[Misc] Suggestions to save energy this winter…

[BLOCK F]

What is the cheapest price that can be paid for logs for a log burner ? We bought a bag weighing 7.5 kg at the weekend which cost £5.69.

Down here in Sussex, I am paying £100 for a cubic metre including delivery,which is a reasonable amount of logs. They are well seasoned and burn well. If you can take 4 cubic metres , the price drops to £350.
The prices have gone up from last year which is no surprise.
I originally found my supplier online a few years ago and have used him ever since. I’m sure you’ll find someone in your neck of the woods who will supply and deliver to you. Make sure they are well seasoned though.

 

[SockMonster]

Die

"Don't think of death as an end but rather as a very effective way of cutting down on your expenses". Woody Allen from the film Love and Death.

 

[The Clamp]

A tip from when I had a burner. Store your logs up-ended and not horizontally. They don’t look as nice in the stack but they dry out/season quicker and keep nice n dry.

Also, you can clean the glass to perfection by taking a screwed up sheet of newspaper, dab it in a bowl of water, then in the fire ash and clean the glass with that, finish off with a dry, clean sheet of newspaper. That glass will sparkle. Takes seconds and costs nothing.

 

[maffew]

When doing the dishes in the dishwasher add some jam jars filled with water and vegetables, and a fish such as salmon wrapped up in foil.

Voila, a healthy steamed meal without using any extra energy, and clean plates ready to serve up on

 

[Brok]

Hook your entire house up to car batteries, every time a battery is running low, pop it in your car to recharge it on your daily commute.

Good theory, but you would have to commute several times a day to charge them.
I live on three 12v batteries that need a couple of hours charging every day.

I also need a new fridge. A new 240v fridge you can buy new for less than £100, second hand for peanuts.
A new 12v fridge is about £500, second hand as rare as hens teeth if any good

 

[Keith the Kipper]

I was going to invite a couple of ladies round but on the sites I've visited that looks quite expensive to.

 

[Weststander]

Turn off at the mains/unplug any devices that give out significant heat when not being used. That's other than routers, it's been debated ad nauseam whether to leave off or on overnight?

For example, a Virgin TiVo set top box costs at 1 Oct 2022 rates, £68 to run on standby a year.

Computers too, I think this is more true in warm conditions with internal fans working. 100W is a common figure mentioned, so the equivalent of leaving a 100W light bulb on 365.

In the cold months, open the oven doors post cooking to add to ambient heat.

Close windows before daily temperatures cool. I've seen here windows flung open "for fresh air", then left that way until its cold inside, cue "it's freezing" and an evening's spent warming the place up.

 

[Weststander]

When doing the dishes in the dishwasher add some jam jars filled with water and vegetables, and a fish such as salmon wrapped up in foil.

Voila, a healthy steamed meal without using any extra energy, and clean plates ready to serve up on

I love the taste of rinse aid in the morning

 

[Blue3]

Life is changing for us all Mrs blue3 and I have taken a look at all our expenditures over the. Past 12 months and identified everything spent into two columns one headed WANTS the other NEEDS it was surprising just how much we spent on WANTS

Here is our list of what you might consider or not to save money

Shower to get wet then switch off soap and shampoo as needed then switch shower on to rinse off cuts water and gas electricity useage down to 1 minute shower

Use other showers at the Gym or Work

If like me you are retired use public spaces during cold weather libraries, Gyms, clubs anywhere that can provide some entertainment with heating

Eat vegetarian Meals at least twice a week, batch cook and freeze for later, use beans and lentils cheap filling high protein

Don’t let yourself get cold before that happens put extra clothing on if that includes hats coats indoors then do it getting cold is life threatening

Make Hot water bottles while boiling a kettle for a hot drink

Draft proof windows cheaply using cling film, block unused fireplaces, fit non return flaps to extractor’s, hang heavy curtains to inside of exterior doors

Aluminium foil behind radiators reflect the heat inwards, clean out the radiators of dust and fluff to increase efficiency, lag pipe work between radiators if radiators are sized correctly then the pipe work is an uncontrollable waste

Washing hands using cold water, fit LED lamps retro fit options are available for all types of lamps, fit thermostatic valves to all radiators (except for the bathroom) and turn the control down several degrees lower upstairs compared to downstairs, install room thermostat to control heating system or move room thermostat out of living areas and into the hall

Service the boiler, don’t store hot water if possible remove storage tanks and if financially possible install combi boiler, if financially possible install solar panels

Check for water leaks turn everything off go out into the road find and look at you water meter is it still rotating you have a leak find it fix it, water from gutters does it go into the drainage system or into a soak away if it’s a so ak away then check you are not paying to much for waste water by your water supplier

Switch off unused chargers, low voltage transformers feeding table lamps TVs etc when not in use

Car share to work, cycle, try not using the car weekends, eat a Tory, don’t be to proud to ask for help, food banks, churches, charities, citizens advise or your local councillors I can assure you that you won’t be alone.

Team up with friends family and neighbours to shop cook and socialising share heating or in shops BTGOF offers are cheaper if only you want three if not then shared by several households might be an option

Check your bank accounts are you paying for direct debits you don’t need or use,

 

[Audax]

I see a few have switched or going to be using log burners, isn't this a really bad pollutant? I think I read somewhere that they are being banned?

Not being banned, however newly fitted ones are going to be more heavily regulated ("Ecodesign" burners that produce up to 90% less emissions) and certain fuel types for multi-fuel burners will be banned outright (such as coal). Those burning logs should only burn fuel with a moisture content of 20% or less - so it should be well seasoned, and stored in a suitably dry location.

 

[Chinman3000]

When I lived in a house share about 15 years ago we used to do this game where the first person to put the heating on was crowned the pu**y of the house and was referred to as such during the winter.

Ever since then I always push myself to leave it as late as possible to put the heating on, so really I'm thankful for that game as I've now been training for this crisis.

I usually get well into November

I think that's the key here. Once it's been on hard to turn it off again.

 

[schmunk]

I work 3 days in office and 2 days from home. Will charge everything at work and hope it sees me through, at least won’t have to charge stuff fully.

Your phone will have a battery of ca. 10-15Wh, so even at Oct 22 rates will cost roughly 0.8p to charge fully.

A laptop, typically about 30-50Wh, so perhaps as much as 2.5p per charge...

Go to the gym 3 times a week

Presumably this is not free.

 

[Audax]

Eat vegetarian Meals at least twice a week, batch cook and freeze for later, use beans and lentils cheap filling high protein

Similar suggestion (which we've been doing for a while): if you can't give up meat entirely, any mince-based dishes you eat you can reduce the amount of mince you use and supplement it with mushrooms instead.

 

[pearl]

Get in touch with long lost relatives and spend Winter at their place.

If that's too unbearable to contemplate ............. hibernate

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Add more fire bricks to your log burner. I done this last year and was surprised how much more heat was generated with less logs. Also they retain heat as the logs burn out.

 

[Titanic]

Similar suggestion (which we've been doing for a while): if you can't give up meat entirely, any mince-based dishes you eat you can reduce the amount of mince you use and supplement it with mushrooms instead.

...or tinned green lentils. Perfect 50/50 with minced beef in a cottage pie or chilli con carne.

 

[British Bulldog]

...or tinned green lentils. Perfect 50/50 with minced beef in a cottage pie or chilli con carne.

Lentils are a most underrated food, filling and wholesome.

 

[The Clamp]

Similar suggestion (which we've been doing for a while): if you can't give up meat entirely, any mince-based dishes you eat you can reduce the amount of mince you use and supplement it with mushrooms instead.

I do this and it’s great. Also, If you like them, chickpeas are a good meat substitute in curries. They are essentially tasteless so absorb the flavour of the curry but add some volume and bite.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

This is a thread for helpful tips on saving some money this Winter. Would be nice to keep it that way. There is another thread for discussing the whys and wherefores [emoji106]

Looks like the self-appointed thread police have arrived on their high horses.

Absolutely no need for a reply like the above.

Lol.

 

[Giraffe]

Burn a Tory.

Why? Did they invade Ukraine as well as the Russians? Must have missed that, surprised the BBC have not mentioned it.