The 50% Electricity Challenge - Everyone welcome!

Miss_J

Just taken my first weeks reading and think I must have made a mistake in the initial reading, when I put in this weeks reading into Imeasure it said I'd used £210 worth of gas this week. So have reconfigured the readings ommiting the last number which was in red compared to white for the the rest of the reading so I'm figuring the red number is a percentage of a unit used.

Last weeks gas reading was 0559, this weeks reading was 0578 and Imeasure has estimated this cost me £20.86 for this week.

Last weeks electricity reading was 18266, this week reading was 18347 and Imeasure had estimated this cost me £9.72 for this week.

I'm not surprised with the gas reading as I wasn't feeling too good at the weekend so had the heating on all day. So starting tonight I'm going to work on cutting the gas bill by half (I really hope) if I keep up this consumption the £70 a month I currently pay for gas still won't cover my costs. Electricity I would like to get down by £2-£3 if it's possible.

Need to investigate this week if I have a cheaper evening tariff and will switch to putting on the dishwasher once a day at night and the same for the washing. Switching to battery powered night lights for the kids who have always had their main light on all night, and will be switching appliances off at the wall when used including the cooker clock and the microwave clock.

Looking forward to seeing if I've made a difference in our consumption this time next week.

nickynoo08

Hiya can i join in please? Have just taken my meter reading and its 51995. We're desperate to reduce our energy bills and i'm always up for a challenge. Only problem i have is my OH. He stays up late playing on his playstation and sometimes leaves tv on standby and sky box on!!! He also leave landing light on when coming to bed:mad: . It drives me up the wall, but i must admit he's getting better. I'd also like to reduce my gas bill too but i'll stick with leccy for now as heating is only on for short while when needed anyway.

nickynoo08

Just had a look at my tarrif and its 21.2p for first 900kw then 10.28p there after. Just had my first bill and it says i'm in credit by £9.37 - i normally pay £25 per month. Only thing is i dont know how to find out my opening meter reading so i can estimate how much i'm saving. Hope that makes sense:o

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aliwali

Hi

I'm not posting the actual readings as we had a new meter fitted last Friday so they wouldn't make any sense. But we have used 51 day units and 7 night units. This compares to 47 (or was it 41?) and 8 last week. So it has increased.

The boys are back from grandparents this week, the heating has gone on and my husband has had an opertation so he is at home and grandparents are here cooking every night so that is obviously why it has gone up.

I don't think we are doing too badly overall though so not too worried. Going to monitor it again this week as it will compare better to last week.

suz7

I thought my second week ended last night, but it ended the night before...duh. So reading after nearly 8 days was 13046 - used 40 units. This is 2 units more than my normal week!

I did do some ironing the 2nd week (didn't do any the first week) and the extra day didn't help either.

I don't think I can get it down any more but will read again next week.

Good luck everyone!!

tyllwyd

I was tidying up this morning and found something I cut out of the Mirror (can't remember when, but it must have been around August). They don't give the unit price of electricity they were using, but they had some sample figures:

60W lightbulb for one hour: 0.88p
17in flat screen tv for one hour: 8.32p
Playing PS3 for one hour: 2.84p
Satellite tv/set top box for one hour: 1.47p
Hairdryer for 10 minutes: 4.58p
500W Vacuum cleaner for one hour: 6.36p
Charging mobile phone for one hour: 0.59p
Fridge freezer for one day: 7.32p
Boil a full kettle: 2.2p

Looking at that list, my biggest vice is boiling the kettle too often! I suppose I could switch to cold drinks but I think that's an economy too far ....

Welshlassie

Well took my reading this morning and it was 12567 against last weeks total of 12461 so again its 106 units. Which on the one hand is dreadful as haven't reduced it at all, but on the other at least it hasn't gone up.

So what was different and what the same.

We had workmen in the first week doing our fascias, but DH was building new guestbooks last weeks so probably used the same amount of electric as the workmen.

I changed to energy savings bulbs in the upstairs lights, but have been unable to get some for the kounge and dining room at present and they have 6 bulbs between them.

Haven't managaed to find our standby saver from when we decorated so need to make more of an effort to find that this week.

We did use the tumble drier and did a load of ironing this week, which we didn't last week as much, so maybe we have reduced it some overall.

I have made more of an effort to turn lights off as I leave the room, but DH is dreadful and keeps forgetting.

We are in the process of sorting out a new kitchen so will be getting an A rated oven, the dishwasher is a few years old, but only used every 2/3 days and the fridge freezer is about 18 months old and B rated I think so not too much excess there hopefully. We have also filled the freezers almost to capacity, DH is going to be doing some bulk cooking in the next few days so this will fill any gaps.

Really need to have a think about what else we can do.

TurnaroundSue

Trying really hard to reduce my leccy bill this week and was saving all the dirty dishes in the dishwasher to do one full load of washing up in the sink and OH goes and puts dishwasher on:mad: , but apart from that have been really careful (although still feel that there is scope to save more if I turned all off at the switch when not in use)

Second reading due tomorrow night so will let you know how I get on then.

Intergalactic_Floozie

Can I join? Can I? Eh? Can I?

I really desperately need to try and cut down gas and electric useage (especially electricity!) I'm certain my next door neighbour has a cannabis farm in his attic and I am unwittingly heating and lighting it! (joke, before anyone rings Crimestoppers). I've got a husband and two kids who dont know how to turn lights off!

Reading today: Gas = 2036 // Electricity = 36542