I will try to avoid turning this into a rant, but I was aiming to do some electrics today. This involved cutting into my ring (sounds painful 
) and installing an FCU for a new heated towel rail, and also moving the switch for my immersion heater. On inspection, the immersion heater radial is wired in 4.0mm (despite it being a 2.87kW heater!).
So, off I toddled down to Wickes to buy the bits. Picked up a couple of JBs (£1.15 each) and then went to find the 4mm T&E. Could I find it? No. Wickes sells every size of T&E except for 4mm! Seriously, it wasn't that they were out, it is that they never sell it! 25mm singles, yes. 16.0mm T&E? Yes. So, I put my JBs back thinking I wouldn't buy them out of principle.
Next stop, the local builders' merchants. Now, it has been my experience that builders' merchants are great value for things that you build with (timber, plasterboard, cement) but plumbing parts are a bit pricey. No matter, I was desparate.
So, how much do you reckon 4mm T&E was there? £2 a metre! Seriously! I was about to take 5m when I noticed the price and thought "sucks to this!". Of course when I got home to check the Yellow pages, all the wholesalers are closed now! Oh, and the JBs were nearly £2 each too. 
Now, checking this against an arbitrary electrical wholesaler website I find that the £14 of goods I was to buy at the merchants would cost me £5.30 online. A mere 38% of the cost! Even with delivery it is cheaper to get a few little odds and sods online. Bah.
) and installing an FCU for a new heated towel rail, and also moving the switch for my immersion heater. On inspection, the immersion heater radial is wired in 4.0mm (despite it being a 2.87kW heater!).So, off I toddled down to Wickes to buy the bits. Picked up a couple of JBs (£1.15 each) and then went to find the 4mm T&E. Could I find it? No. Wickes sells every size of T&E except for 4mm! Seriously, it wasn't that they were out, it is that they never sell it! 25mm singles, yes. 16.0mm T&E? Yes. So, I put my JBs back thinking I wouldn't buy them out of principle.
Next stop, the local builders' merchants. Now, it has been my experience that builders' merchants are great value for things that you build with (timber, plasterboard, cement) but plumbing parts are a bit pricey. No matter, I was desparate.
So, how much do you reckon 4mm T&E was there? £2 a metre!
Seriously! I was about to take 5m when I noticed the price and thought "sucks to this!". Of course when I got home to check the Yellow pages, all the wholesalers are closed now! Oh, and the JBs were nearly £2 each too. Now, checking this against an arbitrary electrical wholesaler website I find that the £14 of goods I was to buy at the merchants would cost me £5.30 online. A mere 38% of the cost! Even with delivery it is cheaper to get a few little odds and sods online. Bah.
