so I'm paying over the odds for the size of the place I live in. Electricity prices went through the roof about 10 years ago and just get higher and higher and having a meter generally means higher bills because of other costs like a daily standing charge of just having the meter which for me is currently £0.24p a day and being able to negotiate better rates is probably harder if not impossible when on a meter. I can just about afford it because I'm out most of the day at work but I can understand how the elderly and people on benefits are being rung dry from ever increasing heating bills. Theresa May is going on about the pledge to crack down on energy companies but it's empty promises because she couldn't negotiate with a paper bag.
Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 4th October 2017, 9:20 PMIt's pre-paid in the sense that I have no payment arrangement with British Gas and I have to top up a payment card at a supermarket and can then transfer that credit to the meter. So it's pre-paid because I could top up and then drop dead before transferring it to the meter so never use the credit. I'm quietly hoping that doesn't happen though.
We just receive a bill for the amount used for month. Payment can be by mail, phone (I assume) or online.
Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 4th October 2017, 9:20 PMElectricity prices went through the roof about 10 years ago and just get higher and higher and having a meter generally means higher bills because of other costs like a daily standing charge of just having the meter which for me is currently £0.24p a day and being able to negotiate better rates is probably harder if not impossible when on a meter.
What's the alternative to having a meter? How would they know how much electricity/water/gas you've used each month?
We're tied to a single provider for each of our services, so negotiating a better rate would be impossible.
I, too, hope that you don't drop dead anytime soon.
You reminded me of a meter story.
Years ago I stayed in a b&b in London's kings cross.
The shower had a 50p meter???
I put one in to warm it up while I got undressed.
It ran out before I'd got my kit off. I put another in and jumped under the tepid water.
It ran out again before I had even lathered up.
Putting in more than 1 at a time gave no more time.
Being a sparky I went out to the van and got my tools.
A bit of jiggery pokery later the timer never ran out and the thermostat was at full temperature.
Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 4th October 2017, 9:48 PMYears ago I stayed in a b&b in London's kings cross.
The shower had a 50p meter???
My first trip to the UK was in 2002 for one of those All Tomorrow's Parties music festivals at Pontin's in Camber Sands. When we checked in they told us that we had to pre-pay for our electricity and that blew my mind. I paid a few pounds and they gave me a little ticket like you'd get at a carnival and told me to feed it into the meter. It took us about 20 minutes to locate the meter that was tucked away in a kitchen cabinet. Weird.
Quote: DaButt @ 4th October 2017, 9:35 PMWhat's the alternative to having a meter? How would they know how much electricity/water/gas you've used each month?
Reminds me of Lee Evans talking about how esitmated bills work. He gets a bill with an estimated bill so he replies with a letter that says "I estimate I owe you f**k all" Who can argue with Lee Evans?
I had a problem with the water company when they sent me an estimated bill charging me an avarage of £50 a month and there is no way I use anywhere near that amount but to be fair to them they have excellent customer service who are very helpful and even have a live chat service. They came out and took a meter reading and because they had got the estimate wrong it became a bill that avaraged at £15 a month instead of £50 which was a relief and much more realistic.
Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 4th October 2017, 11:18 PMReminds me of Lee Evans talking about how esitmated bills work. He gets a bill with an estimated bill so he replies with a letter that says "I estimate I owe you f**k all"
I had a problem with the water company when they sent me an estimated bill charging me an avarage of £50 a month and there is no way I use anywhere near that amount but to be fair to them they have excellent customer service who are very helpful and even have a live chat service. They came out and took a meter reading and because they had got the estimate wrong it became a bill that avaraged at £15 a month instead of £50 which was a relief and much more realistic.
Maybe you just misheard them.