May I enquire discreetly

Hmm. It seems as though the suspicions I had three months ago are being proven true. I queried the result and scoured the house looking for evidence of extra unauthorised activity, but can find no evidence. Searches of The Boy’s room for signs of standby drew a blank, so I’m afraid I must be the guilty party. I bought the washing machine. That’s the only change that can possibly have put our electricity bill up by £100 a quarter, unless it is indeed pouring out of sockets and soaking into the carpet. We’ll just have to set a fashion for wearing grubby clothes. Or become nudists.

Apart from that, I heard a cuckoo today – the first this year (though Ned says he heard one yesterday).