Shortages

I’m dreaming of big household projects again.

I want to add to our roof of solar panels. We can apparently fit 20 up on our main roof, and I think we could get a few more on our (south facing) garage roof too. We’d need a battery. Then we’d ‘just’ have to replace our boiler with an air source heat pump. Maybe get a hot water tank somewhere. Get an electric car (van?). Replace the gas hob with an electric one…

We’re currently experiencing gas shortages and petrol shortages in the UK, which is what’s fuelling (heh) these wild ideas. They have different causes – the gas shortage is currently Europe-wide, causing prices to rocket. The petrol shortage is not so much a lack of petrol, but a lack of drivers to deliver the petrol to the places we need it.

It’s a thing. There’s not a lot I can do as an individual, I guess. We’re lucky enough that we don’t need our car for work, so the petrol shortage is not immediately concerning. The gas prices are irritating (particularly as the weather cools off again) but it’s still cheaper than electricity – for now, anyway. I don’t know if I can see gas prices dropping too much again though. It’s not just a problem for us, it’s wider than that, and the UK now imports nearly 50% of our natural gas. Given our post-Brexit status I’m not putting a lot of faith in our ability to negotiate a better deal.

I won’t go through with those big projects. It’s not the right time, they’re too big, the tech doesn’t feel quite right yet. But maybe… just maybe… it’s not as far off as you’d think?