My Energy use Diary

setmefree2

lingojingo wrote: »

electricity average daily usage
last year 13.28kWh per day
last week 10.57kWh per day

gas average daily usage
last year 93.67 kWh per day
last week 49.28 kWh per day (for not much heating, mainly just living room for 3 hours in the evening)

Well Done You:T:T:T:T

I think with the gas use we just have to pray for weather, it seems to make all the difference:D

pugmanic

thescouselander wrote: »

Yes, Gordie Joe has hit the nail on the head. When I say there was no detectable difference I meant that my average daily electricity consumption remained unchanged at around 9 units per day.

I still say the benefits of these bulbs are overstated - you often see claims that these bulbs will save x many pounds per year per bulb - obviously this depends on usage but we are very good at turning lights off in our house and there are only two of us anyway. In our case I dont think the savings amount to much at all.

This is indeed true, however if you multiply the result by 61Million (approx population of the UK) things start to add up.

Energy saving bulbs weren't designed primarily to save the consumer money.

pugmanic

moonrakerz wrote: »

Have you tried a "submariner's shower" - uses no water at all.

Stand in the bath/shower - DO NOT turn the water on - vigourously shake a tin of cheap talc over your head, then use same rubbing actions as if you were wet !

Obviously, a towel is not needed either, so you save on laundry costs too.

Yet another reason not to join the navy.

Magentasue

pugmanic wrote: »

This is indeed true, however if you multiply the result by 61Million (approx population of the UK) things start to add up.

Energy saving bulbs weren't designed primarily to save the consumer money.

Have to disagree with the post you referred too, suggesting that changing to energy saving bulbs doesn't have much effect on consumption. I accept that in a two person household that may be true, for us with four teens/20somethings, it has reduced our consumption. It's not unusual for every room in our 3bed house to be used in the evenings and, although we're getting better, can't say lights get turned off every time. We reckoned that swapping 100w for 25w (as an example) = 75w x 4 rooms = 300w x 4 hours = 1.2kw = 350 days = 420kwh x 13p = £55 a year. I knw it's only a pound a week but it's a kwh a day, minimum, saved.

Frugaldom

Hi guys, got the keys to new place yesterday, so went over right away to do the meter reading and get started with the cleaning & moving. There are 3 storage heaters on low settings, but the house was warm enough; I didn't need to kindle a fire. Tonight, before leaving, I took another reading to see what we had used over the 2 days. To my delight, we had used only 11 daytime units and 14 nightime units! It's amazing the difference, as that was including 2 tanks of hot water! Ican't wait to get moved in fully and make the most of moneysaving in a smaller house

Valli

You seem the people to ask...I went into a supermarket and asked a staff member if you could mix normal bulbs with energy saving on one light fitting. She said she had been told by anm electrician no. I have two fittings which each use 3 bulbs - small ones so it is going to cost. (ie not the ones that have been 5 for 50p recently)
She ALSO said that you cannot use energy saving bulbs in lights where the switch is a dimmer. as I have a dimmer in my lounge (5 bulbs) 1 x 3 and 2 wall lights one bulb each I would like this confirmed.
Also I have a dimmer in my bedroom so I can't use one in there.
Is this, in fact, correct?

cw18

I've seen some sold as being suitable for dimmers, but a small independant electrical store I was in said "no".

We have 7 spots in our kitchen that could be replaced with energy efficient ones -- but the cost of them stops me doing them all in one go. The same shop has given a big thumbs down to mixing normal and energy efficient ones (which means I've not changed any - and he sells the expensive ones so knows I would have got them there), so I wouldn't even contemplate mixing in one light fitting

A_fiend_for_life

I'm baffled by that. If you can't mix low energy bulbs and incandescents on the same fitting what's the difference between mixing them on the same circuit or ring?

OK the difference is your switching them all on at the same time but I still can't see what the problem would be.

@valli I don't think I've seen any suitable for a dimmer but I would certainly be interested in them as I don't always need a bright light in the living room.

cw18

the chap did try explaining to me, but all I grasped was it was something to do with them going through the same switch. I did once (thanks to DH) end up with one of each in the living room -- and the expensive one only lasted a month !!! don't know whether it was a fluke/co-incidence, but I'm not trying it with the expensive spots required for the kitchen !!!

A_fiend_for_life

That's good news nyk I can't imagine how happy you must be.