I received my first on line electricity bill from Southern Electric this week and yesterday was the first chance I had to check it over..

I was unprepared for the shock of seeing that my quarterly bill including VAT was for £448.49! Just for electricity! Well I know I like my fairy lights but how could it be that much? I read on….

My monthly direct debit had paid off £120 already so the final bill was £300 ish and at the bottom of the PDF file Southern Electric had the audacity to put the statement – ‘you’ve chosen our cheapest payment methods’. I don’t think so!!

Frantically I went back to my email – this is a dual fuel account and I wanted to see the gas bill. It wasn’t there, it hadn’t been set up!

I printed the PDF and made coffee – this just couldn’t be right..

Looking at the bill it showed that they had estimated my electricity reading – goodness knows why, I haven’t been with them long enough for them to know my usage over the winter and a meter reader hadn’t even tried to call…

I read my meter – my reading was a world away from theirs… I read my gas meter too and got in touch with Southern Electric.

I can’t fault their customer service guy – he was wonderful, he looked at my bill and took my readings. then he said I would receive a new bill in a few days. I asked him about the gas bill – he said that hadn’t been set up for online yet and was in the post to me, but that he could take my reading.

He looked at the account for gas – and literally gasped in amazement another £400 plus!!! He advised me not to open the bill when it comes!

When he had applied the actual meter readings for both accounts he told me what I really owe:  £30.92 Electric and £21.84 Gas!

Not nearly £1000 pounds like they had billed me for!

Today I will be looking for a new provider because, quite frankly I don’t need the hassle or the nasty shocks!

Any suggestions anyone?

If I have to complain about anything I do it so nicely people usually thank me for bringing the matter to their attention, it works and nobody needs to rant.

Yesterday I decided I had had enough of a mascara that I had purchased. Black, volumising and waterproof, if you believe the label.

The reality was that it was black, runny and went everywhere but my eyelashes. I gave up and went to the company website to search for an address to send it back to.

The website was very pretty, full of glamorous ladies, just as it should be – but there was no address….

There was, however, a ‘contact us’ form, I decided to go for that and ask for an address…

I filled in my contact details but the next field really surprised me:

‘Are you a blogger?’

Mmmm I’ve been called that before so ‘Yes’

Next question:

‘Will you be reviewing the outcome of this on your weblog?’

I was given choices – ‘no’, ‘maybe’ ‘probably’ or ‘definitely’

I chose the latter – I had not thought of it before, but, depending on the outcome, I might just have to iRamble about it.

I filled in the free comments box, telling the company about my problem and clicked the send button.

I thought I might have received an email or phone call just to let me know they had received my complaint, but, strangely enough I have heard nothing yet!

Now, why is that I wonder?

Is it because I might blog about it? Or do they really not care about their customers? Or, maybe they get so many complaints they haven’t got round to mine yet?

OR, and I like to think this might be the reason – my complaint has been passed to a higher bod who deals with bloggers and the fact that they might tell the world wide web about their experience? See, that is power!!!!

Sadly, the reality is the website may have had a problem and they didn’t receive my request – I’ll try again today!

photo credit: dreamglow

I did this last year and spent a lovely week in the hotel in Callao Salvaje, a really nice seaside place where it is not as touristy and manic as many resorts on Tenerife, and as my brother and his young family live close by – it gave my daughter and I quality time with them.

The downside last year was that the holiday included ‘budget flights’ and Ryanair were at their worst. My daughter and I couldn’t sit together and flight personnel were quite rude. I vowed then not to use them again. But booking this latest holiday changed that because my holiday provider chose Ryanair as the carrier.

SO – after discussions with my son during my stay with him this weekend, I decided to upgrade my flights to have ‘priority boarding’ – not expensive, and it gives us a chance of sitting together.

Whilst doing this my son checked the rest of the booking and discovered that we had no baggage allowance booked. We were supposed to go for one week with just hand baggage!

I rang the holiday provider, they said that was correct and to check my tickets as it was down to the airline to work that out – they only booked the flights and hotel!

I have now revised my booking to include priority boarding both ways, 15k baggage allowance for two, both ways and now because we have baggage we have to check in ….. guess what? Yes its another payment, both ways. A total of £65 on top of what I have already paid!

But, worse than all of this would be the embarrassment of arriving at East Midlands Airport and being told that I couldn’t take my case!

So, warning to you – check out your check in allowance very carefully – it may not be what you thought it would be…..

I hope all the traffic wardens out there are enjoying their power trips. It takes a truly unique individual to take on this task and enjoy it – but they all seem to.

Perhaps they get brownie points from their boss for the amount of tickets they issue – but they don’t get any from me this week!

My daughter is a social care worker, this means she visits elderly and infirm clients and helps them to bathe, wash, dress, cook their meals and in some cases enjoy a little company for the short time she is there. The pay is dreadful for the hours and sheer love and effort she puts in, but, she gets a great deal of satisfaction from it all and, like I have said before I am very proud of her.

Last Thursday she pulled up outside the office of her company, on a little side street in a small village. No yellow lines and there was already another carer’s car parked there.

She intended to be there for only one minute, just to pick up her rota which was ready and waiting for her.

But when she went inside her manager informed her that someone had rung in sick and she needed her to take on some more calls. Her manager was writing them down as she spoke.

Then another member of staff informed my daughter that a traffic warden was taking photos of her car, my daughter rushed out and explained what she was doing and why she had been delayed – he couldn’t care less, just took more photos and issued a parking ticket – she had been there for five minutes!

He didn’t even look at the other car which had been there longer – he didn’t care that she was trying to look after people who are unable to care for themselves – few things make me really angry but this is one of them.

My daughter is challenging the ticket – it will probably get her nowhere and she will have to pay the extortionate fee that she can ill afford.

I agree that she has probably learnt a lesson and will not park there again – lets just hope that if ever that man gets ill and needs care he is not allocated to my daughter – he might get more than he bargained for!

photo credit: g-hat

Here is a message for the people who think its great fun to go knocking on my door on October 31st begging for sweets or threatening retribution.

I am going out! My daughter is working until after 10p.m. There is nobody here…. and neither are our cars – so put the eggs away and leave my windows and doors alone.

There was a box by the door when I left – it contained out of date biscuits and chocolates that we don’t like – if there are any left – help yourself (if you like that sort of thing) If its empty or gone, then you are too late.

Go home and watch a horror film – scare yourselves and not sane people who just want a bit of peace….

Got the message, good!

Happy B******* Hallowe’en

So, imagine my frustration last night when I wanted to write a post for my canine site and was trying to get the photos from my mobile to my computer and it just wasn’t listening!!

Normally I just attach the little dongle thingie to my usb lead and plug the mobile in,  then a window opens and I can choose which photos I would like to insert.

No window opened and further investigation showed that either my mobile didn’t want to talk to my computer or vice versa. I tried again – nothing…. nada!

A few days ago Firefox performed an update – I didn’t ask it to – it just did it anyway and it informed me afterwards that Real Player would not be working – it said nothing about my mobile.

Has anyone got any ideas?

Answers on a comment please…..

photo credit: JoeBehrPalmSprings

Action at last!

The European Commission is imposing bans on imported milk products and other foods will be tested for melamine.

Maybe we just don’t realise how lucky we are in this country, we might be in a recession but our food safety standards remain high.

Still don’t think I’ll be having a takeaway anytime soon – but then I’ve always been wary of them!!!!

Just here I found something that explained all the reasons for the work I am currently doing.

Babies in China being made ill or killed by the introduction of melamine to their baby milk formula. At best kidney stones or at worst, death. What kind of madness is that? According to form the company held back from recalling the product believing they could handle it, but the figures are huge: some 13,000 people affected and this could be the tip of the iceberg as other products are found to contain melamine.

Daily, in my job, I assist companies in the retail supply chain to fill in their supplier risk assessments for our clients, they log in and answer the food safety questions and submit the assessment onto our website. This provides traceability in the chain of food production and, should there be a problem our customers can see at a glance who supplies their ingredients and where  they come from. I imagine China does not work to the same standard

Does this mean that given time these potentially lethal products containing melamine are going to land on our supermarket shelves or maybe they are already here? What do you think?

 
photo credit: Cindy Funk

Then, old people were cared for by their families at home or moved into a retirement home. these homes were nice places, I know because I used to volunteer my Saturdays to visit and talk to the residents.

But time passes and our government see all things differently now…..

My lovely Mum lived with me quite happily for more than 20 years, she looked after my children while I went out to work and pottered about in the garden on good days – she enjoyed it. She ate properly and had no vices – a nice healthy old age.

But then she suffered a major stroke and against all odds pulled through. It left her wheelchair bound and paralysed down her left side. Three months after that the doctors agreed she could leave hospital but to go where?

My house was not suitable for a wheelchair, hoists and all the other equipment needed – social services said I must find a care home for her. Very reluctantly my daughter and I started to search for a suitable one, and all the while Mum, marbles intact – kept saying she wanted to go home.

Racked with guilt because I could no longer care for her I approached the very home where I had volunteered all those years before. They had a suitable room which we decorated and moved some of Mums furniture and ornaments into, and an ambulance brought her to her new home.

My daughter and I visited every day and every day Mum needed something doing – something the ‘carers’ should have done – like cleaning her teeth or brushing her hair. She didn’t want to mix with the other residents although she did have her meals in the restaurant, she said there were mad people in there. She told me they took ages to answer the bell when she needed the loo and they were some carers that were nice but she felt bullied by others. It was not a happy time for her but I was there every day to pick up the pieces.

Financially, it was difficult – I had power of attorney for her but her money was soon used up and she needed government support.

I sold the house and moved to a bungalow where at least I could get her over in a wheelchair cab and she could advise on decor, plants etc – she loved that.

This all went on for five years and last June she passed away. There is not a day when I don’t think about her and our amazing friendship.

Today, the government think that people should stay in their homes and they will pay to have the home modified – a ‘care’ plan is put into place and ‘carers’ visit up to four times a day.

I was speaking to a ‘carer’ the other day – her clients are fortunate – if she only has 15 minutes to carry out her allocated tasks and they are lonely or upset she will make time for a chat or arrange to go back. This is against the rules though. And Some ‘carers’ don’t bother or worse can’t speak English so they can’t even understand the client!

Also for all we are told to eat properly daily for our health. These ‘care’ plans only advocate microwaveable meals, most of which the clients just refuse to eat, and why not? This is the generation that cooked hearty food for families daily.

These clients are lonely, have no stimulation on a daily basis and when they have no family left are just waiting to die.

Our government should think seriously about reopening the mental hospitals for the needy and making government run retirement homes just what they used to be a place where you could sit with your peers and enjoy a conversation.

I visited my uncle yesterday,  mum’s last surviving brother, he is adorable and at 90 still has his marbles intact. He lives in a bungalow with his child bride of seventy something and SHE is the one who has to have a ‘carer’ visit. so far he is doing incredibly well, talks a lot about the war but then he would wouldn’t he? Still goes down the pub and enjoys holiday in Skegness. He is one of the lucky ones and he knows it.

The moral of this rant if there is one is:

I am in my mid fifties and can see things getting worse for the elderly daily – its just five minutes away for me now. Maybe the healthy lifestyle that everyone preaches is not the best way. We should all do what we want while we are able – the future dos not look promising.

Somebody get me a pint – I know its only 11.00 am but hey I’m alive and I just want one!!!