Avoid using GAS and ELECTRIC !

poorly_scammo

Just thought I'd add my tips for saving energy and keeping warm.

1. My OH showers at his gym. Our showers is pathetic. I'm sure I can urinate quicker!
2. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm told it's better to have the heating on than use a gas fire. Fires use up an enormous amount of heat. I think it's actually better to have a radiator on than the fire.
3. Our house is a Victorian terrace and for two years there were drafts whistling round our ears. My OH bought some of those brushes that you attach to the bottom of the doors and this thin foam stuff with tape on the back and lined the doors with it. Winter 07 was much warmer. We got it from B&Q.
4. OH's grandma lives in northern Scotland and she puts her dressing gown on backwards when she's in bed reading to keep her arms and chest cosy.
5. buy a double radiator rather than having a large single one.
6. I have been freezing our vegetables from our garden. I blanch them in the microwave rather than the hob. Saves energy.
7. Seems obvious but wrap hot water bottle in a towel. Will stay hotter for longer that way.
8. I'm going to be wearing a balaclava around the house this winter. Better than a hat as your face stays warm as well. I will look vaguely like a stereotypical terrorist but still...:rotfl:

QUESTION:I have a laptop and I'd like to know if it's cheaper to let the battery run down then charge it up or use the mains all the time??

:huh:
Ta

Teria

Two very random ideas..
Try using a large fleecy throw either instead of, or on top of your bed sheets. If you don't use an electric blanket, it makes getting into bed on a cold night a lot nicer
Cook beans, spaghetti, frozen veg in a small (clean) frying pan - because there's a larger surface area than in a normal pan, they seem to cook faster.

exlibris

Was in Wilko's yesterday. They are already selling matching fleecy cushions and blankets. They also have draft stoppers (they call them doorstoppers) covered in a tapestry type material.

I have said before that I think someone from Wilkos reads this site for ideas lol

Gigervamp

Raspberry_Swirl wrote: »

the point is that my programming box doesn't work so how do i know when my water is on/if it's on all the time?

Well, it will be on when your heating's on. If your heating is off, listen out for the boiler going on, that'll be your water heating up.

Yesterday hubby had changed the settings on our timer. The water should have only been on for an hour in the morning and switched off at 8.30. At about 11am, I noticed the boiler firing up. Turned out, he'd hit the *once* button (where it turns on in the morning and doesn't go off until it's set to turn off at night). :eek: Good job I heard the boiler, or we'd have wasted tons of oil.

Raspberry_Swirl

I do hear my boiler firing up a couple of times a day, so if my programmer doesn't work there's nothing I can do to reduce the water to once a day (there's only 2 of us in the house)?

Oh well...

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

I just want to say that after going round my house turning off things left on standby(including dishwasher and washing machine) I have just got my first full quarter electricity bill since doing this and am amazed at the saving.I have not changed my consumption of electric in any other way and my bill which is usually around and never less than £79 is £48.If the difference is all because of the standby's being turned off then I've been wasting about £124 a year on nothing.

BB1984

RE the laptop question - i don't know about the energy consumption, but i do know that if you keep your laptop plugged into the mains all the time, eventually the battery will stop charging and you will be unable to use it when it isn't plugged in. That happened to mine :O(

To prolong the life of the battery it's best to always run it right down then charge it right up, and so on.

BB

liloandstitch

We have just had a huge electric bill and have been going around the house looking for culprits. We have our eye on the fridge freezer (sadly an american jobby) which we think may account for up to 10 units per day :eek: :eek: :eek: but worse than that I have found that our TELEVISION is 1.5 kw - so is also probably accounting for another 10 units per day:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: no wonder we are averaging 25 units per day:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: So for us, our immersion heater, all our lights, washing machine, dishwasher standby's etc etc are a drop in the ocean - I have been messing around getting very upset about lights being on, whilst running the equivalent of a heater in the lounge all year and of course it is on day time leccy, whereas most of our appliances are on overnight on economy 7. It is quite making me laugh that we have been doing the washing up, saving pennies not using the dishwasher, whilst watching the tv in the other room all night!!!! - and most of it is carp anyway - £30 odd quid a month to watch tele - shocking!!!! And to cap it all, we have a smaller LCD television in the conservatory which we SOMETIMES use - and it only uses 60 watts!!!!!!!! Methinks we will be changing to little tele most of the time!!!!!

Regards - Lilo

Butterfly_Brain

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Yea! just had a letter from Gritish Bas to say that I may be entitled to free loft insulation because I get DLA . Will keep you posted waiting for surveyor on 24th.:cool:
Worth knowing if you are on any benefits

Well the man came and measured up today - We do get the insulation done for free - nine and a half inches deep! That has saved us £500.
He also said that I could apply for draughtproofing as well and cavity wall insulation ( which I already have).
All we need now is for the robbing B's to put their prices down :rotfl:

G-Pinn

I dont have a kitchen!!