A Kind of Olive

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Well today we finally switched electricity suppliers. Yes until now we have been those apathetic people who have never changed, considering the concept a little too tiresome to bother ourselves with.

Oh my, don't those utility companies love loyal customers to whom they don't even have to promote themselves to rip them off? So much for brand loyalty; we have probably ended up paying more than we needed to for several years. Of course things were simpler in the days of nationalised suppliers but those days are long since past and Mister E and I have finally found the time in retirement to catch up with the competitive market place.

Consequently we have signed up for a fixed term rate at both a lower daily charge and unit rate than previously and even better the supplier claims to reinvest in green energy. What's more, and whilst at some 2,600 kwh a year we apparently use less electricity than the average home (despite a tendency to use both a dishwasher and tumble-dryer), we have vowed to reduce our consumption still further. Needless to say this evening I have wrinkled fingers from washing up by hand and the utility room is full of damp clothes, airing after a rain shower interrupted the line drying exercise.

I'm not sure how well we are going to do with this, which is why I'm only awarding us an olive green rating for the moment, but it is another challenge thrown up by that desire to live more simply in retirement and if it helps to save the planet, even better.




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