It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

TheBanker

Here's an interesting observation...

I had Smart Meters fitted earlier in the summer and I've been taking a close interest in my energy use since then.

My gas usage is so low it hardly registers. Obviously the heating's not on, and I don't use much gas heated hot water as my shower's electric. My main gas use is cooking at this time of year.

Last week, I used my slow cooker to make a stew on one of the days I was working from home, and that day was my highest ever day of electricity use. I didn't do anything else like washing or hoovering that would account for higher usage on that day. 

So on that basis the slow cooker's gone back in the cupboard and the gas cooker will be used next time I want a stew! The only benefit I can see of the slow cooker is that it can be left to do its stuff when I'm not here. 

enkeltliv

According to my smart meter over the summer my slow cooker uses 5p of electric an hour on the slower setting and 7p an hour on the highest. It does accumulate and one of the reasons why I fashioned up a thermal cooking box. 

Would the gas cooker costings be around 30p to do the job?

arnoldy

enkeltliv said:

According to my smart meter over the summer my slow cooker uses 5p of electric an hour on the slower setting and 7p an hour on the highest. It does accumulate and one of the reasons why I fashioned up a thermal cooking box. 

Would the gas cooker costings be around 30p to do the job?

Many people use the slow cooker for far too long a time - 8,10 even 12 hours. 

Even for a beef stew using shin 5-6 hours is usually more than enough for very tender. Using a slow cooker for the correct time can halve your energy costs. As a slow cooker does 6 portions, you can cook food for 5p a portion. A thermal cooking box is an excellent response to managing energy costs too. Hence no need for this "I can't afford to cook" which is good.

Rosa_Damascena

I need to catch up on something like 2k posts but am glad to see the thread is thriving and am looking forward to the cost-cutting ideas.

Things are about to get really dire here, I've cut down on food radically and think I am actually going to have to start cooking (just a vat of soup a week, nothing fancy but also nothing that costs a fortune either). I just want a normal life with simple pleasures and I have realised that baking will be a luxury I won't be able to afford. How the other 28.3 million households are going to manage is beyond me!

basketcase

arnoldy said:

enkeltliv said:

According to my smart meter over the summer my slow cooker uses 5p of electric an hour on the slower setting and 7p an hour on the highest. It does accumulate and one of the reasons why I fashioned up a thermal cooking box. 

Would the gas cooker costings be around 30p to do the job?

Many people use the slow cooker for far too long a time - 8,10 even 12 hours. 

Even for a beef stew using shin 5-6 hours is usually more than enough for very tender. Using a slow cooker for the correct time can halve your energy costs. As a slow cooker does 6 portions, you can cook food for 5p a portion. A thermal cooking box is an excellent response to managin@arkonite_babe nergy costs too. Hence no need for this "I can't afford to cook" which is good.

Agreed, @arnoldy - although it does pre-suppose they'd know about a thermal box and how to use it.  Also that the person already, has or can afford to buy, a slow-cooker and/or a thermal box of some sort (or the knowledge and ability to make one.  And the supplies - eg do they have spare blankets etc for insulation?.  And even that they can afford the energy for the initial heating of the food...

Speaking of which, can the initial heating be done in a microwave?

BTW, in case this comes across as a criticism, it wasn't meant that way.  Through no fault of my own, I've been in a position of both feeling sick when then the brown envelope dropped through the door and having my prepayment meter run out - including the 'emergency'.  I never want to be in that position again, but I remember that nausea and despair like it was yesterday. I'm angry and distressed that anyone else should be going through that too.

enkeltliv

@basketcase my sentiments exactly and a wonderful post. We all have had to learn these things, whether via elders of the home or by our own fruition through hobby or need. 

Sure there will be many a person looking for ways to make their ends meet, starting their learning journey now and having to act and think fast. 

Forum blether could well be the start of coping for someone. 

basketcase

@enkeltliv

Agree with you 100%.  I've certainly found many useful things.

Actually, one thing that struck me was that the insulation could be the blankets and pillows off the beds, which would warm them through for night time.  Do you think that would work?

enkeltliv

I see no reason why not. It's all just about keeping the heat around the pot. I know @Si_Clist uses a bean bag over the top of their one. Towels, cardboard, wool, fleece, polystyrene packaging could well work too, even a couple of things together. 

To start off the cooking process a person could go outdoors, use a tin like a metal, must be metal, biscuit tin or Roses tin, start a small contained fire. Use dried sticks, some tumble dryer lint, some dried pinecones etc and a wire shelf out of the oven or cooling rack to support the pan. Be as safe as possible though. A person can buy a Kelly Kettle and/or and small fire powered stove to rest a pan upon but the point is, those aren't needed if the funds aren't there. 

I am fully aware that there could now be a slew of comments about health and safety following this post. The caveat is be safe, be aware, research and practise. I'd far rather get the knowledge out there than be concerned over some forum negativity. I hope to help a person just starting out. I am aware that this is basic knowledge but that is my point.

halfamo

basketcase said:

Agreed, @arnoldy - although it does pre-suppose they'd know about a thermal box and how to use it.  Also that the person already, has or can afford to buy, a slow-cooker and/or a thermal box of some sort (or the knowledge and ability to make one.  And the supplies - eg do they have spare blankets etc for insulation?.  And even that they can afford the energy for the initial heating of the food...

Speaking of which, can the initial heating be done in a microwave?

I don't think it could be started in the microwave.  I have a thermal cooker and you need to get your contents upto a good rolling boil before packing it away.  It's about a minimum of 10 minutes on the heat. Microwaves do heat well but the heat falls away really quickly when you take out the food. 

You can cook certain things in a vacuum flask....
When we tent camped we made thermal outers for the pots so we could heat something through, put the pot in its outer  and cook something else while that continued on its own..  We used foiled bubble wrap and sticky tape to make the outers. You could also use ordinary bubble wrap if you put a layer of foil round first as the foil is just to protect the plastic bubble wrap  from melting.

basketcase

halfamo said:

basketcase said:

Agreed, @arnoldy - although it does pre-suppose they'd know about a thermal box and how to use it.  Also that the person already, has or can afford to buy, a slow-cooker and/or a thermal box of some sort (or the knowledge and ability to make one.  And the supplies - eg do they have spare blankets etc for insulation?.  And even that they can afford the energy for the initial heating of the food...

Speaking of which, can the initial heating be done in a microwave?

I don't think it could be started in the microwave.  I have a thermal cooker and you need to get your contents upto a good rolling boil before packing it away.  It's about a minimum of 10 minutes on the heat. Microwaves do heat well but the heat falls away really quickly when you take out the food.

I thought that might be the case.

You can cook certain things in a vacuum flask....

Off to google...!

When we tent camped we made thermal outers for the pots so we could heat something through, put the pot in its outer  and cook something else while that continued on its own..  We used foiled bubble wrap and sticky tape to make the outers. You could also use ordinary bubble wrap if you put a layer of foil round first as the foil is just to protect the plastic bubble wrap  from melting.

And another basic question.  What sort of pot do you use - eg does it have to be airtight?