Avoid using GAS and ELECTRIC !

Emily_Hall08

thanks for people's help on pg 120.. we have spoken to the supplier, and apparently the huge payment was backdated as we hadn't been paying enough. We thought this might be what it was, but didn't want to believe it. I guess we hadn't been paying enough? Previous bills had been estimated but this recent one wasn't. Why estimate!!!!!

Magentasue

Emily_Hall08 wrote: »

Previous bills had been estimated but this recent one wasn't. Why estimate!!!!!

When we have had estimated bills, I've always checked the meters myself to make sure I'm paying enough to cover the whole year.

I haven't always submitted them to the supplier although I do so more often than not. The important thing is to know how much you're using and budget for it.

kitschkitty

[quote=

BigMummaF

;15032033]Meant to have said yesterday...

Tesco

have a pack of two Remote Control sockets with a handset for £15 now...think they might have been £20 earlier.

The plug goes into the wall socket & you plug your--

eg

tv

, microwave, etc into that bit. Then the

conrol

lets you turn the power on & off without having to physically reach the plug to pull it out. We don't have switches on our sockets so the whole

bluddin

plug has to come out each time :mad: So this method also helps reduce 'Stand-by' with very little effort. HTH

[/quote]

lidls

did a 4 pack that week for only £13!

kitschkitty

BigMummaF wrote: »

Meant to have said yesterday...Tesco have a pack of two Remote Control sockets with a handset for £15 now...think they might have been £20 earlier.

The plug goes into the wall socket & you plug your--eg tv, microwave, etc into that bit. Then the conrol lets you turn the power on & off without having to physically reach the plug to pull it out. We don't have switches on our sockets so the whole bluddin plug has to come out each time :mad: So this method also helps reduce 'Stand-by' with very little effort. HTH

lidls did a 4 pack that week for only £13!

mardatha

I agree re wool carpets. Laminate would be a big mistake in here, its high and its cold, and I'm a floor sitter !! All my carpets are wool and it does make a huge difference to the overall feel of the room.

rchddap1

In our old place we had laminate.....the new one is carpet thank goodness. We did have the heating on a little while back, but as the temperature has improved its gone back off again. And I'm another that always checks the meters and reports it myself. The bills I get are far more accurate that way.

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

We've got oak floors throughout the whole of downstairs(apart from the kitchen which is stone slabs),and in the living room we just put in a huge wool rug that covers about three quarters of the living room so that even whilst sitting on the sofa's you have rug underfoot.
I have to admit that I don't find the oak floors cold,I think that's because of the underlay it's laid on.We were told by the fitter that it has a huge impact on wether or not it's cold.
I could'nt go back to carpet downstairs now,the wood is so easy to keep clean and has saved me a fortune as I would need to be re-carpeting them by now and as they are big area's wool carpets would be costing me a fortune and although the oak was a big outlay at the time it's realy paying for itself and it still looks realy nice too.

Magentasue

I loved my wooden floors too. They were the original floorboards sanded and varnished so were a labour of love. Personally, I don't like new wooden floors in old houses. Don't get me started on laminate floors. When I was househunting, the phrases 'UPVC double glazing' and 'laminate flooring' put me off a house if it was an old property.

I've gone for carpet in the bedrooms here because we don't have the time or energy to strip all the floors and we do need to make the house warmer. I'd like stripped floorboards downstairs because I agree that it's so much easier to keep clean. And flea free. These are the floors that have high traffic areas so need replacing more often.

calleyw

cw18 wrote: »

the only other thing I can think of (not trying to panic you) is that you have a leak someone on your side of the meter -- but if it's up by that much I would have through you'd have noticed it by now

Someone asked the same question on another board on MSE that deals with the gas/elec and someone replied you would not still be around if you had a 50p leak let alone a £300 leak.

So doubt it is a leak.

Yours


Calley

Bongedone

cw18 wrote: »

Think -- nope! know -- it's time to change my chest freezer.....

Have recently invested in one of the energy monitoring plugs -- and have just removed it from my (almost 17 year old) chest freezer. In a little over 47 hours it's used 5.47kWh, which equates to 1058 kWh/yr :eek: Just had a quick look at a freezer in an on-line shop that's the same size, and even with a lowsy 'C' rating that's only quoting 350kWh/yr.

So mine's costing me at least an extra £5/month to run (based on this only using lower priced units as I'm on a NSC tariff) :eek:

Also means that of the 75 kWhs of electricity we used last week, 20.35 of those are this freezer alone :eek: :eek: :eek:


So a question (possibly for someone who may have tested new appliances with one of these monitors) -- I'm assuming the quoted figures on new appliances will be the best they get in testing? Does anyone know how realistic those are once in 'real' use or what sort of factor I should add on to try and work out my pack back period?

If I really managed 350kWh/yr on the one I looked at, the payback would be just under 2 years -- so I'm guesstimating that realistically I'm probably looking at 3 years That was a quick look at just one freezer (before I dive out for an appt) and I'd shop around to try and find a better rated/cheaper one before buying anyway , but what sort of payback period would other people be wanting to hope to achieve before replacing a 'functioning' appliance?

The ratings are based on average use. Your freezer was made when it did not matter. Things have come a very long way. I would get to shop tomorrow and order a new one. Get the best rating you can find even if it means paying a bit more.

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Energy-saving-products/Home-appliances/Refrigeration-products