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

metherer

Evening all.

My husband and I are going to join in this challenge. My husband took a meter reading yesterday to get a revised bill, as we'd missed the meter reader. We're going to read the meters every Monday morning, and keep track on the puter.

I've suggested to him that this week we don't make any changes, so we can see what an average week is like. Then, we can see whether the changes make a difference for us.

Yesterday we signed on to E-on's cap til 2009, so its a start. We're £115 in credit, so can see how that alters.

We're double glazed, with gas central heating (tho its off) and use energy saving lightbulbs everywhere but the kitchen (halogen, small bulbs). (We haven't had any problem with energy saving bulbs)

One question. We have a kettle which sits on a gas ring. We do, of course, only boil what we need. Would it use less fuel/cheaper fuel if we got an electric one again? Not sure how it compares.


Metherer

metherer

By the way Lauren. I know you're aware of the date in the title - its possible to edit your first message, which should let you alter it.

minibudgetgal

Great idea for a thread Lauren, and I didnt even notice the date thing. I did however tel the doc's receptionist that my 9 year old son was born in 1989 today, so not too good with numbers.
We have reduced our leccy by 2/3 by switching off the immersion. Was on 24/7, in conjunction with the gas boiler. Currently we have all energy saving bulbs and leave nothing on standby. We average 12 units per day, but I am happy with this, it is much better than before.
Our gas consumption has also reduced too, as we only have the boiler on for hot water when it runs out, and then only for 30 mins a time. This needs to be done every other day on average. Shame we need to heat the house over winter. Poo!
We currently spend £183 per month DD for duel fuel. I am hoping this will come right down with our economising measureshaha! No intention of putting the heating on til November either. I have aired four mega warm extra duvets for us and the kids and we have bed socks (lovely tasteful red ones lol). I have two sets of curtains to line and put up in the dining room and study yet though. Good luck everyone :T
Mini xx

Pink.

Hi Lauren,

As you would prefer not to join with the current Old Style thread on cutting back gas and electricity I’ll move this thread across to the Gas and Electricity board as that is the best board to get help and advice on gas and electricity consumption.

Good Luck with your challenge.

Pink

Andy_Hamilton

Things which will save you money:
Using a gas powered kettle costs 1/4th compared to electrical ones.
Pull out the fridge and hoover (with soft brush) the fins on the back of the radiator fins. This allows the machine to work less.
Use a clothes aerer and if you want things faster point a fan at it.
Make sure the boiler is turned off before you use a single drop. Letting it warm up during the night (just before you need it) then running it down saves heating the cupboard all day.
Make sure you have a thick boiler jacket This was a massive thing years ago but has died down, considering you can save 15% water heating bill it's a no brainer. If you can feel heat to the touch then it will pay for it's self within months, not years.
Turn the boiler down by 5 degrees per day until it causes you problems then turn it back 2 degrees.
Fit good quality energy saving bulbs. They should work straight away I have just replaced my halogen bulbs in the kitchen to save 120 watts. Lidl normally have Philips 18W bulbs for around 80p and worth it.
Download a free application for your PC called "local cooling" It turns your monitor, drives and PC off after certain times. Not changing my useage, this has saved me 18p since saturday.
Fit an aerated shower saving 30% water and 15% heating. I got mine from ecocamel.
Fitting aerators or spray pattern (tapmagic.co.uk) to taps save money

If you have a fish tank, eat the fish! I'm paying around £20-25 per month on electricy keeping my marine fish (nemo and freinds) alive.

whatatwit

Great idea on unplugging the 2nd pod for the 'phone. I'd not thought of that and our 2 are sat next to each other :doh:

I've started reading the electric every day, using about 10 units per day.
I've read the gas once, as OH has blocked the entrance to the meter with [STRIKE]crap [/STRIKE]essential stuff :rolleyes:

I just need now to work out how to get the cover off the water meter and I've cracked it. :beer:

geoffW

You can get energy saving light bulbs equivelent to 325 watts, quite bright enough for most people. I have one in each of our main rooms.
How about using the microwave for most of the cooking, should be cheaper than an oven?
Geoff

bristolleedsfan

There was a feature in Daily Mirror on Tuesday detailing costs of running certain appliances and comparing cost with times not so long gone by.

I went to asda and bought a LCD battery operated alarm clock ( no tic toc :rotfl: ) was under 4.00 including batteries so have now ditched the electric clock radio. )

kymbogs

I'd love to join in the challenge, I'm very aware of how much gas and leccy we use and am pretty good at keeping it low but am terrified of how we're going to cope in the winter as we really can't afford to put much more on the meters than we do already. Luckily our water isn't metered so I don't have to worry about that (not that I am wasting water).

Until a few months ago we had an immersion heater than was on 24/7 cos I was under the impression that it was cheaper to keep it warm than have it heating up all the time (I have 2 babies so often have little bits of washing up to do and faces and hands to wash). We also had a dreadfully inefficient 20+ year old back boiler for the central heating. We now have a combi boiler so are just heating up the water we use.

The TV is on for a total of about 40 minutes a day, I'd happily live without it! We do have the radio on during the day most days but it does keep me sane so it's worth the tiny amount of electricity it uses I reckon, especially when my 16-month old baby girl starts dancing :rotfl:

We don't have a tumble drier and I don't miss it at all. As long as it's not raining I'll have clothes outside to dry and if it is raining (or it's so cold there's a danger my clothes will freeze!) my bathroom ends up looking like a chinese laundry with the 4 airers we have all loaded up.

I'd be interested to find out roughly how much a broadband modem and router take to run a day. These are on all day and all night though I think we will probably start switching it off at night.

Oh and the last thing I can think of at this time of the morning is that I've been cooking double and sometimes triple portions of most things I make as I figure it's probably cheaper to heat a portion up in the microwave (and takes less time!) than it is to start cooking a chilli, bolognese etc from scratch again.

Good luck everyone

Kimberley x

lauren_1

Yes i know its only (nearly august) july but a good time to start preparing.

I dont think its been predicted to be a cold winter but due to the first of energy price rises many of us could be feeling the cold (and the pinch) more than others.

We are luckiy in a terraced house and can pinch heat from both sides, one house is empty but should have a occupier by then i hope and we are 100% double glazed but have young children so i'm going to have to make this winter fun whilst still cutting back.

We have, so far...

Around 10 blankets varying from fleece to a large crochet baby blanket.

A few pairs of old tight to make draught excluders from.

A plug in heater (we used this last year to blast the smallest bedroom when the kids were getting dressed from their showers)

Some rather fetching wooly tights for me (got them a pound a pair in asda, im quite greatful i can fit in to some kids sizes)

Some equally fetching and not girly in the slightest blue/black and grey tights for baby ds from freecycle.

Picked up 5 or 6 pairs of fleecy stretchy slipper socks for 50p each in the primark sales and 2 dressing gowns each for a quid! (I got the kids a size or two bigger on the basis that i reckon they will shrink when i wash them)

We got 4 sleeping bags off of ebay, not the mummy bags but decorated kids style ones and a green one that dd wants to customise in to a catapillar, we dont intend on going camping when its cold but the kids go to breakfast clubs and get picked up last from after school club.....its just a comfort thing so the ones that have booster seats can zip them selves in....saves me petrol too as by the time we get to school the heaters have just about kicked in :rotfl: the littlest one has a cosy toes that can be fitted to his car seat.

An abundance of hats, scarves and gloves

An extra duvet per bed, goes on top of the matress and under the sheet, an instant 20%-30% more heat, safer than a leccy blanket. Got them in asda for 4 pounds each.

We are probably going to switch the GCH on around november (didnt get too cold until then last year, 20 miles south of bristol) for an hour in the morning then on around 6pm until 8pm weekdays, not sure about weekends yet but probably add an hour at lunch time if all goes well but even the last quarters bill nearly crippled me and that was spring/summer!!