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How to live without heating - save £000s

edited 24 February 2022 at 4:10PM in Energy
777 replies 76.8K views
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  • edited 11 February 2022 at 5:44PM
    BUFFBUFF Forumite
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    edited 11 February 2022 at 5:44PM
    Astria said:
    I guess in these kinds of temperatures mentioned above that a fridge is not really required, but in some cases you would still need a freezer, and will a freezer actually work properly when the ambient air is 2c ?

    I haven't used a freezer in my house in ~10 years so, no, they aren't necessary for an individual (probably makes more sense for a family, though).
  • Gerry1Gerry1 Forumite
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    BUFF said:
    Astria said:
    I guess in these kinds of temperatures mentioned above that a fridge is not really required, but in some cases you would still need a freezer, and will a freezer actually work properly when the ambient air is 2c ?

    I haven't used a freezer in my house in ~10 years so, no, they aren't necessary for an individual (probably makes more sense for a family, though).
    You're missing out a fair bit.  Great for keeping sliced bread fresh, as well as avoiding the need for daily shopping trips.
  • EssexHebrideanEssexHebridean Forumite
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    And, in the last couple of years, making sure you have enough food to get you through 14/10/7/5 or whatever the latest number of days isolation is! 
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  • PennineAcutePennineAcute Forumite
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    Around March last year, my 12 year old fridge freezer gave up the ghost.  I could not afford a new one, so bought a second hand fridge to keep me going.  Elec consumption fell around 1 kWh a day.  Over the summer, I then bought a new fridge freezer and noticed very little difference in energy consumption.  If a fridge freezer is not an essential for an individual, but has around the same runnning costs as a fridge, I'll take the luxury anytime.
  • BUFFBUFF Forumite
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    Gerry1 said:
    You're missing out a fair bit.  Great for keeping sliced bread fresh, as well as avoiding the need for daily shopping trips.
    I neither have a problem with bread going stale nor do I do daily shopping trips.
    In short, it works for me but ymmv.
  • FreeBearFreeBear Forumite
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    Gerry1 said:
    BUFF said:
    Astria said:
    I guess in these kinds of temperatures mentioned above that a fridge is not really required, but in some cases you would still need a freezer, and will a freezer actually work properly when the ambient air is 2c ?

    I haven't used a freezer in my house in ~10 years so, no, they aren't necessary for an individual (probably makes more sense for a family, though).
    You're missing out a fair bit.  Great for keeping sliced bread fresh, as well as avoiding the need for daily shopping trips.
    Never bothered to keep bread in the freezer. A small loaf lasts me 4-5 days, and then I make a fresh one. Don't have much space in the freezer anyway as it is full of paper.

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  • HertsLadHertsLad Forumite
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    pallyman said:

    You should change your name to Ebenezer Scrooge.
    Thank you for your opinion. Taken with many or most of the other comments, I assume the majority of people are so affluent, they really don't need to bother about heating costs and simply can't understand why anyone would go to such extremes. And that's within a community of money-savers so you would think the average member here is more frugal than the average person in the UK.

    If everyone reduced their heating to 16C, then it would probably have a significant impact on reducing carbon. But it's like almost everyone relishes their warm homes and are not about to turn down the heating. Fuel poverty with a risk of more people dying? It's not our problem! So what if heating costs have just gone up by around 50%. We should simply accept it and get on with life. 
  • edited 12 February 2022 at 12:46PM
    GingerTimGingerTim Forumite
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    edited 12 February 2022 at 12:46PM
    HertsLad said:
    Tsaid:

    You should change your name to Ebenezer Scrooge.
    Thank you for your opinion. Taken with many or most of the other comments, I assume the majority of people are so affluent, they really don't need to bother about heating costs and simply can't understand why anyone would go to such extremes. And that's within a community of money-savers so you would think the average member here is more frugal than the average person in the UK.

    If everyone reduced their heating to 16C, then it would probably have a significant impact on reducing carbon. But it's like almost everyone relishes their warm homes and are not about to turn down the heating. Fuel poverty with a risk of more people dying? It's not our problem! So what if heating costs have just gone up by around 50%. We should simply accept it and get on with life. 
    There is a world of difference between being so affluent as not to care about the cost of heating, taking reasonable measures to stay warm (which I would suggest the majority on here take), and going to your sort of extreme measures which sound thoroughly miserable, and will be actively dangerous for many.

    They work for you - great! But I'm surprised that you are surprised the responses here have been as they are. I doubt what you put up with is endurable by but a tiny number of people in the UK, let alone on this board. There's money saving, and there's cutting off your nose to spite your face.

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