Avoid using Gas and Electricity

samanthaneww2d

I too input my readings on a monday now. I have been able to reduce the average of between 16-18 i used before to around 12 units its still high but a good improvement on before and as they say every bit helps.

Still inspired by the good people on here to cut this furter

p00

Ive started reading my meters every 2 or 3 days to keep an eye on usage.

from 5pm on 20th Oct to 23rd Oct at 5pm we have used
Electric 22 units
Gas 7 units.

I think this is fairly low but find it hard to compare with others as some people appear to be all electric if they havent posted their gas reading and some use kwhrs not units.

On BG there is a graph to compare last year to present and from March our electric has dropped quite a lot. We changed our computer in March and I think that maybe our new computer is much more economical that the old one as I cant think what else has changed.

Overall our usage has dropped and that is with me now at home retired rather than at work part time. Quite bizarre really.

xxp00

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

I am really interested in this. We have a 3 bed semi with 2 adults and 2 teenagers. One teenager is at home most of the time with health problems and I work part time. Most of our windows are UPVC, cavity walls and loft insulation was re-done last year.

Our heating is oil, plus 1 woodburning stove and 1 open fire. No mains gas, cooking is electric and so is our shower.

I was shocked when I found our electric DD was going up to £120 a month. I have reduced this to £108 by changing tariff.

So, we started cutting back and I started recording our usage daily. So far over the past 11 days we have averaged 15 units a day. This should cost us about £65 a month.

Changes I have made are:

Not using the main oven more than once or twice a week. I use the slow cooker or the 1400w halogen oven that cost me £25. If I do use the main oven I use it to cook more than one meal.

Challenging everyone to have a shower in less than 5 minutes. I bought a cheap kitchen timer for the bathroom for this purpose.

Changing our kitchen lights to LEDS (on offer) and buying a little table lamp for the hall where the light gets left on a lot.

Using the hot water that is generated by the central heating to wash up rather than using the dishwasher and having baths rather than showers.

Drying washing outside and now that we are lighting the fire I can put the airer in front of the fire to finish it off.

Sorry if all this has been said before. I will add more ideas as they come to me!

samanthaneww2d

well we had a power cut today for three hours here where we live in Leeds. We had some coffee and tea as my son went out and used the bbq with water in a saucepan on the ring and my husband cooked the bacon on the bbq ( its a gas one) . We had company so it was quite amusing but what with no telly no ps2 going etc etc I think we must have made a saving :T:T:T you should have seen the teenagers faces though:D we all ended up in the front room talking to one another which was nice but the moment the power came back on a mass exodus to different rooms to game and watch tv etc .

Ilona

Mee wrote: »

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

Hi. I haven't had my gas central heating on since the beginning of the year, I don't like heat, makes me feel drowsy and gives me a headache. I have spent my life working outdoors so I can cope. I much prefer to wear lots of clothes. I sit here with a toweling dressing gown on over my clothes. I have leggins on under my trousers, with knee length thick socks, and I wear a scarf.

I only put the water on when I want a bath, once a week. I have a quick wash in cold water in the mornings, then later in the day I warm some water up in a pan on the stove and have a hot wash, the bits I missed earlier.

I rinse the dishes, pots, cutlery, pans, etc under a trickle of cold water from the tap, using a brush, as soon as I have finished with them. I don't very often use oil in my cooking, and never fry food. If I have a dirty pan which needs a bit more cleaning I put water in it and heat it on the stove, then use it to wash all pots with.

Remember I only cook for one person, I clean up as I go along. I used to pile my pots up and wash them every few days, but got sick of seeing them, so now I rinse them immediately I have finished with them. Saves on washing up liquid as well.
Ilona