If things get tougher?

trying-very-trying

Valli wrote: »

Kilo watt hour - it's the units they charge you for
New reading - old reading = Kwh used (then there are standing charges to add)

It's a lot easier to work at than the gas because the 'calorific value' of gas alters (apparently).

So I've got as far as a Kwh = 1000 watts per hour (I am supposing here - be gentle).

So an 800w microwave running for an hour (at full whack) will use 80% of the price of a Kwh - 16p an hour. (at my 20p per Kwh rate which is my highest rate - there are others!)

But my microwave won't use it's full power when just switched on showing the time.

Have to say though, these are assumptions and the Microwave is the only thing I know the rating of because it's on the door.

Yeah, a kilowatt is 1000 watts per hour. The wattage should be marked on all electrical appliances, but admittedly they're not all as easy to find as the microwave.

sammy_kaye18

now now churchmouse and valli

play nicely please!

(sorry things seem to be getting slightly tense between the two of you's posts and my above comment is ment light heartedly and as an observation only - no offence or judgement ment by it)

sammy_kaye18

Churchmouse wrote: »

Sammy, great news on the vouchers:T You'll be able to enjoy spending them at Christmas now:D

Thanks hun.

I was shocked too - thought they would ask for them back. Am hoping to have a nose round the companies website later and see if there is anything useful in the sale section that I can spend them on.

Churchmouse

OK Sammy:o Just I'm afraid I don't like being accused of what I didn't do. I don't think I'm known for *twisting and misquoting* and I don't want it to start now:o I'll let it go:D

ceridwen

sammy_kaye18 wrote: »

Thanks hun.

I was shocked too - thought they would ask for them back. Am hoping to have a nose round the companies website later and see if there is anything useful in the sale section that I can spend them on.

Well...there ya goes....I didnt think they would want the bother myself of getting the vouchers back - but you gave them the option - so now they HAVE said its okay to keep them (as I anticipated).:D

sammy_kaye18

ceridwen wrote: »

but you gave them the option - so now they HAVE said its okay to keep them (as I anticipated).:D

smart @rse.

yeah ceridwen it was good news - hoping i will be able to get a few things off there.

Yategirl

regarding the electric prices and our summer project etc etc..

we have one of those measuring devices and I used to be able to tell everyone exactly how much it cost me to use my dishwasher etc etc but with all the price increases I have realised that I don't actually know anymore... this combined with the fact ds1 has started leaving his bedroom light on all the time and ds2 switching the tv on and off (what seems like every 5mins) made me decide that

a) we would record the numbers on the electric meter every 12 hrs - so say 8am and 8pm
b) we would work out the costs of everything that uses electricity (and rope dh in to help us work out how much it costs to have a shower (so how much gas/min) and how much it costs to use the gas hob and finally the heating - our only gas costs)
c) ds1 loves maths so he can do some maths for us and help us work out how we can save money and I figured we could work out how many items of clothing each of us uses a week and see if we can get them to make their clothes last a tad longer!
d) finally start discussing budgets a bit more with ds1 - he is 6 1/2 btw - and said today "I don't need to save my pocket money and you can't make me" - That attitude has to change - he knows he doesn't get what he wants when he wants and he knows he has to wait for birthday or christmas but things are tight and I want him to learn now about the value of money.

If you would like me to put our list up of electric costs when we do them I will (btw - microwave used loads of elec just to run a clock we never looked at so it is switched off at the wall now!)



Good news about the vouchers Sammy-Kaye!

annie123

yes please
someone else posted the cost of various washes on their wm

Farway

Yategirl wrote: »

d) finally start discussing budgets a bit more with ds1 - he is 6 1/2 btw - and said today "I don't need to save my pocket money and you can't make me" - That attitude has to change - he knows he doesn't get what he wants when he wants and he knows he has to wait for birthday or christmas but things are tight and I want him to learn now about the value of money.

My grandson had this attitude, still has AFAIK, but he is learning the hard way that you can only spend it once, and there are tears when he wants something but is unable to buy it because he spent his money

It is a hard lesson, but IMO better learnt at 6 than 16

Valli

A couple of weeks (or so) ago Martin was on the Jeremy Vine show on radio 2 and was dealing with a query from a listener who was to have their card withdrawn (- I THINK it was Egg? but that might not be right) who couldn't understand this, because, in his words, he was a 'good' customer who paid in full every month! Martin was emphatic about him NOT being a good customer (that's what I particularly remember) because if you pay off your CC in full every month all they make is the 'small' percentage from the merchant. And it is small. It's those who don't pay in full, and pay interest who make these companies/banks the money. Incidentally - if you pay in full it also affects your credit score - it LOWERS it. To get a good - ie creditworthy score you have to use credit. If you pay off every month you aren't really using credit.
I must have a cracking credit score - I went to the bank this morning and was offered 1.5 times my annual salary as a loan 'available to you now'. And I'm a single parent working part time! How tempting that could have been - and yet I can't see how I would have been able to afford the repayments on a loan, given my current outgoings.

One company? dunno which - wrote to loads of customers recently to tell them it would close their accounts - from the complaints I heard (back to Jeremy Vine's show and radio 2 here) it appeared that at least some of these customers were those who paid off, in full, every month. And that was before the news of the credit crunch hit - so they are only wanting to make funds available to those they will REALLY profit from. No doubt that's why they are charging 2% + for balance transfers too, now.

To Sammykaye (sp?) Nice one on the vouchers, you can keep, and spend them with a clear conscience now. I consider my hand well and truly slapped and will go and sit on the naughty step now! LOL

To Churchmouse
By the way, the word quote was on my view - so sorry about that.