Avoid using Gas and Electricity

Katie-Kat-Kins

Responses to your questions below:-

rosekitten wrote: »

katP its not so bad as your washer
is probably only using around 15p
a wash.Is it on cold fill or does it
take water from your immersion ? It is on cold fill, it isn't connected to the immersion at all.
cold fill is much cheaper,its really
easy to change it to cold fill.then
the water going in takes in the
exact amount and heats it to the
right temp for the wash.

To cut it down more is there
anything you can wash on cold
cycles.I do my curtains,woollens,
delicates etc If somethings not
marked.the sheets maybe a higher
temp a couple of times a month. I only ever use the 40 degree cycle for everything, that is the coldest cycle available on the machine, otherwise I'd be doing most things colder.

On my machine I use the shortest
programes and then make sure I spin
out the water as much as poss especially
in the winter months.Not so bad in the
Summer when you can line dry. I use a relatively short programe but have to spin dry as we don't have radiators to dry clothes on and don't have a sunny garden to put up a line either. In fact our garden is so full of trees with berries if I line dried the washing it would probably come in dirtier....covered in berries and bird poo.......

I dont know if it will work but you know those
timer switches/plug that you can set lights etc
to come on when you are out would one of those
enable you to set it for your machine to switch
on during the night ?

I have a plug in timer switch, so I know what you mean, but the washing machine doesn't have a plug it is wired straight into the wall. To change it I guess we'd need an electrician.....

Optimisticpair

If anyone is thinking of decorating before Christmas? I know painting and papering walls in dark dramatic colours has been fashionable but they soak up a lot of natural light. The most moneysaving paint has to be a plastic tub of white which can be offset by using hot/bright/warm looking colours for cushions and throws but if white is too cold looking you could go for pale cream or warmer shades. Anything which looked cold would just prompt me to turn heating on!

I have an exposed stone fireplace wall, grey, just putting a picture with a large amount of cream border around it made the room seem lighter. It's more psychological than any real amount of reflected light but I was amazed at the effect. A friend of mine has a collection of old mirrors which reflects light around but I can't see why the same couldn't be made a feature of in a modern room or in the hall / landing.

Katie-Kat-Kins

Optimisticpair wrote: »

If anyone is thinking of decorating before Christmas? I know painting and papering walls in dark dramatic colours has been fashionable but they soak up a lot of natural light. The most moneysaving paint has to be a plastic tub of white which can be offset by using hot/bright/warm looking colours for cushions and throws but if white is too cold looking you could go for pale cream or warmer shades. Anything which looked cold would just prompt me to turn heating on!

I have an exposed stone fireplace wall, grey, just putting a picture with a large amount of cream border around it made the room seem lighter. It's more psychological than any real amount of reflected light but I was amazed at the effect. A friend of mine has a collection of old mirrors which reflects light around but I can't see why the same couldn't be made a feature of in a modern room or in the hall / landing.

Yep painted our small gloomy hall in a lovely sunny yellow - makes a huge difference!

rosekitten

MORPH3US wrote: »

Hi guys, quick question on saving gas / elec....

Is it better for me to just boil the kettle for hot water to wash up in, or to use the water heating system to give hot water?

In summer we only need hot water to wash up in so I thought it was pointless heating the whole hot water tank, but saying that, that is heated by gas which is cheaper than the elec that heats the kettle....

Look forward to your feedback.

Definatly cheaper to use your kettle our
gas bills are usually zero in the Summer months.
As everyone showers(electric) and we boil a kettle
for washing etc

winniepooh

Hi everyone,

I've not been on this board for ages but i've really let my budgets/money slip and as i'm not working at the moment we really need to tighten our belts.

So i've been thinking ahead. Last winter I used my tumble drier and the electricity bill was scary. So my thought are to dry the washing in the garage and radiators, but I worry about putting the drying in the garage I was going to put it on a clothes horse but do you think they would dry nicely in a dark cold garage or would they start to smell :think:

Thanks in advance

Fire_Fox

winniepooh wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I've not been on this board for ages but i've really let my budgets/money slip and as i'm not working at the moment we really need to tighten our belts.

So i've been thinking ahead. Last winter I used my tumble drier and the electricity bill was scary. So my thought are to dry the washing in the garage and radiators, but I worry about putting the drying in the garage I was going to put it on a clothes horse but do you think they would dry nicely in a dark cold garage or would they start to smell :think:

Thanks in advance

I air dry everything all year round, as posted earlier I didn't heat the flat for two winters. I found things that normally dried in half a day took up to two days to dry (e.g. jeans), but they dried fine. I spread things out well, so something will take up two rails on my airer. Heavier material needed to be turned after a day so the underneath became the top.

I have this airer in my bedroom (only go in there to sleep!) as it takes up so little floor space and will carry at least two loads of laundry: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80119043
You could start off air drying in the garage and finish off anything still damp in the house or dryer?

mardatha

Let washing dry overnight in the living room as its generally the warmest room and it dries faster.

Confuzzled

mardatha wrote: »

Let washing dry overnight in the living room as its generally the warmest room and it dries faster.

also if it's at all possible try and spread it out over 2 airers vs one, the more the air can circulate the faster things will dry. dehumidfiers don't use all that much electricity, will help keep damp away during winter and have the added benefit of helping laudry dry much faster (well they do suck moisture out of the air!) so that is also a consideration

best thing i ever had for drying close was the old fashion pulley in my kitchen. this kitchen was absolutely tiny, like a cupboard and barely fitted a full size pulley and even in that tiny space my clothes never smelt of food.

they also dried super fast, can't reccomend them highly enough!

winniepooh

thanks everyone, i'll give it a go.

Daaisy

Hi Every one:D

I've been working my way thro this and the previous thread and want to say big thanks to everyone for all the really useful tips

I'm a mature student and a single mum receiving income support and am desperately trying everything i can to save my pennies

There is one thing which i am a bit confused about tho.

I have an old Baxi Solo boiler which i inherited with my house ( and cant afford to change)

and in my airing cupboard i also have a hot water tank.

On my heating control in the airing cupboard next to the tank, you can choose to have :-

heating on/off
water on/off
and heating and water on /off

These can be timed or constant

I have been running it on water on constant continuously without really thinking about it

And now i'm wondering if i really need to have the hot water switched on at all ???

surely all i'm really heating the water up for is to have warm water to wash and the occasional bath ????

(I have an electric shower and a dishwasher and a washing machine)

and if i do switch it off will i cause any problems with my appliances???

Also wondering what sort of saving that would make

Many thanks

Daaisy