Bringing down my gas and leccy bill challenge (start August 2008)

Magentasue

We have rattling sash windows but I wouldn't want double glazed. I'm a sucker for Victoriana so I like to think of ventilation rather than draughts. I swear by heavy lined curtains closed early. Of course that means putting a lamp on but I think that looks more cheery than dusk on a winter's day.

Do you get bubble wrap free? If not, I'm sure others have said they pick it up free from the fruit and veg department of their local supermarket.

jscalow

Magentasue wrote: »

We have rattling sash windows but I wouldn't want double glazed. I'm a sucker for Victoriana so I like to think of ventilation rather than draughts. I swear by heavy lined curtains closed early. Of course that means putting a lamp on but I think that looks more cheery than dusk on a winter's day.

Do you get bubble wrap free? If not, I'm sure others have said they pick it up free from the fruit and veg department of their local supermarket.

I paid £2.49 for 60cm x 5m. will see what i can scavenge next time- cheers for the tip.

lauren_1

How are you all doing?
Anyone got the next bill yet, any decreases in usage?

So far this challenge seems to be taking over my everyday life from the way i cook, the time i bath the kids, the way we wash the clothes and the order i do the household chores.

Not a bad thing though, more preparation fr the rougher times on their way now as dp is changing his job, our rent has risen again (by £60!!) the childcare has increased by £10, the freezer leaves little puddles every now and then and i need to get the CAM changed, exhaust mended and gasket seen to on my car (it never rains but blinking pours eh?)

[Deleted User]

crimper post reported. All his/her posts are about that site. SPAM

newlywed

jscalow wrote: »

I have a draughty flat as I have no double glazing and have been quoted £5k to have it fitted. After reading some recommendations on this site I have just started to put bubble wrap over the windows, I was using Velcro but @ £20 per 5metres this was working out too expensive so when I come to do the next set of windows I will use tape.
When I was getting the bubble wrap from a storage centre the lady told me she had done the same previously and it had made a difference although I am pleased that it hasn't really affected the light coming into the 2 rooms I have done.
I am hoping that once the heating is on and the flat has warmed up that it will take longer for it to cool down, as at the moment as soon as the radiators are turned off you can feel the draughts.
I am also going to put some tin foil lined cardboard behind the raditors to try and radiate more of the heat into the rooms. If you have done any of this in the past let me know how you got on, again if you are are planning on doing anything similar also let me know. good luck.

We used velcro and thick clear plastic sheeting for our windows when we were young. Mum and dad used velcro on the upstairs bedroom windows so they could open the windows (in case of fire or if it got warmer and we wanted the window open). We could then just roll down the top or roll up the bottom (sash windows) and then open the window in the day and seal it all up easily at night.

It was much better than the staples that were used the year before If you have windows you are more likely to open (maybe bathroom?) then I would still aim to velcro them and just tape the ones you hardly open at all Otherwise if we ever get a slightly warmer day in October or March, you might regret the only option being to rip the plastic off or get really warm

It made a huge difference with the old drafty sash windows we used to have.

BigMummaF

Perhaps you can use tape around the sealed bits of the window & velcro for the bits that open

jscalow

jscalow wrote: »

Just had my first results thru http://www.i-measure.org

• £3.29 on gas
• £6.72 on electricity
• Club Rank MoneySaving Carbon Club 15/34

Didn't use the tumble dryer last week but will run it for 2 hours this week to see the difference. I have used the gas hob and electric cooker every day.

Okay this weeks results -

• £4.38 on gas
• £8.52 on electricity
• MoneySaving Carbon Club 2/40

So using the tumble dryer for approx 3 hours has cost roughly £1.79 so running the dryer is 1p per minute. has anybody else has similar results?

jscalow

newlywed wrote: »

We used velcro and thick clear plastic sheeting for our windows when we were young. Mum and dad used velcro on the upstairs bedroom windows so they could open the windows (in case of fire or if it got warmer and we wanted the window open). We could then just roll down the top or roll up the bottom (sash windows) and then open the window in the day and seal it all up easily at night.

It was much better than the staples that were used the year before If you have windows you are more likely to open (maybe bathroom?) then I would still aim to velcro them and just tape the ones you hardly open at all Otherwise if we ever get a slightly warmer day in October or March, you might regret the only option being to rip the plastic off or get really warm

It made a huge difference with the old drafty sash windows we used to have.

Just finished doing it today. cost £3.49 per 5metres of bubble wrap and have used 4 rolls. I started using velcro but was expensive @ £20 per 5m roll @ b&q, so have used masking tape on the sealed windows and velcro tabs on the ones I need to get to. Fortunately most of windows are out of view so nobody to see it from the outside, I am looking forward to the temp dipping so I can feel if there is any difference in heat retention once the heating is on . will post the results as they come in.

HarryH_3

crimper wrote: »

Like Lauren I decided do something about the dreaded electricity bill. So I checked out http://www.sust-it.net/. It compares the energy consumption of products. So when for example my tumble drier broke I bought the most energy efficient tumble I found on sust-it. I noticed my electricity bill went down dramatically. So I swapped a lot of my power guzzling white goods for more energy efficient ones, and my electricity bill has over halved.

You compare things like TVs, PCs, washing machines and fridge freezers too which is brilliant.

tumble drier! i gave up on those 20 years ago. just seemed to shrink my t-shirts. i use a washing line or a clothes horse when its raining

newlywed

jscalow wrote: »

I started using velcro but was expensive @ £20 per 5m roll @ b&q

Oh my - perhaps you should have gone to a fabric shop instead of b&q for that one!!

Try here: http://www.candh.co.uk/product-Philip-Stamp-and-Co-Velcro-Stick-On-White-5m-0106139/