Avoid using GAS and ELECTRIC !

tawnyowls

A wood burner would be far more efficient, even though obviously much more expensive to install initially. An open fire has a burning efficiency of about 10-20%, whereas a wood burning stove is 35-60% - in other words, it should produce about three times more heat and less ash from the wood.

jojo3_2

Hi Sammy

If you are looking for a grate for your fireplace try looking at the local tip! Ours has a recycling centre and they have all sorts there. Should be fairly cheap too.

moggins

Sammy we got ours from a bootsale, we couldn't find one to fit our fireplace as the grate had to be 2 foot long.

markmc999

Had a brain wave today about a few things (namely items which need charging up).

• If you have a mobile or something that takes 3-4 hrs to charge dont do it over night. Apart from the fire risk your wasting electricity - do it when your awake so when its full you can turn it off.
• If possible charge any items you can through things when are already running (iPod's using USB cables etc.)
• Dont use laptops while it is plugged into the mains unless you have to - especially if the battery is full.
• If you use your laptop out and about - charge it there if possible Especially in places like work/Costa etc. just make sure your near a plug and then use the charged battery later on at home!
• When using laptops try seeing if you can slightly decrease the power on it using energy saving settings (also work on desktops when left on!) to see if you can get that bit longer out of your battery.
• If you have to leave things to charge over night but know roughly how long it takes them to charge use a timer so it cuts off when its done.
• If your going to be printing bits and pieces all night why not send them to print but leave the printer off only turning it on when you really need to. The PC will build up all of the print jobs and "hold" them until it can connect to the printer - saves wasting all of that energy when your printer is on standby.
• If your really desperate for heat and light why not make sure your using a laptop on your lap for that - saves on (possibly!) some energey consumption

HTH - press thanks if you think they will work :T

in_my_wellies

markmc999 - agree with laptop heat, mine gets too hot to have on my lap. After 20 mins or so I have to put a newspaper under it or my knee just get too hot.

Sallys_Savings

Hi all........

A little question, We are on economy 7 and use storage heaters (rubbish!!)
and was wondering what would the cheapest way to heat our water tank?

At the moment my oh insists its cheaper to turn it on at night time and off in the morning . Would it be best to buy a timer?

There are six of us in the house and need hot water:

Showers for 6 ...6.30 - 8am
Washing this time and up to about 11am
Washing up tea time 5.30 ish
Showers for approx 3 between 6.30 and 8

Would be grateful for any tips...........thank you

MIRRY_2

went into the £1 shop today and they dont have the lilttle water bottles any more .........has any one else seen them anywhere ?

CM86_2

I use my George Foreman instead of turning the oven/grill on... and it heats up so much quicker!

Imelda

I think my neighbour must read these boards, there is a plug socket in the communal area of our flats (for the cleaner's hoover) and I recently noticed a plug with a lead running into his flat (he even made a little hole in his front door so the door could shut properly). I laughed to myself but later on I thought about it, all the rest of the flats pay for HIS electricity. So I phoned the head of our residents committee, they were shocked, that evening the whole of the committee descended on my landing and pulled the plug and took the plug off the wall (there is another plug the cleaner can use which is situated in the cleaner's cupboard, it just requires an extension lead to my floor). Later that night the next door neighbour knocked on my door shouting and screaming about the plug being taken off, it turns out he was running extension leads from that one lead and all of his food had defrosted! Serves him right really, what a cheek!

starlite_2

Damn that's bad!

Annoyingly the socket in our shared hall runs from our supply, so we end up paying for our neighbours crazy obsession of hoovering it thoroughly every day..