All bills to reduce

emmad5689

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

I stay at home all day with my children, and after 2,5 years I can only offer advice for saving money in three areas:

1) Electricity - The TV guzzles electricity... When I had knee surgery I was home all day, with the TV for noise and my bills went really high! I find that children love the radio or a CD (which is much cheaper to run). I find many childminders I used for my eldest always had the TV on, so this could help save a lot. It did for us.

2) Gas - Before giving up work we heated the house in the morning, then again in the evening. Once staying home I found it hard not to have the heating on...

So I researched that a 'comfortable' house is 18 Degrees. If I heat the house in the morning and get the house to apx 19 Degrees, then put the windows on the catch until 10-11am (for fresh air etc) then close them, my house drops to apx 17-17,5 Degrees.

I put the heating on for 1 hour to 'top up' again. This with closed windows this keeps the house at apx 18 Degrees until after about an hour after dinner, then I let the heating go on again.

Therefore only having the heating on 1 extra hour a day.

I used to have it on more because of the baby, but truth be told, it clicked on constantly all day to keep the temperature steady. I found this 1hr boost keeps the house at a good temperature without the constant cost... My Gas usage is 1/3rd of the average UK House and we are in a 3 bedroom house with 4 (soon to be 5 people) so I must be doing something right.

3) Water - Look on the water website for advice, but I do most everything I can to reduce my usage, I put water in the fridge so not to run the taps, I have a 4 minute timer in the shower, we turn the tap off when brushing our teeth, we have a flush saver... etc etc. I think the only thing we don't do is have a water butt!

My usage is really LOW, for a family of 4 we use the amount an average couple use (according to Themes Valley an average 4 people family use 167, while a couple use 108 units, we used 106). Yet, the children bath/shower 3 times a week, adults daily, I wash 2-3 loads of clothes twice a week (and an extra load for bedding etc), and run a dishwasher daily!

So my advice is just be extra vigilant and do everything you can to save water (and make sure you have a water meter installed). Remember bath water is great on flowers in the garden. Especially when it was REALLY hot and I was using 20-30 litres a night on my flowers!!!

I think it helps I have a large capacity washing machine, which was AA rated and wash twice a week and just do larger loads then lots of smaller ones. Silly things count...

Anyway, sorry if I went on. But I hope these few tips can help in some way x

Thank you this is really helpful.

I am trying a test to see what is the best way to heat my house, I currently have the heating on 15 degrees and constant and have taken meter readings, I am doing this for 3 days and then I am going to use the same 3 days next week and use the 1 hour boost function and the fire in the front room and I will see which one uses the most. x

JulieGeorgiana

That's great! I do take regular meter readings myself (it used to be weekly, but now I do it monthly) it helps to know how much you are using and what works for you.

Also if you know what you are actually using (and not what they tell you they think you should be using) it helps to find the cheapest Gas/electric by comparing your actual usage. It also helps you set up the right DD amount.

I know the cost per unit, and I know my usage... I calculate it for a year, then minus discounts and add VAT and I pay 1/12th each month. I find I build up a credit in the summer and use it in the winter. I refuse refunds until spring, and if they change my DD I change it right back again.

For me having the same amount going out each month is easier to handle, and always end up in credit in the spring

I personally found staying at home actually saved us money on bills, so good luck x

emmad5689

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

That's great! I do take regular meter readings myself (it used to be weekly, but now I do it monthly) it helps to know how much you are using and what works for you.

Also if you know what you are actually using (and not what they tell you they think you should be using) it helps to find the cheapest Gas/electric by comparing your actual usage. It also helps you set up the right DD amount.

I know the cost per unit, and I know my usage... I calculate it for a year, then minus discounts and add VAT and I pay 1/12th each month. I find I build up a credit in the summer and use it in the winter. I refuse refunds until spring, and if they change my DD I change it right back again.

For me having the same amount going out each month is easier to handle, and always end up in credit in the spring

I personally found staying at home actually saved us money on bills, so good luck x

Thanks it helps to know how other people manage, I have been putting meter readings in every few weeks and keeping an eye on our usage, we are using less than we did at this time last year so being more aware is certainly helping.

Being at home more should mean I have time to make better meals too from scratch which should also hopefully save some money.