How to live without heating - save £000s

House_owner

I am curious too about the washing situation and how do you get things dry - I was once without heating for about a month around November time and found it very difficult to get washing dry.

HertsLad

t0rt0ise said:

So much clothing to wash. I wonder how much money is spent on all the extra washing. Or does it never get washed? 

I think I mentioned this before...I only wash underwear, base layers plus a shirt or mid layer equivalent. The upper layers, including wool sweater, down jackets and fleece get washed once a year. How often do you wash your 'outdoor' coat? I don't even have the use of a washing machine because I refuse to use mains electricity until tariffs with no standing tariff are reintroduced. Martin Lewis was campaigning and it seems long overdue. So my laundry is washed by hand at home, or occasionally, I take a huge load to a lauderette and fill their largest machine. Earlier in the year, I washed a batch of base layers at a UK camp site where I was staying.

My general approach is to wear garments for much longer at home where I live alone. When I go out, I will put on cleaner, fresher clothes if I am close to other people such as on a bus, at the dentist or a barber. If I make a brief visit to a supermarket I don't care if I smell like a tramp. People can keep their distance. It has the advantage of keeping infections at bay, as during the Covid epidemic

HertsLad

House_owner said:

I am curious too about the washing situation and how do you get things dry - I was once without heating for about a month around November time and found it very difficult to get washing dry.

My best appliance is an old, spin dryer. It's much better than the spin cycle in most washing machines. I can also run it for a few minutes from my battery bank. The dryer gets clothes half way to being dry. Thin base layers hung up on a rack indoors will be completely dry in 48 hours, even at very low temperatures. A cotton shirt will take longer. It's best to hang these thicker items outdoors, especially on a windy day.

HertsLad

Here are the down trousers I am wearing at present. The cheapest are about £20 on aliexpress but I think these are the best type. Highly recommended if you want to stay warm.

kimwp

I dry my washing in an unheated room with a dehumidifier and clothes dry almost overnight. If I was looking to be more efficient, I'd get one of those heated airers.

(I do heat most of the rooms I live in)

RelievedSheff

HertsLad said:

t0rt0ise said:

So much clothing to wash. I wonder how much money is spent on all the extra washing. Or does it never get washed? 

I think I mentioned this before...I only wash underwear, base layers plus a shirt or mid layer equivalent. The upper layers, including wool sweater, down jackets and fleece get washed once a year. How often do you wash your 'outdoor' coat? I don't even have the use of a washing machine because I refuse to use mains electricity until tariffs with no standing tariff are reintroduced. Martin Lewis was campaigning and it seems long overdue. So my laundry is washed by hand at home, or occasionally, I take a huge load to a lauderette and fill their largest machine. Earlier in the year, I washed a batch of base layers at a UK camp site where I was staying.

My general approach is to wear garments for much longer at home where I live alone. When I go out, I will put on cleaner, fresher clothes if I am close to other people such as on a bus, at the dentist or a barber. If I make a brief visit to a supermarket I don't care if I smell like a tramp. People can keep their distance. It has the advantage of keeping infections at bay, as during the Covid epidemic

Do you not think all of this is a bit extreme to save a few quid on standing charges?

What exactly is it achieving other than making your life more difficult than it needs to be?

elsien

HertsLad already explained this earlier in the thread. It’s not just about the money saving aspects, If I remember correctly. 

masonic

RelievedSheff said:

HertsLad said:

t0rt0ise said:

So much clothing to wash. I wonder how much money is spent on all the extra washing. Or does it never get washed? 

I think I mentioned this before...I only wash underwear, base layers plus a shirt or mid layer equivalent. The upper layers, including wool sweater, down jackets and fleece get washed once a year. How often do you wash your 'outdoor' coat? I don't even have the use of a washing machine because I refuse to use mains electricity until tariffs with no standing tariff are reintroduced. Martin Lewis was campaigning and it seems long overdue. So my laundry is washed by hand at home, or occasionally, I take a huge load to a lauderette and fill their largest machine. Earlier in the year, I washed a batch of base layers at a UK camp site where I was staying.

My general approach is to wear garments for much longer at home where I live alone. When I go out, I will put on cleaner, fresher clothes if I am close to other people such as on a bus, at the dentist or a barber. If I make a brief visit to a supermarket I don't care if I smell like a tramp. People can keep their distance. It has the advantage of keeping infections at bay, as during the Covid epidemic

Do you not think all of this is a bit extreme to save a few quid on standing charges?
What exactly is it achieving other than making your life more difficult than it needs to be?

Standing charges are not insignificant. Though not through choice, I've foregone the gas standing charge of ~£125 per year owing to the fact I have no mains supply. I wouldn't manage without electricity, but heating at electricity prices is considerably more expensive, and something to be avoided if possible. So aside from times when electricity has plunged in price, I've managed without heating so far this year, but we've not had any really cold spells yet. Come what may I'd maintain an indoor temperature in double digits, but it would cost a lot more to maintain the 18+ that many aim for - I see no need for that. Ultimately it comes down to priorities, and some folk don't require the warmth all year round.

wrf12345

Standing charges, it ain't the money but the absolute level of the rip-off for low users and people compensate by using even less. This morning the weather forecast said it was going to below freezing for the next few day so I thought I would turn the gas back on at the mains to see if the CH was still going to work after a ten month holiday - and it did. Ran it for 30 minutes to get the two rooms I am heating up from 9 degrees to a balmy 14 degrees. Actually worked up a sweat as I was changing duvet covers and bedding whilst it was on. Checked the weather forecast again and the prediction was 5 degrees overnight for the next week. Obviously in cahoots with the energy companies. If I wasn't trying to sell the house I would have ditched the gas, too, although another advantage is that having gas to ditch is a requirement for heat pump grants, the new air-to-air ones might be appealing when the details emerge next month, although the warranties only hold up if you pay for a yearly service - wiping out the gas s/c savings. My six year oil boiler has had one DIY filter clean and a yearly gas tightness check by turning on at the meter and seeing if the three decimal place reading moves over an hour - it has not so far.

HertsLad

RelievedSheff said:

Do you not think all of this is a bit extreme to save a few quid on standing charges?

What exactly is it achieving other than making your life more difficult than it needs to be?

I did consider starting to use electricity again but mainly so I can very occasionally use high power gear, as for welding. But I decided to wait until the promised tariffs for no standing charge are introduced. When I was living 'normally' up until about 20 years ago, my electricity consumption was around 3kwh per day. At present, with about 15 solar panels, I am generating up to 1kwh per day., It's low because I have been lazy in terms of setting them up to face the sun. I am now installing hooks and rails on my house roof to move 10 panels up there. Perhaps this will generate almost 3kwh, even on a cloudy day in December. If not, I will increase the number of panels until it does. In summer, and perhaps Spring and Autumn, I should be able to start using my washing machine and dehumidifier again, plus other appliances. My present plan is to have up to 26 solar panels, all facing the sun at different times of the day