Nick Trollope

Cassie, I've emailed you. Later - but it bounced, so I've PM'd you....  

Essentially, you should have paid TVA on all the non -EU or EU VAT exempt imports, at the time of import, then reclaimed the TVA under the EU VAT rules. Everybody pays VAT on everything VATable, at some time - reclaiming the VAT is the exclusive right of a reseller (as you were).  

Don't understand any of this "estimated time" bollocks. Either he is compentant and knows how long a job will take and will give you a fixed-price devis (including materials), or he isn't and can't. There is no such (legal) entity as an "estimate". If you don't like a devis, then you are always at liberty to get more, from someone else. That is how it works, here.

The CT expires on the date that it expires. There is no "period of grace". I'd suggest you get it done as soon as you can (or if someone else has access, get them to do it). As it is in a garage, then I wouldn't worry about it too much. If it fails, you then get 2 months to fix and retest it.  

[quote user="AnOther"]A small word of caution regarding push connectors: If you're talking about any sort of current carrying capacity push fit connections will never be as safe or secure as choc-bloc. To a greater or lesser extent choc-bloc compresses the wire increasing the area of contact whereas push fit will compress very little, if at all, so you end up with just small points of contact which can, in turn, generate heat and......well you know the rest.. You might draw a rough analogy with a car tyre: Flat (compressed) the area of contact with the road is quite large, inflated there are only a few cm2 of actual contact. [/quote] Sorry, but the converse is actually true; The "borne automatique", use a sliding contact, which makes a long contact down either side of the wire. Choc block screws tend to ease slightly over time (as do all non-locked bolts), reducing the effectiveness of the contact. All the electricians I know use them, not just because they are faster (they also cost alot more). No pro fittings (sockets, switches, etc) use screw contacts any more - only those stocked by the likes of BricoDepot.  

You had best ask them, as they may (probably will) be charged for cashing your cheque (same currency, different banking systems). Why a cheque?  

Chauffe-eau. What you get with HC is just a signal from your meter during the cheap rate period. Your electrician will need to add a contactor and a few other bits to the supply circuit to the chauffe-eau (and anything else you want to run on cheap rate electricity).  

Just apply (I'd ring the number at the top of the bill). Then you will need to get an electrician in to add the switching to your C/E circuit.  

SIRET and NAF codes are part of business registrations. Are you a business? If not, just ignore these. As to your other question, are you applying for a completely new supply? If the HC is an add-on for an existing supply, then that is what it is. There are differences in commercial and domestic tariffs, but no difference if a domestic contract is owned by an SARL, if you see what I mean.  

Have you considered ditching your gaz boiler in favour of something much, much cheaper to run? I can't advertise on here, but if you (or anyone else for that matter!) would care to PM me an email address, I can't send you plenty of (free) information.  

So, are they running or not? Their website implies that they are, but I can't make a booking. Another HD Ferries?  

[quote user="La Guerriere"]Nick, you may be able to cast light. I know that NFC requires fixed heaters to be wired in rather than plug'n'socket but is there actually any logical technical reason for this .... ?[/quote] A few, I'd guess; A class I heater would need 4 pins, a classII heater would require 3 (not including the earth); so you can't unplug them without switching off; because they must be on their own circuit and if you had a socket you could put an adaptor in it and run something else; etc etc....  

Just to reiterate my earlier point, all (most) electric rads are 100% efficient - every Kw of energy you put in comes out as heat. A gas boiler is about 75% efficient (once you have taken all the losses in the system itself into account), a good woodburner is about 75% efficient, too. At those prices, you would make significant inroads into the UK national debt. They are cheaper in France! (albeit not much).  

None. Assuming; a)That it is a house at the moment (as opposed to a byre, barn, sty or whatever) and b)you are making no changes to the exterior.  

Coupla points; Alll modern electric rads are 100% efficient. Infra-red heaters heat whatever is in front of them, not the air (like a conventional radiator), this may be you, or your sofa... The illustration on their front page is an "illegal" installation (in France). That apart, they look very nice but there are plenty of very pretty rads available in France.

Don't joump for joy too high... There are all sorts of criterea to be fulfilled; The stuff must be installed by an Artisan, it must be your primary residence, things are changing on 1/1/10 and there is a limit on the amount you can reclaim. IME, the DG companies simply mark up the price by the tax allowance, then point out that you can get it back. Inevitable, I suppose.  

If you are residents, perhaps you should consider solar heating. Are zero energy costs of interest?  PM me if they are.  

1. Conventional CH pump 2. In the return. 3. Make sure that the fire can't be lit without the pump running, by using a pipe thermostat to control the pump and ensure that you have a "heat dump" - 1 radiator that can't be turned off.  

If you don't have a tableau (fusebox, or whatever, that will take DIN-mount disjoncteurs), then as Anton (?) has suggested, you could, as a minimum install a basic one for not much money. However, if you have non-fuseboard-mounted fuses, I'd be more worried about rewiring the place than connecting the VMC! Or have I got the wrong end of the stick?  

Both are equally effective!  

You are quite correct, Antron. But to put it another way; A VMC is not required for CONSUEL, but if it is fitted, it must conform and be connected to a dedicated circuit with a 2A breaker...

[quote user="oldgit72"]I just thought it odd that the UK says you should put the vertical cable runs near to the corners but France wants them not to be. I would have thought nearer to corners was safer, gaine or no gaine.[/quote] The reasoning(in the UK or France)  is that if you know where the cables can't be, then you will know where they might be. Same logic in both territories, differently implimented.  

Where are you? I have found several leaks in underfloor heating pipes using my thermal imaging camera. Can save an awful lot of digging up!  

As I have often said, there is a set procedure for everything of this nature. Deviate at your peril! First thing is to check that the tradesman was legal to do what the customer wanted; SIRET, insurance check and the like. If he isn't then forget it, they will have no chance of recovering anything (by legit leans).  

[quote user="Chancer"] What, you mean that you have another 10% to give? That is an admission of travail dissimulée if ever I heard one [:D][6] [/quote] Quote from (someone in) my local Tresor Public - "Open your wallet and say after me; 'help yourself'". But with a French accent. Actually it was the Goons. Remarkable. So I did.