Frugal fuel tips

Slinky

Slinky said:

Sapindus said:

Slinky said:

When showering we turn off the water after wetting hair, shampoo, turn the shower back on to rinse, turn it off to wash the body (using a shower scrunchie which saves on bodywash), back on again to wash off the bodywash, job's a goodun.  

Can you not do shampoo and body wash in the same operation and save even more?

Ooh I could give it a try......just a bit concerned I'm going to get shampoo dripping in my eyes. Could try and remember to bodywash first, can see some shampoo on the scrunchie moments when I'm not paying attention!

Tried it this morning, body first then head. Got quite cold without the rinse between. May work better in the summer, I think I'll be sticking to my old routine for a while and may try again when it warms up a bit.

Slinky

Dragging this thread up again because I've just had my fuel bill for February. I've managed to reduce our electric consumption by over 2kw per day (even allowing for a shorter month), which doesn't sound much but if it was across a year would be over 700kw.  The main things I've changed are finding a much shorter 'quick' setting on the dishwasher, reducing washing time from 140 minutes to about 30, and filling the washing machine with spare hot water heated by the gas boiler using a watering can. It's no great hardship and I'll continue to do this even if the price of leccy and gas come down.

Gas is also down by a third from last month, a combination of a shorter month and we've turned a lot of the radiators down as we're not using rooms at the moment (building work going on).  The gas consumption will obviously go back up when we're able to use the rooms again, but hoping a new boiler will also help on that front.

Rosa_Damascena

Slinky said:

Dragging this thread up again because I've just had my fuel bill for February. I've managed to reduce our electric consumption by over 2kw per day (even allowing for a shorter month), which doesn't sound much but if it was across a year would be over 700kw.  The main things I've changed are finding a much shorter 'quick' setting on the dishwasher, reducing washing time from 140 minutes to about 30, and filling the washing machine with spare hot water heated by the gas boiler using a watering can. It's no great hardship and I'll continue to do this even if the price of leccy and gas come down.

Gas is also down by a third from last month, a combination of a shorter month and we've turned a lot of the radiators down as we're not using rooms at the moment (building work going on).  The gas consumption will obviously go back up when we're able to use the rooms again, but hoping a new boiler will also help on that front.

I managed to get my dual fuel bill down to a manageable £65 last month but I barely used the heating, was disinclined to move around the house and quite frankly felt miserable much of the time. 

The sleeping bag definitely helped during the day but was a bit of a PITA wrt comfort breaks.

otb666

@Slinky i was surprised when checking manual on dishwasher and washing machines that the eco ones were the longer washes Might be worth checking your manual

nannygladys

otb666 - funny enough I was checking my wm programs the other day thinking the eco programs would be fairly quick so less water but like you said each of the three programs are long, so I'm sticking with my quick washes, 14, 30 or 45 mins. It doesn't say in my manual how much water each program takes only how long.

joedenise

I have to admit I'm as concerned with how much water the WM and DW use as how much electric.  I use a quick wash on the darks but whites and bedding I just use a 40 degree wash with a fast spin speed to dry as much as possible.  I'm also line drying as much as possible so not having to use the TD.  Only used the TD to finish stuff off a few times over the winter, not at all for complete drying.  I just leave the washing to pile up for a while when the weather is horrible.

I had hoped to wash the bedding today but as it's raining again I'll leave it until tomorrow when it's forecast to be dry but if it isn't then it will wait another day or two!  As long as I can get is washed over the next week or so before the bed needs changing again it'll be fine!

I tend to do both whites and dark loads on the same day when the weather is good as I can easily get 2 machine loads on the line at the same time!

Pixiekazza

Most of my washing is done on the cheap rate electric, with the load as full as it can sensibly be. I don't have a TD so it's line dry or airers. I have a dehumidifier as well, which can go on when the cheap rate is on. If it's a sunny/ slightly windy and not raining day at this time of year I will do a couple of quick loads first thing just to get things dry.

When I was small our washing machine broke and we couldn't afford another one. Used to hand wash everything for years. Got given a spin dryer which was brilliant. Then we were given a twin tub - it was amazing! Wait for a sunny day. Heat up to hot, whites in first then work your way down to really dirty last. It wasn't something you'd use everyday as it took ages to fill up and heat the water. 

joedenise

I used to love my twin tub!  Unfortunately when it packed up automatics were what everyone went for so didn't get another!  However when we moved the new kitchen definitely didn't have enough room for a twin tub so I'd have had to replace it anyway!

Slinky

otb666 said:

@Slinky i was surprised when checking manual on dishwasher and washing machines that the eco ones were the longer washes Might be worth checking your manual

Somebody else has suggested it before, but the evidence so far suggests in our case that we're using less with the strategy we've adopted recently.  Won't be able to compare this month as builders are here making concrete on site with an electric mixer.

Topher

Pixiekazza said:

Most of my washing is done on the cheap rate electric, with the load as full as it can sensibly be. I don't have a TD so it's line dry or airers. I have a dehumidifier as well, which can go on when the cheap rate is on. 

May I ask what cheap rate electricity you use please? I’m trying to work something out.