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Saturday 27 June 2015

Knock at the door


We had a visit from a guy selling some kind of solar power deal today. I can't imagine anyone buying anything on the doorstep but still they come.

These days they often begin by saying they aren't selling anything. Not a good start I always think - kicking off with an obvious lie. Anyhow I told the sunny solar chap I wasn't interested.

"Why - are you anti-green?" he asked brightly, as if such a thing was unthinkably gross but hey - I'm a grey-haired oldie so it's always possible.

"No I said, but it has to be subsidised..."

"You mean the feed-in tariff. To me that's really good because you make money from solar power which has to be a good thing. I could give you a quote to see how much that could be."

"No thanks, it's only viable because of the feed-in tariff."

For some reason that reply seemed to put him off completely. He closed down the conversation and departed as if he simply wasn't interested in presenting figures to anyone who might actually understand them. As if I'd flipped a switch on his script.

10 comments:

Edward Spalton said...

I keep turning down similar telephone offers of wealth from increasing everybody else's electricity bill.
Then I recall a prominent anti climate change/global warming rip-off activist who put in solar panels
some years ago and wonder whether I a just being stupid. He tells me it was a very paying proposition.

Forty three years ago I sat on a Ministry of Agriculture committee, set up to introduced the European
Common Agricultural Policy. I thought it then impossible to see a similar, wilful, massive misdirection of
resources and wicked waste. But it is entirely dwarfed by the Climate Change Scam which actually
allows politicians to vote themselves rich under the guise of " saving the planet".

Scrobs. said...

Lucky you, to get someone who may even be articulate!

We only get 'licensed' peddlers with a big haversack who try and sell rubbish, and start their shpiel with 'I'm just out of prison, but don't let that worry you...'

They get three seconds, which is to say 'Nooooo thanks'!

Flyinthesky said...

This is near the ultimate reverse redistribution of wealth. People who can afford solar panels and pay their energy bills get their bill subsidised by people who can't afford either.

James Higham said...

Fortunately, there is a bit a of a barrier between me and the front door, three in fact and that usually takes care of them. Also the area I live in.

Demetrius said...

Nacht und nebel.

A K Haart said...

Edward - wealth from increasing everybody else's electricity bill is what grates with me too, quite apart from the climate scam itself.

Michael - we had the 'licensed' peddlers at our previous address. I think the just out of prison claim is supposed to create a kind of intimidated sympathy. Never worked with us.

Fly - yes, in my book it may not be theft but is morally too close for comfort.

James - a bit a of a barrier is what we need. A moat would do.

Demetrius - I hope not.

Weekend Yachtsman said...

I tell them solar panels are immoral. That usually stops them in their tracks for a moment, then I have time to explain that I don't want to get richer at the expense of poorer peoples' electricity bills. End of conversation, usually.

And if they start off by saying they're not selling anything, you could always adopt the ruse of a friend of mine who responds with "Oh dear, that's a pity, I was just in the mood to buy something" and then puts then phone down. Lol.

A K Haart said...

WY - the immoral nature of these schemes was to be my next gambit but the guy buzzed off almost as soon as I made the point about them not being viable without feed-in tariffs.

I'll remember the mood to buy something ploy.

Edward Spalton said...

AKH Our son, then in his late teens, had a good response for some very persistent Jehovah's Witnesses - "I'm a Druid - and a very busy Druid. Good day!"

I thought it was his own but he may have got it from Terry Pratchett or someone like that.

On the telephone, I have sometimes tried making my voice sound older and saying "I'm a pensioner, duck" - quite effective with the double glazing fraternity.

A K Haart said...

Edward - our son once received a phone call from someone trying to get him to change his phone company.

"I don't have a phone," son replied.
"No phone?" was the puzzled answer.
"No I've never had a phone."