hiya bucks in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, Wycombe, Wooburn December 2014 | Page 10

Fleeting thoughts Can you DIY? Surveys are telling us that fewer people are DIYing, particularly the young. It’s partly time pressure and partly the skill set required with less people having traditional skills in engineering for example. At 50plus we increasingly offer advice to those wanting to undertake an element of DIY and encourage many to try the less onerous tasks, often in conjunction with services we provide. There’s quite a lot of advice on the 50plus web site. Do take a look. Should I replace my old night storage heaters? The weekend supplements are full of adverts for super efficient electrical heaters. Many are storage heaters and we have been asked if it’s worth replacing older ones. One electrical heater is as efficient at converting electricity to heat as any other, however old it is and always 100%. The difference is the input and output controls, which in the more modern heaters detect the room temperature, control the power in and allow greater output regulation. Electricity is the most expensive (and carbon intensive) form of heating available. The best bet if possible is to replace storage heaters with central heating. - The 50plus • Plumbing • Electrical • Handyman • From small works • To larger projects • Locally based • Free estimates • Friendly advice • NICEIC & Gas Safe • Free HomeCare Club for discount always 0845 22 50 495 www.the50plus.co.uk By the 50plus for people of all ages Calling from a mobile? Use 01494 784 448 10 The Internet of things Back in the early days of the Internet I stood up at a conference and made a joke about Internet connected fridges. Of course some bright spark made some and, surprise surprise, they weren’t overly practical. The Internet bit was easy, the practical part of dealing with removed packaging, bar codes and multiple human buyers per household defeated them. But fridges or not we will connect more and more of our home appliances to the web and we’ve started with central heating controls. If you are one of those who have tried smart thermostats we’d like to hear about your experience. Email us at [email protected]. To advertise in Hiya Bucks text or call 07947 349134