Avoid using Gas and Electricity

mardatha

I have a calor gas cooker, and had such an argument to get the OH to let me buy a stock of gas. I have 2 years gas sitting. He moans it's a waste of money but I got it at last years price and its bought and paid for 2 years ahead.

Ben84

freudianslip wrote: »

hmm yeah I have a table in the kitchen. I would normally have a loaf in on a morning anyway (soon to be two or three and freeze to save elect)

No heating in the kitchen anyway but strangely that room is never really cold as gets the sun day long and seems to retain some of the heat.

I get what you're saying about time and money, electricity is value for money when you put it like the way you do but when it comes to it taking up a high proportion of income it's very difficult to swallow. The money is best off in my pocket than in theirs..... I wish I had a wood burner or real fire of some sort. It's the control element for me. I feel the gas and elect companies have some sort of hold over me. Coal or wood would be up to me to source when and where I like. Silly I know :rotfl:

In contrast, when I was using solid fuel I felt tied in to a time consuming and costly (both in time and in the fuel itself) situation. I was very happy to find a house with gas. I'm sure gas gives you more choices for suppliers than solid fuel - or really anything delivered to your house by road. With solid fuel, propane or oil, delivery is the limiting factor because every mile adds to your costs. Depending where you live, it can be quite limiting who is practical to buy from or even is willing to deliver in your area. However, most gas companies are able due to the collective design of the distribution systems to sell gas to any house in the country.

dom300186

p.s if you use candles ive heard that freezing your candles before you use them they are meant to melt slower and last longer

Butterfly_Brain

Try these HM Olive oil lamps.
I am definitely going to give them a go this year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHnarA9ks7U

mardatha

Is there not an oil that's cheaper than olive ?

Butterfly_Brain

Other oils tend to smoke and smell so I always get mine in Aldi or Asian shops if I go to Luton (which is rare these days) where it works out much cheaper than the supermarkups.
I bought a lot of Extra virgin olive oil last year when it was on offer but we don't like the taste so I will use that up in lamps.
Plus you don't actually need a lot of oil per lamp ( just enough to cover the bottom of a jar or bottle which is about half an inch) and they actually last for ages) I love orange essential oil mixed with the olive oil but you can use any essential oil that you like.
The only thing that I need to get is some wicks and my general hardware store does them or Hobby Craft or any Craft stores do them as well

mardatha

Lovely, sounds very interesting thanks

DdraigGoch

Hello from a long time reader/admirer. *wave* My current campaign to reduce my electricty and control the gas [about to install a gas instantaneous heater for the bathroom, bought and paid for, just saving up to install it now!] is well under way.

So far this year I have:

swapped over to iplan with SWALEC to see if I can reduce further by being more aware [and nagging the rest of the family about it!] of how much each item costs as it is used.

bought a couple of months worth of wood in advance of winter - now to convince OH that it's not there just for the burning....

put everything on accessible extension cables so that I can switch off at the wall easily - not the Sky as it loses everything I've recorded apparently, if anyone knows a way around that then I shall be turning that off too

bought material for curtains [have two windows 12m2 each.... double glazed but still v cold *brrr*]

acquired a whirligig washing line - needs installing properly, near hard standing and concreted in as it's too windy here to manage with just a spike

installed underfloor and wall/ceilling insulation in rooms as they are being refurbished - it's made a tremendous difference.

These have made a difference already in our consumption, which seemed to be rising inexorably, but the overall cost of insulation v an increase in energy consumption can only be calculated/amortised over 10 or more years, I believe. Since I don't intend moving, that's ok.

I already use rugs/lap rugs when sitting down, have a wood fired stove and a wood fired cooking stove as my main heating, use electric [spot] heaters only in emergencies, have an electric blanket on the bed and no heating in the room, only cook on woodfired stove/cooker when they're on for heating [ie do not use electric kettle/hob] and with this weather they're still on most days!! Dry all clothes on airers. Shut doors and lights off fanantically.

I can't think of how else I can cut down so any more ideas would be most welcome.

The suggestions and support on this thread are really helpful. Thank you.

oldtractor

DdraigGoch, I think you are doing fantastically well. other than having hot water bottles to keep warm as well as blankets on the sofa and so on
i cant think of anything. But if anyone comes up with ideas then I'd like to know.

bluebag

Aye, move to the Bahamas.:rotfl:Seriously, it's getting a joke when you have to have the fire on in June!! It was 4c here last night, very chilly indeed.