Tidying up for winter

Today I have been picking up plants that will not last the winter such as calendulas or marigolds as they are generally known. Antirhinums plus a few weeds. The reason I have done this is that tomorrow the garden waste bin will be emptied for the last time this year. It will be April nexr year when the collection will recommence. Mind you, I will not be prepared to pay for this collection if they decide to charge for the service. To be honest, I think this will happen as the finances are being squeezed. I don't think people on benefits will be looking forward to paying towards the Council Tax. I have always paid in  full for the services.
 When my mate called a few weeks ago, my Italian friend also called. Later my best Pal came too. Typical I suppose. No visitors for ages then 3 the same day.
 Anyway, my Italian friend was full of it when he came to see me. As my mate was also here he pulled out a leafleet and asked my mate if he had Solar Panels. My mate told him he had, the Italian then asked him how much it had cost him. My mate told him and then my Italian friend smiled and told him that his had cost nothing. He then told us that he had FREE electricity to use. I told him that it was firstly, subject to the sun producing electricity and secondly during the times that the sun was below the horizon he would not be producing any electricity at all and what he was using in his home would have to be paid for. I think he thought that if he was producing 4 kilowatts an hour, if he was using say2 kilowatts, then he would have the extra to use at a later date. I told him that he could only use what the system was producing at any time and what was spare was being sold to the Electricity Company and the supplier of the Solar Panels would get the payment. He knew that part. I then told him that my mate had received in excess of 10% of his outlay so far this year and there were a few weeks to go.
 I will try to go to visit him and his wife well before  Christmas to try to explain better to him. Incidentally his wife is not too good but I think she will grasp the system more readily than he does. More soon.