Avoid using GAS and ELECTRIC !

lauren_1

I just won one of those 'electrical shutdown appliances' from the utilites board!

Yippiee, i have no idea what it is yet but i am very chuffed indeed.

Nessa56

lauren_1 wrote: »

I just won one of those 'electrical shutdown appliances' from the utilites board!

Yippiee, i have no idea what it is yet but i am very chuffed indeed.

Lucky you, I am off to buy one for myself this weekend

Well done

v
x

mrs-moneypenny

i got a dispach email yesterday to say my OWL monitor is on its way, i cant wait for it to get here:D .

i must put candles on my list ive got loads of decorative ones and a drawer full of birthday candles but i dont think they would be much use in a power cut;) .

miggy

wannabemoneysavingstar wrote: »

I agree with using candles and wouldn't be at all bothered if it was only me but DS is a bit over enthusiatic running round the house, playing and bumping in to things, and my furniture is not the most solid (mostly ikea ) so it all wobbles if you touch i and im scared of setting fire to the house, has anyone got any OS ideas that would help?

Thanks

Certainly not something to take risks with! If you use candles, obviously keep them well away from combustibles, eg. papers, curtains. Don't even put them anywhere near curtains, my husband was in a fire once where someone fell asleep, a candle fell over and the curtains went up...
However, someone has mentioned sinking candles into sand, and buckets of sand can be used to throw on a fire - would that help?
My own candles go on the tiles in the hearth, where they give the illusion of a fire even when there isn't one laid in the grate, and I know it won't hurt if they topple. Also the smoke goes up the chimney, so doesn't spoil the decor. But then, that only works if you have a hearth...
The best thing might be to ring your fire brigade and ask what they recommend. I found them really helpful.
HTH.

BigMummaF

I must admit that--having a gas cooker--I was settled if there were the power cuts like we had in the 70s. The post about having the gas cut off too is a real :eek:

My old mum is in her mid 80s & a diabetic, & we have an iguana---what on earth can I do with those two if everything goes off---it's not like they will cuddle up to keep each other warm

I've looked at camping stoves on & off & thought about getting one for the fisher in the family...but then...won't bottled gas be on shortage too if we all have them We've a BBQ but nowhere to scavenge, apart from a new housing development that seems to have ground to a halt........p'raps I'll just become an ostrich for the duration

bundance

Solar lights, sat on sunny windowsill, useful in dark? Reliant on bright days and sunny spots though.
Those really cheap "stick in the ground" ones could be stood in a bucket of sand in side.
I keep thinking of buying some, but haven't yet.

cw18

I saw some today and nearly got them as we have a south facing garden -- so probably best placed for charging them up. But I decided the dalmatian would have too much fun knocking then over / chewing them / watering them, so gave it a miss !!!

But have had one good piece of news..... submitted my latest meter reading in the wee small hours of yesterday morning, and checked the bill a couple of hours back. Our average daily use of both gas and electricity is exactly the same as at this point last year. This, for us, effectively means a reduction though !!!

How? Well, during this period last year hubby was spending a lot of time in hospital (2 or 3 weeks at a time, and only home for 2 or 3 days between each visit), and he's the worst for wasting them by leaving on lights or putting on/cranking up the heating and water. And we had elder son home for 3 weeks last month -- complete with a laptop he appears to be incapable of turning off at the mains, and a mobile and a hand held gaming machine which seem to be in regular need of being charged -- so I would have expected that to 'up' the electricity.

Then add in that the fact that in the last couple of months I've been buying a lot of markdown veg, blanching and freezing -- which uses more gas for the hob than I was last year. And then that our grill (electric) blew after Easter, and we can't source a new element so that I'm having to use the combi oven for burgers, sausages and such -- which I would have thought would have increased the electricity useage.

So to have kept them level I'm really happy :j


Now I've just got to look at our water :mad: The monthly charge went up £5 with our last statement, and I got the latest on Friday morning -- we've gone from £13.53 credit to £28.74 owing in just 6 months..... so that's £42+ over and above the additional £30 I've paid :eek: And as best I can tell the increased standing charges only account for less than £3 of that


ETA: Just compared the last 2 bills -- each covering 176 days. We've used all of 1 cubic metre more than last time, but we started the previous one over £63 in credit. If we used up £50 of our credit in 6 months, I can't understand why they only increased the payment by £5/month....... and they've not increased it this time either. So it looks like we'll be £70 in debt at the end of the next one, and will be facing an increase of £6/month to cover the debt plus another £7 to cover the cost of what they expect us to use!! Given I'm about to be made redundant (3 months notice period so will probably actually 'finish me' a week before Christmas!) I think I'm going to call them after they open at 8am to try and get it increased now while we can (just about) afford it !!! Better to take the increases in baby steps than see a 60% hike in 6 months time me thinks :undecided

annie123

bundance wrote: »

Solar lights, sat on sunny windowsill, useful in dark? Reliant on bright days and sunny spots though.
Those really cheap "stick in the ground" ones could be stood in a bucket of sand in side.
I keep thinking of buying some, but haven't yet.

these have been mentioned before and the general view was that they don't give off enough light to do anything. Better off with candles or a wind up lamp. hth

Sunnyday

greengrass wrote: »

Can anybody recommend to me whether it is cheaper to boil the kettle or turn the hot water on for an hour a day.
I always boil the kettle for washing up. We never turn the hotwater on because the shower gives automatic hot water, but with the cost of boiling a full kettle do you think it would be cheaper to turn the hot water on each day? Any replies greatful

I would love to know the answer to this one too as we do exactly the same some days.
We have a dw and when it finally goes to that great big dishwasher place in the sky we won`t be replacing it, back to permanently boiling the kettle/ putting the water on whichever reveals itself to be cheapest.
I suspect it will be the kettle but have no idea how to work out the cost
Sorry i couldn`t be of more help.
SD

kirsty_johnathon

kirsty_johnathon wrote: »

My 6 year old son is adiment that when he is brushing his teeth that he only rus the water when he needs to!

I still bath my 2 sons together in the bath or shower and dress them in the bathroom to keep them warm and snug,but its after that when the go in to bed their room is FREEZING,i don't know what I can do to make it warmer but not overly....i'm paranoid about overheating since they were tiny babies.
Has anyone got any ideas? they wake during the night because they are cold!

bEEN ON EBAY....got fleecey suits to go over the kids pyjamas,sleeping bags and draught excluders....went shopping today and got lined curains, so hopefully in the long run it should save money?

Any more ideas? would be gatefully appreciated x x x:T