Testing

Very testing times ahead for daughter Kate and family in Co. Cavan, close to the Northern Ireland border. We chatted last night on her preparations for Storm Éowyn. 

This afternoon a WhatsApp message written 3 hours earlier arrived to say they were safe, electricity went down at 3am and thus water and Internet. The mobile phone network was intermittent. 

Posting this a week later, they are still without power, water & Internet, mobile network still poor. Expected to be fixed by 3rd February- 11 days!

Today our 2005 wood pellets central heating had its first ever emissions check. When bought, systems of our size didn't need a check. Gradually over the years the laws have been tightened and in 2025, ours now has to have one every two years.

I was dreading the idea, thinking one would yet again be forced to replace a perfectly operating system. However our boiler passed with flying colours, apparently emissions at same level as best new ones - under 0.02 something parts per whatever, the limit being 0.06.

Naturally another test added to all the others we have and of course not free of charge but €150.

I"m all for doing what we can for the environment,  but I do understand the criticism levelled at government's. You don't something, spending over the odds because you are told it's the best thing you can do for the environment & then any few years later, you are a climate bad boy. Happened with my 2002 new diesel car & here with the heating which cost double what an gas or oil boiler would have cost. Not everyone has the money to suddenly pay out several 10s of 1000s overnight.