Will this really make a difference to my energy bills?

Coffeekup

theoretica said:

Running the hot tap on autopilot but turning it off before you actually get hot water is pure waste of hot water into the pipes and I found an easy change to make - if I am going to wash my hands or rinse something in cold water it might as well come from the cold tap.

100% agree... Came to this conclusion a few years ago. 

On a separate note an ex partner used to brush her teeth with the hot tap much to my dismay...

Coffeekup

Shedman said:

wild666 said:

Owleyes00 said:

I'd be mighty surprised if turning off things that are in standby (especially if they are not ancient devices) would save 2 kWh a day as you suggest.  Most only consume 1 to 2 watts in standby.  Alexa's and the wifi router / mesh discs and Sky/Freeview Recorder boxes probably consume the most

I've been turning mine off at the wall for the whole of November, 1 to save money and 2 I want to do better for the environment. 

2 bed terraced, 2 people...not much in the way of electrical stuff in the house, no gadets toy's you talk to (don't like being spied on), 1 tv and sky box, CD player, amp, PC (no speakers), toaster, kettle, washing machine, frige freezer and 1 mobile and 2 I pad charger, the usual light bulb usage, a combi boiler and wi-fi router.

No I have 11 years of energy readings in to spreadsheets, the last 4 have been 2 of us and electric usage for the year is 1,800 and gas is 9,000 kWh...
Now electric usage for November's previous 3 years is 146-154-152...
I've taken a reading this morning for this months usage (November) itching to know what the reading was gonna be, I was surprised when I tapped in the numbers and it amounted to 104 kWh used for electric. 

Arguably £4-5 a month saving isn't that much (although it is for me) but with 20 million odd houses in the UK, if 40% of them homes could save 40-50 kWh's a month that's alot less strain on the grid and alot less pollutants being released into the air.

Then if you take another 40% of homes who have bigger houses, more rooms, more gadgets, more people, more TV's, bigger TV's, more consoles, coffee machines, more lighting, more everything... I'm guessing they could save at least the same kWh's if not more.

Maybe more interesting when the numbers stack up..

Edit: added wi-fi router.

Coffeekup

Owleyes00 said:

Hi! I have always been a bit laissez-faire with regards to energy bills, set up the direct debit and never thought that much about it (bills were adjusted up or down and I never seemed to be using excessively). However I have recently moved to a much bigger property and with rising energy costs (although I am on a fix from my previous rate until June 22 which is nice!) I am trying to make some small changes to reduce my bills. 
-washing on 20 and 30 or eco 40 for underwear, reducing drier usage to pants, towels and bedsheets and trying to do fewer loads a week
-switching radiators off in rooms I don’t use e.g. in my office at the weekend
-conscious use of my heating 

I am finding it all very tedious and am wondering if it’s all going to make a significant difference to my energy bills? If it’s only going to shave a few pounds off I’m not sure I can be bothered! Is there more I can be doing (without punishing myself!)??

I think you got it right apart from the Tumble dryer....
So I'd recommend a shiela maid ceiling clothes airer. I hung mine at the top of the stairs, above the stairs (stairwell I think it's called) where a good chunk of the heat from the house ends up.. it's surprising how quick stuff dries. For me it's a good use of space and I've had a couple of people say how food it looks and what a good idea it is.
Pay off time? There cheaper than a tumble dryer, but pay off in energy will take a while longer.

But it's not all about cost, the environmental impact is far greater of the appliances we use for ease of life or convenient living.

Coffeekup

fly-catchers said:

I wish I hadn’t decided to switch off my old DVD recorder as now it has malfunctioned! Of course it might have been broken anyway but had been ok prior to this! But it only packed up after switching off at the wall for a few days.

Go grab a second hand one from a charity shop there riddled with them at a fiver a time.

Coffeekup

With Christmas coming and the decorations going up in the next week or 2, something to think about is lighting. My 2 x 200 led lights that decorate the tree every year cost me a tenner, I'm so keen to take em down on the 28/29th (bah humbug).

These people who decorate the front of their walls and garden's I appreciate their effort to making it look like it does, then think It's not in my budget to do something like that.

Sea_Shell

theoretica said:

Running the hot tap on autopilot but turning it off before you actually get hot water is pure waste of hot water into the pipes and I found an easy change to make - if I am going to wash my hands or rinse something in cold water it might as well come from the cold tap.

I use the hot tap, even if it takes a while to run though, or not at all.   Even if it doesn't and its still "cold", at least its room (house) temperature water (that's been sat in the pipes) and not stone cold water from the mains, especially this time of year!!!

There's cold, and then there is flippin cold!!   I'd rather not have blue fingers!!

So I'm going to keep doing it my way.


Caveated by, we're on a hot water cylinder system, so the water is sitting there.   The boiler isn't being triggered when we run the hot tap.

EssexHebridean

I’m on the same system for hot water but our bathroom cold taps are fed from a tank internal to the building rather than directly from the mains meaning it’s slightly less cold  - and I tend to want the hot water later in the day, if it had been used for multiple hand washes (20 seconds a time, obviously!) during the day my chances of getting a hot bath mid evening without needing to use the far more pricey boost would be slim at best! 😂

QrizB

LaHostessAvecLaMostess said:

Also, they're hardly small watch batteries unless your watch is absolutely monstrous.

CR2032 in my computer, same as my watch? Something like this:

Astria

If that's your watch battery, what watch do you have? It must be quite large.

A CR2032 is typically 20mm in diameter, where as my watch better is more like 6mm.

I don't think the battery in my cars key-fob is that big!

Reed_Richards

LaHostessAvecLaMostess said:

...Also, they're hardly small watch batteries unless your watch is absolutely monstrous.

Not the best English but here's what Panasonic have to say:

Lithium Coin CR2032 has certain achievements for devices where traditional batteries cannot be used. This battery can be used for memory back-up, digital watches, car keys, laser pens, fitness appliances and medical devices such as tensiometers and clinical thermometers.

Some people favour wearing monstrously large watches - not me though.