Avoid using GAS and ELECTRIC !

sammy_kaye18

Hi All

just to let you know that Wilkinsons have the plastic sheet stuff that you have al been on about - you put it on windows and use the hairdryer on it. I saw it in there yesterday and they also have lots of cheap laggign and window seals etc - there was a whole little section on how to make you house warmer in our wilkinsons store

Im going to go back and get soem light bulbs tomorrow morning too i think because this is the third week in a row - my electric seems to be non existant this month - normally we manage on about £30 a month but htis month it just seems to have disappeared and we havent done anythign different if honest we've actually been in less so am going to start getting sorted.

Ive broguht two big blankets of material - one green one white and i plan to insulate bens curtains and our bedroom curtains with them - also im hoping to get my curtains back up this week with the curtain rail - i had the wrong screw bit uyesterday and have been out all day!

any ideas for a drafty letter box without buying the letter box draft excluder thing. Its about £9 in wilkos which is a bit too much at the minute - did think of a bit of heavy material to hold it down but its still bloody cold

nicki_2

Sweet_Pea wrote:

I have got a boxful of energy saving light bulbs that I was given but only have one lightbulb I could replace as I either have dimmer switches or uplighters in the other rooms that wont go with the bulbs, it woud cost more to replace the light fittings than I would save in electricity.

Try B&Q - we got some short curly energy saving bulbs (see here for the sort of range available. I've not used this company, they're just the first result when googling "energysaving bulbs" ) and we have them in our kitchen, bathroom and lamps. Infact all our bulbs are energysaving, PLUS I have a stock of free ones I was sent :D

We have 2 quilts, a winter and a summer one. When it gets cold we put the summer one under the bottom sheet, on top of the mattress, which keeps us nice and toasty with having the winter one on top. Will be doing the same with DD this year as well ATM DD has her summer quilt & 3 blankets on her bed :rolleyes: I'll be switching to her winter one at the end of September unless the weather gets more wintry.

I pad my freezer out with old towels when it starts getting empty, but I usually end up stocking up on reduced items not long after anyway :rotfl:

I think I might make one of those sausage dogs for our bathroom door. I'm not travelling under our bath to try and find out where the draught is coming from - the spiders there pay rent they're so big :eek:

This year we have a new front door so hopefully the hall will be a bit warmer and snow free :rotfl: I'm thinking of lining our kitchen door, and the windows on the front door, with bubblewrap. I have a huge roll which I bought from B&Q (£13 I think from the gardening bit, I had to actually go into a greenhouse to get it ) for wrapping ebay parcels and fragile gifts.

Kettle has just boiled for a hot coffee...will go make it now

moggins

We bought our letterbox draught excluder from our local hardware store. I think it cost about £6. Even at £9 it is still worth it, the amount of draughts it has cut down from the front door is amazing, it is much warmer in my hallway now. We also bought brush jobbies that fit on the bottom of the doors, that's also cut down a lot of the draughts. The only things I have to sort out now is draught excluders for the back door (bought but not fitted) and a curtain for my pantry door where the air vent is. We had to take the door off as it was so awkward and I really feel the cold in there now plus a curtain rail for the french doors (really awkwardly situated).

LearningToSave.

i've just odered curtains for the front and back door as they are not double glazed/upvc and are a complete 'b' for letting the cold in!!!!
we also keep quilts or fleecy blankets to sit and snuggle under when its cold....so much warmer and cosier than the heating anyway.
also got draught excluder for £1 each from wilko's for front and back doors and a draught excluder on the letterbox.
want to get some of those boot slipper thingies.

lessonlearned

Thanks Echo will try googling and see how I get on for thre gloves.

Mirry - you made me smile - bet your knitting skills are better than mine though.

bj-sailaway

I've never had an electric kettle, my mum always said the kettle on the gas ring was cheaper. It does mean that when it whistles, you make the tea or coffee, whereas my friends always seem to re-boil electric kettles.

sammy_kaye18

Cool

Well im off into town today to go and look at lightbulbs and possibly get a draught excluder for the letter box - the damn thing has started banging becasue it was super wndy last night and its annoying the dog so i will get one sorted today i think.

Plus i'll line my curtains today at some point too i think - ill get bens done hopefully before he goes to bed and then ill cook up a few sausage dogs form the spare stuff i think - just need to find things to stuff them with but im sure i can find a cheap set of old curtains at teh charity shop to use - all my old or unworn clothes are given to the charity shop every 6 months

thriftlady_2

bj-sailaway wrote:

I've never had an electric kettle, my mum always said the kettle on the gas ring was cheaper. It does mean that when it whistles, you make the tea or coffee, whereas my friends always seem to re-boil electric kettles.

Yes, I can vouch for that. But since we had our hob kettle on a gas hob our gas bill has gone up, not sure if the electric has gone down though.

System

I know its probably going to be a very silly question, but can you cook a whole chicken on the hob/gas burner? The reason i ask is because i dont use my oven much apart from the weekend roasts and when i do i often think it would be more economical to cook all the food on the hob.

Dont suggest a slow cooker though, ive had several and during colder days its too cold in my kitchen for the slow cooker to cook (unless you cover it with loads of towels for insulation which defeats the object really as the towels need washing cause they smell of the food i've cooked).

Chipps

Hi Judi
Not sure about cooking a whole chicken on the hob, although it's probably possible - there are recipes for boiling fowl, which were basically just very tough elderly chickens!
But what about cooking everything in the oven? I have cooked all my veg in with the roast. For things like potatoes & carrots, put in a lidded casserole dish with water for the whole of the cooking time, & green veg in similar containers but with boiling water for shorter time. Include a pudding, eg crumble or similar, & a cake or two for teatime & get it all done in one go!

edited to add: it would warm up the kitchen, too!!!!!