How are you beating the gas price rise?

purplepixi

I know it's getting warmer at the mo, but I was reading yesterdays Saturday Mail, and the financial section read:

Gas Prices per unit:
2003 19.8p
2004 25.7p
2005 36.9p
2006 67.0p
2007 73.3p

I have to admit, my gas bill for the winter quater was about £200, and that was for a family of 3, in a 2 bed terrace house, and I'm incredibly stingy and would only put the heating on for an hour at a time, when it was really cold.

I'm a bit stuck for ways to get round this, as I'm in rented accommodation.

But forward planning is always good for the next cold spell.

What are you doing to use less gas, or are you using a cheaper alternative, or not using it at all?

One thing I will do, is put draft exculders on the doors!

BargainHunterCat

Save gas, fart in a jar :rotfl:

pollys

If only "that" gas could then be used somehow Bargain-hunterCat, I'd be giving my lot beans and lentils for every meal.

We pay £47.50 a month for our gas, we have a gas hob, central heating and hot water and a gas fire. We live in a 4 bedroom semi, there are six of us.

We only put the heating on after putting an extra jumper on if we are still cold. The children don't like their bedrooms to be too hot so bedrooms are "aired" only if very cold. The heating hasn't been on at all since the beginning of April. The gasfire in the livingroom is only put on in an evening if it gets cold.

We did a survey with the Energy Saving Trust and the only thing we still have to do which they recommended was radiator panels,will hopefully get that done before next winter.

lynzpower

We dont have gas in this flat so, it actually beats the price rises for us. All electric, economy 7 where possible, and using ecotricity :A:

Good insulation is vital of course, altohugh we dont have anywhere to actually insulate!

dippy-dora_2

Have a time at night that you wont put the fire on before, mine's 9pm.
Get knitting - socks, jumpers, throws etc and just pile under them in the winter.
Go to bed earlier?

And my favourite keep warm trick - think of something that you've done that's really embarrassing, you'll soon get hot and bothered!

gromituk

If you keep active, you'll be happy in much lower temperatures. Slumping down in front of the television (or computer!) will make you deel cold.

JenHen

Gas central heating has always been considered a plus point when buying/selling a flat or house but perhaps that's likely to change over the next few years - what do people think?

I bought my flat at below market value because it needed work doing to it - amongst other things the current heating arrangements (electric) are very rudimentary and inefficient. There is a gas boiler (working ok but fairly old) but it's for hot water only. I was intending to replace it with a new condensing boiler (which would be more efficient in terms of gas usage) for both hot water and central heating but even with an efficient system and draught-proofing etc., I can't help wondering whether I'll end up paying through the nose for it.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has had the same dilemma and opted for an electric heating system instead of gas - was it a good move? What types of system are there and are they efficient?

JenHen

pollys

Hi JenHen, we have instant hot water and gas central heating, we had it installed about 3 years ago and yes it did save us money. We had an immersion heater before which was a pain. The tank wasn't big enough to run a bath and we have young children who didn't (at that time) like showers. In a previous house we had economy seven and found that the heaters didn't keep warm long enough, although the system had been in the house for years so things might have improved nowadays.

I don't think I'd buy a house without heating as although I'm pretty stingy there are times when the heating is on albeit low.

lynzpower

JenHen wrote:

Gas central heating has always been considered a plus point when buying/selling a flat or house but perhaps that's likely to change over the next few years - what do people think?

I bought my flat at below market value because it needed work doing to it - amongst other things the current heating arrangements (electric) are very rudimentary and inefficient. There is a gas boiler (working ok but fairly old) but it's for hot water only. I was intending to replace it with a new condensing boiler (which would be more efficient in terms of gas usage) for both hot water and central heating but even with an efficient system and draught-proofing etc., I can't help wondering whether I'll end up paying through the nose for it.

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has had the same dilemma and opted for an electric heating system instead of gas - was it a good move? What types of system are there and are they efficient?

JenHen

Ive got electric storage heaters and they are fantastic. Quite frankly I need them on, on the coldest days for 10 mins before I get out of bed, then about 15 while I get showered & dressed ( you can turn them off and they pump heat out for at least another half hour) and then leave all off all day and then turn them on for ten mins here and there. Ive never turned the one on int the kitchen for 2 years Ive been living there, adn the hall one has never been on for over a year.