Bitponics is a new project backed by kickstarter which allows you to monitor your plants on line to assess the moisture, soil content and temperature and determine the optimum needs of your garden. This is a great inexpensive idea for people like me who don’t quite have green fingers. Read More here
September 11 2012 | Articles for current moteliers and Changes in Motel Trends and Entering the Motel Industry and Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
The latest accommodation survey shows a rise in the level of short term stays to levels not seen since 1996. Five out of seven North Island regions showed an increase with this being mainly due to domestic tourism.
Overall motels and holiday parks were the winners with a 46000 and 45000 guest night increase respectively while the hotels and backpackers sustained falls of 33000 and 14000 respectively.
May the increasing guest night trend continue.
September 16 2011 | Articles for current moteliers and Changes in Motel Trends and Entering the Motel Industry and Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Amid the hype at present to make motels amongst other things more environmentally sustainable we have been encouraged to become more energy efficient and lighting is an area being targeted. The following article from the Dominion Post makes one question if we are in fact following the correct path. Maybe it is a case of implementing change without realising the consequences.
By KAY BLUNDELL – The Dominion Post | Friday, 15 August 2008
CONCERN: Energy-saving lightbulbs are reported to be melting, blowing up and blackening surrounding electrical equipment.
The Government’s safety agency has warned the Fire Service about the potential hazard of energy-saving lightbulbs, a memorandum to firefighters reveals.
The memo, of which The Dominion Post has a copy, warns that compact fluorescent lamps, or eco bulbs, are reported to be melting, blowing up and blackening surrounding electrical equipment.
The concerns have been passed on to the Fire Service by Energy Safety, two months after Energy Minister David Parker announced plans to phase out traditional bulbs in favour of eco bulbs.
Many instances of bulbs failing went unreported to the Fire Service or Energy Safety, the memo said. People often chose just to replace a defective bulb.
Fire Service national fire investigation manager Peter Wilding confirmed he put a message out to staff “to be aware of the issue and pay particular attention to these faults”.
There were reports that eco bulbs had burnt out and scorched fittings, causing smoke stains, and in a few cases they had caught fire.
“If it does get to a state of flaming or scalding, if in any doubt, call the Fire Service. We do not know if there is a manufacturing fault, a user fault or a dud batch, but we want to give the public assurance we are trying to be responsible.”
A spokeswoman for Mr Parker said Energy Safety had received no reports, however, of eco bulbs causing serious problems.
Mr Parker announced in June plans to phase out traditional incandescent bulbs from late next year because they waste electricity. It is estimated that by changing lights Kiwis could save almost $500 million of the $660 million spent each year on lighting electricity.
Energy Safety senior technical adviser Bill Lowe confirmed the agency had received reports of eco bulbs ceasing to work, not lasting as along as expected, blackening, scorching, smoking and their glass breaking. But no structural fires had been reported.
The agency had received 13 complaints about eco bulbs in the past fortnight. Communications with the Fire Service had been increased in an attempt to confirm what problems existed.
August 15 2008 | Articles for current moteliers and Changes in Motel Trends | 4 Comments »