Put away your purse & become debt-averse

foxgloves

And.......
31. Don't have more lights on than necessary, despite how nice they might look for ambience. I am giving us a RFI on this because we often (esp Mr F) put on the 6-bulb kitchen light-fitting when we just pop in there to make a drink & we could equally easy choose the other switch & power only 4 lightbulbs. Not always virtuosic in the living room either, as we'll have the lamp on, I'll also need my reading light so I can see to knit, etc, then I'll often forgot to switch it off when I've finished whatever it was I was doing that required the extra wattage. RFI
32.Ensure any new lights bought will take energy-saving bulbs - I think this should apply to pretty much all lights these days? *
33.Don't leave outside lights on unnecessarily  - a * for me & a definite RFI for Mr F. We used to argue about his insistence that the outside light must be on every night as soon as the nights get darker. I reckoned it was a waste of energy & should just be used if we were due to come home late or put on briefly to welcome visitors up the path, etc. He likes it on as "You never know what skankers are around". We have drawn a truce over mentioning it. Now, if it is on unnecessarily, I just switch it off & if he noticed, he puts it back on again, rinse & repeat......although tbf, recently, I don't think he has been switching it on quite as much......those scary tariffs are working on him when I couldn't.
34.Use a sensor light outside by preference so it only comes on when somebody is there X Ours is broken & we haven't really planned to replace it. 
35.Bleed radiators regularly. RFI - Must ask Mr F what he's done with the radiator key.
36. When replacing appliances, choose the highest energy efficiency rating you can afford *
37. Get boilers serviced every year for both safety & energy efficiency * 
38. Repair or replace damaged seals on fridges, freezer, oven, etc, or the air we pay to heat or cool leaks out RFI
39. Consider buying stacking steamer pans so lots of veg, etc, can be cooked on a single ring RFI, but we do have a single steamer pan which fits 3 different saucepan sizes & it does get used. 
40. Consider a pressure cooker - "50% less energy used then traditional cooking methods" according to the book I mentioned. X I've never really felt drawn to owning one, although I know some people swear by them.
To be continued.......
F x

DawnW

Our outside sensor light outside the back of the house broke as well. I noticed solar ones during a visit to one of the big DIY sheds, and they weren't expensive, so decided to give it a try. It works fine, even in winter, and a) there was no need to get an electrician to wire it in to the mains (the broken one was a mains one), and b) it doesn't add to the electricity bill. The old cabling was removed by the conservatory company's electrician when the conservatory was replaced and he had to do lighting stuff in that area anyway.

We have since added another solar sensor light by the back gate.

foxgloves

41. It's said that slow cookers use approximately the same energy as a lightbulb. I didn't realise until I bought myu first slow cooker recipe book (the turquoise one called 'I <heart> my slow cooker' that not all recipes took either the standard 4 to 6 hrs on high or 6 - 8 hrs on low. There are recipes in there which take 4 hours on low.....or less, I'm sure there's at least one I make that takes 2.5 hours. I intend to use my slow cooker more often, freeze the extra portions or feed us for two nights running & am already looking for lots of new recipes to try. Having fewer pans to wash up afterwards because it's a one-pot meal (mine is one where you can use the inner crock on the hob for browning, etc) is also a bit of an energy-saver in terms of hot water. *
42. Check windows & doors for draughts & seal any gaps. I find it best to do this on a windy day when it's easier to detect draughts & exactly where they are getting in. There is RFI on this for us. Mr F successfully sealed some pesky gaps down the sides of our living room windows just with a standard tube of sealant, but there is a persistent draught somewhere in my little HQ room & we haven't yet got round to sorting out where it's coming from.
43. If buying new curtains, choose lined ones, as thick as possible - having bought new curtains myself last winter, I know there is a financial outlay here, I was genuinely shocked at how expensive thick curtains can be. I know some people have been lucky with good charity shop finds in the past. Door curtains also make a difference. I really notice a difference in draughts when the curtain is pulled over our front door. *
44.Use draught excluder 'sausage' or door 'sweep' if there are gaps under doors. You know, I was just about to award myself a * for this, then recalled that I chucked our draught sausage in the bin two years ago. Must make another ready for winter RFI
45.Draught-proof letterboxes if needed. Either one of those brush fittings or apparently can just shove in a cheapo sponge 9 bet that feels a bit weird for postman) N/A
46.Lag hot water tank if you have one & also hot water pipes esp where these run through poorly heated areas of the house N/A
47. Consider solar chargers for things like mobile phones X
48. Ensure loft properly insulated - we could do better here. Our internal roof has an insulating coating of something or other, but there is no other insulation RFI
49. Consider cavity wall insulation - N/A - we don't have any cavity walls, despite the age of our house - this is one of those potential savings which carried an initial outlay & that's not always possible for people, I know.
50. Use your weekly meal plans to see where energy saving double-ups can be done. For instance, if you are having boiled eggs for breakfast on Monday & need hard boiled eggs for kedgeree, fish pie of sandwiches a couple of days later, cook extra & pop in the fridge until needed. Ditto potatoes - we cook extra if we know we are going to need them for frittata, pea & beef kerala, potato salad or just cold for a packed lunch box *
51. Cook once, eat twice.......we regularly do this if it's something we particularly like & just have it 2 days running, maybe with a different 'side' *
52. Invest in a modest long handled dustpan & brush so hard floors can easily & quickly be swept clean instead of getting the vacuum out multiple times a week & using extra electricity *
53. If you have a heated airer, which we do, remember it doesn't HAVE to be plugged in. On warmer days, or when the washing has part-dried outside, it can just be used as a normal airer.....I know this sounds ridiculous, but this has only recently occurred to me that just because it does heat up, it doesn't mean I have to switch it on if clothes look likely to dry on it for free! *
54.Only iron those things which really need it & switch off the iron for the last garment, as there will be sufficient residual heat to press it * 
55. If you have what is probably the biggest tea-light collection on the street, as I think I do atm, remember that 2 or 3 of them create the perfect ambience for film-viewing if the lights are switched off * 
56. Turn off the TV if nobody in the room is genuinely engaging with it.....that's as in watching it properly, not watching it at the same time as looking at other devices. If it isn't sufficiently interesting that we can't do without the extra entertainment of scrolling on our phones, then it isn't worth using the electricity  - a * for me, but I think a RFI for Mr F, lovely as he is!
57. Only boil the amount of water required in the kettle. I have been an absolute sod for this in the past......two pints of water for a cup of tea sort of territory, but am back on it now so a *.
58.When washing up, rinse the dishes with cold water to get off any soapsuds. It doesn't require hot. Me *, Mr F X
59. Use the capacity of your oven to bake more than one item - i.e 2 loaves of bread, two cakes, etc. I don't know why this has only recently occurred to me as I can remember covering this in school cookery lessons! Anyway, it's a * now.
60.If you have wooden floors, look for gaps which need refilling to prevent draughts. A big X. We really do need to do this.
61.Dry hair naturally as much as possible instead of using hairdryer. I can give myself a * for this, but I do use straighteners to beat it into submission afterwards.
62.Keep freezer filled for greater energy efficiency * We usually have the opposite problem with our freezer as we grow a lot & batch cook.
63. Have a pretty blanket or warm throw in the living room ready to use on chillier evenings *
64. And FINALLY.....start planning ahead for winter when we know those horrible additional energy tariff rises are coming, possibly followed, it seems, by more in January. Is there anything we can be doing over summer to feel more ready for when the colder months & another steep price rise coincide? I'm going to look at doing some of the things on this list which are currently a X' or a 'RFI'. I am going to start by knitting myself 2 big cardis - nothing expensive - a black one which I can throw on as a warm top layer over all my coloured stuff & a purple one to go over my black stuff. If the pattern is quick (it looks really easy), I might also think about knitting one for a clothes bank or charity as I think a lot of people are going to be relying on warm layers.
Well, m'dears, if you managed to stick with me through all of that, you deserve a nice cup of tea & a hob-nob. We are having a massive rain storm atm & I don't think I imagined a few lightning flashes. Off to do some jobs now.
Do feel free to kick in any further energy saving possibilities  - we usually like a discussion on here.
F x

BalanceBy50

Really useful list @foxgloves thank you.  I use my conservatory a lot for drying clothes especially spring/autumn time as I don,t work from home so they don’t start to get damp as evenings draw in & the conservatory retains the heat from any sun. Also when showers are forecast - saves me putting clothes in the dryer to finish off 😁. Just have to make sure furry bum as the boys call our cat doesn’t get shut in 🙈

ps I have also successfully overwintered my geraniums in the conservatory so thank you for your advice last year 😁 xx

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

Evening foxgloves
thanks for that mega list !  I do quite a few things on there i'm pleased to say, but have a few areas for improvement - especially putting lids on saucepans and cook once/eat twice - ashamed to say i just switched on the oven to heat up half a slice of naan bread for my tea
FYI - a few pages ago i said i failed my O level maths a number of times - i did eventually achieve a grade C courtesy of evening classes at the local high school !
Love Deni x

amber03

Totally agree about forward planning. We all know it’s not looking great for the winter with all that is happening so plan ahead as much as possible. Sadly there will be people not taking action and will moan when the time comes. I am a person who plans ahead for stuff so greatful for any tips that will help.xx

Four_Seasons

Evening Foxgloves, thank you so much for sharing your saving tips I definately read some I can improve on, you have encouraged me to rummage around and find my "Thrifty ways for modern days" by Martin Lewis bought from a CS a few years ago, its an old fashioned handy hints book I have read it but definately wont hurt me to have a refresh. Oh and I shall definately be making a sausage draft excluder, not sure what happened to mine when I moved.  Have a lovely evening x

QueenJess

Wow - that was a long read! I am also rubbish at using the capacity of my oven, but partly because of the organisation that requires. I have been very good at using saucepan lids (although DH not so much..).

I broke out the hob steamer a few weeks ago and did some potatoes and the veg all on one hob. It was brilliant and I have absolutely no idea why I haven’t done that before! It will definitely become a regular thing.

Our house can’t get any more efficient unless we got solar panels (I would love some, but I just don’t have the time to look into them properly at the moment) and I have to heat the house properly due to two smalls in the house, one of which very much feels the cold. As an alternative prep for winter, I’m saving up for my yearly outgoings (eg insurance etc) and already buying Xmas/birthday gifts etc so at least I don’t have that expense in the winter. Hopefully it just balances it out a bit.

slm6002

Deni-debt-free-dreamer, we heat our naan bread in the toaster.  Saves turning the oven on

Deni_debt-free_dreamer

slm6002 said:

Deni-debt-free-dreamer, we heat our naan bread in the toaster.  Saves turning the oven on

sadly i don't have a toaster at the moment!  It broke last year and i haven't replaced it yet.... I should get one as i'm sure i'd soon save money as i like warmed up pitta bread with hummus so that has to go in the oven too 

Deni x