Avoid using Gas and Electricity

PhGage

We delay putting on the heating for as long as possible: we didn't turn it on until the 2nd or 3rd week in December in 2011 and then we turned it off in February. However, it meant the house was so cold that we had to improvise a warming cabinet to prove the bread dough.

Our house is solid wall so we can't have cavity wall insulation. The amount of glass/window/door for the back and front is approximately 50% which means that solid wall insulation isn't worth the outlay. (Solid wall insulation can be far more disruptive and expensive than cavity wall and it can take more than 30 years to see returns even if you have a more solid front/back.)

The LA doesn't allow external shutters so we made internal ones although they're not as effective (and you still get problems with condensation because they're internal rather than external). I'm wondering about making wall hangings for the external walls but I really don't have that much wall (this house is so badly designed for this: 2 rooms have windows running their full width on the front/back facade).

SpikyHedgehog

HappyMJ wrote: »

Time the hot water to only come on for an hour before you use it then off for the remainder of the day. It will save a small amount. The water will be cooler later in the day so weigh up whether it's worth it or not.

Gas hobs don't use much but the advice given so far should help reduce it.

Turn everything electric off. Including the sky box. The hard drive in a PVR uses quite a bit of power.

Gas is cheaper than electric per kWh of energy despite being less efficent so use the pan to heat the water from cold.

If you want hot water for a drink, we experimented in school, & it worked out cheaper to boil an electric kettle for the set amount than a kettle on a gas hob, because the element is closer to the water. Both uses of kettle worked out cheaper than a pan on the hob, with gas coming in cheaper than electric there.

But as Happy MJ said, boiling water in the pan for cooking is heating the pan as well as the water, so you don't loose heat when putting the hot water in a cold pan.

attentionseeker1 wrote: »

oops cross posted! Yes do have a s/c as well- will look on s/c thread for some good recipes.

Has anyone got one of those energy meters that tells you what different appliances use? We can't have one as live in a flat with shared meter points but would be interesting to know what uses the most...

encourage your neighbours to turn up their heating so you benefit from it!

Seriously, have you checked that the readings are for your meter & the company aren't giving you a neighbours readings?

zippychick

How frustrating for you. I call them every few months with readings to check we are paying enough to cover what we are using. For gas we pay extra in the "summer" to build up a little pot to add for higher usage in the winter. They should be able to tell you your average use for certain periods of time, so certainly try that.

I've merged this with our existing thread on saving gas and electricity as it has loads and loads of tips for you

Zip

Homeagain

After having just been hit with a really high (and unexpected) electricity bill (EDF) I am trying to think how to cut down on our already cut down electricity and gas usage! I am sure there is a thread for this somewhere and if so, perhaps one of you kind people could point me in the right direction, failing which, any ideas??

Dustykitten

When we got our energy meter thing from Eon I soon realised the biggest uses of energy were the bulbs in the kitchen/bathroom - the ceiling downlighter type and the WM. I became quite a tyrant at getting the family to switch off the kitchen lights as they left and putting on one under cupboard florescent one to leave on. Only put the WM on when you have a full load.

zippychick

Luckily we have an existing thread discussing this very issue

Avoid using gas and electricity

hope this helps and i'll merge this later

Zip

enabledebra

After receiving my latest gas bill :eek:I've just used an old style tip to cook pasta by bringing the water to the boil and then turning the gas off and just leaving it. It worked like a charm even though it was wholewheat pasta. Fab

I also just like the idea of not wasting fuel regardless of cost and wondered what people's favorite OS fuel saving tips are or if there's a collection of tips somewhere?

Mojisola

Using a slow cooker for stews, soups and casseroles instead of putting the oven on saves a lot of money.

enabledebra

Thanks- I do have a slow cooker stuffed in a cupboard and I'd forgotten all about it. I'll dig it out. I've just started a spreadsheet of fuel saving meals so I think I'm going to get a teeny bit obsessive - at least for a while. If it turns into something worth sharing I'll make sure I post it.

Mojisola

Quick stir fries are also very cheap to do.