Money saving myths?? Or not?

Sam_Bee

2 things have bothered me that could potentially save money, but I'm not sure how to work out, or they are just myths. Any ideas?

1) If you have an empty freezer, fill it with cheap loaves of bread to save on electricity.

2) If you are boiling a pan of water, boil it first in the kettle to save fuel.

Now they might be small things, but over a year could save a fair bit of money, and fossil fuels if they did the right thing.

So can anyone advise if the above are fact or fiction?

sammyjammy

The freezer thing in my opinion is true buttttttt if your freezer is empty for long periods of time why not just turn it off? Additionally are you going ot eat said bread? If not fill it with something you will use like milk etc etc

I don't think the kettle/pan thing is true, alotugh a kettle boils faster it uses a lot of energy in that time, I would use water from kettle if it has recently boiled but if not would use a small pan with correct amount of water, use the most efficient burner for that size pan and put a lid on it (Have gas hob) just my thoughts.......

Sam

Queenie

Sam Bee - an empty freezer is a waste of time, space and money! You can fill it with bread, but how big is the freezer x how many loaves would you need to invest in to fill it times freezer life of that quantity of bread so would you get to eat it all before it's past it's best?

Cardew

The Energy Saving Trust has page after page of FAQ on your type of question. e.g.

Q. Is it true that freezers cost less to run if they are full?


A. The amount of electricity consumed will depend upon how the appliance is used and where it is located. For example, a half-full fridge or freezer uses more energy than a full one and it will use more energy if it is placed next to a heater or oven.

Assuming your stove is also electric, the kettle first method is cheaper in theory but the difference is so marginal to not be worth the bother.

It takes the same amount of energy to heat, say, a litre of water by a certain amount. The only difference is the heat loss over a period of time. So as a kettle boils quicker, in theory it will use marginally less electricity. However you will have some loss in pouring kettle into pan and you have a hot empty kettle(more loss).

So don't bother.

Sam_Bee

Its a new freezer, and will be filled up now baby is weaning (thus investment!).

In the meantime until we've pureed enough celeriacs (or whatever), you can buy value bread at 19pence a loaf.... Not overly worried if it gets eaten at that price, or fed to the ducks...

mrken30

fill up containers with water is probably better as these will retain the energy better than a loaf of bread I think and probably cheaper, I have heard of people using empty cardboard boxes but not really sure of the energy saving principles of keeping the freezer full,