Saving on bills etc

Now that the weather is changing and its coming the colder time of year, I just wondered what everyone is doing to save on costs such as heating etc.

For instance last year we did an experiment and kept our central heating on low 24 hours a day and controlling the heat with the thermostat ie turning it down lower when we went to work and raising it when we arrived home, rather than having the timer go on and off, therefore letting the house get completely cold again and causing the heating to have to work harder getting the temperature up again.

We believe it actually saved us money over all.

So what has anyone else got in line to make savings ? It doesn't just have to be heating, lets have all ideas please, we may be able to help each other save on all kinds of costs.

[Crispybacon]

Re: Saving on bills etc

We have storage heaters which are just a complete nightmare as they're so inefficient and expensive.

Something that worked well last year was we got hold of some old curtains from a car boot sale (along with curtain rails) and put these across the front door which really cut down on heat loss. It was amazing as you could feel the cold coming in when the curtains weren't drawn!

Not sure if we actually reduced our heating costs but the house was warmer for sure.

Crispy

[Sapphire]

Re: Saving on bills etc

My parents also used to do that curtain across the door thing, and they always said it worked, another thing they did was to make a kind of sausage shaped draught excluder from an old curtain or whatever was handy, and stuff if with old clothing and lay it across the bottom.

Another thing my mum did after dad died was to go on a water meter, she swore that she saved money with that too, she used to save her washing up and do it once a day. Not something I could do personally but as she was on her own there wasn't a lot for one person.
I've also read that you can put something in the cistern to make the flush shorter, I think its called a Hippo or something. We've got dual flush loos now.

[marshallka]

Re: Saving on bills etc

Branston hot chilli and jalapeno relish on everything. You can feel the sweat glands open up on your head lol. Certainly saves on the central heating...

Being serious though, its best to let the house breathe a little too. I cannot stand not having air..

I was looking up this idea of leaving the heating on all day on low but I really could not stand it (even low) at night. Its my age I think.

[Caspar]

Re: Saving on bills etc

Curtain across front door and draught excluders essential for us! Similarly close curtains at night.

A few other suggestions: Put foil behind radiators to reflect the heat back into the room, buy some jumpers - amazing how many of us think we should sit in t -shirts in the evening - bet you didn't as a youngster!!!!!

[marshallka]

Re: Saving on bills etc

Just out of interest what do you all spend per month/year on your gas and electric? I pay £101 a month and it does us up to yet (not changed the last two years). Is that good or bad for a family of 4?


I remember when we were kids scraping our finger nails down the "INSIDE" of the windows to write our names in the frost lol and we are still alive today.

[Caspar]

Re: Saving on bills etc

£162 per month, but that is paying off a previous debt gradually as well.

[Sapphire]

Re: Saving on bills etc

Just out of interest what do you all spend per month/year on your gas and electric? I pay £101 a month and it does us up to yet (not changed the last two years). Is that good or bad for a family of 4? I believe it all depends on the size of house, rather than the size of family hun.
We have normal sized house and pay £83 month gas and around £80 electric a month.


I remember when we were kids scraping our finger nails down the "INSIDE" of the windows to write our names in the frost lol and we are still alive today.

I remember those days, metal window frames and frost on the inside, didn't hurt us at all did it ?

[Crispybacon]

Re: Saving on bills etc

I've also read that you can put something in the cistern to make the flush shorter, I think its called a Hippo or something. We've got dual flush loos now.

Can help you save some more money on this one - use half a brick

Yes we do this too!!

Best

Crispy
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Just out of interest what do you all spend per month/year on your gas and electric? I pay £101 a month and it does us up to yet (not changed the last two years). Is that good or bad for a family of 4?

£207 a month. Includes paying off underpayments as our E7 meter readings were wrong way round.

But good news is balance is now under £200 so hoping to reduce this real soon
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Another thing my mum did after dad died was to go on a water meter, she swore that she saved money with that too

Would agree with that. We went onto a water meter 3 years ago and pay about £40 a year less. Washing machine is on every day as is dishwasher so we use a lot of water compared to most people too.

[marshallka]

Re: Saving on bills etc

Wow, up to yet we must live quite cheap!!! I honestly could not afford anymore so we have to wrap up lots and the kids are used to it. In fact if we go to friends houses and they have the heating on full we fall asleep. I do get cold though in the daytime but will not (no way!!) put the heating on just for me..

[di30]

Re: Saving on bills etc

Now that the weather is changing and its coming the colder time of year, I just wondered what everyone is doing to save on costs such as heating etc.

For instance last year we did an experiment and kept our central heating on low 24 hours a day and controlling the heat with the thermostat ie turning it down lower when we went to work and raising it when we arrived home, rather than having the timer go on and off, therefore letting the house get completely cold again and causing the heating to have to work harder getting the temperature up again.

We believe it actually saved us money over all.

So what has anyone else got in line to make savings ? It doesn't just have to be heating, lets have all ideas please, we may be able to help each other save on all kinds of costs.

We done the same last year too Sapphire, and I was dreading my bills, but they did actually come in cheaper for us too, was well surprised.
I used to have it on timed when we needed it, but not anymore.

We are with Swalec by the way.

We have 11 rooms in total, but 2 does not have radiators.
We approx monthly bill over the Winter is £50 to £60 a month, it can vary around that.

[WendyB]

Re: Saving on bills etc

I refuse to have heating on when the house is empty for most of the day. A few months ago I realised that I'd never changed the timer from when the kids were at school and getting home at 3.30pm. So changed it not to come on till 5pm saving 2 hours every afternoon, as there is never anyone home before 5.30. And instead of having it on 6.30am-9am, changed it to 7.30-8.30, saving 1.5 hours every morning. So that's 3.5 hours per day, 24.5 hours per week. As we've only just turned the heating back on, haven't really noticed any savings yet, will only really tell at the end of the winter I suppose.
We pay 85 per month gas, 59 electricity.

I turn off lights wherever I go, or don't put them on at all. Although left up to my daughter the house looks like Blackpool illuminations!! She is also the main culprit who makes it feel like a sauna by sneakily turning the heating up to 25 degrees and turning it on to constant!! I don't turn the dishwasher on until it's absolutely so full I can't fit another spoon in. I always boil the kettle and put veggies into boiling water, as it takes less time and electricity to do this than it does to boil a saucepan full of cold water, and always put the lids on saucepans because they boil faster that way.

Only use the tumble dryer in the winter - last year I resorted to taking the fuse out so people couldn't use it in the summer lol!!!

Oh yes, and I suppose I must save loads of electricity by not standing for hours doing the ironing. This is not actually because I am trying to save electricity, it's because I hate ironing, it's a totally pointless waste of time and I have far nicer things I would rather spend my time doing. So the energy saving is just a by-product, really

[di30]

Re: Saving on bills etc

I am in most days tbh or there is always someone here if i'm not.
My electric is a little more over the winter months due to early darker nights, but I mostly use those saving bulbs in the main rooms used the most.

So my electric is about the same as my gas a month, a few £'s more or less over the year.
I no longer use a dishwasher since it broke and never replaced it, and its rare the tumble drier is used, I have a huge airing cupboard its a walk in one and like another room really, even though its not a huge boiler either, but I have an airing line in there if needs to be.

[dogtired]

Re: Saving on bills etc

We are all electric (amazing when you think the big gas terminal just down the coast!)
Anyway our first years bill when we moved here was horrible, took us until last Jan (almost five years to pay it off in installments) Got a multi fuel burner and its a god send really toasty too, when we can afford it we will have it connected up to do the hot water.
Lined curtains to the door and windows and extra blanket in bed!
Paying £40 a month now on an on-line plan

[marshallka]

Re: Saving on bills etc

I am ringing my Gas?Electric provider again tomorrow. We have been with them for years and my total spend is £101 DD each month and it covers us for both gas and electric. Anyway in July this year there was a noise coming from our meter and I rang the helpline who sent someone out. They changed the meter for us and since we had it changed my gas usage seems to have trebbled which I find hard to believe TBH. I have been online and looked at the 3 month bill of this time last year and it was until beginning of November and we had used 63 units of Gas. Now looking at since we had this new meter is trebbled and I have not changed any timers and actually i think we have used less if truth be known. I rang today and they put me on hold until tea time and I had to hang up cause it was so long and my tea was ready. I think they had all gone home TBH and left me on hold lol.

Just hope its wrong or else we will be getting padded suits for in the house. I have the heating come on 7 to 8 in the morning and then 3 to 8 or sometimes 9 at night. We only have a small house (nothing like Di's 11 rooms lol) and its a bungalow too. We had a new boiler (thanks to co-op with PPI reclaim for that one) and we had a good one - A rated Glow worm 38cxi... we have it set to economy too.