‘ Ban on wood burners threatens British boat-dwellers with winter freeze’

[cuthound]

7 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

So what is the thinking about the mechanism causing the drop in sales? ULEZ sucking £3k a year out of the disposable income of some of their customers, perhaps? 

 

The thinking is that some of their previous customers now go to a competitor who is located outside of the ULEZ rather than spend £12.50 to shop where they used to.

[MtB]

3 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

The thinking is that some of their previous customers now go to a competitor who is located outside of the ULEZ rather than spend £12.50 to shop where they used to.

 

Hmmm... I wouldn't have thought that would necessarily affect the website sales, given ULEZ is not payable if one only goes on-line into the zone! 

 

 

[Ronaldo47]

He did say that web sales had not been affected. 

[cuthound]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

Hmmm... I wouldn't have thought that would necessarily affect the website sales, given ULEZ is not payable if one only goes on-line into the zone! 

 

 

 

Website sales have remained static, whilst shop sales have dropped. 

 

The company was hoping that those who no longer wanted to visit the shop because of the ULEZ charge would use their website instead, but this hasn't happened, presumably because they want to see and feel what they are buying or don't feel comfortable using the web. 

[ditchcrawler]

23 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

So what is the thinking about the mechanism causing the drop in sales? ULEZ sucking £3k a year out of the disposable income of some of their customers, perhaps? 

Probably thinking "I'm not paying £12 just to go there " regardless of whether they can afford it or not, that's what I think about parking.

[MtB]

10 minutes ago, cuthound said:

Website sales have remained static, whilst shop sales have dropped. 

 

Oops, totally misread that! 

 

I read it that your son had said web sales had dropped similarly, which is what was puzzling me. Duh...

 

 

[Mike Todd]

22 hours ago, Rambling Boater said:

Yes, and EV's produce more nano particles than combustion engine cars due to the extra weight of the batteries and extra torque.

 

It's debatable how much more though.

 

I've often wondered what effect ULEZ zones are having on local businesses. It can't be helping especially after trying to recover from the events of the last few years.

The official report suggests that the actual impact is much smaller than the political (ie red top reporting) debate would suggest. A modest number of small businesses are still running non-compliant vehicles but they will almost certainly be those who are marginal anyway (which is why £12.50 a day makes a big difference.) A very high proportion of vehicles now in the LEZ and ULEX areas are now compliant.

On 26/09/2023 at 12:55, MtB said:

 

Or at all. 

 

Engine OFF when moored. 

 

 

So how, when moored for more than overnight (ie up to 14 days) can the boater charge their batteries? Solar is rarely sufficient 100% of the time?

On 27/09/2023 at 09:08, MtB said:

 

Rivers are though, AIUI.

 

No, they are navigations. OK, so just occasionally one does see a vehicle trying to use them as if a highway but I don't think the legislation intends to cover that. I note from today's Stoppage List that someone even tried to use a northern canal as a runway! 

 

'Highway' must be legally defined somewhere in order to pass legislation about what can and cannot be done on a highway.

16 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Probably thinking "I'm not paying £12 just to go there " regardless of whether they can afford it or not, that's what I think about parking.

Overall, it does seem that the COVID period has shifted the shopping habits of many people - just going 'window shopping' - ie wandering a closely packed high street looking for something to spend money on, has probably disappeared as the pastime that it once was.

 

Since only a few percent of vehicles in ULEZ are non-compliant, what business would see a significant drop in sales on that account alone? Much more likely to be a mixture of factors - and remember that in some circles, as a result of the red top hype, it is fashionable to blame ULEZ charges for all sorts of things that you would rather not admit to!

[MtB]

50 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

So how, when moored for more than overnight (ie up to 14 days) can the boater charge their batteries? Solar is rarely sufficient 100% of the time?

 

Exactly, this is the whole point.

 

If a boat can't charge its batteries without polluting the London air with diesel fumes, it will have to go elsewhere.

 

 

[magnetman]

It would also help keep people moving because when driving a boat with a diesel engine one is generally also charging the batteries.

 

Its not just air pollution its also noise pollution. Why should other people, who are seeking a peaceful area to enjoy their time, be subjected to noise from someone else who has deliberately chosen an unsatisfactory lifestyle which requires them to run a great big diesel engine designed to push a twenty tonne boat along without going anywhere? 

 

Antisocial is one word for it. There are others. 

 

 

I've spent 29 yars living on boats half of that on moorings the better half as a continuous cruiser and have not run a main engine on any of the boats for charging/hot water while moored. I always had a very small quiet suitcase generator and solar panels. 

 

Running a 50hp diesel engine while stationary is just rude. 

[MtB]

6 minutes ago, magnetman said:

It would also help keep people moving because when driving a boat with a diesel engine one is generally also charging the batteries.

 

Its not just air pollution its also noise pollution. Why should other people, who are seeking a peaceful area to enjoy their time, be subjected to noise from someone else who has deliberately chosen an unsatisfactory lifestyle which requires them to run a great big diesel engine designed to push a twenty tonne boat along without going anywhere? 

 

Antisocial is one word for it. There are others. 

 

 

I've spent 29 yars living on boats half of that on moorings the better half as a continuous cruiser and have not run a main engine on any of the boats for charging/hot water while moored. I always had a very small quiet suitcase generator and solar panels. 

 

Running a 50hp diesel engine while stationary is just rude. 

 

 

Wholly agree with all of that.

 

 

Chuffs me orf this attitude so many boaters have... "I need to run my engine while I'm moored by you so tough titty, you're just gonna have to listen to it and choke on the fumes". 

[magnetman]

The 8 til 8 thing is a nuisance. 

 

It gives idiots a licence to start the engine exactly at 8 and stop it exactly at 8. 

 

What is needed is a no internal combustion engines running when moored policy. 

 

Solar and good batteries can do a lot these days. 

 

A few yars ago I noted a geyser on a large wide bean with the entire roof covered in solar and he had an irritating diesel generator running almost all the time. 

 

What are they using the power for ? I did wonder if he had a cannabis grow room on the boat. 

 

Crazy !