Queen Bee Controls the HIVE (heating)

Mine is a bit esoteric. I have bought an adapter that will allow my ipad to control my camera. Not really impressive perhaps, but for me as an ex pro photographer it allows me to carry on much longer creating images. I can no longer hold the camera as it is too heavy, but using this device I can put the camera on a tripod of on my scooter, connect to the device and focus or change exposure at will. With a 10m cable I can also put the camera low down and still be comfy taking images from my chair.
As I say, not for everyone, but for me it allows me to follow the dream that bit longer.
Other than that the simple grab tool to pick things up off the floor or from a high shelf. Vital.

Mike

Upgraded to Hive 2 from Scottish Power Connect in November on a black Friday deal, £170 fitted by British Gas & it is excellent piece of kit. Can’t wait for the extras to add on such as light control due very soon.

Yer it was, too good to miss. From Amazon as well. I always ignored this imported fad from America & then low & behold I got an email with that deal on it. Found money I didn’t have to invest in it but, it pays for itself very quickly because it’s so flexible.

Maybe we should start a thread for bargains in off topic for things like that. Once you’ve had a smart thermostat you won’t go back. I also had smart meters installed in December & they help you save cos you monitor what you use & use what costs you more less!

For anyone that can tot up their actual usage from the last year I would urge you to sign up here http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheapenergyclub

Load up all your details, the tariff you’re currently on, supplier & usage & then you set up savings alerts & this site will automatically email you once you hit your savings target. I have been very lucky to have changed my tariff twice since November. It cost me £60 (£60 BG charged me to change, not the site) to change the second time but, the annual saving on the improved tariff eclipsed that £60 by double.

I was a little obsessed with the BG smart meter monitor in the living room when I first got it. The shower was the real surprise as it heats the water as you use it but, it’s the only thing that makes the monitor go red. So, we now turn the water off in between lathering up & rinsing off & it’s halved the cost of a shower.

See, obsessed .

Our energy bills have dropped by £400 due to changing tariffs & the smart meter for two not to smart people .

I used Compare teh Market ( Ineeded another Meerkat for the collection as well). i changed my tariff and supplier last December. I was paying around £180 a month dual fuel. the new supplier quoated £118 based on my annual usage. A great saving until the first bill arrived. It was £118, but included a note that it was going up to £160 a month immediately. Please be careful when thin king about swapping. money can be saved, more especially by cutting back on useage as Wonder Woman has shown. It still remains sad that she has to go to such lengths to keep clean and yet live within our budgets.
I have had to do the same with heating. Siting the thermostat in another area (upstairs in my case) and turning it down to 19 , does not not save much money per se but stops the bills rising faster than my pension is. I have also started wearing a coat indoors in the winter, as well as fingerless gloves, so I do not have to ahve the heating on during the day.
But we digress. Do look around there are manyey ways in which to reduce bills, and I would also support the moneysavingexpert website.

Mike