Avoid using Gas and Electricity

Murrell

geordie_joe wrote: »

The more radiators you have on the more it costs. Once the water in the heating system is hot enough the boiler just replaces the heat "lost" into the room via the radiator. Obviously, the more radiators putting heat into the room the more heat the boiler needs to replace.

Thanks for that geordie joe. At least i won't go mad now and put more radiators on than necessary.

thanks
sandra

Olliebeak

shellsmithcat wrote: »

My mum is a pensioner that lives on her own and she is the Queen of using less electricity/gas and water - to the point I worry about her at times - she has a very small toilet cistern which also has a brick in it - for a number 1 she only flushes every other pee - water is on for 45 minutes each morning to warm up - in winter she uses jumpers/blankets and water bottles before she puts the heating on (I have been to stay with her and it is freezing in the winter) - she batch cooks and will only use the cooker/oven when she really really has to, cottage pies and cheese/baked beans on toast seem to be the staple of her diet, kettle is only filled with amount of water that is needed (I agree with this one) - uses a hand shower instead of taking a bath or proper shower. Mum has a tumble dryer about 18mths old but has only used it twice. My mums house is spotless and she is a very proud clean and tidy person - but I wish her pension was more so she didn't worry so much about the cost of her bills. I like Old Style it is brill but my mum is doing it to the detriment of her health I firmly believe - but she is a stubborn old bat (love her really) and will not change.

Have you double-checked to make sure that your mum is claiming all the benefits that she's entitled to?

It's amazing how much actually goes unclaimed every year and it's usually the older people who don't always make the claims. They often assume that, because they once got told that they're not entitled, that's how it stays.

Benefit rules change and so do their personal circumstances.

aless02

Silly question - we live in a old house converted into 9 flats, but ours is the only one with it's own entrance (around the side of the house). There's a sensor lightbulb right outside our door as otherwise the path to the communal garden would be pitch black. The sensor is obviously extremely sensitive as on grey days it stays on all day - if I unscrew the lightbulb is it still using electricity? There's no manual switch/override for it at all and I hate the bulb burning all day AND night.

geordie_joe

aless02 wrote: »

Silly question - we live in a old house converted into 9 flats, but ours is the only one with it's own entrance (around the side of the house). There's a sensor lightbulb right outside our door as otherwise the path to the communal garden would be pitch black. The sensor is obviously extremely sensitive as on grey days it stays on all day - if I unscrew the lightbulb is it still using electricity? There's no manual switch/override for it at all and I hate the bulb burning all day AND night.

The sensor will be, but I doubt it will use much. Looking at it the other way, if you unscrew the bulb you'll be saving whatever electricity the bulb uses.

Olliebeak

aless02 wrote: »

Silly question - we live in a old house converted into 9 flats, but ours is the only one with it's own entrance (around the side of the house). There's a sensor lightbulb right outside our door as otherwise the path to the communal garden would be pitch black. The sensor is obviously extremely sensitive as on grey days it stays on all day - if I unscrew the lightbulb is it still using electricity? There's no manual switch/override for it at all and I hate the bulb burning all day AND night.

Does the electricity for that outdoor light go onto your bill? Very often lights like that one are for 'communal use/safety' and get covered by the 'landlord's supply'.

If it's 'landlord's supply', I would leave it as it is - would be awful to have a trip/fall on that path. Plus, you could possibly make yourself liable if someone else fell on that path - best to double-check before doing anything about the bulb.

aless02

Ollie - to be honest, I don't know for sure, BUT as the light is directly outside our front door and we're the only flat with a separate entrance at all, I would hazard a guess that the wiring is such that it feeds into our supply since the only other 'communal' light is way around the other side of the building. Anyway, thanks for the answer! I wasn't sure if electricity was still used if a socket was 'active' but no bulb.

[Deleted User]

just an easy quickie: defrost everything in the fridge as it saves the fridge compressor going on so saves energy as well as wear and tear

Bigsister

Patchwork_Quilt wrote: »

Just wanted to add - I bought our first wind-up clock today. Does that count as no electricity?

Cool!
Do they do clocks that have batteries that don't tick?
My OH cannot sleep with a ticking clock but I want one that doesn't run on power? Preferably with an alarm clock but we could just turn that one at night so we do actually get up in the morning!
Love all the posts-you are all so clever :T

lizzyb1812

Hi Bigsister (that feels odd, in my family I'M the big sister:rotfl:)

My bedside clock radio is plugged in but can be run on 4 AA batteries if required. Doesn't tick, usual digital display etc. Mine is made by Philips but I'm sure there will be plenty of clock radios you can use on battery. But check the cost of using batteries/rechargeables against mains electric - I doubt my clock radio uses very much electricity at all.

HTH

Lizzyb

Rebekah24

This thread is fab

I am on economy 7, have paid £1400 in the last year, finally got EON down to £1200 a year,minimum Direct debit they will agree is £100 a month. As a result I have switched off all the storage heaters, cooker and made sure use of kitchen appliances is absolutely minimal.

Will be seeing how this impacts things, got some slippers..and blanket at the ready!