My Energy use Diary

A_fiend_for_life

I forgot to mention defrost the freezer. Should be done every 2 or 3 months.

[Deleted User]

Good thread and the first time I have seen it. We have been doing the standard energy saving things for many years now eg energy saving bulbs, no tumbler drier, batch baking and so on. I received my ebico gas and electricity bills in early june, covering the period to 27th may and I then decided to tweak my energy use to see if it could be improved. Good results so far and most improvements have been posted by me on various threads. The latest one being the use of a slightly modified solar shower, not for showering but for warming water for dishes or clothes washing

By the way I gave my `yellow` tinged energy bulbs away and bought some biobulbs last year. The light emitted by them is much closer to natural daylight

My view is that there should be a lot more publicised about `non-cookie` ways in which to save energy. I don`t think most people realise that saving the pennies here and there adds up to a lot over a year

Frugaldom

A_fiend_for_life wrote: »

What type of house is it and what insulation do you have? Rented, 3 storey, old, damp and drafty Don't know if it's insulated.

Some of the things to do might be:

Turn the heating down a bit - turn it off in summer. We have no heating
Wear more layers in winter. We NEED to do this anyway
Turn the heating down in rooms that are not occupied bathroom, kitchen, hall. See above
Use thicker curtains.

Wash clothes at 30C do only a full wash. Guilty of going to 40 degrees
Use a high spin on bad days and a low or no spin on good drying days.
Line dry or use a clothes horse where possible I always do this alternatively create a wind tunnel through the house by opening windows and use a clothes horse

Shower low temp.
Strip wash on some days: Mits, pits, bits and bum.

Use a slow cooker or cook things more slowly; turn the temperature down and use a lid. Used regularly
Turn the hob off about 10 -15 minute before finishing cooking. I don't use a conventional cooker, I have a 2-ring hob, an oven and a microwave.

If your cooking potatoes bring to boil and allow to stand for about 20 - 30 minutes off the heat, with a lid, a clean, dry teatowel on top and place on a teatowel on a teapot stand. They'll cook under their own heat.
Pasta can be cooked by putting a portion in a flask and pouring on boiling water from a kettle and leaving for 25 mins. Ideal for one or two people and if your complementing carbs with bread. Have now bought a new flask
If your cooking on the hob use the residual heat to heat water and flask (lid and teatowel). Should get about 1 or 2 mugs but you might need to catch it in mid lunch/dinner. Not sure about induction hobs.

Boil only the water you need We always do this
If your boiling the kettle for one try storing the rest in the flask. I find a litre and a quarter will be enough for a tea / coffee and the rest will fill my flask.
Allow the kettle to not quite reach boil, especially for beverages, as the temperature drops very quickly. At work the water dispenser provides water when it reaches 70C so boiling is unnecessary.

Thanks for all the excellent tips. There are 3 of us here, 2 work from home full time and DS comes home from work for lunch. Hot water is switched on during night (Economy 7) every second night and I'm now logging my weekly useage into i-measure.org
I guess there isn't much else I can do other than ban DS from watching his TV and playing PS3 and eat bread instead of toast for breakfast :rotfl: All lightbulbs are energy saving, the meters switch over at 11pm, so I usually wait until then to switch on the washing machine and I have a timer on the slow cooker so food gets cooked overnight. My major problem is heat - it was freezing here until the start of June, so we need to rely on either storage heaters or oil filled heaters. If still living here (another long landlord associated story), I'm hoping to use an open fire for this coming winter.

greenbee

Everyone on the Gas & Elec board seems to have caught on to the need to reduce their usage today. It couldn't be anything to do with the BG price rise could it? :rolleyes:

I've taken pity on them and suggested that they look at the ideas everyone's been having here.

A_fiend_for_life

nykmedia wrote: »

I guess there isn't much else I can do other than ban DS from watching his TV and playing PS3 and eat bread instead of toast for breakfast

Does your local library have a cheap or free wi - fi connection you can take advantage of? It's something I've been meaning to check out.

If you have guests you can market the bread and jam as a 'continental breakfast'.

Frugaldom

A_fiend_for_life wrote: »

Does your local library have a cheap or free wi - fi connection you can take advantage of? It's something I've been meaning to check out.

:rotfl: Where I live, there's no mains gas, no digital signals and we're just getting around to Broadband, I think it'll be a long time before free Wi-Fi arrives. We do have a library, though, so that's something!

Ken68

My biggest saving last winter was from home made exterior 50 mm polystyrene shutters, pressed into the window reveal every day at sundown. Not heavy and not for everyone.
But at £40 a year saving on a £20 capital cost think it's woith it. Invented or developed by Shurcliffe.

setmefree2

pattayalob wrote: »

Everybody's consumption of electricity is different of course but let me tell you about mine. I live in a Park Home, on my own and have been practising energy saving for the last forty years or so. My daily consumption of electricity in the summer months is 2.5 kw/hrs per day or thereabouts and rises in the winter to about 3.5 kw/hrs per day. I use a laptop rather than a desk computer, I switch off everything when not needed, I do not have a tumble dryer, I have a twin tub washing machine, I have energy saving light bulbs, (they do not save me much money as I never leave lights on anyway).
My electricity consumption, mostly does not benefit from the cheaper rate after 250 kw/hrs per quarter.
Can anyone beat that?

No:rotfl:That's a WOW! Something to aspire too:D

setmefree2

lovelyjubbly wrote: »

why does everyone switch their water on every day?

Hi

We are a family of four and someone always needs a shower :eek:, so our water needs to come on at least once a day. One of me teenages wants to shower everyday, the other would never shower at all if he had his way:rotfl:but I take your point. It's pointless heating water for no reason;)

setmefree2

A_fiend_for_life wrote: »

On the scenic car battery try this one:

http://www.parkers.co.uk/advice/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=31807

Boot light seems to be a common issue so try removing the boot light for a while.

I presume the battery light is going off when you start the car? And in a reasonable time. When the engine is off cup your hand and take a closer look.

Ensure the contacts on the alternator and starter are clean too. A piece of emery paper will do the trick.

Thanks for that...Boot light was disabled by AA - but MR SMF2 is out checking the glove compartment as I type:D