Brian Gilfedder - Business Mentor/Advisor

15/10/2026

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At 49 I realised I couldn’t carry on the way I was living.

A lifestyle I believed was fairly typical for a 40 something bloke (based on what I saw around me) had led to poor health, low energy and a low mood.

Turning 50 was the turning point.

I questioned “is this really how I want to live for my remaining years?”

The answer was no.

So I stopped with the excuses and started making some simple changes.

I had the idea that focusing on exercise and nutrition to improve my fitness would lead to other changes.

I couldn’t have been more right.

Today, life is very different. So much so that it does feel like a second life. Or at least a second attempt.

If you’re drifting your way through midlife, feeling stuck and asking “is this it?”

This is exactly where I was not so long ago.

Please know you can change and everything can change. Your life can be so much better.

Having gone through my own transformation my passion now is to help others in midlife to live better. That’s why I post this stuff.

For far too long I didn’t believe things could be different. Maybe you feel the same way.

I’m telling you it can be very different and it’s easier than you might think to do.

Follow my page for more tips and tap the links in my bio to find out more.

Let’s do this, and I’ll see you on the other side.

28/09/2026

Great to see the sun today! How’s everyone doing?

06/06/2026

WHY SOLAR? Cash ISA v Solar

People often ask about solar: “What’s the payback?” — which is fair, because it’s a significant upfront cost. But in reality, solar is usually comparable to a kitchen or bathroom renovation, and we rarely ask about payback on those as they’re seen as home improvements.

If you have ~£8,000 sitting in savings, you might earn around £25–£30/month in interest. Money you don’t need immediately.

Investing that into solar can deliver 3–4x that monthly benefit in reduced electricity bills, plus additional savings if you also offset gas or oil for hot water. On top of that, you’re increasing the value of your home, arguably more than cosmetic upgrades.

Here’s my real-world experience:

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Belfast install (~£8,000 + ~£1,000 upgrades)

System: 15 panels, inverter, 10kWh battery, Eddi (diverts excess to hot water), Zappi EV charger.

Strategy (priority use of solar):

1. Run the house during the day
2. Charge battery for evening use (winter: off-peak charging)
3. Heat hot water via surplus/cheap rate
4. EV charging (mainly off-peak, with some solar diversion)
5. Export excess to grid (~5p/kWh)

Results:

* ~£100/month reduction in electricity bills
* Additional savings via hot water + EV charging
* Reduced reliance on gas
* Early indication of meaningful ROI improvement

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Donegal install (€8,250 → €6,450 after grant + €2,200 upgrades)

System: 12 panels, inverter, 5kWh battery, Eddi, Zappi.

Use case: holiday rental (winter usage + guest EV charging)

Results so far:

* ~€125/month savings on energy use
* Grid export often exceeds consumption
* Expected significant oil reduction for hot water
* Strong sustainability benefit for the business

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Key takeaway

Solar isn’t just about “saving on bills” — it’s about:

* Turning energy from an expense into a managed system
* Reducing reliance on volatile energy prices
* Improving property value
* Creating predictable long-term returns

I used AI tools to help compare equipment, installers, and design the energy strategy — which made the decision process much clearer.

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If you’re still reading, hopefully that’s useful. Ps I’m not in the solar business.

06/06/2026

WHY SOLAR?
The case for solar panels is often accompanied by ‘how long is the payback’ and rightly so as it’s a fair whack of money. But in context fitting solar is usually less than a kitchen or bathroom refurb and no one asks about that payback as it’s a home improvement.

If you have cash in an USA and here let’s talk £8000 it’s probably earning you £28 a month in interest. Let’s assume that’s money you ‘dont need’ anytime soon.

Invest that in solar and your monthly saving could be three or four times that amount in terms of electricity saved and a bit more if you swap from gas or oil to heat your hot water tank. At the same time you’re increasing the value of your home! More than a new bathroom or kitchen as all houses have them anyway.

Ok so it’s a bit scary if you don’t know about solar! So here’s my experience!

I put a system in in the UK (Belfast) and Ireland (Donegal)

Belfast £8000 install cost
Incidentals - upgrade immersion heater, replace basic car charger with MyEnergy Zappi (£1000)

Solar Installation
15 panels, an inverter (solar creates DC ur house uses AC so an inverter converts) a 10kw battery (solar charges the battery during the day free and I use that free electricity overnight when the sun isn’t doing its thing), an Eddi (basically a clever device to send free electricity to my immersion heater) and finally a Zappi (an we’ve charger unit that can divert free electricity to my car day time and time charges over night at cheap rate)

Strategy - priority hierarchy driven by my wish to dramatically reduce grid use

Spring Summer Autumn
A Run house during the day
B Charge battery for evening use (winter charge overnight cheap rate)
C Heat all my day’s water requirement (heat overnight cheap rate in winter)
D Trickle charge car (I mainly charge car overnight on cheap rate)
E Export to Grid (5p per KWH paid well in arrears annually - low priority but nice)

Bills have reduced dramatically for house use. Saving c £100 a month so far Im building a small saving from export and expect to save 25% on gas for water heating. Also in Spring Autumn we now use a ceramic electric heater to heat the room we’re in of an evening rather than using gas to heat the whole house. Savings tba

Benefits
Quadrupled my ROI on the money at least on electricity alone
Will have reduced gas usage (not clear by how much yet but expect maybe £400pa)
Expect up to 2000 miles a year free of trickle EV energy saving
A satisfying feeling that I’m less reliant on the grid and its vagrancies.

Donegal

€8250 install cost BUT I GET €1800 grant off this post install so really €6450

Incidentals - upgrade hot water tank/ immersion heater, new water pump and electrics work (€2,200)

Solar Installation
12 panels, an inverter (solar creates DC ur house uses AC so an inverter converts) a 5kwh battery (solar charges the battery during the day free and I use that free electricity overnight when the sun isn’t doing its thing), an Eddi (basically a clever device to send free electricity to my immersion heater) and finally a Zappi (an we’ve charger unit that can divert free electricity to my car day time and time charges over night at cheap rate- note I had this already in place)

Strategy - priority hierarchy driven by my wish to dramatically reduce grid use on this house which is a holiday rental business in the main. We use in winter.

Spring Summer Autumn
A Run house during the day
B Charge battery for evening use (winter charge overnight cheap rate)
C Heat all my day’s water requirement (heat overnight cheap rate in winter)
D Export to Grid 20c per KWH paid moth in arrears
Note - guests exclusively charge EVs overnight and pay my cost price

Bills have reduced dramatically for house use. Saving c€125 a month so far. Im building credit from export which is bigger than my grid use! and expect to save 25% on OIL for water heating.

Benefits
Quadrupled my ROI on the money at least on electricity alone
Will have reduced oil usage (not clear by how much yet but expect maybe €600pa)

A satisfying feeling that I’m less reliant on the grid and its vagrancies. A great green story for my business

I got a range of quotes. I used ai (grok in this case) to

Rank equipment being specified for quality reliability and performance
The company offering the service for credible online reviews for quality of fitting, after sales service and reliability.
And also to create and check a strategy for me based on my needs.

In the end I used the same company for both installs.

Hope this was useful if you are still reading.

30/04/2026

It’s with such sadness I write this post. Tomorrow will see the funeral service for Paul Nicholson. A valued colleague from my working life and a treasured friend. I spent a lot of my time in England away from home working and was lucky to meet wonderful people and make friends with many. A few remain close these years later. Paul was one. Taken ridiculously early, leaving his loving wife Nic and three fantastic children. Life isn’t fair. Hug your loved ones. Live life. Rest easy Paul, see you on the other side my friend.

12/04/2026

Brilliant Rory. Back to Back Master!

14/02/2026

Fantastic to see Hollie Davidson become the first woman to ref a Six Nations.

15/10/2025

“AI won’t just change how we work — it will change who works.”

Yesterday, I attended The CIPFA ‘Public Finance Live’ conference in Belfast where artificial intelligence featured on the agenda — particularly its growing influence on the workplace. Much of the discussion focused on how, when implemented thoughtfully, AI can enhance productivity and overall job satisfaction. Anyone who has seen the time saved by automating repetitive, low-value tasks will appreciate its potential.

At the same time, there was a healthy debate around the challenges. What happens when AI begins to replace not just tasks, but entire roles — enabling one person to do the work of ten, twenty, or even fifty others?

The parallels with the Industrial Revolution are hard to ignore. That era created enormous wealth for some while fundamentally reshaping industries and livelihoods. I can’t help but feel that AI will follow a similar path. As before, those who thrive will likely be the ones who combine adaptability, ownership, and entrepreneurial spirit.

One of the key takeaways from the conference was that soft skills — creativity, communication, empathy, and adaptability — will soon outweigh traditional qualifications. While AI may enhance certain aspects of my own work without major disruption, I can’t help but think about my children as they begin their careers. Many of today’s entry-level roles may be reshaped — or even replaced — by machines, especially in environments like the U.S. where innovation often races ahead of regulation.

How do you see AI reshaping the balance between human skills and automation in your own industry

10/09/2025

HP There was a time when my team at Banner and I sold more HP Original cartridges than anyone else in the UK! Something I was very proud of. Now I’ve just signed up at home to for my new HPa3 Inkjet. I won’t be their biggest customer but I am interested to see how this service works and how good the printer is! More to follow no doubt

16/05/2025

So proud of my son. Belfast Marathon