Simple living in the country - back to basics

dawnybabes

My aunty was saying she’s a plug in foot warmer under her desk in winter and a dressing gown over her clothes - the combination means she’s toastie 

badmemory

What seems to be difficult to work out is whether one small electrical gadget is cheaper to use than a larger usage gas central heating boiler which is only on a short while at a time & is cheaper per Kw.

Cheery_Daff

That does indeed sound extremely toasty! 

I confess I struggle to work without proper shoes on 😂😂 Ridiculous, I know, and if I'm just reading or something it's fine, but I can't teach or contribute to meetings or do intelligent things in a pair of slippers 😂

I've also had a hot water bottle on my knee while working at home all the way through the summer, including the heat wave, and I think only had two nights when I didn't have one in bed. I generally run pretty cold! (I did have an ex boyfriend who insisted I should be able to have better control over my own body temperature... 🙄)

Left my fleecy gillet thing in the bathroom, must go and get it, I'm already feeling cold. 

Anyway, meter monitoring continues here, and apparently yesterday we used 6.7kwh - why?? Only used that much when we've had the oven on previously. Most mysterious. No washing machine (hoping to get it in place today), no oven, no shower (which isn't electric anyway). We were both in all day with both computers on. Friend came round for tea, but Mr Cheery did most of that in the hay box 😂 Maybe I just made about a million cups of tea?! 

Anyway, been reading this thought provoking thread

 https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6379621/oct-price-cap-increase-likely-to-push-energy-bill-to-over-10k-for-a-family-of-4/p53

Someone posting about costs of energy use, realising theirs was actually really high usage, and going on a mission to find the culprits. Interesting, and I'm about to order an energy monitor plug thing so I can start being even more vigilant...

Elisheba

I was the same last February, Cheery, when I decided I really needed to take a look at my energy use.  Lights left on everywhere, I would keep them and the heating on when I went out just for the dog and cats.  I just never really thought about how to be thrifty with energy other than an annual game with myself to see how late I could leave turning on the heating.  And this was with me worried about the environment and carbon and everything else.  Its amazing how much less I used as soon as I took a look at what I was doing.

South_coast

Cheery_Daff said:

I confess I struggle to work without proper shoes on 😂😂

I can't eat with glasses on 🤷‍♀️ We are irrational beings!

themadvix

South_coast said:

Cheery_Daff said:

I confess I struggle to work without proper shoes on 😂😂

I can't eat with glasses on 🤷‍♀️ We are irrational beings!

And I wouldn’t be able to see my food without my glasses on! 😂

Cheery_Daff

😂😂 I can't eat with loud music on 😂 well, I can, but I find it difficult. I remember a housemate once cooked us dinner then put some kind of rave music on as we sat down - most off-putting! 😱😂

Energy monitor ordered, I struggled to find the one mentioned in the other thread for less than £25 - it was out of stock in most places, and others couldn't deliver for a month. Clearly everyone has the same idea... I've gone with one that just gives you the figures on a display on the screen itself, rather than a smart plug which needs an app. Should be here by the end of the week. 

I don't think we've got anything particularly power hungry here. Fridge was new last year, and oven (although it's a fan oven and induction hob, so interesting to see). Freezer is ancient, but it's only a small under counter one. Washing machine not even plugged in yet, 9 years old so likely not great but it does have an eco setting and at any rate is probably better than the old 20 year old one!

Will be interested to see electric heaters, dehumidifier, laptop/screen set up for work etc.

Right, work. Mr Cheery's friend is arriving after midnight tonight (!) So I won't be part of the welcoming committee 😂 Does mean I've got the evening to do stuff though:

* Happy wheel
* pay garage bill
* get mouse trap in loft if Mr Cheery hasn't done it this afternoon
* maybe an hour of scything, although it's quite windy which usually makes it harder than it needs to be
* get the epilator out for a bit 🙄 
* maybe get the brim on Mr Cheery's new hat

Some combination of some of those things at least!

Cheery_Daff

New washing machine is in! We've put it on a 15 minute wash to check it doesn't leak or explode 😱😂 Three minutes left and no signs of disaster so far, touch wood...

Cheery_Daff

Well, no disasters! Clothes seem washed and pretty well spun (that cycle only has an 800rpm spin - the machine goes up to 1400).

Need to investigate settings for energy efficiency and time etc, and obviously I'm be plugging in my little energy monitor when it arrives, but so far pleased! Especially as it was free 😂😂

Cheery_Daff

Well, as usual not much got done off that list 🙄😂

Did the Happy Wheel. Another £18 down today, meaning I'm down about £110 overall so far in September 😱😱 Can't really complain as I was up £400 in August, and so far this year the only other month I've been down is January, when I paid the annual membership and then didn't play at all 🙄 Still, hoping it turns round soon!

Did get the epilator out, that's what took most of the evening 😂

Did a bit of tidying in the new bedroom, it's an absolute tip 🙄 I've done a pre-sort, so we now have piles of bedding, coats, towels, clothes, etc. Should be easier to do little spurts of putting things away though. 

Spoke to my mum, she's coming to visit on Saturday, so I'll get her out in the hay field helping to clear some more of it. 

Mr Cheery's friend will arrive in a couple of hours, bed etc is prepared. Working at home tomorrow, docs at lunchtime. Mr Cheery is going to his dad's on Friday - I might not go with him if my mum's coming on Saturday - I'd like a bit of time to get stuff done here (and a bit of time to myself - had a flurry of visitors lately).

We'll see...