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Hacks to reduce energy costs

jjraak said:
Think you spelt GREED wrong. Just saying ...
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I have decided to "burn a chair" in the garden and huddle around it - I kid you not it will get to that there are only so many woolly hats I have in my house and it would be warmer outside! I have asthma and no idea how this is going to pan out to be honest. I bet there will be another baby boom due to the powercuts!
 
Brekkie said:
I know they are proposing cut offs between 4-7 pm but for those of us at work then we will need to eat etc. And obv can’t prepare anything during the day.
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I was fairly sure this is when they are asking people to avoid using electric that isn’t necessary at that time as it’s the peak demand time. Not when they are proposing the blackouts. In fact I’ve not seen any times for those other than 3hr time blocks.
 
Last year my energy supplier ran a contest to reward those of us who joined in a prize draw and rebate scheme if we reduced our gas usage by up to 30% compared to the previous year. They also asked for hacks to share with the others (like what I does in this thread), and each new idea gained an extra entry into the weekly lottery. They say they will repeat it again this year but it is not open yet. They are certainly trying to get the message out to their readers to help us reduce our costs. They offer free electric blankets to help disadantaged customers who are struggling, and they have a hardship fund set up too. They are loaning infra red cameras to people to help identify where to improve insulation, and they seem to have a team like the Warm Home scheme who can visit and advise on improvements. Not sure what the criteria is but I can apply through the my account portal. I think other suppliers may be doing similar incentive schemes. Unlike our dear friends (?) in Westminster.
 
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Why do we need the government guidelines?

We need a central source of credible information that is peer reviewed. Yesterday I pointed out the Beeb giving out unsafe and incorrect information. They are at it again today. They published a report today that compared how prices will change for various home appliances. One of their examples was an 800 W microwave used at full power for 5 minutes. They quote the unit charges for the electric used, and guess what - they cocked up. They have assumed the 800 W is the electrical power used, but for microwaves that is the output power not the consumption. When I checked mine with my Smart Meter display, it was about 1.4KW when running.

Still cheaper than my main oven, but not quite so good when compared to an air fryer. They also assumed that the oven and airfryer were on full power all the time which is also not real life, and they did not allow for warmup time (which is at full power)

The one example that they give that I like is baking a potato. 90 mins in main oven 27 mins in air fryer 10 mins in microwave, Which tastes better? Well, the one cooked in the bonfire of course!
 
Oldvatr said:
It is 1,200 watts so similar to a medium size cooker hob. It is available at much the same price from Amazing Zone.
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Hi! We live on an island in the Canadian Pacific and there is no natural gas and propane. Firewood is used to heat in winter and the electric wall-heaters just eat energy. Biggest users of energy are washer/dryer which are over ten years old. I love to cook and have cooked meals atop our wood-burning stove and our convection oven and Air-Fryer made quite a dent in our hydro (electricity) bill. As a child growing up in the Bluegrass part of Kentucky, we had fireplaces in almost every room and used wood and high-quality coal. No coal here! Since I love cardigans. will be layering up lots more this winter. A new friend here hails from Sweden and always teasing everyone that “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad outer/wear and clothing!” Little things helped last winter: Flannel sheets on all the beds. Chunky throws on sofas. Flannel lined jeans. Long socks. Winter rugs on hardwood floors. Thermal drapery. Still learning for my husband has COPD and Adult Onset Asthma and Heart Failure and it not healthy for him to be chilly or cold and damp. Cold weather does not bother me but rising Hydro, food, and other costs are hitting hard.
 
Flannel lined jeans is a good 'un. Want! Need! whither?

Belay that. We have them on order as I type.
 
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CanadianBluegrassGirl said:
A new friend here hails from Sweden and always teasing everyone that “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad outer/wear and clothing!”
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Ah yes! But the phrase DOES mean outdoor clothes! No Swede would understand this entire thread (unless your one does), as not being warm enough indoors means your housing and heating is not up to scratch (or, um, one's country's governence or energy deals?!) - and if those things are not up to scratch, in Swedish winters - you're dead. It's pretty black and white there due to severity of the winters in most of the country - and how looooooong they last. Not wearing appropriate clothes for the weather and climate when it gets really bad, and you get caught outdoors - again - you're dead.

I still have my woollen stockings and tights and long johns from living in Sweden - just in case I move back. I left my real winter coat I wore to Stockholm's airport on a bench there. In Sweden you do not wear these things indoors, where it is truly warm. T shirts, a pair of jeans. Civilised in the circumstances.
 
The examples mentioned following the outer garment phrase are applicable to indoor use. I will add:- Snoods, Hoodies, Onesies, dressing gowns, and heated body warmers.

Also those hand warmer thingies. The chemical ones are single use only but the ones that run on meths or lighter fuel are refillable
 
I have ordered an electric heated gillet and USB power bank /pack. Will be useful when out on the mobility scooter.and can charge toothbrush during any power cut. It also willl charge my mobile so a handy gadget.
 
Just had my first bill for the new cap as it commutates. Compared to the same time period last year I have reduced my gas consumption by 200 kwh, and my electric by 100kwh. I have put my heating on last week.

As a result my cost this month was still below the reduced DD that the company set, so I am still increasing my credit and the Gov payment discount is added on top. So quids in this month.
 
I have not yet tried my electric body warmer (gillet) but it seems eminently suited to combat the threat of power cuts. It can run off a standard USB Powerbank device, and so is portable. It will also work during a power cut. The powerbank can also charge a mobile if needed. I can use it when shopping or taking the cat for a walk.

It can be charged overnight, so is suited to Economy 7 white meter tariff, or smart tariff if available. The money I saved this month has now been re-invested in a set of this this equipment, which cost less than £50. I may purchase a second powerbank as backup if it is workable solution.
 
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I think I may have mislead you there. The oil filled radiators hold their heat longer than the water filled ones in a CH system, and act like storage radiators to some extent. They are not battery powered unless you have a House Battery such as supplied with a solar system.

The electric body warmer I also talked about runs off a USB backup battery so are portable and battery powered heaters. There are other USB heaters that do the same. The difference is that the body warmer gets up close and personal, so is local heat rather than a space heater.
 
As regards gas heaters, I used three when I moved into this house, and we all survived the episode. I would deffo advise against leaving them on at night. We used them to heat the hall and landing, and kept the doors open. We have a draughty house so the risk was low, butI would not consider it now since I did the draught proofing of the floors and double glazed sealed windows. But as has been said, a gas cooker is normally ok provided you have airbricks. They would not sell these devices if they were that much of a risk.
 
Don’t know if anyone has seen these, not cheap but I think it would pay for itself and I like the ethical reasons for one, also I’m all electric and thinking maybe if we are going to have scheduled power cuts this would be a great way of having hot food when we need it if we know the times the power is going to be off

Wonderbag.

Handmade in South Africa, the Wonderbag is a simple, but revolutionary, non-electric slow cooker. No battery, plug or fuel required - just simple heat retention technology.
www.wonderbagworld.com
 
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