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MSE Guide: Energy Saving Tips

13

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  • NNI
    NNI Posts: 12 Forumite
    Third Anniversary 10 Posts
    We unplugged our very old chest freezer at the back of the garage (and ditched most of what was in it) and have halved our electricity usage.
    Now just need to get the Council to uplift it.
  • Millennium
    Millennium Posts: 64 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 9 November 2022 at 11:35AM
    APOLOGIES ALL

    It appears that my energy meter is faulty so please ignore the results below.

    I have a new meter and the washing machine and tumble dryer draw 0.4w in standby which upon further investigation is the EU's current target for standby equipment.  0.4w works out to about £1.20/year which I can live with!
    I will do further readings with my working meter and post my results!

    There are some great energy saving tips here and provided by the likes of the Energy Savings Trust, but I decided to invest in an energy meter (a Brennenstuhl PM 230 for transparency) and take a few readings myself!  I was very surprised by some of the results.  If someone from MSE would like a copy of my spreadsheet I will be happy to share.

    For appliances that are on/in standby (but not in use) I took the watt reading (spot rate) as this is likely to be a consistent value.  I did wait a few minutes before taking the readings in case there is more draw at startup.

    The first surprise.  The microwave.  It's a Bosch with no clock or digital display, and has two knobs, one for power and one for the timer.  All very simple.  I cannot find a model number on it but it looks like a Bosch HMT72G450B.  Power consumption when idle, 11.8w.  This doesn't sound much, but that equates to £35 per year!

    Other surprises.
    The washing machine, current model, electronic is drawing 25.85w in standby.  £77 per year.  The tumble dryer (yes - I know!) 11.85w and £35 per year.  The most expensive drying cycle I measured was 17p.  The standby rate works out at about 10p per day, meaning that 2 days on standby is more expensive that running it!

    Power supplies that tend to power house telephones tend to be around 9w (£28 per year) and seem to remain at 9w where or not there is a phone in the cradle to charge.

    The dishwasher is measured at 14.5w (£43) about 12p per day while running an Eco load costs 27p per run and an Auto 38p.  So again, it's not running it that costs the money!  I also measured the dishwasher's power consumption with the machine 'off' but plugged in, and 'on' but not running - i.e. just the display was illuminated.  Both states measured at 14.5w.

    Nespresso machine, 12w, £35.  bread maker, 16w £47.50 per year.

    I have more data if anyone would like to know!!

    Has anyone else taken any similar measurements?  Needless to say everything is now switched off at the plug when not in use!
     
  • Has anyone else taken any similar measurements?  Needless to say everything is now switched off at the plug when not in use!
     
    I have measured our microwave, washing machine, phone, all of which are old, none registered a draw on my meter (it goes down to 0.1W).  The fairly new TV measures nothing either, kettle nothing.  Everything that can be turned off at the plug except the washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher (can't access the plug for that) are turned off at the plug anyway though.
    I have now left the meter on the washing machine while it's not being used to see if it registers any cumulative use over a few days, just to check.  I'll then do that for the phone because it obviously IS powering it, but if it really is less than 0.1W that's certainly minimal for something that needs to stay plugged in.  I'll also check the tumble dryer at some point.

    Shockingly my wheelchair battery charger measures 2.1W empty, and 9.2W with the battery in and fully charged!  So that stays turned off at the plug now, as soon as I notice the battery has finished charging.  Phone chargers measure no draw.
  • Has anyone else taken any similar measurements?  Needless to say everything is now switched off at the plug when not in use!
     
    I have measured our microwave, washing machine, phone, all of which are old, none registered a draw on my meter (it goes down to 0.1W).  The fairly new TV measures nothing either, kettle nothing.  Everything that can be turned off at the plug except the washing machine, tumble dryer and dishwasher (can't access the plug for that) are turned off at the plug anyway though.
    I have now left the meter on the washing machine while it's not being used to see if it registers any cumulative use over a few days, just to check.  I'll then do that for the phone because it obviously IS powering it, but if it really is less than 0.1W that's certainly minimal for something that needs to stay plugged in.  I'll also check the tumble dryer at some point.

    Shockingly my wheelchair battery charger measures 2.1W empty, and 9.2W with the battery in and fully charged!  So that stays turned off at the plug now, as soon as I notice the battery has finished charging.  Phone chargers measure no draw.
    Thanks for your reply Spoonie!

    I am surprised at my results so I am interested in what others have to say.  New regulations means that plug sockets have to be accessible or there must be a suitable switch to turn off appliances.  My kitchen is quite new so I have accessible sockets just inside cupboard doors which supple the dishwasher etc and the built in fridge has a switch on the wall above it.

    I will be measuring devices that don't have a constant power drawer but that will mean measuring over 24 hours or so and doing a calculation.
  • A lot less technical:  when I moved into my Victorian conversion flat, I had the original single-glazed, rattling sash windows. I saved up to buy triple-glazed sashes, which are outstanding on noise and warmth. (That’s not the tip!)

    While I had the single-glazed sashes, I used bubble wrap, cut into lengths, and rolled tightly (like a pencil’s circumference).  I then used a flat-headed screwdriver to feed/wedge the bubble wrap rolls into the gaps all the way around the sashes. Two immediate benefits:

    (1) draughts inbound and heat outbound through the gaps were stopped, and

    (2) the rattling stopped, so it was lovely (especially at night) to have some quiet!

    You could use brush draughty excluder on strips.  You have to pay for them and they sometimes get in the way when opening and closing the sash. Bubble wrap: leave a bit sticking out and you just pull it out of the way when you’re opening the windows. Which you should be doing every day (opening the windows, that is), unless it’s freezing outside. 

    One other comment on managing water temperature at the boiler controls.  Don’t go too low: the temperature at which legionella (the bacteria which causes legionnaire’s disease) is killed, according to the Health & Safety Executive, in a hot water system is 60 degrees. Ouch. 
  • Slow cookers will massively reduce your electricity consumption. 

    There was also a point in the main guide about cooling food before refrigeration. The Food Standards Agency recommends that you decant the hot/warm food into containers which you then stand in a larger container filled with cold water, to speed the cooling process.  I use open Tupperware boxes and stand them in cold water in eg my roasting tins and Pyrex dishes.  It’s safer and ensures that the food goes into the fridge (with lid attached) sooner and at a colder temperature, which uses less electricity. 

    Also- if you have a partially full freezer, consider scrunching up newspaper and shoving that into the empty spaces, or put 80% full plastic bottles of water or ice packs back into the freezer to reduce the amount of air you’re cooling each time you open the door. 

  • I’m on a roll: for single-glazed windows, you can buy a film (looks like cling film) which you tape over the panes of glass. It looks floppy, but the magic happens when you apply heat using a hairdryer. The film goes taut, and acts as an extra layer of glazing. I used this in various student flats in the 1980s, and it really did make a noticeable difference in warmth retention. 
  • PLEASE REMOVE TIP NUMBER 37, leaving a bath to cool down.This is dangerous. Children and some adults can and have drowned in baths left unattended. Standing water can be lethal, it is like having an unguarded pond indide your home
  • Buy a carpet sweeper and a good dustpan and brush.  I rarely hoover now (once a month? VIPs coming?) But always running the electricity-free sweeper round the house; dustpan and brush for edges and stairs! It warms me up too!
  • Instead of a bath, take a shower. And instead of a shower try an old fashioned strip-wash at the sink. Fill your sink with hot water. Stand on a bath mat. Using a flannel start with face and neck. Dry. Then armpits. Feet, and other smelly bits last, drying as you go. Throw flannel in the wash. Invigorating,  clean and minimal use of water and towel. 
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