Michael Edwards for South Derbyshire

Two meetings of scrutiny last week on health, one for City & County and one for city, saw a number concerns arise on the patient transport services provided by East Midlands Ambulance Services.  More on this when I know if it's confirmed that there's something to redress, but it was good to witness scrutiny raising the game on behalf of constituents. 

Audit Committee on Friday considered the Statement of Accounts for the last year.  Hardly a meeting where you'd expect to find anything to fix and we didn't, except for a couple of typos. 

Of more satisfaction has been progress in my ward on the embankments used to shore up roads serving the Mapperley Hills that for so many centuries were inaccessible to freight that might need to go up the hills.  One scheme has been completed and another is almost finished. 

More surprising was a visit to a former church of Scientology on Mansfield Road, at the junction of Villa Road, which is a listed building.   A Sikh community have taken it over and don't have any use for most of the pews.   Let me know if you know anyone who could use solid wood pews to effect. 

The local secondary school continues to do well, now preparing for a new headteacher as we move to an Academy in 2009.  Fingers crossed for the exam results in August.  Year 11 held their prom on Thursday night - and very overdressed they were too. 

On Friday 20th, the family of Senior Aircraftsman Gary Thompson, 51, of Sherwood Vale, including his wife and 5 daughters, planted 5 Himalayan birches in the nearby Woodthorpe Park, where his family played as they grew up.  Gary Thompson was killed in Afghanistan in April. 

Two meetings of scrutiny last week on health, one for City & County and one for city, saw a number concerns arise on the patient transport services provided by East Midlands Ambulance Services.  More on this when I know if it's confirmed that there's something to redress, but it was good to witness scrutiny raising the game on behalf of constituents. 

Audit Committee on Friday considered the Statement of Accounts for the last year.  Hardly a meeting where you'd expect to find anything to fix and we didn't, except for a couple of typos. 

Of more satisfaction has been progress in my ward on the embankments used to shore up roads serving the Mapperley Hills that for so many centuries were inaccessible to freight that might need to go up the hills.  One scheme has been completed and another is almost finished. 

More surprising was a visit to a former church of Scientology on Mansfield Road, at the junction of Villa Road, which is a listed building.   A Sikh community have taken it over and don't have any use for most of the pews.   Let me know if you know anyone who could use solid wood pews to effect. 

The local secondary school continues to do well, now preparing for a new headteacher as we move to an Academy in 2009.  Fingers crossed for the exam results in August.  Year 11 held their prom on Thursday night - and very overdressed they were too. 

On Friday 20th, the family of Senior Aircraftsman Gary Thompson, 51, of Sherwood Vale, including his wife and 5 daughters, planted 5 Himalayan birches in the nearby Woodthorpe Park, where his family played as they grew up.  Gary Thompson was killed in Afghanistan in April. 

Two meetings of scrutiny last week on health, one for City & County and one for city, saw a number concerns arise on the patient transport services provided by East Midlands Ambulance Services.  More on this when I know if it's confirmed that there's something to redress, but it was good to witness scrutiny raising the game on behalf of constituents. 

Audit Committee on Friday considered the Statement of Accounts for the last year.  Hardly a meeting where you'd expect to find anything to fix and we didn't, except for a couple of typos. 

Of more satisfaction has been progress in my ward on the embankments used to shore up roads serving the Mapperley Hills that for so many centuries were inaccessible to freight that might need to go up the hills.  One scheme has been completed and another is almost finished. 

More surprising was a visit to a former church of Scientology on Mansfield Road, at the junction of Villa Road, which is a listed building.   A Sikh community have taken it over and don't have any use for most of the pews.   Let me know if you know anyone who could use solid wood pews to effect. 

The local secondary school continues to do well, now preparing for a new headteacher as we move to an Academy in 2009.  Fingers crossed for the exam results in August.  Year 11 held their prom on Thursday night - and very overdressed they were too. 

On Friday 20th, the family of Senior Aircraftsman Gary Thompson, 51, of Sherwood Vale, including his wife and 5 daughters, planted 5 Himalayan birches in the nearby Woodthorpe Park, where his family played as they grew up.  Gary Thompson was killed in Afghanistan in April. 

Labour members in South Derbyshire have selected Michael Edwards to be their candidate at the next general election.

Michael Edwards said: “Labour members ambition for the communities of South Derbyshire shone at the selection meeting.  I share that ambition and I am proud to be following in the footsteps of Mark Todd who is an excellent MP.

Mark Todd passed on his praise for the newly elected candidate: “I know Michael well. He has been active in South Derbyshire since 1992 and is well known and well respected. I will be working with him to get Labour’s message across at the next election.”

“Michael is a proven winner, having won 5 closely fought elections. “

Labour members in South Derbyshire have selected Michael Edwards to be their candidate at the next general election.

Michael Edwards said: “Labour members ambition for the communities of South Derbyshire shone at the selection meeting.  I share that ambition and I am proud to be following in the footsteps of Mark Todd who is an excellent MP.

Mark Todd passed on his praise for the newly elected candidate: “I know Michael well. He has been active in South Derbyshire since 1992 and is well known and well respected. I will be working with him to get Labour’s message across at the next election.”

“Michael is a proven winner, having won 5 closely fought elections. “

Labour members in South Derbyshire have selected Michael Edwards to be their candidate at the next general election.

Michael Edwards said: “Labour members ambition for the communities of South Derbyshire shone at the selection meeting.  I share that ambition and I am proud to be following in the footsteps of Mark Todd who is an excellent MP.

Mark Todd passed on his praise for the newly elected candidate: “I know Michael well. He has been active in South Derbyshire since 1992 and is well known and well respected. I will be working with him to get Labour’s message across at the next election.”

“Michael is a proven winner, having won 5 closely fought elections. “

Spending on health was £35,000 million 10 years ago and is now £90,000 million.  Waiting lists are down.  The national 18 weeks waiting target looks set to be met.  A lot to celebrate as we approach the 60^th anniversary of the National Health Service.  Our greatest expression of our commitment to equality and achieving more together than we do apart.  But there’s still a lot to do.  The population is getting older and we may need to provide more support for carers and better wages & recognition for carers (who often get trained to NVQ3 at their own cost).  Information about patients is still held on a range of computer systems.   

-

My local branch of the Labour Party met on Wednesday to discuss health. 

It’s striking to see how spending on health was £35,000 million 10 years ago, is now £90,000 million and will be £110,000 million by 2010/11. 

We have moved on massively in those 10 years – a local GP told the meeting how it would take 18 months to get a case referred to a consultant and that 300,000 people were on the waiting list for 15 months or more. 

Now the average wait is 8 weeks and the government are on track to meet the national target of no-one waiting more than 18 weeks (the target has been met in Nottingham), it is tempting to say the NHS should not go through more reform. 

However, the demands on the health service will change again as the population gets larger and older.  The services provided as a whole do need to be joined up more effectively through better information from patients; information which they and their carers should essentially have to give once rather than repeatedly.  And there are concerns about the health service’s ways of working being focused on serving their own ways of working rather than the patients’ needs. 

Part of the discussion featured the Nottingham City’s Primary Care Trust’s health investment strategy, for which the challenge is to “Add life to years and years to life.” 

The public consultation document says the challenge will be met by “world class commissioning”; defined as “obtaining the best value and health outcomes for local citizens by understanding their needs, and then specifying and procuring services that deliver the best possible health and social care provision and outcomes within available resources”.  The 11 core competencies are stated in even more challenging language but at a subsequent meeting, I found out that the document, although public, is actully geared to other organisations. 

The overall strategic intent – or vision – is stated more simply “An end to health inequality”.  A tough task since the gaps in life expectancy within Nottingham are dramatic.  A man in for instance the wealthiest part might on average expect to live until he’s 80; a man in our most deprived community might expect to live until he’s 67.  A 13 year gap less than 3 miles apart. 

Spending on health was £35,000 million 10 years ago and is now £90,000 million.  Waiting lists are down.  The national 18 weeks waiting target looks set to be met.  A lot to celebrate as we approach the 60^th anniversary of the National Health Service.  Our greatest expression of our commitment to equality and achieving more together than we do apart.  But there’s still a lot to do.  The population is getting older and we may need to provide more support for carers and better wages & recognition for carers (who often get trained to NVQ3 at their own cost).  Information about patients is still held on a range of computer systems.   

-

My local branch of the Labour Party met on Wednesday to discuss health. 

It’s striking to see how spending on health was £35,000 million 10 years ago, is now £90,000 million and will be £110,000 million by 2010/11. 

We have moved on massively in those 10 years – a local GP told the meeting how it would take 18 months to get a case referred to a consultant and that 300,000 people were on the waiting list for 15 months or more. 

Now the average wait is 8 weeks and the government are on track to meet the national target of no-one waiting more than 18 weeks (the target has been met in Nottingham), it is tempting to say the NHS should not go through more reform. 

However, the demands on the health service will change again as the population gets larger and older.  The services provided as a whole do need to be joined up more effectively through better information from patients; information which they and their carers should essentially have to give once rather than repeatedly.  And there are concerns about the health service’s ways of working being focused on serving their own ways of working rather than the patients’ needs. 

Part of the discussion featured the Nottingham City’s Primary Care Trust’s health investment strategy, for which the challenge is to “Add life to years and years to life.” 

The public consultation document says the challenge will be met by “world class commissioning”; defined as “obtaining the best value and health outcomes for local citizens by understanding their needs, and then specifying and procuring services that deliver the best possible health and social care provision and outcomes within available resources”.  The 11 core competencies are stated in even more challenging language but at a subsequent meeting, I found out that the document, although public, is actully geared to other organisations. 

The overall strategic intent – or vision – is stated more simply “An end to health inequality”.  A tough task since the gaps in life expectancy within Nottingham are dramatic.  A man in for instance the wealthiest part might on average expect to live until he’s 80; a man in our most deprived community might expect to live until he’s 67.  A 13 year gap less than 3 miles apart. 

Spending on health was £35,000 million 10 years ago and is now £90,000 million.  Waiting lists are down.  The national 18 weeks waiting target looks set to be met.  A lot to celebrate as we approach the 60^th anniversary of the National Health Service.  Our greatest expression of our commitment to equality and achieving more together than we do apart.  But there’s still a lot to do.  The population is getting older and we may need to provide more support for carers and better wages & recognition for carers (who often get trained to NVQ3 at their own cost).  Information about patients is still held on a range of computer systems.   

-

My local branch of the Labour Party met on Wednesday to discuss health. 

It’s striking to see how spending on health was £35,000 million 10 years ago, is now £90,000 million and will be £110,000 million by 2010/11. 

We have moved on massively in those 10 years – a local GP told the meeting how it would take 18 months to get a case referred to a consultant and that 300,000 people were on the waiting list for 15 months or more. 

Now the average wait is 8 weeks and the government are on track to meet the national target of no-one waiting more than 18 weeks (the target has been met in Nottingham), it is tempting to say the NHS should not go through more reform. 

However, the demands on the health service will change again as the population gets larger and older.  The services provided as a whole do need to be joined up more effectively through better information from patients; information which they and their carers should essentially have to give once rather than repeatedly.  And there are concerns about the health service’s ways of working being focused on serving their own ways of working rather than the patients’ needs. 

Part of the discussion featured the Nottingham City’s Primary Care Trust’s health investment strategy, for which the challenge is to “Add life to years and years to life.” 

The public consultation document says the challenge will be met by “world class commissioning”; defined as “obtaining the best value and health outcomes for local citizens by understanding their needs, and then specifying and procuring services that deliver the best possible health and social care provision and outcomes within available resources”.  The 11 core competencies are stated in even more challenging language but at a subsequent meeting, I found out that the document, although public, is actully geared to other organisations. 

The overall strategic intent – or vision – is stated more simply “An end to health inequality”.  A tough task since the gaps in life expectancy within Nottingham are dramatic.  A man in for instance the wealthiest part might on average expect to live until he’s 80; a man in our most deprived community might expect to live until he’s 67.  A 13 year gap less than 3 miles apart. 

Nottingham City Council agreed its "Children and Young People" plan on Monday.

And the Nottingham Tories and Lib Dems voted with us. There were even requests from the opposition for more service to be provided than was planned.  Another indication of how the centre-ground has moved to Labour. (Believing in more services - that we can achieve more together than we will apart.) 

An age away from the '80s and '90s when Thatcher and Major didn't have much faith in public services.  (Believing that there is no such thing as society.)  It's a shock now to see (in the recent repeats of the TV documentaries on the monetarists) the Tory thinking of that era, when gurus liked Milton Friedman explained that simply stopping the money printing presses would reduce inflation.

In celebrating the progress made, I pointed out how the attainment levels at the secondary school that I chair has increased over the last decade. Indeed, if we'd made the improvements 18 years earlier with a focussed drive on standards combined with the extra resources, I've estimated that over 700 extra people from my school would now be making their way through the world of work with 5 good GCSEs.

The subsequent changes that have led to such improvements for a school serving the most disadvantaged communities and is another example of how Labour has helped those who need help most.

-

After full Council, we met for drinks at the new bar & restaurant - UMAMI - on Chapel Bar, run by Zed & Tan, sons of co-Councillor Mo Munir. Their web-site will be available at - http://www.umamirestaurant.co.uk/

Nottingham City Council agreed its "Children and Young People" plan on Monday.

And the Nottingham Tories and Lib Dems voted with us. There were even requests from the opposition for more service to be provided than was planned.  Another indication of how the centre-ground has moved to Labour. (Believing in more services - that we can achieve more together than we will apart.) 

An age away from the '80s and '90s when Thatcher and Major didn't have much faith in public services.  (Believing that there is no such thing as society.)  It's a shock now to see (in the recent repeats of the TV documentaries on the monetarists) the Tory thinking of that era, when gurus liked Milton Friedman explained that simply stopping the money printing presses would reduce inflation.

In celebrating the progress made, I pointed out how the attainment levels at the secondary school that I chair has increased over the last decade. Indeed, if we'd made the improvements 18 years earlier with a focussed drive on standards combined with the extra resources, I've estimated that over 700 extra people from my school would now be making their way through the world of work with 5 good GCSEs.

The subsequent changes that have led to such improvements for a school serving the most disadvantaged communities and is another example of how Labour has helped those who need help most.

-

After full Council, we met for drinks at the new bar & restaurant - UMAMI - on Chapel Bar, run by Zed & Tan, sons of co-Councillor Mo Munir. Their web-site will be available at - http://www.umamirestaurant.co.uk/

Nottingham City Council agreed its "Children and Young People" plan on Monday.

And the Nottingham Tories and Lib Dems voted with us. There were even requests from the opposition for more service to be provided than was planned.  Another indication of how the centre-ground has moved to Labour. (Believing in more services - that we can achieve more together than we will apart.) 

An age away from the '80s and '90s when Thatcher and Major didn't have much faith in public services.  (Believing that there is no such thing as society.)  It's a shock now to see (in the recent repeats of the TV documentaries on the monetarists) the Tory thinking of that era, when gurus liked Milton Friedman explained that simply stopping the money printing presses would reduce inflation.

In celebrating the progress made, I pointed out how the attainment levels at the secondary school that I chair has increased over the last decade. Indeed, if we'd made the improvements 18 years earlier with a focussed drive on standards combined with the extra resources, I've estimated that over 700 extra people from my school would now be making their way through the world of work with 5 good GCSEs.

The subsequent changes that have led to such improvements for a school serving the most disadvantaged communities and is another example of how Labour has helped those who need help most.

-

After full Council, we met for drinks at the new bar & restaurant - UMAMI - on Chapel Bar, run by Zed & Tan, sons of co-Councillor Mo Munir. Their web-site will be available at - http://www.umamirestaurant.co.uk/

Alan Sillitoe was awarded the Freedom of the City of Nottingham yesterday. 

Brian Parbutt, Councillor for neighbouring Sherwood ward, made an excellent speech noting that many of his colleagues who work in his Nottingham office had read something by Alan Sillitoe, much in the way people are thought to have read some Shakespeare and Orwell. 

80 years old this year, Alan became famous for his first novel "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" written 50 years ago.

The story was made into a famous film, starring Albert Finney, and a play, which I saw at Nottingham Playhouse in 1987. 

Beyond the social drama, the movie shows a Nottingham of factories, terraced houses and expansive railway yards, now replaced.  So the film is also of significant sentimental value to the people of Nottingham. 

As for Arthur Seaton, the main character of the story, he might not be regarded as not much of a role model, especially for politicians.  Imagine the strap-line "Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not" on an election address. 

Check here for memorable quotes from "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning".

Click here for the local paper's coverage.

Alan Sillitoe was awarded the Freedom of the City of Nottingham yesterday. 

Brian Parbutt, Councillor for neighbouring Sherwood ward, made an excellent speech noting that many of his colleagues who work in his Nottingham office had read something by Alan Sillitoe, much in the way people are thought to have read some Shakespeare and Orwell. 

80 years old this year, Alan became famous for his first novel "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" written 50 years ago.

The story was made into a famous film, starring Albert Finney, and a play, which I saw at Nottingham Playhouse in 1987. 

Beyond the social drama, the movie shows a Nottingham of factories, terraced houses and expansive railway yards, now replaced.  So the film is also of significant sentimental value to the people of Nottingham. 

As for Arthur Seaton, the main character of the story, he might not be regarded as not much of a role model, especially for politicians.  Imagine the strap-line "Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not" on an election address. 

Check here for memorable quotes from "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning".

Click here for the local paper's coverage.

Alan Sillitoe was awarded the Freedom of the City of Nottingham yesterday. 

Brian Parbutt, Councillor for neighbouring Sherwood ward, made an excellent speech noting that many of his colleagues who work in his Nottingham office had read something by Alan Sillitoe, much in the way people are thought to have read some Shakespeare and Orwell. 

80 years old this year, Alan became famous for his first novel "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning" written 50 years ago.

The story was made into a famous film, starring Albert Finney, and a play, which I saw at Nottingham Playhouse in 1987. 

Beyond the social drama, the movie shows a Nottingham of factories, terraced houses and expansive railway yards, now replaced.  So the film is also of significant sentimental value to the people of Nottingham. 

As for Arthur Seaton, the main character of the story, he might not be regarded as not much of a role model, especially for politicians.  Imagine the strap-line "Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not" on an election address. 

Check here for memorable quotes from "Saturday Night, Sunday Morning".

Click here for the local paper's coverage.

A Government report published today highlights the potential for generating heat and power in our own homes. 

The Guardian reports -

British buildings equipped with solar panels, mini wind turbines and other renewable energy sources could generate as much electricity a year as five nuclear power stations, a government-backed industry report has shown.

A large-scale switch to micro renewable energy units could save 30m tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of nearly 5% of all the emissions produced in generating UK electricity, the study found.

The report, commissioned by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, said if the government offered the right combination of loans, grants and incentives, nearly 10m "microgeneration systems" could be installed by 2020, significantly reducing Britain's emissions and energy costs.

It estimated there are nearly 100,000 of the units installed in Britain, including about 90,000 solar water heaters and limited numbers of biomass boilers, photovoltaic sunlight-to-electricity converters, heat pumps, fuel cells and small-scale hydroelectric and windpower schemes.

I understand that Britain's ability to source energy through trade and empire has given us a different culture from northern Europe where the emphasis on generating your own heat and power and then not wasting it is much higher. 

But it is a real shame that we're not bolder on requiring higher insulation standards and moving towards requiring heat pumping in new properties. 

There'd be lots of issues to deal with but knowing it's always 12 degrees Centigrade 20 - 30 foot down means you can supply heating and cooling with one system.  And it's easier to do if you install the systems as you build. 

I imagine the report doesn't cover 2 important political factors -

1. for owner-occupiers, installing such equipment is a way of investing in their property, in a way that increasing power stations never is; and it reduces the energy bills; 

2. such an approach would be good for the construction sector and would mean more local jobs for local people and local businesses.

My hunch is that heat-pumping and solar thermal are the most viable ways forward; photovoltaics less so (unless the costs come down significantly) and domestic wind turbines seemed to have hit a lot of snags.  CHP would be more viable if we could allow homes to supply surplus power back to the grid. 

Meanwhile, we mustn't lose sight of the need for insulation. 

At the recent Nottingham Green Festival, I was told of insulation for fitting below the roof rafters that might be viable for those who already have their lofts used as storage space and can't build a raised frame and floor. 

And shops are now selling energy monitors to allow you to see constantly how much power you're drawing. 

-

Postcript -

I'm grateful to my mate Phil for further advice from which  ....

A Government report published today highlights the potential for generating heat and power in our own homes. 

The Guardian reports -

British buildings equipped with solar panels, mini wind turbines and other renewable energy sources could generate as much electricity a year as five nuclear power stations, a government-backed industry report has shown.

A large-scale switch to micro renewable energy units could save 30m tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of nearly 5% of all the emissions produced in generating UK electricity, the study found.

The report, commissioned by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, said if the government offered the right combination of loans, grants and incentives, nearly 10m "microgeneration systems" could be installed by 2020, significantly reducing Britain's emissions and energy costs.

It estimated there are nearly 100,000 of the units installed in Britain, including about 90,000 solar water heaters and limited numbers of biomass boilers, photovoltaic sunlight-to-electricity converters, heat pumps, fuel cells and small-scale hydroelectric and windpower schemes.

I understand that Britain's ability to source energy through trade and empire has given us a different culture from northern Europe where the emphasis on generating your own heat and power and then not wasting it is much higher. 

But it is a real shame that we're not bolder on requiring higher insulation standards and moving towards requiring heat pumping in new properties. 

There'd be lots of issues to deal with but knowing it's always 12 degrees Centigrade 20 - 30 foot down means you can supply heating and cooling with one system.  And it's easier to do if you install the systems as you build. 

I imagine the report doesn't cover 2 important political factors -

1. for owner-occupiers, installing such equipment is a way of investing in their property, in a way that increasing power stations never is; and it reduces the energy bills; 

2. such an approach would be good for the construction sector and would mean more local jobs for local people and local businesses.

My hunch is that heat-pumping and solar thermal are the most viable ways forward; photovoltaics less so (unless the costs come down significantly) and domestic wind turbines seemed to have hit a lot of snags.  CHP would be more viable if we could allow homes to supply surplus power back to the grid. 

Meanwhile, we mustn't lose sight of the need for insulation. 

At the recent Nottingham Green Festival, I was told of insulation for fitting below the roof rafters that might be viable for those who already have their lofts used as storage space and can't build a raised frame and floor. 

And shops are now selling energy monitors to allow you to see constantly how much power you're drawing. 

-

Postcript -

I'm grateful to my mate Phil for further advice from which  ....

A Government report published today highlights the potential for generating heat and power in our own homes. 

The Guardian reports -

British buildings equipped with solar panels, mini wind turbines and other renewable energy sources could generate as much electricity a year as five nuclear power stations, a government-backed industry report has shown.

A large-scale switch to micro renewable energy units could save 30m tonnes of CO2 - the equivalent of nearly 5% of all the emissions produced in generating UK electricity, the study found.

The report, commissioned by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, said if the government offered the right combination of loans, grants and incentives, nearly 10m "microgeneration systems" could be installed by 2020, significantly reducing Britain's emissions and energy costs.

It estimated there are nearly 100,000 of the units installed in Britain, including about 90,000 solar water heaters and limited numbers of biomass boilers, photovoltaic sunlight-to-electricity converters, heat pumps, fuel cells and small-scale hydroelectric and windpower schemes.

I understand that Britain's ability to source energy through trade and empire has given us a different culture from northern Europe where the emphasis on generating your own heat and power and then not wasting it is much higher. 

But it is a real shame that we're not bolder on requiring higher insulation standards and moving towards requiring heat pumping in new properties. 

There'd be lots of issues to deal with but knowing it's always 12 degrees Centigrade 20 - 30 foot down means you can supply heating and cooling with one system.  And it's easier to do if you install the systems as you build. 

I imagine the report doesn't cover 2 important political factors -

1. for owner-occupiers, installing such equipment is a way of investing in their property, in a way that increasing power stations never is; and it reduces the energy bills; 

2. such an approach would be good for the construction sector and would mean more local jobs for local people and local businesses.

My hunch is that heat-pumping and solar thermal are the most viable ways forward; photovoltaics less so (unless the costs come down significantly) and domestic wind turbines seemed to have hit a lot of snags.  CHP would be more viable if we could allow homes to supply surplus power back to the grid. 

Meanwhile, we mustn't lose sight of the need for insulation. 

At the recent Nottingham Green Festival, I was told of insulation for fitting below the roof rafters that might be viable for those who already have their lofts used as storage space and can't build a raised frame and floor. 

And shops are now selling energy monitors to allow you to see constantly how much power you're drawing. 

-

Postcript -

I'm grateful to my mate Phil for further advice from which  ....