Avoid using Gas and Electricity

gayleygoo

I have never heard of the Wonderbag before, although I'm sure my Granny showed us how to cook a "haybox" meal once or twice. I'm considering making my own, but not sure if I can get a hold of the packing pellets without purposely spending money on buying something... does anyone know if wool might work instead? It can be quite cheap to buy a big bag of pure wool just for stuffing with, if not free from a farmer!

joedenise

An old duvet would work if you have one.

Denise

moments_of_sanity

joedenise wrote: »

An old duvet would work if you have one.

Denise

Sorry to sound so dim........I do have an old duvet so would I just follow the instructions as if I were filling it with beans?:o

Mojisola

moments_of_sanity wrote: »

Sorry to sound so dim........I do have an old duvet so would I just follow the instructions as if I were filling it with beans?:o

The insulation in the duvet is the equivalent of the beans. Cut it out to the right shape and sew up where necessary. If the duvet is thin, make it double-thickness.

joedenise

Not sure where it is but there is somewhere on the web which shows making one using an old duvet.

Denise

Wombatchops

I've only just come across this thread, and I'm still on the original thread, so I apologise if this has been asked and answered already. We have an electric shower which we inherited when we moved into our house earlier this year. I realised yesterday, from looking at the energy monitor, that the shower costs £0.84 per hour. That's over £30.00 per year for two people showering for 3 minutes every day. For some, I appreciate that that mightn't sound a lot, but I would rather that money stayed in my bank account than go to our energy supplier.

Is it more cost-effective to leave the shower running for the entire three minutes, bearing in mind the cost of the electricity and water used (we are also on a water metre)? Or are we better off having navy showers (switching off the shower when lathering)? I know this will save water, but I suspect electricity costs more than water, and I'm not sure whether it would waste more electricity switching the shower on and off several times in that short period, or whether we are better off leaving the shower running for the duration.

Can anyone help?

[Deleted User]

I too do a 'navy shower' and as my water tank is in the loft and my bathroom on the ground floor I usually have a large empty bucket ready in the drier weather to cacth the water for the garden before it runs hot in the shower.(I obvoiusly don't flit out to the garden in the nuddy but after I am showered and dressed :):) Don't want to frighten the horses :):)My water is metered and costs me £15.30 per month, but there is only me at home .I also save the washing up in a bowl and do it last thing at night to save on the washing up water (that too gets chucked out in the garden I just hate wasting resources) especially when I am paying for them.I found that by only putting the heating on for an hour at a time when needed instead of a regular three hour slot twice a day I have cut back on the heating costs as well.A large hand knitted blanket over my knees keeps me cosy if the sitting room gets a bit chilly in the evening .I pay around £650 per year for my gas and electric combined so I think I have got it really sorted now.Heat and light are essentials to have a comfortable life but to waste them is wrong I try to think as my late mum did during the war when things were a lot tougher than now .Waste not want not

Wombatchops

JackieO wrote: »

I usually have a large empty bucket ready in the drier weather to cacth the water for the garden before it runs hot in the shower.(I obvoiusly don't flit out to the garden in the nuddy but after I am showered and dressed :):) Don't want to frighten the horses :):)

JackieO, you totally made me laugh with that. As for the rest of what you wrote, I salute you, and you are an inspiration (that's true of much of what you have written that I have so far read). I'm a bit of a fan.

cw18

My OH qualified as an electrician, so I asked him. He said you'd use more electric turning on and off due to it having to heat from a cooler temp when it came back on - but wasn't so convincing about that once I pointed out it'd all heat from cold coming in and you weren't likely to have it turned off for more than seconds at a time. But I know my parents (very old) electric shower takes a while to pass through water that's the right temp, so I'd possibly be wasting water (and electric, so it may be he has a point) waiting for it to be useable again depending on just how long it could be turned off for without shoving through an initial burst of cold when turned back on. He did however think you'd shorten the life of the element, which would mean you'd need to pay for repairs / replacement much sooner and that would offset any (minimal) savings. He also said navy showers are done that way to conserve water rather than power.

Living_proof

This is quite ironic but I try and use as much electricity as I can to save money. I have had solar panels installed so whatever I can use of the units generated is free. As I work at home I can choose a sunny time when plenty of units are made to put on the dishwasher or washing machine, etc. I have even got to the stage of using the smaller electric lawnmower rather than the more efficient petrol one, to make the most of the free units. I sometimes wait until mid-day to have an electric shower to ensure that there are enough free kw to benefit. However, I have just had to turn my GCH on as it is perishing and just uncomfortable. What I should do of course is go and get the halogen heater and use that - for free. But it's Easter and I am treating myself!