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

newlywed

Magentasue wrote: »

I'm all for making life easier and more convenient (dishwasher!) but am prepared to make the effort in other ways (batch cooking/doing the washing on good drying days/reusing bathwater etc.).

That's my theory too. I batch cook, use slow cooker, we share bathwater (we don't have a shower unfortunately), we don't have a tumble dryer, I regularly run round after kids switching the lights and tv's off.

Last night by the time I got home from work and cooked and ate dinner, prepared all the lunches, did some cleaning, prepared the dinner for today to go in slow cooker - it was 9.30pm and I hadn't even sat down except for 10 mins to eat!!! If I'd washed up and dried up (the draining board wouldn't be big enough) too it would have been about 10.30pm and I wake up at 6am feeling tired as it is.

I can't do everything or I'll fall asleep at work or in the car on the way to work!!

And yes I'm in debt - but the majority of that was all well BEFORE running a home (and the rest due to OH having no work for nearly a year and me trying to pay all the bills and feed his kids) and not as a result of a 22p dishwasher cycle :rolleyes:

And the £20 a year I'd save by not running it once a day won't even make a dent in my debt

[Deleted User]

nothing bad megasue, maybe didn`t say it well enough thats all. You are doing good stuff and I thanked you because I agree with you. Other people with debt in the sig, could do with following your good example

kymbogs

Ooh forget to mention I also don't have a dishwasher (well, apart from my husband ) but I don't feel I'm missing out cos I've never had one!

Recently I've been sent quite a few energy saving lightbulbs from various places but they are all bayonet fittings and the fittings in all the lights we use are screws, I was on the verge of going round putting the energy saving bulbs in the few lamps and things we have that do have bayonet fittings but then realised it was a bit of a daft thing to do as we've probably used each one about once this year! Will use lamps more in the winter though so will replace them then.

SuiDreams

My first bit of electric saving have come home from work and haven't put the TV on yet. I always go straight on to the lap top when I get it to check emails etc, and usually have the tv on in the background. I don't really need to have the TV on unless its actually being watched so going to make a big effort to use it less. It probably on way too much anyway.

tiff

Laptops use a lot less electricity than pc's, probably is obvious but handy to know.

lemontart

I found a good trick with the pet teen to stop her puting the over head lights on in living room which use 4 bulbs is not to replace them when blown so she has no option but to use the side light with one bulb.

I now also only charge my moble in the car on the way to and from work. I also have a lantern I can charge that way and the same goes for our hand held games consoles - charge in car,

all small steps but every single unit I do not use mounts up over a yr.

wild666

Having just been told that this tiny place will cost £62 a month for gas & electric I intend to make sure that there is money owing to me in 12 months and not me owing them

MrBlonde_2

lauren_1 wrote: »

//Is anyone else up for a bit of a challenge?


(please don't merge this with the other G&E thread)

Im challenging my self to bring down our dual fuel bill, according to e.on we are using more than last year (in the red dotty line) thus havng upped our bills to 72.00 a month (previously 52.00). Even though we are capped, when we come off our rate in 2010 it's going to be a bit of a shock depending on what the rates are then....or even if gas is available then.

Ideally by christmas i want it back to 50-60 a month and track our progress each month with the energy tracker, even getting one month lower than last year would be a bonus

So far we have had a play with the timers and realised the hot water comes on in the evening for 30mins as well as the morning, yet no-one showers in the evening so thats been sorted

Got our stuff in the 'preparing for winter thread and have had proper words with dp about his leaving the door open when taking the rubbish out (it bugs the hell out of me especially in the middle of winter when the cold air whooshes up the stairs then the house is left freezing)

These are our last 6 months on the energy tracker, feel free to post yours along with helpful tips (especially ones to get kids and dp more in my line of thinking)

Try this hopefully youll get some good info http://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-efficiency/energy-savers-report.html

MrBlonde_2

newlywed wrote: »

We're on prepay meters so I'm up for the challenge

Have fitted draft excluder thing to the bottom of the front door which should help this winter. But our electric is already up to £35 a month without any darker evenings :eek: - have electric oven as well though.

Gas was £20 a month when just hot water but now that isn't covering it either (Service charges get taken from that too though). Last winter we were using £60 a month on gas and still hardly had the heating on except at weekends.

Will get OH to check the time the water heats up as I think he set it to 3 times a day and really not sure it needs that much - we're hardly in during the day.

check this also...for free http://www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-efficiency/energy-savers-report.html

Confusedconsumer_2

Hi, everyone

I'm new to the forum and enjoy reading the postings.

Single, living in a 2 bedroom semi-detached house. To save money on electric and gas, I only heat water on override once a day for 20-30 minutes - in the evening is good then I have enough to do washing -up, clean top of cooker and wash kitchen floor if necessary. In the morning the water is hot enough to shower with some over.

To save money on the heating last winter I only had heating on in the evening, and was OK in the morning. However, when it was really cold, put heating on in the morning for a short time. Do not do this if you are ill or elderley.

Does anyone have any comments on EBIC, Scottish & Souther Energy? Thanks.