Avoid using Gas and Electricity

samanthaneww2d

Well nothing like the good people on here but its a start 11 units in 24 hours and I had to have the washer on so much better than 16. Also on the plus I have four meals that just need to be reheated in the microwave either in the freezer or fridge now for later in the week as I filled the oven when i did the crumble.

Thanks so much to everyone for the tips and I am sure I will get better at reducing as I become more practiced.

cw18

nursemaggie wrote: »

CW18 my DS says he does not need the light on for computer games, he never has one on.

Both my lads have a lamp or room light on while playing games (one lives with me, the other runs his own place and keeps more sociable hours due to his job ). I've made sure the bulb in his room is an energy efficient one though

moments_of_sanity

It can be difficult to compare costs of running items such as a microwave V oven but yesterday we had Mr Brains Faggots (I know, so bad, but soooo good) and they would have needed 45 mins in the oven at a high temperature or 12 mins in the microwave so I decided to microwave them. I don't normally like microwave food as I find it can sometimes have an 'odd' taste about it but I have to say they came out tasting no different than they would have done if I had put them in the oven

All of our fresh veg is cooked in the microwave and so is our rice, hoping to see a little more money saved on the gas and electric this month when I do the meter readings in a couple of days, last months bill was £66.99 for gas and electric and that was £6 cheaper than the month before :T

moments_of_sanity

Just done my electricity and gas readings and input them into my BG account, my bill for 12 September - 12 October is £64.69. I have used 415 kWh of electricity and 4 kwh of gas. I am quite pleased with that but not sure I will get much lower as the darker mornings and nights are here so having the lights on longer everyday (although they are LED's).

The electricity usage was up from 394kwh but the gas was down 3 kWh from the August to September readings 😔

Mee

Ilona wrote: »

Just had my gas and electricity bills from Ebico. They are quarterly and I pay at the bank. Electricity, total used 126 kWh, charges with vat £21.04. Gas 10 units or 111.85 kWh, charges with vat £6.04.

I am very careful with my usage, have no telly, no drier, use the dyson when the floors look a bit mucky, wash clothes when they are visibly dirty or smelly, only put lights on in the room I am in, nothing left on standby, don't use the oven, only top gas rings, grill, and microwave used for cooking, and put more clothes on if I am cold.

I expect my bills to creep up slightly over the winter months, switch light on when it gets dark. You can save a lot of money if you are very careful and monitor carefully.
Ilona

Wow! I wish I could kick the TV habit - that is where my energy usage goes along with using the top oven hence £26 for July quarter. Not received latest.
How do you keep down your gas bill. My gas bill was £10.20 (July), but I only put on the hot water for 30 mins/day (if that).


Thanks

Wombatchops

There is no way I could kick the telly habit. I am a total addict. However, I don't know about everyone else, but mine has an energy efficient setting, which affects the brightness. You can have it set to off, so no energy saving, low, which uses about 70% energy, medium, which uses approx 50% energy, low, which is about 25% energy usage, or a black screen (so there's no image). Cos of my DH's poor eyesight, we have it on medium, although I'd prefer to have it on high.

Anyway, that's my contribution to the saving electricity discussion for the day. I hope that helps someone at least.

cw18

I don't watch any live TV (which frees up the licence fee to be spent on other things), but I do have a TV to watch DVDs (and for the odd session of streaming when I have access to a good deal for a streaming service). The end of this year will be 4 years with no live TV at home and there've only been a couple of shows I've heard about I'd have liked to have seen - but don't feel I'm missed out by not doing so.

MandM90

cw18 we also don't have live TV. Not having to pay a license is a bonus but mainly I didn't want DD watching adverts and all of the awful rubbish that's on for kids.

I struggle getting people (especially OH) to remember to turn off lights. I sometimes come home to find ALL the downstairs lights turned on. Will have a read of this thread later for ideas.

suzybloo

I read my bills every Monday morning to try and keep an eye on my bills, on average we use 9 units per day on the normal meter and average of 3 on the nighttime taking the total to 12. I cook everything from scratch, and bake 2-3 times per week. instead of the tumble dryer I dry washing outside and air off on the electric heated airers from lake land. Using this overnight at a cost of 2.7p per hour on the cheap rate electricity, plus it warms the conservatory so need for heating on there either. I cook using the pressure cooker and my own homemade thermal wonderbag, and with having an electric hob, I bought an old fashioned whistling type kettle to put on there to warm the water from the residual heat, it's enough to do the dishes, as the dishwasher is only used at weekends. I have started putting a lidded dish of water in the oven if it's on or been on and use this either for putting into the basin for the dishes or just straight into the kettle to bring it to the boil. It's all these little things that help, if I can keep to below £17 per week over the winter I will more than happy:)

samanthaneww2d

"I have started putting a lidded dish of water in the oven if it's on or been on and use this either for putting into the basin for the dishes or just straight into the kettle to bring it to the boil."

Suzybloo that is a genius idea

I am definitely going to do that