Avoid using GAS and ELECTRIC !

moggins

I had to pop into Wilkinsons yesterday and they have lovely hot water bottles in fleecy covers for £3.99, they are cheaper than the plain rubber ones at £4.99. For those with children they have microwaveable cuddly horses and elephants but these are only to be used with children 36 months and over, I think they were £4.99 each.

starlite_2

We always have our bedroom radiator turned off, as there is little need for it if you have a cosy duvet.
Our duck down duvet was one of our best buys, I used to sleep in tights in winter but it's not neccesary with this duvet.

I sometimes give the bed a quick blast with my hairdryer before we get in it if it's particularly chilly.

sammy_kaye18

Does anyone know if sealent is any good if you do it yourself and how easy is it to apply??

also more stupid questions but im a total DIY novice so please bare with me.

The black sealent round my windows (like the black rubber bit) doesnt join properly. If, adn, or when i put new sealent on there do i remove the black sealent from the inside of the window and just reseal the whole window?? if i take the black bit away will my glass fall out???

help because i think if i do this i wouldnt have so much condensation and my flat will stay warm because on every window the sealent doesnt meet so it gets very cold so ill need to do all the windows to stop the draft. I currenly have tissue paper shoved in the holes to stop the drafts comign through..

moggins

No, don't remove it, if they are double glazed units this seals the gas into the unit, if they are big holes then buy a can of expanding foam, this will fill the gaps and can then be sanded down to wall level and painted.

MIRRY_2

Today I washed my hair and instead of using the hair dryer , I left it to dry naturally (Im not going any where special).

Ive found 2 big old candles in my shed that I will use and picked up some second hand ones in the charity shop for 20p.

I made a huge pan of tomato soup today and we still have 3/4 left that we will have for lunch tomorrow. Now would it be cheaper to bung it in the slow cooker to re heat it up or just put the gas ring on ?

MIRRY_2

Just had to tell you all this !

I just popped into the garden and notised my solar lamps were starting to light up now its getting dark ( you know the ones that you poke into the earth). So I picked up 2 of them and put one in my kitchen plant pot and one in my vase of artificial flowers in the living room.
Well my husband has been in fits of laughter because he didnt think it would work ,but Im glad to say they have actually lit up the room in a lovely gentle light that is FREE !!!
The good Thing is the pot and vase are both situated in a window position so hopefully will recharge with tomorrows sun ?

WOW, im going down to the garden to get the other 2......lol.

sammy_kaye18

Thats a cool idea - might go into town adn see if there are any in the reduced aisle in wilkinsons on tuesday!!! may come in handy.

Another thing that comes in handy is that my bf is a candle maker but he makes giant scented candles that are about 6 inches across and about 12 high so we always have plenty of tester candles everywhere - really good when it comes to having a bath as we have a hugh light in the bathroom that takes forever to dim off again so we se candles instead and we sit reading with them etc because they have like 3/4 wicks - its surprising how much heat and light they give off too.

aycor

sammy_kaye18

you say it is a council flat have you not asked them if they can check the windows and the ventilation of the flat etc.?

kal25

Hi, guys a great thread. It's good that it's started so early as we can all b prepared when the cold weather hits. Regarding central heating, I have three children,the youngest being 8mnths and so don't want the house to be too cold. What I'd like advice on is this,is it cheaper to keep the heating on at say 40 all the time and turn up IF needed or is it better to set timer and have it come on in equal intervals? My OH is also very stingy when it comes to heating but as I said we have baby to consider this year and I am at home all day, so he is at home when heating is on most. Where would I find this plastic sheeting some of you have mentioned and how does it work? We have old double glazing but some of the windows don't shut properly as the thing under the handle is missing, anyone know where we would find some? I have tried on previous years to pad them out with cardboard etc but still get drafts.

Hootie19

recovering_spendaholic wrote:

I have just had a letter from Scottish Power from whom I get my gas and electricity to say that, in the light of recent increases in wholesale gas prices etc etc they are putting my monthly direct debit for combined gas and electricity to £93 a month.

Had pretty much the same letter. I was paying £83 a month, and went into major nag mode with the family, getting them to pull sockets out of the wall at night, turn off lights when theyr'e not in the rooms etc, and when my account was reviewed last year, the payment went down to £66 a month. I still wasn't happy at that, but it was a far better deal than £83.

Then a few weeks ago, I got a letter from them again, saying that it was going up to £98 a month! I nearly hit the floor! So I'm nagging even more now. Our house is a 3 bed semi with appalling windows - they are so draughty that my thick, velvet, lined curtain move in the wind they let in. I'd love to be able to get new windows put in, as I'm sure it would cut our bills down by a huge amount, but we just don't have the money for it, alas.

Finally - can anyone tell me how to achieve soft towels without using the tumble drier? Our water in this area is hideously hard, and I've tried line drying towels, I've tried drying them over the wire hangy things at the radiators, I've tried a freestanding clothes airer, I've tried part line, part tumble drier, and they still always end up stiff as a board. It's like drying yourself on sandpaper.

So the only time I ever use the tumble drier is to dry towels. With 5 of us in the family, all showering at least once a day, it's a lot of towels, and I'm sure it accounts for the majority of our electricity costs! All tips welcome :-)


Oh, and finally (for now!) how do you put the smileys into your posts. I can't find any, and my posts are looking very dull!