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I am not offended by your post I just think you are a troublemaker. If it wasn't for the smilies and the humour you would be a troll at times basically. You always jump in with a piss take/sensationalist comment regardless of where the discussion is going that's all - you know what I mean.

I have been outback and I have worked in temps approaching 40+ .Many don't ever need to.

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jad n rich

The sensational post that caused your massive over reaction merely stated many places in OZ get a big swing in temps from winter to summer, nothng else nothng nasty at all. Go back and read it.

That fact is backed up by lots of threads with people saying they are freezing in Perth/Brissie and the current one running do you get used to the heat. If it was summer there would be threads on people not coping with the heat. We do get extremes.

Last month you were accusing my wife of troll like behaviour because she wrote about a couple of forum member english friends who found out they needed permits before they could serve coffee, if you dont find that amusing tough! Get a sense of humour.

I seriously cant believe people need to be so defensive they can read something into a comment on the weather.

This forum has a very defensive crowd who go to great extremes to stop anyone coming out with an alternative opinion and that in itself is troll behaviour.

Storini

This is the sort of thing that certainly puts the UK in a different light: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...0&in_a_source=

Megalania

Well, I'm amazed and disappointed that so many Pom Immos here grizzle and groan about temperatures (ignorance?) and seem quite incapable of formulating a considered response to temperature change (impractical?).

Is it that the grizzlers and groaners are wallowing in that Pom cultural heritage - whinging, or just have an unfortunate turn of phrase when it comes to light conversation, or are they simply, plainly, the ignorant and impractical?

ABCDiamond

I keep reading comments on the fact that it gets cold here, and houses have no heating, such as: It puzzles me no end.

The first house that I bought in the UK had no heating, but I had it installed, and that fixed the cold house problem in the UK.

The first house that I bought in Australia had no heating, but I had it installed, and that fixed the cold house problem in Australia.

I personally can't see what the difference is.

We are running our reverse cycle air conditioning on the heating cycle at night at the moment, and that keeps us warmer than we really need.
During the last 24 hours we used 24kW of Electric power, including that heating, hot water and cooking, etc. So the running costs for that heating to us are negligble.

Admittadly it will be more expensive to run in the colder areas, but even then, we ran it 24 hours per day when we lived in Sydney, and it was cheaper than running the gas central heating in the UK, during 1996-2000.

If it is so cold why don't people have something like reverse cycle air con installed ?
Anyone considering moving to Australia, but has concerns about the cold houses, should consider doing what you would do in the UK.

Make sure you have Roof Insulation and Heating installed. And if it is really that bad, then you can even have double glazing put in.
I have even known some people to go to the extreme and have houses built with double brick walls with insulation inbetween. Yes, that's available here in Australia too, if you want it.

Badge

You are wiggling out of it. Many people have commented on the swing - and have said what you have said - but they do not sensationalise like you do - that was my only point - I do not care about the specifics, as for the defensive crowd- we (they) are defending against sensationalism that's all. By taking the piss constantly you may confuse and mislead. You do it regardless of the way something is going when you know people get confused and anxious. yes I have read your first post in this thread. I am just reading between the lines to get your apparent intent. We'll move on - I probably need not have said anything but I did.



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Megalania

I think you mean 24 kWh - the difference between today's and yesterday's reading on your electric meter.

So how much does your electricity cost in $ per kWh? Mine - $0.1 / kWh.

MrsB

I for one have found it VERY difficult to settle in OZ. Miss family, friends, everything in England by bucketloads. Now that I have spent 6 months here, I can look back at England, from the outside, and see that it has alot to offer in terms of history and culture, and cheap holidays to Europe.

Yes, the weather IS better here, but it doesn't compensate for what we have left behind.

You've put it all down there, lower tax, free nhs. here, its lower salaries, higher tax, and same cost of living. There are lots of extras you have to pay for, such as $54 for a docs visit (ok you get $30 back), but thats still £10. You have to pay $350/$400 for school stationaery and fundraising, you have to pay stamp duty on 2nd hand cars, you have to pay to go to the household tip......

and the supermarkets are c**p

Fastfunker

Hi it's difficult to give advice on whether the move is worth it or not. We have been here for 5 months and I love it but hubby wants to return as Sydney is a lot more expensive than we realised and kids missing grandparents is a big deal if you are close. I Love the weather now (winter) but not sure how much fun 40 degrees with two kids will be. In UK we could go away for weekend when ever and leave kids with grand parents and when they are small the break is needed!

ABCDiamond

Kw, kW, KWH, kWh, it's all so confusing

The First 100 kWh per month costs $0.1927
Next 300 per month $0.1309
Remainder $0.1168

So basically any extra usage, above the basic norm would be at $0.1168 per kWh

Overall though, and using air con and/or heating as and when required to maintain a decent comfort level, my electric bills come to:
Total over the entire year (encompassing all seasons)
Tariff 33 - 3,344kWh at a cost of $264 (Hot water only)
Tariff 11 - 6,981kWh at a cost of $956 (All other power, heating ,cooling & cooking)
Total being $1,219.35 equivalent to $23.32 per week

I wonder how that compares to a UK Electric and Gas combination ?

Megalania

Of course the UK has a lot to offer - it and Aus are two of the world's better places to live in many ways. If you want confirmation of this try living amongst the locals in Papua.

But why would you bugger off to Aus if Pommy history and culture and cheap holidays in the rest of Europe is your thing? Surely this shows an abysmal lack of understanding of geography at the very least? I say it shows a regrettable lack of adaptability to translate those interests into an interest in local history, culture and local cheap travel.

Regards lower salaries, why not go get a higher one - or is your inflexibility showing again? As to taxes, overall taxes are lower in Aus than the UK or did your Pommy shooling not equip you with the required numeracy skills to work that out?

Perhaps you should return to PommyLand and get a job in a supermarket if that is such an important part of "life".

Megalania

k = kilo = 1,000.
W = Watt = unit of power named after James Watt - a bright lad.
h = hour.

kW = power - the rate of work.
kWh = energy - the amount of work.

So 24 kWh / day @ $0.1168 / kWh = $2.80 / day (at the margin) = $1,022 / year.

ABCDiamond

But it can vary....

I like the fact that we don't need to pay anything for our doctors, (we have used bulk billing doctors in my entire 16 years in this country) and we like the fact that our local council tip is free.
My wife gets paid more here in Australia than she could in the UK.
Our school stationery costs about $150 per year.

Things are different in different parts of Australia, I am not saying that this is the same everywhere, but just pointing out that it isn't all the same.

Many people on here will say that they can't find a bulk billing doctor, and I agree that the number of Doctors doing it has been dropping. But... a quote from a newspaper complaining about this drop says: however the news is getting better: So, even taking the old figures, if 70% are bulk billed, only 30% have to pay ?
I am one of the 70%

Ohh yes, and we like our Supermarkets, but we buy most of our fresh food at proper shops

Ceri

Here you go, I think some people are forgetting feb 2004, just little over a year ago :

Brisbane city 41.7 (Feb 22 2004) - which doesn't take into account other areas around Brisbane, which hubby has said it did reach a bit higher than that where we live in Pine .
For the same month:
Thargomindah ( Qld) 46.3 ( feb 16 2004 ) - close to your 48, but again again doesn't take into account surrounding areas, it is where the weather stations are these readings of course, so will probably find 48 in other parts around that area

Missed it myself, It was the month I was back in the UK, but had a full blown account from Hubby who was moaning about it lol. It was the same period that we had some bad storms too, lost a few trees on our property, and apparently had a beautiful river running through our land ( from the creek we have at the back of the property) - I missed all the fun
http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/...20040223.shtml
cheers
.................................................. .................................................. ....

sun - what sun? I'm enjoying the "British like drizzle" we are having at the moment here in Brisbane, weather has been like this since yesterday - lovely, lovely, lovely lol . sun gets a bit boring, give us rain on the trees , on the earth - nothing smells quite like it.

ABCDiamond

So if my annual figure is about $1,220 py then the heating running costs must cost a bit less than the cooling ?