Living with little or without household energy??

[Deleted User]

We had no power at all for ten days back in November/December due to Storm Arwen. As I say above we have woodburners which were so useful in this time. But we managed just fine without gas and electricity - we quickly got used to it, made the most of daylight hours and generally made the best of it. We weren’t hermits, miserable or smelling revolting.

I know many people who live in houses that are still off grid with no GCH and no electricity here in our rural farming community. Our homes are cosy due to our fires and these people do not live a miserable existence at all - In many ways they are some of the happiest people I know as they are totally unaffected by outside factors such as huge price hikes.

emmajones1976

Deleted_User said:

We had no power at all for ten days back in November/December due to Storm Arwen. As I say above we have woodburners which were so useful in this time. But we managed just fine without gas and electricity - we quickly got used to it, made the most of daylight hours and generally made the best of it. We weren’t hermits, miserable or smelling revolting.

I know many people who live in houses that are still off grid with no GCH and no electricity here in our rural farming community. Our homes are cosy due to our fires and these people do not live a miserable existence at all - In many ways they are some of the happiest people I know as they are totally unaffected by outside factors such as huge price hikes.

Try doing that in a modern build with no fireplace etc, its not a feasible solution.

[Deleted User]

I appreciate  that without wood burners it would be a lot more difficult. I don’t dispute that. However your sweeping statements are rather rude and show a very limited understanding of how an awful lot of people live.  Many, many people in modern homes do not run the heating simply because they cannot afford it. A lot of those people will have got used to that and would not class their existence as miserable - we just get on with life and don’t moan!

The OP is clearly trying to make a positive impact on their finances by reducing energy consumption. Please only post to encourage not to upset. 

emmajones1976

Deleted_User said:

I appreciate  that without wood burners it would be a lot more difficult. I don’t dispute that. However your sweeping statements are rather rude and show a very limited understanding of how an awful lot of people live.  Many, many people in modern homes do not run the heating simply because they cannot afford it. A lot of those people will have got used to that and would not class their existence as miserable - we just get on with life and don’t moan!

The OP is clearly trying to make a positive impact on their finances by reducing energy consumption. Please only post to encourage not to upset. 

There is a different between not running the heating and turning the fridges off, freezers off, having weekly showers etc. Nobody should be encouraging it.

I already suggested her entire financial situation needs looking at.

EmrysWyllt

emmajones1976 said:

TheAble said:

Washing in rainwater. What a way to start the day hey? 

I mean I know this site is about moneysaving but I do hope that suggestion wasnt serious.

That isnt living, its merely existing, absolutely ridiculous.

Sadly many folk can only get by with just existing. It isn’t a choice for them. 

diminua

Can you all work in the same room? The only practical way I can think of to save a lot of energy is to focus on keeping one room warm and lit - all your body heat and the heat thrown out by the computers will go into that room too, and then it's about insulation - draught excluders, blankets, always keep the door closed, close the curtains the moment it starts to get dark, wear jumpers. If you can fit the kettle and fridge in that room so much the better - fridges throw out heat and the heat from boiling the kettle won't be wasted. I don't know if 90% is realistic I'm afraid, so you may have to make cuts elsewhere, but that would save quite a lot of energy. 

And try not to blame yourselves - you say you've bought a place you could never have afforded, but it sounds like if the pandemic hadn't hit you probably could have just about afforded it - you've been unlucky with the timing, that's all. 

emmajones1976

EmrysWyllt said:

emmajones1976 said:

TheAble said:

Washing in rainwater. What a way to start the day hey? 

I mean I know this site is about moneysaving but I do hope that suggestion wasnt serious.

That isnt living, its merely existing, absolutely ridiculous.

Sadly many folk can only get by with just existing. It isn’t a choice for them. 

My point being sites like this really shouldnt be encouraging it but clearly my opinion differs from everyone else so you can all feel free to crack on, I'm done. 

[Deleted User]

My children and I shower weekly,  we strip wash in between. Again, I know many many people for whom this is the norm and do not understand why it is seen by you as being such a revolting option. People have had ‘Sunday baths’ for centuries; we are seemingly a generation obsessed with being clean!

We will have to agree to disagree but remember we all live differently and what suits one might not suit another. 

EmrysWyllt

emmajones1976 said:

LadOnTheHill said:

emmajones1976 said:

LadOnTheHill said:

emmajones1976 said:

I mean if people want to go the whole hog here they may as well suggest the OP sells up, uses the computers in the local library to work every day, and then heads down to the subway to sleep every night under some cardboard boxes.

Do you have any useful suggestions or help for the OP to save the 90% on their energy bills that they intend to save?

Pointing out the difficulties of doing so by using a ridiculous example of how to do it will hopefully make it clear to the OP  that it's a fools errand. For the sake of clarity, I was not, in fact, seriously suggesting that the OP use rainwater to save money on their energy bills. Does that set your mind at rest?

No, because I think cutting usage by 90% is inpossible unless you want to smell revolting, live like a hermit, not get enough light and generally have a throughly miserable existence. Nobody should be suggesting ways to achieve this as imo its irresponsible.

So, the huge amounts of people who do this because they have to "smell revolting, live like hermits, get insufficient light and have thoroughly miserable existences". That's a very privileged statement to make. Throughout human history, the vast majority of people have had to live without electricity or gas. Significant parts of the human population of this planet still do. Your characterisation of people who have no choice is bigoted and obnoxious. I am glad I am not the OP being faced with such rudeness. Not only are you not attempting to help, you are actively attacking them.

Your narrow mindedness saddens me.

It isnt an attack at all. My point was that nobody should be actively encouraging people to cut 90% of the energy and end up having to live this way 

There is another thread where someone had described how they live this way and they have been piled on for even starting the thread.

I have helped the OP by suggesting their issues are bigger than just their energy bill and to look at their entire financial situation. I certainly wont be encouraging them to cut their energy usage by 90% and live a throughly miserable existence as a result.

Nor have I been abusive, unlike yourself.

Oh please.. Firstly the OP has chosen to live beyond their means. What about downsizing? Lad on the Hill was obviously not suggesting they did what he posted. Many people have to just exist, many live on handouts. Some people, me included, have had to live rough in the past and just survive day by day. 

He speaks truth in that many millions still live without the benefit of electric or gas supply. 

As a nation we have become to reliant on having it all. If you can’t afford your lifestyle then change it. 

theoretica

emmajones1976 said:

LadOnTheHill said:

emmajones1976 said:

I mean if people want to go the whole hog here they may as well suggest the OP sells up, uses the computers in the local library to work every day, and then heads down to the subway to sleep every night under some cardboard boxes.

Do you have any useful suggestions or help for the OP to save the 90% on their energy bills that they intend to save?

Pointing out the difficulties of doing so by using a ridiculous example of how to do it will hopefully make it clear to the OP  that it's a fools errand. For the sake of clarity, I was not, in fact, seriously suggesting that the OP use rainwater to save money on their energy bills. Does that set your mind at rest?

No, because I think cutting usage by 90% is inpossible unless you want to smell revolting, live like a hermit, not get enough light and generally have a throughly miserable existence. Nobody should be suggesting ways to achieve this as imo its irresponsible.

Depends on your starting point and your imagination of different ways to live.

Swap electrically heated showers for washing in gas boiler heated water = bill savings of 75%+ or whatever the price difference is.  Bigger savings if you use less water, as you do when visiting places with a serious water shortage.

Swapping lightbulbs can give savings of 90%+

Considerable savings, very little additional misery to existence...