What are you all up to

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  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,826
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    edited December 2017 #12212

    Good to hear all is well, Nellie. We like the walk at Beningbrough.

    Not much snow left, just bits here and there. Can't say I enjoy driving for 5+ hours across the UK. Might have to hire places a bit closer to home next year.

    Hope to get away in the van sometime next month.

  • milliehull
    milliehull Forum Participant, Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 4,832
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    edited December 2017 #12213

    Thank you Helen and Trevor. We just hope it isn't an icy morning.😕

  • milliehull
    milliehull Forum Participant, Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 4,832
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    edited December 2017 #12214

    We have had a FANTASTIC evening at the Ian Anderson Jethro Tull Christmas Concert at Peterborough Cathedral. Such a wonderful musician. Special guests Lloyd Grossman and Marc Almond. The lovely man gives every single penny of the ticket money to whichever Cathedral or church he plays his Christmas concert in.. The Cathedral was packed! Wonderful atmosphere. 

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12215

    The tips are necessary because the 80 pence per drop for fuel allowance is not enough to cover the cost of the fuel used even in my low petrol consumption Smart car. Deliveries from Lancing to Shoreham are about 4 to 5 miles each way and the same applies for Lancing to Worthing. My wife keeps account of how much I get in drop money plus tips and she has said to me that the drop money plus tips only just about covers the cost of petrol. On days when there are no tips, there is a loss which I effectively pay for out of my wages. On those occasions my pay drops below the minimum wage. Other drivers with cars of higher fuel consumption lose even more. That is why there is such a high turnover of drivers and difficulty in recruiting new drivers. It is also the reason why I need to change to the Smart electric car which will eliminate this cost.

    Soon it will be coming into Spring and then Summer with the lighter evenings. The 60 to 90 mile range should be enough to cover for a  3 to 4 hour shift of which some of the time is spent in the shop during which time the car is parked unused.

    In the whole of last year, I did a total of 11700 miles which works out to about 30 miles per day. That would mean a full charge would be enough for two to three days usage.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12216

    Furthermore, I don't push the car to its limit. When driving along the A27 where the speed limit is 70 mph, I usually do between 50 to 60 mph which should be more economical with fuel consumption. So a full charge should be sufficient to get through my shift at work, I hope!

    If I did not change to electric, I would have to spend about £10,000 on petrol over the next four to five years. That's a lot of money to lose!

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12217

    With fuel prices going up all the time, plus the government incentives to change to EVs, I can't understand why nearly everyone on here are so opposed to changing to EVs. Just think of all the things you could do with the money you save on petrol or diesel! Refusing to take up the government offer just because you are opposed to change is like looking a gift horse in the mouth!

  • RJLJ
    RJLJ Forum Participant Posts: 148
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    edited December 2017 #12218

    So the best thing all round would be 

    a. Don't buy new car, saving all that money and saving electricity money

    b. Sell old smart car, recouping some money

    c. Give up job, saving all that petrol money and giving you your evenings back

    d. Have just one car, save vast amount of money especially with one driver.  Will also save all the toing and froing at site change over, petrol money saved.

    problem solved!!

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,384
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    edited December 2017 #12219

    Which ever way you spin it Malcolm, you are down £6000 depreciation on your existing car. Plus the cost of the new tyres / repairs you will never see the benifit of. Add on to that a further £6000 or so depreciation for the new car as you drive it off the forecourt. That would buy an awful lot of petrol.

    Still very cold and frosty on this side of the country. Although a bit warmer than during our stay at Chatsworth when it got to minus 8 or so. The service pitch was rather wasted this time, as the hoses spent a lot of time frozen. Although as the Chatsworth ones include CDP, I literally only had to turn round to dump the cassette. This was useful, as away from the blocks / service points the roads were very slippery. The Dickensian Christmas at the house was spectacular and well worth the entry fee.

    As we have been away, still the tree to decorate today, currently in the cool of the garage. At 2.1m it's a bit shorter than this monster at Chatsworth.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12220

    I always find that the worst part of each shift is the very beginning. Trying to do deliveries when you're stuck in rush hour traffic is no joke. Later in the evening when the traffic lessens is much better.

  • huskydog
    huskydog Club Member Posts: 5,466
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    edited December 2017 #12221

    I see it's the same old posts this morning undecided

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12222

    The full retail price of the new car is £21500. If it depreciates £6000 as soon as I drive it out of the showroom, it will still be worth £15,500 which is a much higher value than my present car which retailed at £12000 when I first bought it. So in the end I'm getting a better and higher value car that will depreciate more slowly than my current one.

    The salesman told me that EVs do not depreciate as fast as petrol and diesel vehicles.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12223

    I can't sell my old Smart car because it's not mine to sell. Whilst there's an outstanding three years to go on the PCP, it belongs to the finance company. It only becomes mine to sell when the remaining 36 monthly payments are completed and the end balloon of £2000 has been paid.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,384
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    edited December 2017 #12224

    At least there are some posts on here, the rest of CT seems to have gone into Christmas shutdown.☹️

    Nothing on UK touring since 14/12.

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12225

    Furthermore, if I kept the existing Smart car for another 36 months, I would have to spend another £7000 on unleaded petrol leaving me with less money to fund the PCP end balloon.

    The PCP on the new electric car will have a £5000 end balloon which will be more easily affordable because of the £10,000 saving in petrol costs over the four year finance agreement.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2017 #12226

    Malc you are either very nieve or very gullible to be taken in by in for profit!! salesmen,when your "friendly?" sales person advised that tthe EV will hold its price "better" also advise you how much the batteries will set you back when wanting replacementwink

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited December 2017 #12227

    Difficult decision.spend £10,000 on fuel or £12,000 on depreciation plus increased monthly payments. Then factor in that free electricity will probably disappear in the next few years.

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2017 #12229

    So back to the real world!,

    Frosty and foggy start this morning,still remnants of snow in fields,off to take one grand sprog to meet with her cousins for a morning of ice skating,that was  to have been last Sunday but the weather stopped it,then all out for a carvery in a village pub that is dog friendly,nice to note that more are realising how much more custom they get by being so

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12230

    We did discuss that and he told us that the battery was guaranteed for eight years. However, he did admit that if the battery failed after the guarantee was over, it would be very costly to replace.

    By the time the guarantee comes to an end, I will have saved £20,000 in petrol costs! That's enough money to buy another new car with even better improved technology!

    It's a win, win! I'm going to be laughing all the way to the bank!

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12232

    But surely, JVB66, EVs are the real world. The reduction in pollution will make todays world and tomorrows world a better place to live in!

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited December 2017 #12233

    Ask me in 10 years time Malcolm. They may be the future but for my needs (and I suspect yours) they are definately not the present. 

    An EV might replace our 17 year old Yaris ........ but not economically by any means. 

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12234

    I agree that there are not enough charging points at the present but that is changing. More and more charging facilities are becoming available, many of which are free to use like the one at Mercedes Benz service centre and showroom on Victoria Road, Portslade where I can get a fast charge for free! It's not on the zapmap but it's there, nevertheless!

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 14,127
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    edited December 2017 #12235

    Steve

    We were at Chatsworth from 3rd to the 6th of December. Fortunately not too cold. We managed to catch the second from last day of the Christmas Market as well which we missed the year before. I have just added a Story with photographs including one very similar to the above.

    David

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2017 #12236

    Is that before or after the higher pollution levels that is generated to produce the batteries compared to other forms of transportundecided

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant, Forum Participant Trusted Posts: 8,307
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    edited December 2017 #12237

    Milliehull sounds like a great evening. Did you need your thermals in such a packed cathedral? 😂😂. 

    You're off to NI for Christmas how lovely. You're not the only one hoping these cold temperatures disappear before too long! Out of curiosity where do you fly from and how long does ur take? I'm sure you'll have a great time not only with the family but local entertainment if it's like your last trip.

    Jolly thick frost here this morning 0.8c just after 8am and it's foggy. Definitely going to make cake today. Will have to pop to the shops for supplies I have neglected daily eating 😂😂.

    EasyT good to hear you're enjoying your new van. I hope your cold is better and you have a great break.

    Cyberyacht I'm surprised out were able to the a post after washing your motorhome 🌬 did the water freeze on it? The amount of 'sink' into grass in a short time is amazing ☺

    Tammygirl I'm so impressed at your work rate - I'm tired reading it and panicking on your behalf 😂😂. Has your OH considered the sweeteer being offered to rejoin the army? 

    Enjoy your day folks stay safe and warm

     

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited December 2017 #12238

    Diesel was the enviromentally cheaper way a few years back now as will happen when most go electric it will be the more expensive,as it will be govenments of the worlds way of making money to compensate for the dip in revenue that they  now get from other fuelswink 

    Where have the subsidys that were so generouse for domestic solar panels gone,and are being reduced for other forms of "green" energy

  • RJLJ
    RJLJ Forum Participant Posts: 148
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    edited December 2017 #12239

    Exactly what i was about to say JV, as well as the fact that you're only as green as your electricity producer.

  • Grant705
    Grant705 Forum Participant Posts: 164
    edited December 2017 #12240

    e) Get part time jobs paying minimum wage with no outlays

    f) Send wife out to work!

  • Malcolm Mehta
    Malcolm Mehta Forum Participant Posts: 5,660
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    edited December 2017 #12241

    SteveL, I'm still getting use of the existing car whilst waiting for delivery of the new one. In the meantime, I'm still on the Pizza Hut payroll so continuing to earn money from the existing car and in doing so getting benefit from the new tyres and repairs.