Adding more Economy 7 sockets

[JohnW2]

I think the point with the post was that if there was no high-priority mail they'd just have to get on and deal with all of the mail at the same time, just as they had been doing before.

Yes, I realise that - but, as I said, if it was an 'inferior service' they would not actually have to do it "just as they had been doing it before" (for the 'superior' service). For example, they could stockpile mail and just move it around the country once every two or three days, rather than every day.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That would only buy them a reduced workload for the first 2-3 days. After that they have the same volume of mail to deal with each day.

 

[JohnW2]

That would only buy them a reduced workload for the first 2-3 days. After that they have the same volume of mail to deal with each day.

I'm not denying that (it's a bit like the reverse of the 'waiting list issue' - see below**), but it doesn't mean that the 'inferior service' could not be run more cheaply. In terms of the example I gave, I doubt that all the vans, lorries, planes etc. than whizz around every day are 'full to the eyebrows', particularly those going to more remote or underpopulated destinations. An inferior service could therefore involve less journeys (each only slightly more expensive because of the increased load).

** I've never really understood why 'static' (rarely increasing or decreasing very much) 'waiting lists' are allowed to persist - whether it's waiting for an appointment with a GP, an operation, for someone to get around replying to a letter, answer the phone, rewire one's house or relocate one's electricity service head. In all cases, if the waiting list is essentially static, that means that they are getting things done at roughly the same rate as new tasks are being added to the list - so they'd only have to make 'one big effort' to catch up once, and then would thereafter presumably be able to offer an almost 'instant' service.

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Probably for the same reason that if you want to pay for something like insurance, or TV licence, by monthly installments they charge more, despite the fact that with annual payments they'll be getting about 1/12 of their total income arriving each month. 12 million customers = 1 million x 12-month payments per month. Or 12 million x 1-month payments per month.

 

[JohnW2]

Probably for the same reason that if you want to pay for something like insurance, or TV licence, by monthly installments they charge more, despite the fact that with annual payments they'll be getting about 1/12 of their total income arriving each month. 12 million customers = 1 million x 12-month payments per month. Or 12 million x 1-month payments per month.

That one is more understandable. Although their monthly income would be the same, the workload of processing 12 times more transactions each month would have a significant cost. Even though much of it would be done by IT, at minimal marginal cost, each extra transaction is one more transaction with which there may be a 'problem' requiring human attention and resolution. Indeed, they may also even suffer 'per transaction' charges from their bankers.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Avocet]

The cables coming out of the switch on the bottom right where you have clamped ;

The one you clamped is the house electrics
The other is the storage heaters.

If you were able to put it round the red wire from the meter it would record everything but not sure there is enough slack

Thanks Andy. I've just been out and tried it and yes, there's enough slack. All works as you suggest (so I now know that the storage heaters are definitely "live" at 22.30)! Also, I've just turned the oven, grill and all the cooker rings on (about 10kW) and the night meter IS definitely moving, and the day one wasn't, so it looks like I'd be wasting my time - ALL the electricity in the house DOES go on to the night rate after all. That's another money-saving idea out of the window then!

 

[westie101]

If the heaters are live at 22:30 you'll be getting 1 1/2 hours from then till midnight and the 5 1/2 hours from 00:30 to 07:30.
A bit of maths will show the latest on and the earliest off time so go for individual time switches on each appliance, it works for me.

Earliest on is 00:30, so earliest off is 06:00
Latest on is 02:00 so latest off is 07:30
(All GMT)

So the overlap is 02:00 to 06:00 so run the appliances in that time period!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That one is more understandable. Although their monthly income would be the same, the workload of processing 12 times more transactions each month would have a significant cost.

No it wouldn't - it would be trivial.

Even though much of it would be done by IT, at minimal marginal cost,

It's all done by IT - they don't have armies of clerks any more.

each extra transaction is one more transaction with which there may be a 'problem' requiring human attention and resolution.

Much of that is automated too.

Indeed, they may also even suffer 'per transaction' charges from their bankers.

Orders of magnitude less than the extra they charge.

 

[Avocet]

If the heaters are live at 22:30 you'll be getting 1 1/2 hours from then till midnight and the 5 1/2 hours from 00:30 to 07:30.
A bit of maths will show the latest on and the earliest off time so go for individual time switches on each appliance, it works for me.

Earliest on is 00:30, so earliest off is 06:00
Latest on is 02:00 so latest off is 07:30
(All GMT)

So the overlap is 02:00 to 06:00 so run the appliances in that time period!!

Well, I wondered that, but the storage heater was still live at 00.15 (BST) when I went to bed.