Solar Panels

Mary in her new Jumper

Roger

 A few more pounds lost this week and I’m now back to what I weighed when I started at the hospice. 
I’ve decided that having a chronic condition will work to my advantage so I contacted the  rural Advice Wales department who deals with the energy efficiency of cottage properties like mine in Flintshire.
Apparently I am eligible for an air source heat pump and heating upgrade, a full home insulation job and a solar panel system for free! 
Bloody hell.
Bloody Hellllllllll
How good is that? 
The helpful man-on-the-phone laughed when I kept saying what’s the catch? 
Apparently there isn’t one ! 
The company that completes the work will be contacting me soon. 
I know several villagers who have had the work done, so I know it’s to the highest standard

Serendipity strikes again.

So today has been a chore day. The Welsh are having a groom and haircut so I’ve been out and bought Mary a jumper, given that the weather remains chilly. I will post a photo later when I have a mind to 
I’ve given Bluebell a jet wash , shopped and drank coffee in the nature reserve at Rhuddlan where I watched a group of swans push a floating log about a pond.
I’m now pottering around before collecting the dogs

62 comments:

  1. Bloody Hell indeed!

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  2. Serendipity indeed! And well done on the continuing weight loss. You sound more alive, and it's not just the good fortune and the improving weather. I do love it when good things happen to good people! xx

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  3. Jackie3:58 pm

    Congratulations John. You certainly deserve all of this good news!

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  4. Wow! Good for you, John!

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    Replies
    1. Your recent dog guy pics broke my heart x

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  5. Barbara Anne4:27 pm

    Just goes to show that it's good to call for correct information! Extra warmth for years to come - for Free!!
    Will you be getting Mary a tartan coat? DH's family is part of Clan Gunn.

    Hugs!

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    Replies
    1. See above, it’s a sort of Christmas jumper

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  6. All that because you’re diabetic? Amazing! In the USA, it’s possible your insulin wouldn’t even be paid for!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, if you earn a certain amount the work is done free too

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  7. Anonymous4:34 pm

    Lots of advantages to society as a whole to keep old homes comfortable and habitable instead of tearing down and replacing with newer tat. Plus energy efficiency, and the opportunity to showcase the difference that insulation etc makes. So it all seems very sensible. Of course one "catch" is a bit of disruption on the home front having workmen in, especially considering your crack team of canine/feline security.

    Ceci

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    Replies
    1. I can live with the mess…..an excuse to save for a new carpet

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  8. Sounds like an excellent opportunity, proceed!

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  9. All for free!?! How utterly civilized. I love that good things and positive attitudes are coming to you, Jonno!

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    Replies
    1. Yes.anyone with a “ chronic “ health condition or anyone who are a lower wage

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  10. What fantastic news. Always look on the bright side, eh? I'm guessing it's her marking, but Mary does look as though she has a black eye. Roger seems to have been left with a bit more fur.

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    Replies
    1. She has a condition which makes her eye water. It’s given her a dark ring around her eye

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  11. Anonymous5:41 pm

    Great that you get all this free in Wales, we have been offered a government ‘loan’ to do the same work as our house has an EPC of G, we qualify as low income and last time we applied were offered only roof insulation, well that went down well as our roof space is stuffed to capacity with insulation - you couldn’t make it up 🤷‍♀️. I feel that there really ought to be some joined up thinking but hey-ho. Jan in Castle Gresley

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    1. No all for “free” I dont qualify on my income alone as I earn too much

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  12. Great news about updating the cottage. Heat pumps are fantastic and most of them provide heat in the winter and cooling in the summer. Free solar panels too are nothing less than amazing!

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    Replies
    1. I’m counting my blessing especially as my blood sugars are stabilising

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  13. Congratulations, John dear! It's always a comfort when you know someone who's had similar/same work done. May the word proceed quickly and with minimal disruption to all.
    Mary looks lovely in her new jumper.

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  14. What great news!

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    Replies
    1. If it all works out I’m very grateful

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  15. It's great to hear good news.

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  16. Anonymous7:10 pm

    That's great news about the insulation etc. I hope you don't mind me asking but is there a link to the diet you've followed, please? Is it something like NHS diabetes diet? I'm almost pre-diabetic so want to do something about it and you've had amazing success. Many thanks from Ann

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    1. Just look for the insulin resistant diet
      https://www.health.com/insulin-resistance-diet-8407040
      And

      https://mydiabetes.health/uk/startnow/gads-pbp?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=21229680373&cq_con=167652588456&cq_term=diabetic+diet&cq_med=&cq_plac=&cq_net=g&cq_pos=&cq_plt=gp&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21229680373&adgroupid=167652588456&utm_term=diabetic+diet&adpos=&gc_id=21229680373&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACvr3Sl_z1Zedo_UpIvLbKbIqP5SW&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1um-BhDtARIsABjU5x7zVSgC9XKoXOnQdfKDq9H5dUg_ZvZDo7OTPFSLBPRuy4_ZWfS-QogaAnyyEALw_wcB

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    2. I’ve cut out all bread andwhite rice and most sugars including extra sweet fruit

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    3. Anonymous9:12 pm

      I am type 2 and am finding it really difficult to cope with meds. You inspire me to do better

      Keith

      Xx

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    4. Anonymous2:07 pm

      Thanks John. Sorry I forgot to reply sooner. I'll take a look at that link. It must feel wonderful for the weight to have melted away so quickly, or it seems quickly going by your posts. Great for your health apart from anything else. From Ann

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  17. Congratulations on the weight loss! My scale tells me that I've found some of it. I assume that you do not want it back, so I'll see if there is someone else who can use it.

    Will Jay

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    Replies
    1. lol I’m not going back to my heavy days

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  18. Anonymous7:57 pm

    Nice to get upgrades to your cottage. Well done! Gigi

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    Replies
    1. Something positive out of something rather negative

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  19. What a cute jumper Mary is wearing and she seems quite pleased with its warmth!

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    Replies
    1. Her coat is thin with age that’s why I got the jumper

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  20. Anonymous8:50 pm

    She looks tired Mr John xxxx

    Lee🥲

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    Replies
    1. Oh Lee she does doesn’t she? She’s older than Meg when she died

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  21. They look so different without their curly coats!!
    Well done on getting in line for grant work.
    We had wrapping done eight years ago for only £1000 ( thanks EU and Scottish Government)and new boiler and roof insulation free last year because of Pirate's age and health

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    1. I never want the Welsh hand stripped, that MUST hurt

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  22. Well, that's amazing news! This is another thing the UK does better than the USA, as if having publicly-funded health care wasn't already enough.

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    Replies
    1. It’s a Welsh government initiative

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  23. Anonymous11:47 pm

    It's an awesome thing. Get all that stuff done and you can retire when you're ready and know that you have a warm secure home done. Jen

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  24. I love when things work out! That's happy news.

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  25. WOW! Jackpot! Congrats on your home energy efficiency upgrades! And Mary looks like the beautiful Cover Girl she is!

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  26. Fantastic, I love serendipity when it works out. Fingers crossed for a couple of hunky workmen to ease the discomfort of living in a bomb site for a couple of days. Mary looks lovely in her jumper, they look strange to me without the curly coats.

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  27. Oh WOW!!! To get anything in New Zealand you have to be ultra-impoverished and even then it's certainly not the Full Works!! That's rat news. We have friends with solar panels and they even charge their EV with them. And their power bills are negligible@ Next winter you'll be warm as toast! I;m so delighted for you! And the dogs will be appreciating their extra coat, having been shorn of their own. I"m going to look up your diet links - I'm putting on at almost the rate you're loosing !! Not good. Must Do Better!

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  28. Mary is quite lovely.
    That's wonderful to have all of that help with your cottage. I wonder if we have that here. Hmmm.

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  29. At my lovely ancient house in Wales (in 1970-ish) we had a bathroom and septic tank all installed free of charge. About a week afterwards the scheme was cancelled. What luck!

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  30. What a nice surprise! And, as you say, something good which helps to make up for the condition. As well as the weight loss and the vitality it brings.

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  31. Brilliant news on the weight-loss, your uniform must fit so much better these days. And well done on finding out what you are entitled to for the cottage. You will be lovely and cosy next Winter and the fuel bills will be so much lower. Setting yourself up for a cosy retirement, eventually. xx

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  32. Now that is how a country should be run. Amazing! I love it! And John, it is so inspiring and so heartening to see where you are now, how far you have come. You have worked hard.

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  33. Wow, great news on many fronts!

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  34. Anonymous3:00 pm

    What "chronic condition" have you got?

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    Replies
    1. A chronic nausea caused by trolls

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    2. Anonymous11:03 pm

      Haha

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    3. Anonymous3:55 pm

      Well it's obviously not something serious. Just one of those who are out to get what they can from the system.

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