Avoid using Gas and Electricity

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

I use my oven a lot on a daily basis as I make celebration cakes as a sideline.
I've found that by keeping the bottom of the oven and the lower shelf(if not in use)filled with a stack of baking trays actually saves you money.
Once you get the oven up to temperature the baking tins hold the heat and the thermostat doesn't cut in half as much.
As I use my oven for 2-3 hours a day I've saved a fortune over the past year doing this.

Slinky

You can do similar with a freezer to save money. If we don't have much in the freezer we bung the bottom drawer full of stacked newspapers. Once this has got cold it holds the cold when you open the door, so you don't have a load of cold air drop out of the freezer being replaced by warmer air from the room, which then needs to be cooled down again.

We also keep the bottom of the fridge stacked full of unopened cartons of fruit juice if there isn't much food in the fridge, for the same reason.

A_fiend_for_life

Confuzzled wrote: »

i've been wondering something for awhile and thought maybe someone here might know the answer

do you use any electricity when you flush the toilet?

This might be a problem in high rise flats during a power outage especially if it is likely to last a while. Perhaps if you live atop a hill too.

ETA: especially above the 6th floor in flats apparently.

mardatha

We used to live in a high rise block and if the elect went off then the water went off too.

rosekitten

calleyw wrote: »

How is it cheaper when you heat your water by gas. Gas per kilowatt hour is about 4p and electric 14p

I have a combi boiler and can't see it being cheaper for me.

Yours

Calley

because you take in the exact amount
of water it takes it only to the heat selected
for that wash for example 40c

Take the same amount from an imersion
tank or a combi boiler if it comes in the
thrermostat will still switch on and heat
the water as the water laying in your
pipes fills the machine first as will the
fisrt lot of water passing through the
combi boiler.

If you try your machine on cold fill for
one quarter you will see a saving on
your gas bill

rosekitten

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote: »

I use my oven a lot on a daily basis as I make celebration cakes as a sideline.
I've found that by keeping the bottom of the oven and the lower shelf(if not in use)filled with a stack of baking trays actually saves you money.
Once you get the oven up to temperature the baking tins hold the heat and the thermostat doesn't cut in half as much.
As I use my oven for 2-3 hours a day I've saved a fortune over the past year doing this.

i do exactly the same myself but
more because I have no where to stack
my baking tins & trays when the ovens in use
put like you just said its a better idea than I
thought thanks for that

Taadaa

calleyw wrote: »

I have a 1200rpm spin washing machine.

And I always do a spin on that speed. Anyway I was having a mega clean out of the kitchen day. Even took shelves out of the fridge to wash :eek: and the drawer out of my washing machine. Put the machine on a 50 degree wash no powder. But popped a couple of things in just to rinse through really. One was a big fleecy winter coat.

Put the machine on a 500rpm spin and did not put the stuff out until about 4.30 just got it in and the jacket has one very small damp patch on it.

So from now on when the washing is going to be out for the bulk of the day and it is a lovely sunny day I will be using a lower spin speed. Yes it will take longer to dry. But then I am out to work for most of the day it will make no difference. But means that each wash will cost a little less.

Yes I know very sad. But every little helps.

Yours


Calley

This is a two fold saving - the higher you spin your clothes, the more creases they get in them so the more you have to iron as well!

Taadaa

I am just wondering if there is any benefit in turning the radiator in our room off, as we are lucky enough to have local controls. Reason being that it is above our living room - just wondering if the heat will rise?

Is there any benefit in buying those packs of heat reflectors for behind radiators as opposed to making them out of cardboard and tin foil?

Just took our reading and we are £140 in credit, just switched as well won't save alot but better than nothing. We hardly use any gas in the summer months, or electric use seems to rise a little in the winter - Scottishpower produce a little graph online so you can see when you are using the most, very handy. But I've jsut left them now lol

border_collie

rosekitten wrote: »

another money saver is to have your
washing machine on just cold fill. I you
look at the back there is a red tube
(hot water) and a blue tube (cold water)
both of these tubes go into a white Y
shaped tubing its that we have removed
and the red tube.

Our machine now only takes in cold water
it takes in enough water to heat the water
for that wash.To the temprature we require.
So if its a 30c , 40c etc wash it heats it to
that.
The old way on hot fill it was relying on
taking hot water from our imersion tank
or hot water supply. Itsd a lot cheaper to
use.

I am a bit puzzled by this. Did the y shaped connector mean that both pipes went into one hole at the back of your washer?

If so you would waste tons of hot water because your machine would not be able to select cold or hot as it needed.
So it would be using hot water mixed with cold for rinsing?
Am I confused? :rotfl:

Savvy_sewing

No gas, (still got a bill of over £600 from previous house to clear).
No central heating. Just electric water heater, and a couple of wall heaters.
One open fire, and one woodburner. No double glazing, and gaps you can see through in the doors and windows.

Looks like I am going to have quite a challenge on my hands to make this cottage cosy in the winter. Starting with blocking the draughts, making curtains, draughtexcluders, and getting socks.!
Putting throws on topof the leather sofas, to make them warmer. Making paperlogs,
getting better lightbulbs. and investing in some warmer clothes. Drying without the tumbledryer. Washing in the middle of the night. Cooking at night?
Mm perhaps I should be come nocturnal it would be cheaper!.
Right I am off to reheat something in the microwave for my dinner.