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Hacks to reduce energy costs


Our dryer is a condensing dryer, which it then magically takes away and periodically washes the filters (you can tell it's not something I'm intimate with - bedding hanging on the line right now).

From memory, the figures quoted were about 10% of the cost of the dryer, but of course, any such saving will depend on the efficiency of both appliances and how they are used. Decent dehumidifier and small (not bathroom) room were also important.

Taking a moment to look at my Amazon browsing history, this was one of the devices the article was suggesting.

It might be helpful to someone whose outdoor drying potential is limited to finds themselves with endless washing for some reason (children/sports/illness perhaps).
 
To add another dimension to this discussion:-
My kitchen is at the rear of the house, and the hot water tank is nearer the front. When I need hot water in the kitchen, I have to run the hot tap for a couple of minutes. This wastes water and so is not environmentally friendly. It also leaves a pipe full of heated water that is probably going to cool down, and also represents wasted energy.

In the olden days, we used to have Ascot Heaters local to where the water was being used. The modern equivalent is electric (Trade name witheld) and is heaviy advertised on TV as supplying boiling water or chilled water on demand. The company behind it are very secretive about details such as energy consumption, and the only way to get one installed is by going through their sales pitch and signing a contract. Not sure I want to do that, and it does seem to be an expensive item to install. But its a thought.

The alternative is what we used to call a Baby Burco which was a small counter top boiler that kept the water hot (unlike a kettle that is plastic and leaks heat quickly). There used to be Sadia heaters and they are still available, but again at a price. This would need to be a long term investment and will not be helpful in this current situation.

Edit to add: Burco boilers are still available.

Here is a Which? review

Quooker, InSinkErator, Franke and other boiling water taps compared - Which?

Discover the pros and cons of instant hot water taps, and how popular brands Franke, InSinkErator, Qettle, Quooker and Reginox compare on price and maintenance costs
www.which.co.uk
 
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I just boil a kettle to get hot water in the months when the Rayburn isn't on. I rarely need hot water other than for drinks. We have a very economical dishwasher and wash hands etc with cold water.
 
I have one of these pods, I use it to dry things that won’t tumble dry, it’s ideal for a person on their own, it’s takes about 2 hours to dry in the summer, a good bit longer for me in the winter as it’s in my cold garage, in an already warmish room it will take less time, it also give off a bit of warmth. No condensation. I love mine as it cuts down on ironing too, always a bonus

Dry:Soon Drying Pod Electric Clothes Dryer

Quickly & delicately dry 12 items with the Dry:Soon Clothes Drying Pod. Exclusive 3-year guarantee. Folds away for easy storage. Cheap to run.
www.lakeland.co.uk
 
lucylocket61 said:
I just boil a kettle to get hot water in the months when the Rayburn isn't on. I rarely need hot water other than for drinks. We have a very economical dishwasher and wash hands etc with cold water.
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I’ve just reset my tank to come on every 3 days for an hour rather then every day, like you we don’t use much hot water from the tap. A couple of inches in the washing up bowl to wipe down the kitchen and washing of hands, it seems to be holding the heat quite well and if I need anymore will just boil a bit in the kettle
 
Another random hack
I and my daughter have grown lax in our washing up habits. We both run the hot tap while we rinse a couple of small items, and the water goes down the plughole. I am going to insist that we use a washing up bowl to reduce this. if nothing else it will double as the sick bowl if needed. The bowl can be emptied on the garden after use too. Trouble is that my daughter uses these bowls for mixing cement, wallpaper paste, and paint so some negotiation will be necesssary.
 

A property developer friend of ours didn't put a Quooker (or such) into her own, bespoke, all mod cons house because in her opinion the return on investment was way too long.

Of course, that was about 5 years ago and things have changed, but her house is her "look book", with clients visiting to discuss their own needs and wants, so it is a commercial as well as a vanity thing that everything is just so and justified.
 
Thats the same idea as the dehumidifier, although I guess it would take a while for a full bed of bedding to dry in the pod. (apologies if I'm way off as I have zero lived experience of either system.)
 
AndBreathe said:
Thats the same idea as the dehumidifier, although I guess it would take a while for a full bed of bedding to dry in the pod. (apologies if I'm way off as I have zero lived experience of either system.)
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I’ve never done bedding I use my dryer so I don’t know, if you put it folded over the “arms” and kept checking and turning it it may work. There are different styles and sizes you can get but they do go up in price. my mam used to put f bedding over the doors in winter when she couldn’t hang outside
 
This is like my Dry Soon drying rack in an overcoat and with a fan. But the wattage is 1Kw so good thing it has a timer built in. How does it do sheets and duvet covers? How do you do your smalls? I think it will still produce condensation in the room since the air coming out wll be humid and is not trapped in a water tank like an air dehumidifier unit would do. I note there is an optional waste pipe so what happens if you don't use that. does it drip on the floor or stay in the unit?

Reading the instruction manual, It is clear that drips on the floor are expected especially if the clothes are not spindried before use. The timer can be manually overridden so it could be expensive if forgot to check to switch off in time.

My washing machine in tumble dry mode is also 1kw when in use, and also has variable timer to determine how dry I want to get to. So apart from some clothes ( shirts and blouses) and delicates not being tumbled, then the Pod seems to do the same thing in much the same time and at same cost as my machine, so for me it is not going to help reduce my overheads.
 
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I have given up ironing and shaving. Thats saving me a few bob.
 
I am considering buying a solar USB charger device. I can use it for my phone, my guitar tuner device, the cat's Hissing Sid toy, and my electric toothbrush, and this will allow me to unplug at least one mains driven charger. But its around £20 to buy, so payback will be slow. First problem,, I normally charge my phone ovenight, when the sun don't shine. Solution - pay a bit more for a battery station that charges its internal battery, so it works in the dark too.
 

I don’t do sheets etc, I’ve never had a pipe or condensation from it or drips on the floor, I’ve had it 3 years and never had those problems. the timer is very easy, you turn to it half hour increments up to 3 hrs, to use the override timer you just turn it on slightly- I’ve had mine 3 years and never made that mistake. You can put your socks on one of those peg things and your smalls direct onto the arms. I only use mine for stuff that won’t go in the dryer but my friend who is on her own dries all her clothes in it in her spare bedroom and has never had any of the problems you’ve mentioned
 
I used to dry bedding over the stair well in my old house. We had a heater in the hall at the bottom of the stairs running very low to stop mould and take the chill off the house.
 
lucylocket61 said:
I used to dry bedding over the stair well in my old house. We had a heater in the hall at the bottom of the stairs running very low to stop mould and take the chill off the house.
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I still do that. Or I used my drying rack if I am in a hurry. It acts like an overcoat to the dryer, but traps moist air so prolongs the drying time for anything on the shelves.
 
lucylocket61 said:
I used to dry bedding over the stair well in my old house. We had a heater in the hall at the bottom of the stairs running very low to stop mould and take the chill off the house.
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I did that in my old house but I’ve a bungalow now so no stairs
 
I wouldn't recommend the Quooker type taps.
We've stayed in several houses with them and there are hidden high costs in maintenance , which a lot of people ignore then have even more expense when it goes wrong.
They also splash and burn and I'd be very concerned about having them in any house with children or older people who may be starting to have strength, reaction or mobility problems.
And yes I can't believe they aren't high energy usage.
And the initial installiin costs are large.
 
I would have pressed informative, but send a 'like' instead. I am always suspicious of companies who are not upfront about such information.
 
lucylocket61 said:
I would have pressed informative, but send a 'like' instead. I am always suspicious of companies who are not upfront about such information.
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We liken them to people who drive Range Rovers when a Ford Fiesta would do the job....
(Ducks and runs .... )
 
Thank you. These heaters are the Slow Cookers of the hydrostatic world. I think there is an initial high usage of energy to charge up a new infill but only require 10 watts to maintain near boiling point water. The vessel itself is a thermos flask (vacuum) so is designed to minimise heat loss so I believe the 10 watts once at temp. My sister has one fitted alongside their normal taps, and she uses it for fizzy water only. And yes the cost of ownership is not cheap. i could not get it ti work when I stayed with her, and it is not intuitive if you don;t have the instructions to hand. Also the one she has is only 2L so runs cold when you have used it too much. Not for me, I'm afraid. Its a kitch gizmo a bit like SodaStream and trouser presses.
 
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