What does it REALLY cost to run your energy guzzling household appliances? (Less than you think)

Slinky

diystarter7 said:

Slinky said:

@diystarter7 there's definitely scope for some good reductions in your bills if you are starting from a high number (silver lining to every cloud!). I agree with Katie, the tumble drier will be eating a good chunk of money. I'd reconsider the drying in the garden, or if you can't do that, airers inside, particularly in front of your sunny windows will help. Using the TD at the end just to finish off will use much less.

Re the TVs - are they always being watched when they are on? Ours is on much less now in the background. If there's nothing worth watching, it's switched off.

I have really noticed the reduction in our electric since I started filling the washing machine with gas heated water, via a 10 litre watering can tipped in through the powder drawer. That and washing everything at 30 degrees. I've managed to get our daily usage down from 8.5 to 6.5 kw per day. That's with builders in using kettles and concrete mixers, and both of us at home with computers on most of the day.

My contribution to knowledge of energy guzzling appliances is that concrete mixers don't use as much as I feared. We had a huge amount of concrete made on 1st April when the rates had gone up. I read the meters on 31st March and again after they'd finished with the mixer and it only used about 1.5kw.

Many thanks for your help I really appreciate that. I always post honestly even if it makes me look awful. We are aware about the drier but the clothing is softer and the garden does not look messy plus our towels are now not great as well as a few other things so hanging them outside for both reasons is a no, no. We have a south-facing home  and a glass wall and long windows but we would never dry them inside as it will make the house look like a mess. We have a spare, south-facing bedroom but recently redecorated so dont want to ruin that.
Yes, I want cheaper bills but so used to the drier for years plus we have 2 fridge freezers.

We will start soon hanging the bedsheets out in a few weeks, its a start.

The tv's are on as background but the other day started using the smart speakers we have more so as we have them in every room and hall and landing, so did turn the tv of for a long while today, so that is another start

I hope I do not sound ungrateful as I'm not and again, thank you.

@diystarter7 Re the not so nice towels, why not treat yourself to some new ones which you can dry in the garden and finish off for a few minutes in the tumble drier? You can buy some really lovely soft ones in Dunelm (comparable with John Lewis, I took a brand new flanel I bought in Dunelm along to JL to do a touch comparison) for not huge prices. You will end up with new towels and lower bills. What's not to like?

How will using an airer in your recently decorated spare room ruin it?  We air stuff all over our house and have no problem with mould if that's what you're worried about.

Katiehound

Clearly it's the look that matters!
Sorry, do people really look at the washing? they must enjoy mine then, especially when it's the tatty dog towels blowing in the breeze!!

 On days when it's damp etc and washing can't go on the line another friend dries it in the spare bedroom draped over airers  but with a dehumidifier working- that way no damp room and I doubt a dehumidifier costs mega bucks to run.
She used to have a tumble drier but her husband banned it (years ago) when teenage daughter would wash  ONE worn-once garment and put it straight in!!!

I reckon my slow cooker was well worth buying. I have made lots of chicken meals (skin on thighs) in it as well as stewing plums. £12.99 from Currys & I see similar advertised @ £12 from Asda. Makes a maximum of 3 portions.

Happy_Sloth

Ok today i have tested my Electric Throw using a plug socket meter.   

The result is ... 

On MAX setting... for 1 hour used 0.052 KWH ... which is less than 1p per hour. So it's about 29p for 19 hours.

 I never use it at the max setting as thats FAR too warm, i tend to use it on setting 4 (Out of 9) which i find a good temp to take the chill off a room, as the blanket is fleece and provides a layer by it's self.  

On Setting 4 .. for 1 hour it used 0.022 KWH, So it's about 29p for 45 hours at that point. 

I calculate that in the winter i use it for 2 hours a night.. 

So 0.022 x 2 hours x 30 days = 1.32 KWH x 0.29p =  38p a month... 

38p to stay warm in winter especially as im a right old grump when im cold... bargain! 

Now perhaps my husband will stop going nutty every time it's switch on, as he seems convinced our high electric bill is because it costs £10 an hour! 

diystarter7

Slinky said:

diystarter7 said:

Slinky said:

@diystarter7 there's definitely scope for some good reductions in your bills if you are starting from a high number (silver lining to every cloud!). I agree with Katie, the tumble drier will be eating a good chunk of money. I'd reconsider the drying in the garden, or if you can't do that, airers inside, particularly in front of your sunny windows will help. Using the TD at the end just to finish off will use much less.

Re the TVs - are they always being watched when they are on? Ours is on much less now in the background. If there's nothing worth watching, it's switched off.

I have really noticed the reduction in our electric since I started filling the washing machine with gas heated water, via a 10 litre watering can tipped in through the powder drawer. That and washing everything at 30 degrees. I've managed to get our daily usage down from 8.5 to 6.5 kw per day. That's with builders in using kettles and concrete mixers, and both of us at home with computers on most of the day.

My contribution to knowledge of energy guzzling appliances is that concrete mixers don't use as much as I feared. We had a huge amount of concrete made on 1st April when the rates had gone up. I read the meters on 31st March and again after they'd finished with the mixer and it only used about 1.5kw.

Many thanks for your help I really appreciate that. I always post honestly even if it makes me look awful. We are aware about the drier but the clothing is softer and the garden does not look messy plus our towels are now not great as well as a few other things so hanging them outside for both reasons is a no, no. We have a south-facing home  and a glass wall and long windows but we would never dry them inside as it will make the house look like a mess. We have a spare, south-facing bedroom but recently redecorated so dont want to ruin that.
Yes, I want cheaper bills but so used to the drier for years plus we have 2 fridge freezers.

We will start soon hanging the bedsheets out in a few weeks, its a start.

The tv's are on as background but the other day started using the smart speakers we have more so as we have them in every room and hall and landing, so did turn the tv of for a long while today, so that is another start

I hope I do not sound ungrateful as I'm not and again, thank you.

@diystarter7 Re the not so nice towels, why not treat yourself to some new ones which you can dry in the garden and finish off for a few minutes in the tumble drier? You can buy some really lovely soft ones in Dunelm (comparable with John Lewis, I took a brand new flanel I bought in Dunelm along to JL to do a touch comparison) for not huge prices. You will end up with new towels and lower bills. What's not to like?

How will using an airer in your recently decorated spare room ruin it?  We air stuff all over our house and have no problem with mould if that's what you're worried about.

 @Slinky

We don't have an airer and the rooms would look a mess. I think for the last 15 years we have got so used to not drying clothing outside/inside, it just seems backwards. But the new towels bit, the problem with that is getting the right quality for the right feel and not having to wash them several times to remove the fluff but I/we will consider this.
Me and Mrs Diy agreed in principle that come the really warmer weather we will do the bedsheets outside and we change our beds twice a week so four lots of sheets

I meant condensation in the room and the smell of fabric softener etc is too much for me. We have all white walls, ceilings etc and the last thing we want is mould and we have real wood flooring throughout the house and that could go off in the room

I appreciate your response, thank you.

Slinky

@diystarter7 do you have space in a garage or a shed for an airer?

It may seem backwards, but if you are wanting to save some serious money, something serious will have to change, and it's the items that produce heat which cost the serious money.

maryb

I dry most stuff outside or over an airier because I’m one of those strange people who prefers towels NOT to be soft.  But I do arrange things on the whirligig so that smalls  (or not so smalls in my case, lol) are on the inside and shielded from view by larger items on the outside

Spendless

I must admit I'm a sucker for TD towels cos I like them all fluffy. Mr S prefers towels more rough though. Think I might do a sort out of  our towels, allocate mine in a certain colour and just TD them and leave his to be line dried. I'm also currently putting underwear in but I do need to go buy one of those devices you clip knickers etc on, so that too can go outside and not take up much space. The smell of clothes that have been line dried beats any other washing product smell

diystarter7

Slinky said:

@diystarter7 do you have space in a garage or a shed for an airer?

It may seem backwards, but if you are wanting to save some serious money, something serious will have to change, and it's the items that produce heat which cost the serious money.

@ Slinky

Yes, we have an integrated garage with a door leading to it from the hall but it is full of stuff EG my tools 2nd fridge freezer, drier, washing machine and a bit more.

We are cutting down on tv's as rarely have both on when not being watched now.

thank you again.

diystarter7

maryb said:

I dry most stuff outside or over an airier because I’m one of those strange people who prefers towels NOT to be soft.  But I do arrange things on the whirligig so that smalls  (or not so smalls in my case, lol) are on the inside and shielded from view by larger items on the outside

We were like that until we got our first separate drier years ago, before that it was a washing machine with an integrated drier so small capacity so dried larger items outside. 

We have neighbours whose garden is raised by about two feet more than ours and almost every day except for a Sunday sometimes they have clothing out drying and the husband stays at home and I guess he hand washes them. His wife is medium build but about 5' 9" tall and the size of her underwear makes us cringe - so we would never hang our underwear out or the socks as socks take too long to dry.

We all have very long gardens as do the people that back onto ours and lots of trees around and rarely do we see washing outside other than the above.

IMO, this price cap gives an excuse for the providers to raise it to the ma and not bring down the prices just like petrol and diesel.

Slinky

I don't bother hanging smalls outside, I find them too fiddly to bother with, they just go on an airer inside. I'd never put them in the drier - surely lingerie is at risk from shrinking?

I've just been able to start hanging stuff outside again for the first time in about 4 weeks; the builders covered up the hole where the rotary drier post goes with a large pile of dirt when they had to dig a new soakaway.