If things get tougher?

[Deleted User]

I put the energy meter onto my tv last night. It is a humax lcd freeview set with a hdd and I saw that it was using 172 watts on average. I disconnected the sky box a couple of weeks ago, as we don`t need the free-sky channels and also the video recorder. Energy cost is approx £12 per quarter. It is a 36" tv and bigger ones would use more energy and the big plasma screens will use loads more. Add that to any subs for sky and more energy for the sky box and video recorder. What I am saying is that the smaller and simpler the tv set-up the cheaper it will be to run

I am going to use my wind up radio even more as it has become a habit to turn the tv, in the kitchen, on in the morning or sometimes when I am cooking

I had a very good result with my remoska again (I have posted on the remoska thread)

Hardup_Hester

I have about 6 circles of baking parchment cut ready to line my Remoska, it's not cheap, but I find I can often use a piece quite a few times.
Hester

Valli

Don't know if this will work, as I haven't got a Remoska but you can buy a permanent, washable, reusable silicone baking mat which can be used just like baking parchment - why not try that? I bet you can cut it to size.

ceridwen

moanymoany wrote: »

Hi Catz, I thought that your post was worth it's own thread. I know there have been threads on learning old skills before, but I thought that because it was different as it was also looking at the current difficult - and getting more difficult - financial situation it was a thread that could 'stand alone'.

I see it has been hastily added to another, older thread and I feel ridiculously upset by this. I really did believe that it was time for a thread to reflect the present situation and the older thread could have been linked.

Oh well, it doesn't take away the importance of your post.

Hi Moaners

I see your point. Kittie has been very perceptive about changes to come (as at 2006) and has loadsa good ideas (still working on persuading her to do a blog;) - as she is seriously some ways down the road to many people on thinking on what to do:T )

On t'other hand - I see what you are saying....as in the last 3/4 months it has now become blindingly obvious to the World and Her Husband that we are all now slap bang in the middle of a total SeaChange to society as a whole - and it IS seriously scary. All bets are off. The "perfect storm" scenario - we are getting "hit" from many sides at once...and now, I would say, 90% of people realise things are changing at a rate of knots. Me - I would argue we are "transitioning" to a different society - and that "different" doesnt necessarily mean "worse". It does mean scary - as change is always scary for most of us (me included). So - I guess we are looking at the same thing - but from a different viewpoint. So - yeh - I think overall a different thread would have a valid "existence" in its own right. Vested interests are STILL (for GODS sake!!!!!!) still being allowed to hold sway - take a look at an article in today's "Guardian" newspaper - in which it becomes clear that the British Government has deliberately not started up fuel production from a British windfarm (WHY? WHY? WHY?) and goodness knows why - except it seems to be those darn "vested interests" serving themselves and b.......r the other 99% of the population...apparently that (unused) windfarm would turn out enough power to equal several nuclear power stations ...but the Govt is talking about building some more of them (nuclear.....!!!!!! Dont any of them read anything beyond primary school level about that?????:eek: ).

And...back to yer ordinary person in the street....wondering how to both heat and eat and with the (more deluded) person saying "Well...that will teach Mr/Mrs O.P. In the Street to cut back on fuel consumption!!!!!" (You wouldnt believe how many times I hear that one).....but.....am I being a bit obtuse or what in thinking "It doesnt matter if people consume more fuel than they need to - PROVIDED it comes from sustainable renewable sources").....but dont get me started on people driving cars around needlessly or having 3 or more children (or we will be here till midnight - next year this time!).

Charis

mardatha wrote: »

I wonder how many people are wishing now they had learnt to knit ? I used to be a fair isle knitter but all the wool shops closed down, and by the time I doscovered the comp and online shopping, I had lost interest in knitting !

Someone posted this the other day, can't remember where I got it from now.
http://www.knittinghelp.com/ It has videos showing you how to knit, cast on etc. It might make you yearn to have another go...

Charis

ceridwen wrote: »

Well theres 2 reasons in my case:

- I dont use low energy lightbulbs (because of the mercury in them -

I'm more worried about the mercury they still put in fillings :mad:

and problems disposing of them when they are through - ie they cant just be thrown in the rubbish bin like ordinary ones can).

I wonder if the local authorities have thought of that? I can see most people just chucking them in the bin. I picked up one in Homebase the other day and it was broken in the box. A cloud of dust came out. Well it was nice knowing you all...

fizzel81

Count me in im another december, december 26th

the more i read on the remoskas the more i would like one, think im going to now look at getting one in the next few weeks, my gas oven is a single shelf type so i imagine i would get same cooking space in the remoska but at alot less of the cost of using the gas cooker

Charis

With all this talk about turning off appliances on standby, I began to wonder how much energy is used by the two (large) pilot lights on our warm air central heating unit. It's on 24/7/365 (or 6) as the pilots are a pain to turn off and light and I was using the water heater. However now I have a cold fill d/w and w/machine, and electric shower and have realised that I only use the cold bit of water from the hot tap to wash my hands, I thought I could manage during the summer with just a kettle for washing/washing up, and turn off the pilots.

Out of curiosity I read the meter. In four hours it used 8.5 hundredths of a cubic foot, so it would use 186 cu ft of gas a year. Despite roping in my DS, who is very good at maths, we could not work out the cost. Gas is measured at the meter in 'units' which turn out to be cubic feet. It is sold by cubic metres, but there is a conversion factor and a calorific equivalent to take into account. The eventual bill is for Kwh (Kilowatt hours) The unit costs have gone up during (and since?) the last bill. Some are at a higher rate than others. Do you think someone is trying to confuse us :eek: ? At the very least, the (newish) meter could measure cubic metres, saving one element of the equation.
No wonder some folk just can't be bothered with it all. I can't even find a rough guestimate of how much a cubit foot of gas costs, even when I have an idea of the price of a KWH.

ceridwen

Charis wrote: »

I'm more worried about the mercury they still put in fillings :mad:



I wonder if the local authorities have thought of that? I can see most people just chucking them in the bin. I picked up one in Homebase the other day and it was broken in the box. A cloud of dust came out. Well it was nice knowing you all...

Yep...Charis...but one does at least have the chance quite easily (well - with the aid of an even larger cheque to pay for it!:rolleyes: ) to specify to the dentist that fillings are to be those white composite ones (rather than the silver amalgam ones) - which is something I have been doing for years - and trying to summon up the nerve (and money!) to visit a suitably-trained dentist (and I dont think we even HAVE any of them locally) to carefully remove those amalgam fillings I had done before I realised about them.

Re - the disposal of the environment "friendly" lightbulbs - I havent heard a peep out of my local authority about the need for special disposal of them! and know I threw a couple of them in the bin back when....before I realised of myself.

Now...."nice knowing you all" - you aint going nowheres Charis......:D ...after all you're one of my regular commenters on my blog....a gal's gotta keep her visitors in one piece you know (okay then.....women of a certain age then if we're counting;) ).

Magpye

Hi Charis,

I calculate that your pilot lights are using approximately 2097 kWh yearly, so multiply that by your cost per kWh. You are probably paying a proportion of your units at a higher rate as you are a domestic gas customer on a No Standing Charge tariff, this is a standard practice across the suppliers. I used to work for an independent energy broker and have spreadsheet set up for these sort of calculations (so geeky!) so if you have further queries I may be able to help with, please feel free to PM me.

Sorry for the O/T!