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I like that British Gas have just fitted my new Worcester Bosch combi boiler replacing my previous 17 year old model that had broken numerous times in the last few months. Hopefully I can rest easy now that it will be warm in the morning and hot water will come out the taps every time. Less stress and worry for the next few years

As above electricity is a really inefficient way to heat. My electric bill triples in January compared to June mainly due to just 2 storage heaters which can only be used on the cheap rate (7p/kWh), that's an extra ~£60 for me in a small flat! The daft thing is, even with all that spent, it's still not 'comfortably warm' in here a lot of the time, I never have them on more than half. The only time it feels warm (sometimes too warm!) is when the sun shines through the French doors (south facing)...the most efficient and FREE heating source available is 90,000,000 miles away! Have you checked those bills yourself btw? My Nan was paying a ridiculous amount for hers, when I checked it they were estimating bills (partly her fault as she forgot to give them readings when they asked!) and she got about £300 returned to her due to the over charge.

Could I get that on repeat prescription?

My thinking exactly. I'll write you a prescription straight away!

Is he on Economy7? Just read a couple of posts on a local FB page about some E7 meters not changing to 'cheap' rate, therefore charging everything at the higher rate! Might be worth a look?

It's not you. The quality of driving is terrible. I often feel like I could have several accidents on my 6.5 mile commute. I'm finding that the most common occurences are lane hopping/cutting up on roundabouts where people are too stupid/arrogant to know how to use them. Lane discipline generally. People pulling out on me. And people not indicating and then braking sharply to make a turn. It's even more annoying when they then start indicating mid manoeuvre!

Hey guys previously I have had a mk2 ST replica Zetec focus, Last week I spotted a MK3.5 ST the company I work for was selling , had a test drive and fell in love It's a diesel ST in deep impact blue and it pulls like a train, love the thing But like my mk2 I wanted to change a few settings which could previously been done with elmconfig this time I needed focccus I had read that focccus was having problems with the mk3.5 body computer security. But I gave it a go anyway , download version 8.5 of focccus and software went straight in, I activated the auto rolling door locks , but doing so sent the message system on the Cluster a bit mad, showing service engine now After writing the settings to the car I tried to start and the car wouldn't start, what I had to do was use forscan and clear diagnostic codes as it had registered in the engine controller a crash detection preventing the car from starting. Cleared code and turned ignition off for 5 mins, car started straight away after that clearing all faults , and auto locks worked a treat (with the exception of resetting the clock) So i just want share this just incase someone has this problem and freaks out a little as I did when the start button did nothing :)

Does he have gas heating? If not, it may be not an unreasonable amount for an older person in an averagely insulated house. £220 at 15p/kWhr is only an average of 2kW (24/7), and it could easily take that to heat a flat or small house to a temperature that is comfortable for an older person. My mother keeps her heating on 24/7 now, topped up by a gas fire, since she became ill last November. She is over 90 now though. Her heating is gas, which is about a quarter of the cost of electricity. I need about 4kW (24/7 average) in winter to keep my old stone built house warm. But that is mostly gas & some wood. Minimal electrical heating. Electricity is an extremely expensive way to heat a house, but if it is rented, and has no gas, it may be the only way. It certainly needs some investigation though. There are plenty of power meters on the market, electricity companies were giving them away free a few years ago. Some are plug in, some clamp over cables in the fuse box.

Must be something wrong somewhere! We pay half that, 6 in the household. What does your dad's contract say? Would be worth getting a sparky in to check, make sure there's not a fire hazard somewhere. Surely if there is a fault the landlord will be liable?

I don't like that there weren't cancellations today either. I did ponder doing Lenny's suggestion but then thought it might be a bit excessive to leave Brandy all day with my neighbour with the Focus. It seems not, all the urgent dental care is directed to A&E. Unless you happen to be in receipt of means tested benefits and not registered to any local dentists, then there's a centre in Boscombe ( suburb east of Bournemouth) He hasn't got a neighbour who's illegally drawing supply from before the meter? An immersion heater that's been forgotten and has been left on? That's excessive for a single person household

To be blunt here- You don't like the look, ride or sound of an ST? So why look at buying an ST? I have been in one and it was perfectly fine. Sent from my SM-G930F

At least ford don't lie about emission control measures.

It's electric, doesn't run on coolant. As we've discussed the increased electrical load on the alternator should in turn load the engine more speeding warm up time. Which is probably why it's programmed that way.

I do hope you acquired it legally, Kevin...

@biff55 all I did was follow instructions bud take ring off place in the bulb holder then you push light in one 1/4 turn and hey presto it's in just mind n plug it in Better just to call instead of getting a quote buddy some insurances give you a paper charge

It would seem not!! I hate it if my rear window is misted or frozen, and don't feel completely safe driving until it is clear. But, different people have different priorities...

This is one thing that puts me off going down that route. If I fit a new actuator, I assume it doesn't need programming or coding to the car? One other remedy I was thinking of was that if the mechanical valve was stuck or sticky, and I could not free this off, then it would mean a new manifold. If I was to modify the quadrant gear on the actuator so it didn't actually make contact with the mechanical valve, but the motor still was able to operate, would this be an option? It would think the valve is opening but it actually wasn't. The only thing that would put a halt on this would be if there was a sensor in the manifold/valve itself or the actuator could detect there wasn't any mechanical resistance so it knew there was something wrong. I suppose this way the valve would remain closed but maybe thats not such a bad thing. Do any of you guys know if this is possible?

Ouch! I think a whisky would be more appropriate for that...

The EGR is built into the manifold, so must be a complete unit. I think I'm correct in saying that it also uses the same fixings as the exhaust manifold/turbo do its quite an involved job and not one I would consider on my driveway. Even if I had £1096 sitting doing nothing, I'm not sure I'd like to spend it on this. Peter, the actuator you talked about, did you have to but any gaskets etc? My engine is a 1.8 TDCI "Lynx", and it looks like there is easy access to this part. The really annoying thing is I blanked the EGR about 3 years ago, without issue until now. Thanks once again for the replies, appreciated.

Wow, wasn't expecting so many replies, thanks a lot guys, this is why this so forum is so amazing, everyone is so helpful to each other No tumble dryer. The boiler cupboard looks more complicated than the engine bay of my Focus. Pipes and wires going everywhere. It seems like there are two separate water heaters: (1) An electric instantaneous boiler rated at 9kW, one that looks like this: https://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/amptec-c400-4kw-electric-flow-boiler/?gclid=CjwKEAiAtefDBRDTnbDnvM735xISJABlvGOvcqAkvtKA3bAeuwapikaUNhJamcpMIQjEylInpQJkJRoCvTPw_wcB. It seems to feed water into a big black plastic tank. (2) An electric immersion heater, with its own separate green tank. This is currently (and always has been) switched OFF. Dad moved in as the tenant around three months ago Jamie, and all readings have been high. Interestingly, I found out from the electricity company (NPower) that when the flat was unoccupied before my dad moved in, approx 70kwh was used in a 16 day period, which seems somewhat excessive? The kitchen was refurbed by the landlord during this time, and flat cleaned, but surely even this couldn't account for such high usage? Or am I wrong... I will definitely get NPower to test the meter. That thought has occurred to me already, but how likely is it? Pretty much a standard tenancy contract. As far as my research has revealed - there is nothing concrete that mentions liability regarding excessive power consumption caused by fittings/fixtures (appliances) that are part of a tenanted property. Will definitely use fire hazard as a bargaining chip. In my previous rental property (a 1 bedroom flat with nearly ZERO insulation) - it was all electric heating (no gas) - just convector heaters in every room. Despite running them non-stop whenever I was in the house, my bills were only 50-55 a month. My dad's flat has central heating - with radiators in each room, where water is heated by an electric boiler. Surely this should be slightly more efficient than just convector heaters? The flat my dad lives in was apparently built in 2004, so it has noticeably better insulation too. Yep, all bills are based off actual readings. I believe it is single rate - NPower have offered to replace the current meter (dated 2004) with a dual tariff meter.

I think you will find that you will need the steering rack limiter, I had the zetec with 15inch alloys now have the st line with 17 inch alloys and it does not have the same steering lock due to the fact it has wider tyres and there for steering rack limiter fitted , if you look at the specs you will see all fiestas with 17 inch wheels have a bigger turning circle.

Last year I began improving my home and in the process I became very interested in energy saving products; I researched the web for months and found a few items worthy of investment and I've created a explanation thread here may be of interest to you; http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/86664-energy-saving-products/ One particular item is this UK manufactured time switch for the immersion, it automatically switches itself off after a set amount of time saves going up stairs twice to turn it off and ideal for times you may forget. They also have a plug in version which I use for the television in the kids bedroom otherwise it would be left on for ages. I also have one stuck to the plug top of the iron so it's never left on neither

Turned out I had wrong size plate need to get that sorted first, funnily enough I was looking at endoscope cams last week, you can get them cheap now and would be ***** handy for looking around the engine in tight places. Still did an engine flush replaced oil and filter, new cam belt fitted, air and fuel filters were well ready. Good engine now

Personally I find all the Fiestas to have a pretty poor ride, even the Titanium sadly, the tyres are too low a profile for a 'comfort' model imo. You really need to drive them to see how you find them. If you want something comfortable, you have to move up to Focus/Golf sized stuff. But if you want a sports spec model they're usually uncomfortable anyway. With regards to speed bumps, I can glide over them at ~20mph in the Focus no problem, I end up almost rear ending people in STs that have to practically stop for them! Having had a mk6 ST (same daft low profile rubbish) you do have to slow to 10mph or less for them to avoid breaking your back, popping the tyre or snapping a spring, couldn't be bothered with that on a daily myself lol.

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You never use your rear-view mirror then . . . . . .

easel board

Yeah anything up to 19" will fit but the bigger you go; the lower the tyre profile will be in order to maintain roughly the same overall tyre circumference keeping the Speedo accurate👍Please read my previous post above, I explained wheel upgrade there ☝ regarding tyres cost and unsprung mass, 17" are the best compromise in terms of handling and performance.

I wanted it to snow on Christmas but never did

Would I be able to fit 17in or 18in

We shouldn't mock the afflicted..........but it's SO much fun!!!

You're right, my picture was outside my house in Lossiemouth. Crikey, that Audi didn't come off very well. That's my problem with modern cars. I know they are designed to "crumple" in an accident to protect the integrity of the cabin and occupants, but I just couldn't feel safe in a car that turns out like that from a low speed impact.

Indeed, only the bluntest of tools would buy a new Vauxhall

When my car was standard (123bhp) I always used stop start. Remember, the car analyses outside temperature, engine temperature, electrical power usage etc. Etc. If it doesn't feel it will have enough power to start, then it simply will NOT stop the engine. If it feels it has to start up automatically for any reason it will do this. The only time it wont start automatically is when your drivers door has been open. This will require you to push the clutch manually. This could, I suppose drain the battery, but it'd be your own fault. I achieved "eco champion" and an average of 65mpg ONCE. it lasted about and hour, I simply tried my absolute hardest to prove a point. It was actually tiring trying to drive thinking that far ahead. Usually i averaged around 35-45mpg. Now my car is running 159bhp, and will soon be running 175ish. I only ever disable stop start if ive been driving the car hard. Stick to the cars suggested shift points (little arrow on the instrument display) and youll be about spot on. Cruise control really helps too On the topic of shift points. The higher point closer to 6k seems silly. But when you look at the car on the dyno, the power continues/holds all the way to the redline As mentioned above, i get/got better fuel economy accelerating quickly from 30-60 for example. The gearbox on the 100/125 models is horrid to get used to and when running more power remains horrid due to the length of the gears. The gearbox is also made of chocolate and the syncros are pathetic. The clutch is probably the best part.. I know of people running silly amounts of torque and having no issues.

My point exactly. Albums are in track order so should be played the same way. If I want them shuffled I'll press the shuffle button myself [emoji41] Sent from my SM-G930F

It's such a shame really, if they'd got VW to write their maps they could've had more power and economy without worrying about the emissions!

Probably because stop start and lights will be taken into account for emissions. As an optional extra, heated screens won't... VW don't need to worry about emissions as they write better maps than Ford.

Revs isn't important, the smart charge system can ramp up or down electricity generation to fulfil demand. e.g. When you accelerate it reduces load and when you take your foot off the accelerator it increases load. The battery acts as a filter to smooth all of this out, so everything gets a constant supply.

It turns the front and rear demisters on automatically at or below 4 deg C. Perfectly normal.

J is correct the car has more than enough power to defrost front and rear as well as have AC and all the other functions at the same time, have it auto switch on in the cold is a great feature at least it's one less button to press.

That's a bit crap [emoji41] Sent from my SM-G930F

@Philf1 has it on his RS. Better than Sync 2 in every way except lack of ability to set a wallpaper.

You still need to factor in insurance costs with mods. If age is an issue you might find a long list of mods becomes prohibitively expensive too.

This is a massive problem on a lot of sites,i do find this site one of the best for a nice bunch of people when i ask things about stuff as i do a lot. The big problem i had was punctuality and not the best speller and i will name the site ''Corsa'' site when i had my corsa and not all but a few on there got me down in a massive way to the stage i just left the site and to this day never been back on there,it was a hand full of people and replying to each others reply to make it worse. So mark (fastlife91) i do know 100% what you are saying,i tend to bite back a bit now to counter act the joke with a joke and if they know its not getting to you they change. It can be a nasty world these days out there and i bet everyone on here in some way have been through some rough times like these,keep going mark.

Depends what you buy. I need a new egr valve and when i priced one a month ago it was 110. Now with the Xmas discount I can get it for 64 quid. No bad if I do say so. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

when you take off there discount most gear works out the same price as any online company, so your not saveing anything with the codes they give you. but get over to halfords on boxing day they have got ford 4 ltr oil £12 lets see if ecp can beat that lol

Paint all sorted and happy with the results. Here's a little piccy out in the wild

Put the items into your basket then remove them and next day you'll get an email for 30% off :) you also find that the %age reduction increases the closer to the end of the month it is.

Mountune gator now fitted so that's the interior done for now. Thanks to @ Mike L over on FiestaSToc for supplying said part

£4K damnnnnnn, atleast it isn't your money and they admitted the fault!