Thank you MSE G&E forum

becksfaz

I just wanted to say a big thank you to people of this forum that have offered me help/advice about cutting my bills.
Last year (Sept 2011-Oct 2012) my annual useage was =
over 25000kwh for gas and approx 3800kwh for electric.
(large 5 bed semi, 15 rads). It was mainly the gas I was concerned about.
After making a few changes this winter (Oct 2012-May 2013) = 16432 for gas and 1468 for electric.
With a much colder winter overall than last year's, I'm very pleased with my results.
THANK YOU to all the patient people who offered me advice previously........ I'm VERY grateful!
Becky

ic

Congrats - what did you change in order to achieve this?

becksfaz

Gas wise -

1. I got a new stat as I was convinced other wasn't operating correctly. I noticed a difference straight away.

2. I bought a didgital stat to monitor my lounge temp (as I have a large hall and previously had hall stat set to 18c, turns out I can set hall stat to 16.5c) and warm lounge to around 19c.
3. I had heating on timer early winter and late winter (but still all day when cold as I'm home most of the days).

4. I don't have TRVs on all rads but those I do, I experiemented and turned them down. I turned flow valve down on rooms not always occupied such as the playroom.

5. Used to wash up after each meal - now I just wash up at the end of the day.

6. Altered the settings when house unoccupied - e.g we went away at xmas for 3 days. I didn't turn heating off just down to 13c cos didn't want to return to a really cold house. Used barely anything and then only took 30 mins to be back up to temperature.

Electric -
1. Wash all clothes on 30c.
2. Cooked casseroles etc on the hob rather than in the oven and batched cooked and then frozen things.
3. The small things like - only boiling the water we need.
4. I don't have a wasshing line so I bought 2 clothes horses and that's reduced my tumble dryer.

I don't think I was ever an energy waster (I'm too tight for that) I was just a little naive to certain things.
I feel pleased with our cut backs especially on our gas as this was our biggest cost. I'm not prepared to be uncomfortable in my own house so I've tried to find the happy medium. Think we've done well as it's been a colder winter than previous too.