Stoke & WBA

[semblar]

19 hours ago, BTRFTG said:

Wholly agree about being at the game, but there's no longer anything remotely enjoyable about a matchday experience spent largely in gridlock, visiting a City that hates visitors and, of late, seemingly starring in Trains, Planes & Automobiles just to get there. Even a couple of hours with mates in the boozer doesn't compensate for the grief endured. 

On a positive note, I don't have to pretend to show faux, green credentials by driving an EV. Not travelling is as green as it gets. NB: should I ever get an EV, the local planners in this 'heritage' conservation area aren't approving of external charging points, as they aren't of solar panels, solar hot water systems, energy efficient glazing, thermal cladding, external condensers or anything that might detract from the bucolic vista of the inner-city horse access on which I live. Now't so two-faced as planners 

it isn't faux green credentials for everyone driving an EV - for me I got mine through a salary sacrifice scheme, so the current tax incentives mean it was cheaper for me than a petrol or diesel car in terms of the net monthly cost in my pay packet...then cheaper running costs (about 5p a mile in summer, 8p or so with the heating on right now). Any perceived green benefit is a bonus, I made the choice on money in my pocket, nothing more. Sounds like where you live is a pain in the rear end when it comes to trying to cut your energy bills.

As i've said to others who find a season ticket isn't being used enough, maybe consider downgrading to membership? At least when you do want to get to a game you get it cheaper and there is still a level of priority for a big cup match or (dreaming now) playoff fixture

[BTRFTG]

1 hour ago, semblar said:

it isn't faux green credentials for everyone driving an EV - for me I got mine through a salary sacrifice scheme, so the current tax incentives mean it was cheaper for me than a petrol or diesel car in terms of the net monthly cost in my pay packet...then cheaper running costs (about 5p a mile in summer, 8p or so with the heating on right now). Any perceived green benefit is a bonus, I made the choice on money in my pocket, nothing more. Sounds like where you live is a pain in the rear end when it comes to trying to cut your energy bills.

As i've said to others who find a season ticket isn't being used enough, maybe consider downgrading to membership? At least when you do want to get to a game you get it cheaper and there is still a level of priority for a big cup match or (dreaming now) playoff fixture

The problem with emotive issues such as sustainability is folks are prone to cite the benefits whilst conveniently ignoring that which diminishes their argument. Clearly, fewer damaging emissions emerge from EVs than from petrol cars, but that has to be discounted by emissions arising from production and distribution of electricity. Not simply volume based, but EV damaging emissions in production are considerably greater than for conventional vehicles. There's also emerging evidence that lifespan of batteries and EV components are far shorter than for conventional vehicles. Then there's the biggie. Very few EVs, in particular their batteries, are recycled for reason that's a very expensive, energy consuming process. They're landfill, so have a massive polluting impact, if not immediate carbon footprint, which is ignored. You'll often see the manufacturers and green groups publish data that's based on comparatively short lifecycles (4 years is common,) as this gets around the built in senescence of EV. They'll also claim guff such as 92% of EU citizens have access to 100% renewable charging (as if renewable power is separately distributed.) EVs are more expensive upfront, charging point installations can be expensive and without common standards may need to be changed with the car (needless and inefficient.) 

So I use the term 'faux green' and will explain why. As Estates Director for a government agency sustainability reporting fell under my remit. Talk about have to pull the wool to suit ministerial agenda. Under one harebrained scheme I opened 68 offices around the UK. One was Objective One, EU funded. Brand new, never occupied, pride of the local Green(ish) Authority, geothermally and solar powered. I fitted it out. Although it had the lowest power consumption of any of the 68 offices, it had by far the highest functional carbon footprint. How? Well the geothermal and solar interfaces never worked for more than a day or so at a time. The engineer (I think there only was one specialist,) attended on a monthly rota when called out as they were based in Aberdeen (the office was in Cornwall.) Spares, (required each visit but only once the problem was identified the previous month) came from all over the globe. So in addition to maintaining an unusable office I had to source alternate, temporary, inefficient accommodation for staffs and public elsewhere. After a year we walked away, writing off the very expensive install, picking up huge dilapidations, and having to fit-out a replacement, conventionally powered office nearby.  

Immediate 'in pocket' saving similarly isn't necessarily as advantageous as might first appear (that's why employers offer such schemes.) One assumes you've a leased EV through salary sacrifice. If so, I'd expect the term of the lease for renewal to be shorter than one might otherwise keep a vehicle if purchased. Like anything that's leased you'll keep getting upgrades but lifecycle like-for-like is likely to be far more expensive than buy, keep and use until its no longer functional. (My kids laugh at my 'ancient' if now ultra cheap to run mobile.) As for salary sacrifice: any benefit has to be discounted by losses in respect of future pay increases, employer pension contributions, sick or redundancy pay et al.

It isn't as cut and dried as is often cited.

[semblar]

14 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

 

Immediate 'in pocket' saving similarly isn't necessarily as advantageous as might first appear (that's why employers offer such schemes.) One assumes you've a leased EV through salary sacrifice. If so, I'd expect the term of the lease for renewal to be shorter than one might otherwise keep a vehicle if purchased. Like anything that's leased you'll keep getting upgrades but lifecycle like-for-like is likely to be far more expensive than buy, keep and use until its no longer functional. (My kids laugh at my 'ancient' if now ultra cheap to run mobile.) As for salary sacrifice: any benefit has to be discounted by losses in respect of future pay increases, employer pension contributions, sick or redundancy pay et al.

It isn't as cut and dried as is often cited.

The last point at least isn't relevant for my employment - my "reference salary" for use when calculating payrises, pensions, etc is maintained unchanged by the salary sacrifice agreement. I agree it isn't for everybody - but when I decided to go down the salary sacrifice route I did it with my eyes open and then when it came to choosing the car to get a car of similar size/spec it was significantly more expensive to get a petrol or diesel car than the one I chose - over £200 a month net cost less than the one it replaced, even without the cost per mile for electricity Vs petrol or diesel (even now with the electric increases)

[Davefevs]

 

[Lanterne Rouge]

Millwall away now showing on the Sky site as a red button game.

[Sir Geoff]

5 hours ago, Davefevs said:

 

Too expensive to sit at home with the heating on, so will still make the 4 hour round trip. If I am to watch it in the cold it may as well be in the ground.

[Lanterne Rouge]

38 minutes ago, Sir Geoff said:

Too expensive to sit at home with the heating on, so will still make the 4 hour round trip. If I am to watch it in the cold it may as well be in the ground.

Good shout. The cost of petrol, parking, pies and pints would only be the same as putting your heating on for the first half so the second is effectively free!