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Brits could be paid to turn off washing machines during peak hours

The National Grid are said to be discussing rebates as high as £6 per kilowatt used an hour

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Millions of Brits could be paid to turn off high-energy appliances such as washing machines during peak hours to reduce the risk of blackouts this winter.

According to The Sunday Times, the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) is preparing plans to reward consumers for easing the strain on the power grid during peak times. 

They are said to be discussing rebates as high as £6 per kWh for households who minimise their use of appliances such as tumble dryers, dishwashers and games consoles during the peak hours of 5pm-8pm. 

This will only apply to households with smart meters. 

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The ESO will reportedly apply to Ofgem for approval, with hopes the scheme will open by late October.

A National Grid ESO spokesman said: “We are developing a new service that will be available for consumers to benefit from across this winter and will be announcing further information soon.”

The government is said to be drawing up plans to for its ‘worst-case-scenario’ – which will see Brits endure organised blackouts – in response to below-average temperatures and reduced electricity imports from Norway and France. 

Though in a statement, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said the scenario is ‘not something we expect to happen’, adding: “Households, businesses and industry can be confident they will get the electricity and gas they need.”

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This comes after worrying new figures from Cornwall Insight this month forecasted that the average household will be paying over £4,200 for their annual energy bills from January 2023.

Experts at the Auxilione consultancy even warned that energy prices could spike at as much as £6,000 per year for the average household from next April.

Ofgem will announce the change to the cap for October and December this Friday, August 26th.

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Northern hiring train drivers with salaries of £54,000 per year

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Northern

Northern, which operate trains across Greater Manchester and the North of England, is looking to hire train drivers.

The company is hoping to entice people who haven’t considered a career in rail before, with no experience required.

If successful you’ll eventually earn £54,000 per year, following a 64-week training course – the starting salary during this training period is £23,000.

Northern


And if you fancy becoming a conductor instead, wages start at £22,000 before rising to £29,000 following a 16-week training course.

Throughout the year Northern wants to hire more than 300 train drivers and conductors,  which breaks down as 108 drivers and 198 conductors.

Recruits will be able to train in both Manchester and Leeds, and you must finish a paid apprenticeship in one of these two training academies.

Available roles will be advertised over the coming months, so keep your eyes peeled.

Northern


The company’s chief operating officer, Tricia Williams, said: “We have a range of rewarding roles for anyone who wants to become part of a dedicated team that runs more than 2,500 services a day to over 500 destinations.

“We are looking for customer-focused people with excellent communication skills who thrive in a dynamic environment and may not have considered a career in rail before.

“Successful applicants will demonstrate a high level of responsibility, a strong work ethic and a commitment to maintaining safety standards.

“We’ll be recruiting throughout the year and provide all the training you need. We want our workforce to reflect the communities we serve and we’re proud to include people from all walks of life in our team, from military veterans and ex-police officers, to former office workers and stay-at-home parents.”

Head to Northern’s careers page here for further info and job alerts.

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Drivers are now realising they’ve been using roundabouts wrong

Are you using roundabouts correctly?

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They may have passed their tests a while ago, but some drivers are only just realising they have been using roundabouts wrong.

When it comes to roundabouts, most drivers will probably feel very confident they know what they are doing and think they how to use them correctly.

So, you know to give way to the right, but which way should you be indicating and which lane should you select for the turn-off you want?

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We all remember being a nervous learner driver and the sheer panic that would overcome you when approaching a roundabout.

But after plenty of practice they soon become a doddle – until you’ve been driving while and have picked up some bad habits.

Roundabouts are some of the most common places where you hear angry drivers beeping their horns because someone has pulled out or driven into the wrong lane, and all sorts of silly reasons.

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Many motorists will already know that if you’re taking the first exit off the roundabout, you select the left-hand lane and use your indicator to signal left – unless some signs or markings indicate otherwise – as per the Highway Code.

And when you’re turning right, you should select the right-hand lane with your indicator signalling right – and keep to the right before you need to change lanes.

However, if you’re driving straight over the roundabout, this is where many drivers get a little confused and make common mistakes.

Gerald England / Geograph

According to the Highway Code, if your ‘intermediate exit’ is positioned at 12 ’o’ clock, you need to be in the left-hand lane – not the right-hand lane as many drivers seem to think.

It sates that you should ‘select the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout, you should not normally need to signal on approach, you should stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout, and you should signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want’.

It says that when there are more than three lanes at the entrance to a roundabout, you should use the most appropriate lane on approach and while you’re driving through it – which basically means you should use your common sense based on the rules of the roundabout.

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The Highway Code also says: “When reaching the roundabout you should give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights, check whether road markings allow you to enter the roundabout without giving way. 

“If so, proceed, but still look to the right before joining, watch out for all other road users already on the roundabout; be aware they may not be signalling correctly or at all and look forward before moving off to make sure traffic in front has moved off.”

And when it comes to looking out for cyclists, it adds: “You should give priority to cyclists on the roundabout. They will be travelling more slowly than motorised traffic. Give them plenty of room and do not attempt to overtake them within their lane. Allow them to move across your path as they travel around the roundabout.”

 

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Millions of Americans think chocolate milk comes from brown cows

‘Knowledge is power. Without it, we can’t make informed decisions’

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A surprising number of Americans believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows, a survey has revealed.

Around 7% of US adults think the sweet flavoured milk is brown due to the colour of cow it comes from, a survey commissioned by the Innovation Centre of US Dairyside has revealed.

The research was conducted on 1,000 people over the age of 18.

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That 7% equates to around 16.4 million Americans – which doesn’t seem such a small number when you put it like that.

That’s the equivalent of the population of Pennsylvania who are misinformed chocolate milk drinkers, and do not know that the basic ingredients of chocolate milk consist of milk, cocoa and sugar.

While 7% thought chocolate milk came from brown cows, around 48% of Americans said they didn’t know where chocolate milk came from – we’re not sure which is worse.

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Speaking to The Washington Post, Cecily Upton, co-founder of the nonprofit FoodCorps, which brings agricultural and nutrition education into elementary schools, said: “At the end of the day, it’s an exposure issue.

“Right now, we’re conditioned to think that if you need food, you go to the store. 

“Nothing in our educational framework teaches kids where food comes from before that point.”

Hubert Berberich (HubiB) / Wikimedia

Thankfully, the survey isn’t verified and hasn’t been released either, so perhaps the state of the agricultural knowledge of Americans isn’t as bad as it seems.

A previous study – conducted in the 1990s – also showed that one in five adults did not know that hamburgers are made of beef, and many lacked knowledge of basic farming facts.

But it seems many children and adults don’t seem too interested in trying to find things out for themselves either.

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Upton added: “We still get kids who are surprised that a French fry comes from a potato, or that a pickle is a cucumber.

“Knowledge is power. Without it, we can’t make informed decisions.”

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