Frugal fuel tips

joedenise

cornishchick said:

A while back, I noticed my gas oven needed a new gasket and sparker thing!  Minimum cost approx £80 including labour. 
A new mini electric oven was £30 on sale. so I brought one as I also live on my own. Best thing I did. The gas oven is used as storage lol and along with the mini-oven, my slow cooker, microwave and air fryer, I have cut my consumption of energy right down.
 I was given a small TV by my daughter so once I have eaten and cleaned up I go to bed and watch tv or read. so my Heating goes on for a max of 30 minutes a day. and only if I feel cold. I find the actual temperature doesn't equate to how cold I feel .

I so agree with this.  Sometimes when we get up in the morning the temperature is showing as 16 degrees but it certainly doesn't feel cold whereas in the evening it can be showing 19 degrees and not feel particularly warm!

Well done on getting the mini oven rather than spending to get the gas oven repaired.  It certainly makes sense for you being on your own.

Rosa_Damascena

I am constantly amazed that we don't make more of solar power in this country by having systems that store and release it. When the sun shines all that energy goes to waste and here we are facing £3.5k bills by the end of the year. I still don't understand how it's going to be affordable.

Cherryfudge

Interesting about actual temperatures not equating to how one feels - I agree. We live in a mid-terrace so the sides of the house aren't affected by the weather, but on windy or wet days the house seems colder.

I've just remembered something from when my children were tots and I was anxious they didn't feel too cold at night. I'd give them socks with their pyjamas and over the top of both socks and pyjamas would go a too-big pair of socks. (I'd buy them when on offer, to grow into). The layering helped keep them warmer, of course, but socks over pyjamas - and almost up to the knee - stay on better than a single pair of socks. Hope that helps someone.

nannygladys

Cherryfudge - a few years ago I bought a pack of lovely fluffy socks from primarni, but I could not get my shoes or boots on (well it made them too tight) so when I had cold feet in winter I put them on and my feet were toasty I'm still wearing them every winter still, it was a pack of two pairs so I've definitely had my monies worth

tooldle

Rosa_Damascena said:

I am constantly amazed that we don't make more of solar power in this country by having systems that store and release it. When the sun shines all that energy goes to waste and here we are facing £3.5k bills by the end of the year. I still don't understand how it's going to be affordable.

Batteries are recommended, although it is possible to instal panels and not have batteries.

Rosa_Damascena

tooldle said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

I am constantly amazed that we don't make more of solar power in this country by having systems that store and release it. When the sun shines all that energy goes to waste and here we are facing £3.5k bills by the end of the year. I still don't understand how it's going to be affordable.

Batteries are recommended, although it is possible to instal panels and not have batteries.

I think the solution has to be national, and well beyond what we have at the moment. 

tooldle

Rosa_Damascena said:

tooldle said:

Rosa_Damascena said:

I am constantly amazed that we don't make more of solar power in this country by having systems that store and release it. When the sun shines all that energy goes to waste and here we are facing £3.5k bills by the end of the year. I still don't understand how it's going to be affordable.

Batteries are recommended, although it is possible to instal panels and not have batteries.

I think the solution has to be national, and well beyond what we have at the moment. 

There is a huge amount of research ongoing in the area of solar energy and energy storage. Everything I’m aware of could not be described as a national solution. Mostly research is looking at energy generation from structures/materials we already have, examples being window glass, cladding panels etc. This makes a great deal of sense when targeting ‘net zero’ Similarly alternative battery chemistries and super capacitor materials are being explored. 

Elisheba

I think everyone going online to put in their pre-increase meter readings has broken the system!  Just tried to log on to Shell to check a couple of things (I'm on a smart meter so not unduly worried about my readings) and couldn't log on, although I tried 2 or 4 times.  Never had a problem before!

joedenise

I'm with EDF and the same has happened.  They've put a message on now saying just send a meter reading in the next few days and they will estimate what the reading should be up to end of today.  I have kept a note of my readings and will be trying again over the next couple of days.

Brambling

I'm with M&S which uses octopus- I had issues entering my readings tonight but it did let me do it after about 20 minutes their message was it didn't have to be today and we had until midnight Saturday to log it.  They advised taking photo and asked if you were on a fixed or smart meeting to try again at a later date