Hacks to reduce energy costs

[HSSS]

As a larger already frugal family I’m struggling to find new ideas that work. We’ve never loaded a dishwasher or wash machine anything less than full. Economy washes are the norm. Slow cookers and microwaves already mainstays. Double glazed, new ish boiler, insulated house. LED lights are switched off behind us, plugs turned off where practical. Radiators have foil backing and individual thermostats, heating and thermostats set to 18 degrees, windows have curtains. Water temp set to safe minimum. What are families already doing all the “hints and tips” supposed to do next - share a single electric blanket on the sofa next to a candle? (Actually no electric blankets in this house having almost been killed by one in my younger days when it caught fire ! Luckily minor burns only and some mild smoke inhalation thank goodness)

 

[finzi1966]

Actually I am finding microwaved water is working out. The coffee actually tastes less bitter and I can cut down on sweetener. .

This would make sense as I’m pretty certain that you *shouldn’t* use boiling water for coffee (unlike tea) - I can’t remember the perfect temp you’re meant to use (not a coffee drinker) but it’s something like 95°? The figure might be wrong. But anyway, a barista told me that water at 100° results in the coffee being more bitter.

 

[finzi1966]

I would second the use of both a pressure cooker and an air fryer. Of course if you don’t own these things then there’s the one off investment of buying them that has to be taken into account! I almost never use my oven.

 

[bulkbiker]

This would make sense as I’m pretty certain that you *shouldn’t* use boiling water for coffee (unlike tea) - I can’t remember the perfect temp you’re meant to use (not a coffee drinker) but it’s something like 95°? The figure might be wrong. But anyway, a barista told me that water at 100° results in the coffee being more bitter.

My espresso machine heats water to 93C for coffee.

 

[AndBreathe]

Yes I am considering it since the microwave I have got has no grilling capability, and my cooker grill is 2kw so an air fryer would be cheaper to run. But my go to snack is cheese on toast, and I suspect this is not something an airfryer would resolve. I am concentrating in transitioning my current diet regime to the microwave since I can do that with minimum investment required as I already have the main characters in play. I have just ordered a meat probe and my steamer should arrive on Wednesday. My new dishwaher gets installed on Tuesday and that will save me money as it is Class C rating, and replaces my old Class G machine that has started sulking and needs a dishwasher whisperer to get it going. I have spent sufficient this month.

Cheese on toast (as is toast alone) is very much achievable in an air fryer. Like many new ways of cooking/eating/exercising, there is a learning curve, but for the AF it isn't long or steep.

Frankly, an AF is just like a smaller faster oven and grill. As a rule of thumb, just reduce heating by c20c and times by c20%.

We never cook a roast in the oven these days. We have a chamber AF.

If you go down that route, I would implore you to go chamber. Most of my friends who went drawer have upgraded, even though the original AFs were working well.

A drawer AF starts about £30 in Lidl, the chamber starts around £80 and goes up to "How much?!?!??"

Game changer.

 

[Goonergal]

I am researching slow cooking brisket joints.

I’ve had success making sure there is plenty of liquid in the pot and picking a nice fatty bit. Might be that 8 hours isn’t enough. I have an instant pot which can both pressure cook and slow cook and on either mode I find that my cooking times need to be significantly longer than quoted in most recipes. Trial and error got me there - not so helpful when you’re trying to save costs!

So far this year I have used some 20% less each month than last year.

Main problem is, however much one saves on fuel costs by economising, the standing charges are astronomical.

 

[Goonergal]

As a general response to the OP, for some months now - probably over a year - I’ve barely used my gas oven. My air fryer - one with shelves and a rotisserie function (which does well with joints other than chicken) and Instant Pot (pressure and slow cooking) has basically relegated the oven, which only has occasional use for some cuts that I still prefer done that way. Both the air fryer and the Instant Pot are economical to run and take a fraction of the time.

And I’d agree with @AndBreathe re the air fryer - I don’t do toast, but fat head pizza cooks very well in the fryer so I see no reason why ordinary bread wouldn’t cook well also. And @Oldvatr bacon done in the air fryer is to die for!

At the moment I live in a tiny flat which holds the heat, and on a cold day having the oven on can substitute for having the heating on. However, I’m likely to be moving to a larger space in the not too distant future and will need to adapt so this is an interesting thread.

 

[Oldvatr]

Update on breakfast today. Lesson #1: prepare the cats breakfast first off since the breakfast has no dead time once started. Lesson #2: The bacon crisper worked well, but I made the mistake of not covering it. Now I know why they advise paper towels to cover, BUT I had what appears to have been a flameover which may have been spitting fat catching fire - like it does under the grill. Will need to keep an eye on this.

Lesson #3: do the mushrooms last so they are still warm when eaten. I did not do an egg, but I think I will be able to double up with the mushrooms for this. Total cook time incl coffee was 6 minutes (equivalent to 1/100th of a KWh. Cleaning the microwave after the bacon fat - TBD.

PS the bacon was truly crispy, but it stuck to the tines of the crisper. It did not come out in one oiece. This may be because the crisper was a virgin. The bacon tasted better than when fried on the hob.

 

[Oldvatr]

The Instant Pot is only economical if you already have one. Currently the price is £249 + P&P which would require quite some time to recoup the acquisition cost. However, the hacks for pressure cookers and air fryers are good. If my cooker needs to be retired, then that is when I should look at Instant Pot again. I see Aldi has an air fryer at £30 which is feasible. I am not sold on slow cookers, but I have a Ninja soup & smoothie maker lying dormant which might get pressed back into service.

 

[Goonergal]

The Instant Pot is only economical if you already have one. Currently the price is £249 + P&P which would require quite some time to recoup the acquisition cost.

I think it depends which one you go for. I have this one (or a variation of it), currently £56.99 and free postage: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Instant-Pot-Electric-Pressure-Stainless/dp/B00OP26T4K?th=1

I bought it when my previous slow cooker needed replacing.

 

[lovinglife]

Use oven proof glass dishes such as Pyrex in your oven etc, they heat up quicker and more evenly and hold residual heat for longer. Turn of you hobs and oven 5 minutes earlier and let the residual heat finish the cooking. Open your oven door to let the left over heat warm your kitchen.

a full dishwasher uses a lot less water and electricity than water heated in a tank used to fill a sink.

 

[Oldvatr]

I think it depends which one you go for. I have this one (or a variation of it), currently £56.99 and free postage: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Instant-Pot-Electric-Pressure-Stainless/dp/B00OP26T4K?th=1

I bought it when my previous slow cooker needed replacing.

Yes, the one I saw and drooled over was a combi pot, with built in flame thrower (airfryer). Ninja do a similar item at much the same price.

One thing I disccovered in my research is that my fan oven has a rating of 0.8 KWh but has a 2.5KW heater element. So when looking at ovens, it is really the efficiency of the insulation that is important The oven uses the full whack to warm up to temp, but then uses burst energy to maintain the temp. Thus the rating is really reflecting what it uses during a lengthy cook session, and must assume that the oven door is not opened at any time. I believe older slow cookers were not well insulated, and so have poor rating values. The Air Fryers are really small souped up fan ovens with good insulation. They warm up quicker.

 

[lovinglife]

Saw this on Facebook

 

[AndBreathe]

The Instant Pot is only economical if you already have one. Currently the price is £249 + P&P which would require quite some time to recoup the acquisition cost. However, the hacks for pressure cookers and air fryers are good. If my cooker needs to be retired, then that is when I should look at Instant Pot again. I see Aldi has an air fryer at £30 which is feasible. I am not sold on slow cookers, but I have a Ninja soup & smoothie maker lying dormant which might get pressed back into service.

Which Instant Pot are you looking at?

For one, I would suggest the 5.7/6L version. The do a 3L, but batch cooking works so well that the smaller pot may not be helpful. Currently Amazon has this 5.7l for £59.99, which is less than I paid for either of ours (Yes, we have 2).

If you like yoghurt, it makes fabulous yoghurt overnight, just as a bonus.

On the Instant Brands website, the most expensive IP Pressure cooker is £190 for the larger 8l version

https://instantbrands.co.uk/shop-all-products/pro-10-in-1-multi-use-pressure-cooker/

Even going for the combo Pressure Cooker/Air Fryer (which I wouldn't to be honest, having experience of both styles of appliances), whilst the RRP is £249, that is currently on offer at £170 for the large 8l option:

https://instantbrands.co.uk/product-category/instant/combination-cookers/

Instant Brands have offers cycling every week, unlike when I first bought mine. Then they were aking to rocking horse you -know-what. The offers are always well worth having.

I love my IPs and would stick with that brand for the pressure cooker elements - probably just my familiarity.

My air fryer isn't IP as they didn't offer a chamber option in UK when I was buying, but to be honest, when you look at themm they're all very similar.

Whilst you may not necessarily have it high on a wish list the rotisserie is ace for chicken and does gammon like you would never believe.

 

[AndBreathe]

Yes, the one I saw and drooled over was a combi pot, with built in flame thrower (airfryer). Ninja do a similar item at much the same price.

One thing I disccovered in my research is that my fan oven has a rating of 0.8 KWh but has a 2.5KW heater element. So when looking at ovens, it is really the efficiency of the insulation that is important The oven uses the full whack to warm up to temp, but then uses burst energy to maintain the temp. Thus the rating is really reflecting what it uses during a lengthy cook session, and must assume that the oven door is not opened at any time. I believe older slow cookers were not well insulated, and so have poor rating values. The Air Fryers are really small souped up fan ovens with good insulation. They warm up quicker.

It is my view you could buy an IP and AF spearately for less than the combo, then you have the added flexibility.

I can't imagine not being able to peek into the AF through the glass window in the door, to see how whatever is coming along

 

[KillAWatt]

Threads like this sadden me deeply. Before I descend in to a rant about everything that's wrong with the current situation which makes me so sad, I'll just offer up a quick caveat about calculations.

An 800 watt microwave consumes more than 800 watts of electricity. A lot more in some cases. Mine, as an example, outputs 750-800 watts for an electrical input of 1200-1270 watts according to the manufacturer. This is confirmed by smart meter readings which escalate by well over 1200 watts when the microwave is on. If you are doing the maths with the aim of saving money, don't use the wattage printed on the front of the device as this is the cooking output, not the electrical input. Read the specifications in the manual or use a watt meter for a more accurate number to crunch.

I would wager that putting the minimum water in a kettle and flicking the switch off just before it boils (which I have always done rather than letting it rumble away for 10+ seconds) is not going to be hideously more expensive (if at all) than 2 minutes of 1.2kW microwaving. Your model of microwave may be more efficient than mine, but electric kettles are fairly efficient devices in themselves.

Totally agree on avoiding electric hobs, grills and ovens where possible. Very glad I have a gas hob.

(Feel free to call me names if you already knew this information and are already accounting for it)

Sometimes I can't help myself. I just tested my kettle at minimum fill (enough for a regular cup of tea or coffee) and it came out at just under 0.04 kWh consumed. Microwave at 2 minutes of 1200 watt action is... 0.04kWh.

Dammit, this was supposed to be a one line post. Sorry.

 

[Oldvatr]

Saw this on Facebook
View attachment 56140

Of course, 1 p per hour works out at £87.6 a year if not switched off. This is why standby appliances and unused chargers are costing us. I note that the chart has the electic oven at 1 KW which is presumably taken from the Energy Rating not the element wattage. So is realistic. The facebook chart seems to be incorrect on the figure for the microwave.

Threads like this sadden me deeply. Before I descend in to a rant about everything that's wrong with the current situation which makes me so sad, I'll just offer up a quick caveat about calculations.

An 800 watt microwave consumes more than 800 watts of electricity. A lot more in some cases. Mine, as an example, outputs 750-800 watts for an electrical input of 1200-1270 watts according to the manufacturer. This is confirmed by smart meter readings which escalate by well over 1200 watts when the microwave is on. If you are doing the maths with the aim of saving money, don't use the wattage printed on the front of the device as this is the cooking output, not the electrical input. Read the specifications in the manual or use a watt meter for a more accurate number to crunch.

I would wager that putting the minimum water in a kettle and flicking the switch off just before it boils (which I have always done rather than letting it rumble away for 10+ seconds) is not going to be hideously more expensive (if at all) than 2 minutes of 1.2kW microwaving. Your model of microwave may be more efficient than mine, but electric kettles are fairly efficient devices in themselves.

Totally agree on avoiding electric hobs, grills and ovens where possible. Very glad I have a gas hob.

(Feel free to call me names if you already knew this information and are already accounting for it)

Sometimes I can't help myself. I just tested my kettle at minimum fill (enough for a regular cup of tea or coffee) and it came out at just under 0.04 kWh consumed. Microwave at 2 minutes of 1200 watt action is... 0.04kWh.

Dammit, this was supposed to be a one line post. Sorry.

You raise a valid point here, which I admit I fell into. The website has an energy rating of 0.8 for an 800 watt oven, but that too is incorrect since microwave cookers are measured in terms of output power, not input power. My microwave baseplate shows it consumes up to 1.2 kw.

My kettle is 3kw. and has a minimum fill requirement that is about 3 cups worth. it takes 2.5 minutes to click out from cold. My microwave takes 1.5 minutes to heat my single cup of coffee. So it is still economical for me to swap, but more expensive than I had thought.

I have checked several energy savings guru calculators on the web, and they all fall into the same trap of using output power, so you have broken new wind here it seems.

 

[KillAWatt]

It's not an unreasonable assumption that 800 watts on the box means just that, and many online sellers do not list electrical input power versus microwave power. It seems that domestic magnetrons just aren't that efficient when compared to electrical resistive heating in percentage terms, but can be used in different ways that give them an overall cost benefit sometimes. It only occurred to me to look more closely when I happened to notice the smart meter in home device shoot well past the 1kW mark when the microwave was on. I then noticed that many websites make the same assumption about power use when discussing running costs for cooking. Every day is a school day as they say.

I must be lucky with the kettle. A normal mug hits the minimum marker and it takes 44 seconds to almost boil, also at 3kW. Lets not get in to calculating the number of boils required to offset the cost of a new kettle, especially as the microwave is working for you

Hope you all make it through the winter without too much pain or suffering.

 

[Oldvatr]

It's not an unreasonable assumption that 800 watts on the box means just that, and many online sellers do not list electrical input power versus microwave power. It seems that domestic magnetrons just aren't that efficient when compared to electrical resistive heating in percentage terms, but can be used in different ways that give them an overall cost benefit sometimes. It only occurred to me to look more closely when I happened to notice the smart meter in home device shoot well past the 1kW mark when the microwave was on. I then noticed that many websites make the same assumption about power use when discussing running costs for cooking. Every day is a school day as they say.

I must be lucky with the kettle. A normal mug hits the minimum marker and it takes 44 seconds to almost boil, also at 3kW. Lets not get in to calculating the number of boils required to offset the cost of a new kettle, especially as the microwave is working for you

Hope you all make it through the winter without too much pain or suffering.

The rating by output power allows comparisons between different models and also assists recipes and prepared food suppliers to provide easy to follow cooking instructions. It is only when trying to work out comparative cost or cost of ownership where it is misleading .

 

[lovinglife]

Reading this post it’s reiterating to me how very lucky my household is to have a reasonable income, I’m concerned but not worrying about the rises. I’m all electric and no other form of heating, cooking etc. I have rointe electric heaters in all our rooms so quite efficient and can be controlled individually, however it’s making me more aware of what we use and how we use it. I worry a lot about people who are in a different position to me and how they will manage, it must be terrifying. I know I have family members who are going to struggle massively and a worry for them a great deal.