Gas alert as demand and prices rise

[JohnB]

I've got oil, but there are no radiators on the Rayburn, so it just heats the kitchen. I've got it ticking over on minimum setting as the kitchen is empty almost all the time. The lodger's at work all day, and only spends half the week here. He's got a crap wood stove in his room and needs an elecric heater too, for the few hours he's here and not in bed. I'm in my van with a fan heater that's too powerful and an oil filled radiator that's not powerful enough, and I alternate between them, and I've got a Slanket. The family in the yurt are the cosiest, a good supply of logs!

I find it difficult to stock up on food, as the local shops don't have a wide range of stuff that appeals to me, but I can keep going for some days. The local Co-op is a small one, and the biggest supermarket isn't brilliant.

It's bloody annoying that I can't get on with my PO survival plans while solicitors, barristers and other so called professionals are buggering about, with absolutely no sense of urgency .

It's raining here at the moment!

[JohnB]

Ice in my beard cycling home tonight

I found a scarf wrapped round my face was good, for short trips anyway. Unfortunately the only scarf I've got is too short, and I can't tuck it in well enough to stay in place!

[Vortex]

It's bloody annoying that I can't get on with my PO survival plans while solicitors, barristers and other so called professionals are buggering about, with absolutely no sense of urgency

After the car clampers and telephone sanitisers, they are next in the queue for the very chipped brick wall.

(Note: The bankers and politicians are already in the foundations of that brick wall)

[JohnB]

After the car clampers and telephone sanitisers, they are next in the queue for the very chipped brick wall.

(Note: The bankers and politicians are already in the foundations of that brick wall)

I'm not sure about the telephone sanitisers. They may prove to be vital one day!

[kenneal - lagger]

After the car clampers and telephone sanitisers, they are next in the queue for the very chipped brick wall.

(Note: The bankers and politicians are already in the foundations of that brick wall)

I'm not sure about the telephone sanitisers. They may prove to be vital one day!

Do you mean to get rid of the eavesdroppers on the line? Soon come the day when they aren't deemed necessary!!

Just noticed that oil is at $89.44. That psychological $90 is well within range now. $147 here we come.

[mikepepler]

We are going through logs at a scary rate. It almost makes external cladding look like a viable option.

So are we! We popped up to the wood in the snow to take some pics, but also to process more of out seasoned 2m split logs into firewood. I think we have about 3 m3 at home now, and 7 m3 ready cut in the wood, with plenty more to process when we need it...

[mikepepler]

Gas now being pumped at well above GBA levels. No GBA has been called.

I don't understand why this is happening. What's the point of having a gba level if it isn't invoked?

I *think* that they only issue a GBA if the demand is too high at 13:00, although it can be reviewed later in the day if need be. There's some info at http://marketinformation.natgrid.co.uk/gas/PVHelp.htm

Another interesting page is this one http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Gas/Data/storage/ where you can download spreadsheets of historical levels in storage, and compare them to the current levels. For example (all figures in GWh):

3 Dec 2010:
Long: 29,853
Med: 5,915
Short: 570

3 Dec 2009:
Long: 37,866
Med: 8,698
Short: 1,283

3 Dec 2008:
Long: 32,618
Med: 7,527
Short: 2,073

As you can see, we're pretty low for the time of year. It doesn't need to be as cold as last week, if it just stays colder than average for the rest of the winter, we're in trouble.

[Andy Hunt]

Those figures are pretty sobering.

[emordnilap]

It doesn't need to be as cold as last week, if it just stays colder than average for the rest of the winter, we're in trouble.

It's only the beginning of December and we've been having extremely low temperatures for a number of days. Last winter our below-freezing period started in January. Hmmm...

[Andy Hunt]

Monday morning:


Live:


Chilly in Bristol!

Chris, what kit is being used to generate these?

[Andy Hunt]

Time to resurrect this thread I think...

According to http://marketinformation.natgrid.co.uk/ ... gView.aspx the gas demand for today (Mon 29th Nov 2010) is expected to be 433mcm. This compares to a seasonal average of 344, and the point at which an alert will be issued of 457.

Although we're not in danger of an alert yet, if the weather continues to be this cold for much longer, we can't be too far off one. Storage stocks are being run down already - we'd better hope it's warmer than usual in Jan/Feb!

I have just been looking at that page and the graphs showing actual storage seem to have been disabled for some reason.

But a quick calculation shows that at the rate of depletion of storage over the last 24 hours, we will be out of gas in 62 days.

The beginning of Feb isn't really a great time to run out of gas, is it. Of course that assumes continuing cold weather, but also assumes no problem with beach, imports etc.

[clv101]

Chris, what kit is being used to generate these?

One of these:
http://www.davisnet.com/weather/product ... pnum=06162

Not mine, but it is deployed only a few streets away from me. It has a website here:
http://www.afour.demon.co.uk/weather/weather1.htm

[JohnB]

Chris, what kit is being used to generate these?

If you want something you can use yourself, this is what I've got
http://www.lascarelectronics.com/temper ... logger=101

[emordnilap]

Tut-tut.

A min/max thermometer is all you need. If, indeed, you need that. However will we manage when our "dataloggers" conk out?

[Andy Hunt]

Chris, what kit is being used to generate these?

If you want something you can use yourself, this is what I've got
http://www.lascarelectronics.com/temper ... logger=101

Very interesting, thanks John. Does it need to be connected to a computer which is permanently on or can you just download the data whenever you feel like powering up the computer?