Week 22 Gas off

 Week 22

Gas trader GasTerra, which is owned by Shell, Esso Nederland and the Dutch State, among others, will be closed on Tuesday (31 May) from supplies from Gazprom. The Netherlands refuses to comply with the demand to pay for the gas in Russian rubles. GasTerra argues that this is a violation of European sanctions against Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine.

I've been blaming Merkel for the situation that Germany found itself in, but I read an interesting article in one of my 3 Guardian subscriptions that explained that the problem has been building for more than 50 years, despite warnings from many, including the US.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/02/germany-dependence-russian-energy-gas-oil-nord-stream?utm_term=629927b6b7db639a5f548374fe09616d&utm_campaign=MorningMailAUS&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=morningmailau_email

( I see that it was my Australian version: I wonder if Australians follow it as closely as I have been forced to?). It obviously affects the Netherlands - as a relatively small player in the grand scheme of things - although they (we?) seem to be always punching above their/our weight.

Nu.nl is another source for me - I like the reader comments as much as anything else - quite a few say that we should "just open up the Groningen gas fields again" (the largest in Europe - but unuseable because of the resulting earthquakes). This would entail "simply paying Groningers compensation for their repairs". The Government has been against this idea up to now.

Over 50 years, Germany fought numerous battles with a series of US presidents over its growing dependence on Russian energy. In the process, Germany’s foreign office developed a view of American anti-communism as naive, and a belief that only Germany truly understood the Soviet Union.

How did Germany end up making such a blunder? Some argue that Merkel should have seen that Putin was taking Russia in an authoritarian direction when he announced his return to the presidency in 2011. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014, Germany made no move to stop importing Russian gas, and although Merkel threatened to introduce crippling trade sanctions, German industry convinced her to hold back. But some blame a more persistent misjudgment stretching back 50 years, based on a fallacy that authoritarian countries can be transformed through trade.

Thursday.

Visit by our installation company - a very local concern. Father is the mainstay - Janny's generation - he now has 3 sons working in the business. The eldest son came to look at what can be done with heat pumps, hybrid heat pumps and/or relatively simple air conditioning units.

He said supply of units and some components is the biggest problem. He's expecting new deliveries in "October or November"..They have even been installing "empty cabinets" while they wait for parts.

Insulation is the key to the efficiency of the heat pumps. We're working on it...

As far back as 1997-99, we were asked to insulate the whole of our new works. I screamed a bit at the cost, but we did it as I found myself doing a lot of new things - pouring concrete, putting up plaster and generally co-ordinating everything. (I often say that it is my "blood sweat and tears" that you can see here). Over the years I came to see the value of the insulation - and the rules have become so much stronger as the authorities have come to the same idea with a vengeance! That is to say, the rules are so much stronger now. (Our old insulation is probably nowhere near good enough).

I'm obviously worried about over-capitalisation, but we have to press ahead...it's all a matter of priorities. With a limited budget, things like the electric car and Janny's Grand Designs (for the house) just have to wait.

I can, however, begin with a part of Janny's house design - we absolutely have to put in floor heating if the heat pump(s) are to be of any value. So, I can at least begin to pull out our (very nice) floor (which I put in with help from a friend) and do the preparation for the floor heating. Janny says "our neighbours did it so we can, too". Oh well.... (sigh)

Luckily, we can cook and live out the back for 6 months if we have to.

Part of The Plan includes a new kitchen

I can just about "buy in" to this part of The Plan - knocking down walls was always going to be a bit too much for me!

Friday.

Our cavity walls were insulated - they were just about spot on with their estimated 14 weeks "delivery time" - we ordered it in February. So this is another plus for our better insulation - to make the heat pumps more viable.

I counted more than 75 holes in the front wall...

One man drilled all the holes - through the mortar - another pumped the "neopixels" and glue in, and another filled all the holes again - about 2 1/2 hours work. It's almost impossible to see the repairs once the new mortar has dried. (The glue is a chemical that reacts with the beads - to make a solid block of polystyrene-like foam in the cavity).

Our underfloor vents (on the right) are normally blocked up over the winter. They have now been permanently closed off - so that's a job we don't have to do ever again!. When the floor is out, we have to see about re-routing any drains or pipes and then fill it up with light weight concrete - and then the floor heating on top of that. It will be much the same system that Janny's Mum has - but both systems will be connected to a heat pump or hybrid heat pump. The hybrid system allows for the gas heating to cut in if the outside temperature gets too low. Who knows what is going to happen with (the seemingly inevitable) global warming.

The holes are not at all visible when the new mortar dries out...

Monday

 I finally couldn't stand it any more...our courtyard tiles were BLACK - after about 5 years of putting off cleaning them. I used to do it every year, but Tjeerd said they hadn't been done in in the 5 years he has been with us!

That was also Tuesday's work...I needed a break by Wednesday!

Everything just goes black, green and scungy over the winter...

Including the picnic tables

...and not to mention the mowing! I used to do it twice a week when we had groups coming and going.. I can usually last about 8 or 9 days now.

Janny did it a couple of weeks ago. I tried telling her how much better it looks when she does it...but she didn't fall for that all too obvious ploy!

Please don't take me for yet another walk...

Boeke just goes here for a drink - he's not a swimmer like Zoey

Kids again this weekend. 

Janny and I both think that the weather has been unusually windy so far this year. We can't remember it ever being so noticeable for a couple of months now, but especially at this time of the year. We have also had the wood fires going - never before in June...

I was loathe to try the drone in the wind, but it turned out OK.

In Beginner Mode the drone has a height and distance limit...should be good when I get the hang of it.

We had to wait 12 weeks for the boat cushions - also ready. Can't see it but they are greenish grey - or greyish green. Definitely worth the wait! (plus about 13 years!!)

Travels of Ben

He bobbed up in London during the week - by train.

and his agency has booked his flight to Bangkok for later in the year. Interestingly, the fare was €152,00 but with taxes and fees it went up to €512,32.

He had an unexpected bonus with the 70th Jubilee celebrations.