Bart Verwilst a.k.a Bort :: Blog » Money

Yahoo vs Microsoft.. doesn’t look too good..

Bart Verwilst — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:17:37 +0000

Apparently nobody was able to counter-offer on the Microsoft bid for Yahoo, so things are starting to look pretty sad..

There are rumors that some Yahoo executives would do everything in their power to stop the Microsoft deal, giving Google a small chance, but it’s all over for Yahoo anyways.. I can imagine that the best employees already looked for a job with more certainty, and that if Google takes over, a lot of people will become redundant since Google has its own skilled people.. And if Microsoft takes over.. bleh, don’t even want to consider that..

I will have to dig into the Zimbra license again to make sure that the project is forkable, but i pretty much think a fork would be the only thing to save it. Hell, I would even start it up myself Where is anti-trust when you need it?

Embrace and extinguish anyone?

Belgian energy prices: Nuon vs Electrabel

Bart Verwilst — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 00:08:47 +0000

When you start living on your own, one of the first duties to tend to is to make sure you don’t overpay for your energy bills. Ok, you overpay no matter who you choose, but that’s another issue. So I compared Nuon ( Nuon Flex formula ) and Electrabel ( EnergyPlus ) for both gas and electricity. Eventually i chose Nuon, because it is cheaper for both in comparison to Electrabel.

Here a quick overview of the prices: ( Single metered tariffs! )

For gas, Nuon asks 3.84 cent / kWh, while Electrabel asks 4.46 cent / kWh. Their fixed yearly fees are 40,68 EUR and 41,87 EUR respectively.

For electricity, Nuon charges 8,14 cent / kWh and Electrabel 9.51 when you use less than 2000 kWh and 8.56 when using a bit more. The lowest price you can get at Electrabel is 8.26 cent / kWh, when using over 20.000kWh yearly. Yearly fees are 57,41 EUR up to 111,73 EUR for Electrabel, while Nuon charges 46,26.

Eventually I signed up with Nuon, because according to my nooby calculations, it was the Right Thing ™ to do

Anyways, I see Electrabel in much the same way as I see Microsoft and Belgacom: big overpriced companies trying to suck as much many out of you as possible, no matter what it takes.

Rabobank, first impressions

Bart Verwilst — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 23:43:04 +0000

Finally my savings are transferred to my shiny new Rabobank.be account! It took several weeks ( because of the busy times Rabobank had with all the new customers ), but I’m finally settled. I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised!

First of all, there is a section in your account titled “What did I earn with my savings already?”, which shows you the exact amount of earnings you gathered by keeping your money in that account. Basic interest is 4%, so it’s pretty nice It also shows you how much you will earn by the end of the year ( interest fluctuations aside ofcourse ). Very nice

The interface itself is clean, and your account is totally free. Goodbye Fortis! Well, still with them for a my current accounts, but that’s ok, I like a little bit more service in that area anyways. Since Argenta turned out to be a total disaster.. but that’s for another day

Have a nice weekend!