2021 Frugal Living Challenge

MazzieD

I'm also wondering if there is a way of cutting back electricity costs.  Got an electric hob and oven so cooking is quite a chunk of the bill.  Using a slow cooker and microwave perhaps?.  Think will keep an eye on the smart meter and see what uses most and less electricity.  If anyone has any suggestions......

Used ITV catch up to watch Martin Lewis's Extreme Savers.  Now that was an interesting programme, I'm definitely not extreme but the grocery bit was interesting.  Worth a watch if you didn't see it!  Not too sure about re-useable toilet paper though.

fionaandphil

@MazzieD we are all electric so have to cook on it.  I do make lots of use of the slow cooker and microwave and they definitely use a lot less. It the oven is on, I cook quite a lot in it at once to try and make the best use of it.  Our energy monitor always shoots up in price with the microwave but only for a short period of time.  With the cooker it remains fairly high throughout if the oven is on.

joedenise

@MazzieD - I'm all electric so definitely use loads of electric for cooking but I try and batch cook as much as possible.  The oven uses far more power than the hob so like @fionaandphil make full use of the oven.  The other thing I use is a Remoska, they are expensive to buy but use much less power than the oven.  I very rarely bother with the microwave except for warming plates if the oven isn't on!

Living_proof

@MazzieD Although not all electric I use my Panasonic combi oven for most things these days and have a range of slow cookers and an air-fryer. I also have a Remoska which was purchased for £10 in a charity shop (a fortune!) and we use it when we go away in the motorhome when we have electric hook-up. It is a basic but terrifically useful bit of kit and if you do a search on the forum you will find a lot of posts and positives. We also vac seal pre made food and reheat it sous vide in a saute pan which saves masses of time. I am fortunate in that I had solar panels put in several years ago and for half a year my cooking in the oven costs nothing. Another possibility is the straw bag (I am sure it has a much sexier name!) whereby you bring a casserole etc. up to heat in the conventional way and then place in this basic insulated bag which cooks it right through. In the end it comes down to what space you have for all these gadgets, rather than how much cash you can spare. My garage has become a sort of kitchen storage/utility area!

willow_loulou

I’ve not heard of a remoska - will google! 

But I’m all electric too, I have log heating for downstairs. I use slow cookers a lot, I have a single hob I use on occasion and a worktop oven. I need everything at worktop height so this works for me. I think changing to led lighting and nagging for lights off helped with out usage. I’ve had the bathroom light fitting changed to an led unit which is much better. 

I don’t cook at lot of things that take a long oven time. I’ll even do a chicken in the slow cooker (and cakes) 

girlybags

MazzieD said:

Used ITV catch up to watch Martin Lewis's Extreme Savers.  Now that was an interesting programme, I'm definitely not extreme but the grocery bit was interesting.  Worth a watch if you didn't see it!  Not too sure about re-useable toilet paper though.

I watched that on catch up yesterday, I enjoyed it but I'm with you, the reusable toilet paper isn't for me! If only I had a bidet though that would be a different story 😁

I managed to save myself £57 on my car insurance today 🥳. My provider quoted me £260 for renewal and got it for £203 from the exact same provider for the exact same cover by just checking the comparison sites. Stupid that they don't just renew at the lowest price they'll offer anyway but I'm sure loads of people just let their insurance auto renew without checking first.

Wraithlady

Living_proof said:

Another possibility is the straw bag (I am sure it has a much sexier name!) whereby you bring a casserole etc. up to heat in the conventional way and then place in this basic insulated bag which cooks it right through. 

It's called a hay box cooker (traditionally)

Living_proof

@Wraithlady @MazzieD they are called thermal cooking bags and you can make your own, see google for details. Based on the old haybox of Girl Guide days, but much lighter, and some are very chintzy indeed. A lot of ladies on Old Style board made their own a few years back.

zafiro1984

Mazzie D 
Below are some of the things I do to help keep electricity costs down
1) check with the comparison sites that you are not paying too much per unit for your electricity, if so change supplier
2) insulation - besides the usual loft and wall insulation I:- 
close the curtains at night, check your letter box for leakage, the cat flap as well, loft hatch is a good leakage point, draughts from under the doors.
3) led lighting, our house is all led, it used to be expensive to get the bulbs but now its OK. The best way is -  turn the lights off if no  one is in the room
4) It's amazing how much electric we use and don't need to: 
a cooker with an inbuilt clock
leaving the phone charger plugged in all the time?
leaving the TV on standby, 
leaving the computer/ monitor on standby, look at your printer, scanner
5) try not to use a tumble dryer
6) try a slightly lower temperature for your washing
7) keep your freezer full - empty space costs money to freeze, My mother - bless her -in the 1960's used to put a blanket in the freezer if there was space - my freezers never seem to be empty.
8) Don't fill your kettle full if you only need one cup of coffee.

However, the odd thing is it's cheaper on electric to use a dishwasher, than washing up by hand
I'm sure others may have more ideas on cutting consumption and saving money.

[Deleted User]

I am constantly assessing our electricity usage and finding ways to bring it down.

The kettle is boiled once a day for my morning cuppa, any hot water remaining goes in a flask for evening cuppa.

Phones and iPads I charge at work each day.

Two loads of laundry a week now maximum. I used to wash every day, totally not necessary. And I have children! 30 mins 30 degree wash. Dries on line or in front of woodburner. 

Use the dishwasher every third day only.

No tumble drier. Blow dry fringe only, the rest dries naturally. I don’t have the tv on during the week, I use the iPad on an evening for Netflix viewing. 

Oven I only have on three times a week, and then make as much use of it as I can. 

I am with Bulb, and across both fuels pay no more than £45 pcm.