anyone tried a No-Leccy/Lo-Leccy day?

LisbonLaura

We have solar electric only, does that count?

ravylesley

JenniO wrote: »

I have a lo leccy day nearly every day except for the computer! I hardly ever put the tv on. We have oil lamps and candles in every room. i only fill the kettle in the morning and have a flask of tea throughout the day. i listen to my wind up radios in the bedroom and kitchen. it makes for cozy evenings tucked up with my OH in bed with the candles and classic FM on in the background.......um, just talking of course.

Leccy bills have gone from £38 pm to £22. that adds up throughout the year as a decent savings and its been fun and a challenge.

jen

Whilst I commend your ingenuity and tenacity I have to say that cutting the leccy bills by just £16 a month despite all those sacrifices I personally would keep the leccy on and be a little more decadent.But I can see why you do do it

Lesleyxx

trying-very-trying

I don't think I could do that in the house. When we go camping it's no problem-absolutely no electric and cold showers, and we can do that for about a week, and even quite enjoy it, but I don't think I could do it at home.

JenniO

Funny but I feel quite decandent with the oil lamps and candles actually! ahahhaah My furniture style is olde worlde anyway. I love the oil lamps coz they are 'dimmable' and so romantic looking. I love candles the same way. Give out heat as well and look so darn cool. Much nicer than the harsh 'big light' on in the living room or something. I put the kitchen light on if I am cooking.

I love my wind up / solar radios too. i love the fact that they are good for the environment (no batteries needed ever), no electricity being used. Its not difficult winding it up now and again.

I love taking baths with just candlelight on in the evenings. Could not stand the 'big light' on in there either!

So, yes, I am saving £192 a year. Ok, maybe on candles and oil for the lamps I spend back £65 or so a year. I just enjoy the challenge of it and its helping the environment. Don't even get me started on what i've done to avoid the central heating ............:rotfl: its only just gone on for the first time yesterday!!!!!!:eek:

jen

LisbonLaura

JenniO wrote: »

Don't even get me started on what i've done to avoid the central heating ............:rotfl: its only just gone on for the first time yesterday!!!!!!:eek:

jen

I've started you Jenni.

We have to know please

.... purely from a money saving angle of course

JenniO

Ok, you asked for it then. Back in September / October I started making preparations for Winter 2007 in an effort to keep my bills down. I got most of these tips from MSE, but here is a checklist of things I did:




CHECKLIST:



1. After cooking in the oven leave oven door open afterwards to let heat out
2. Buy or make draft excluders for front door and kitchen door
3. Buy or make wheat bags
4. Use hot water bottles at night
5. Put summer duvet under fitted sheet
6. Buy some slippers / bed socks
7. Add the thermal curtains to the window curtains
8. Boil the kettle once and fill thermos with hot water for tea to keep handy
9. Use oil lamps and candles instead of lamps / ceiling lights – gives out heat
10. Put reflective foil behind the radiators
11. Buy a small tower electric heater for getting dressed in the mornings
12. Put radiator looking heater in daughter’s room and let it heat up room while she getting a bed time story read and then turned off
13. Fit a blanket to the top of the loft door so cold air doesn’t come down and hot air doesn’t go up
14. Fit insulating jacket on hot water heater
15. Fill large wicker basket with 2 blankets downstairs in living room for snuggling on the sofa
16. Use flannel sheets on the bed
17. Leave the bath water to go cold before emptying and open bathroom door to let out the heat from the heater to warm up the upstairs at night
18. Buy and fix a letterbox brush draught excluder
19. Put the electric blanket on daughter’s bed and let it warm up while she is having her bedtime story and then turned off. Even off it is acting as an additional blanket for her.
20. Use draught excluder foam stripping around outside door frames and any where along windows where draught is coming in

I made sure all of these were in place before it got cold and so far I've done well. Living in the north east is quite chilly so i'm glad I've done all I did. The walls were insulated last year from the WarmFront grant so maybe that's helped too.

jen

Kaz2904

What temperature do you leave it inside? Or do you not know and just stick it on when you're really cold?
I use way too much I think but have started making an effort to put clothes on the radiator when the heatings going to be on- it saves ironing too!
Not sure about no electric though because of the freezer. The fridge could cope for one day but not the freezer.
I've heard about plug things which switch off the fridge/freezer when they don't need to be on but wouldn't know where to get one.
A very good idea and environmentally sound.
We might all find ourselves going that way if a recession does hit though!

LisbonLaura

Oh. Just all good practical stuff then Jenni

It's just that from the candle lit bath reference I thought we would reading a steamier epistle



Oh well, my lesson. Expectation often leads to disappointment



... but it's a really worthwhile list Jenni ..... honest it is ............ (LL sulks & plods away to watch 'It Takes Two', knowing she will have to cope once more with her man being hopelessly in love with Alesha

budicca

it's a great list, JenniO and I shall implement the things I ain't already doing. I particularly like the blanket over the loft door tip!

I love candlelight too, and I'm beginning to think of the upside more. I certainly won't be turning my freezer off for the day - but I am thinking of it more like indoor camping and a treat.

imagine Radio 3 Late Junction by candlelight and a rock solid excuse not to do any ironing in the evening...

budicca

... and where do you get the oil lamps and lamp oil, please?