What are you doing to reduce your electricity use?

[ImFree2doasiwant]

I have Oil CH, no gas so the electricity is quite low, but oil costs are quite high. I dont think I can limit my electricity use too much other than not using the tumble dryer (I already try to avoid it) and dishwasher (was recently given to me, so am used to not having it and don't find it as much help as I thought!)

Anything else? I'm switching lights off more and not leaving the radio on all day but can't see that they use too much anyway

Taking my lap top to the library during the day.

Showering at the gym instead of when I get home (though I realise this is just using their energy instead)

Wearing thermal tops under my jumper

Planning menus to make best use of oven being on: batch cooking etc.

Letting my hair dry naturally (it is short, so this isn’t a problem).

Not constantly washing clothes when they don’t need it. Ditto towels and bedding.

Washing at 30’ or 40’ , unless really necessary.

But I have been doing these things for environmental reasons as much as cost, as I am on a fixed tariff.

I'm turning off my laptop on wfh days.

Batch cooking. If I'm cooking chicken breasts. I'll do at least ten of them while the oven is on. Then freeze in various sauces for later on. Same as mince. I'll do a massive amount and freeze

I am using a heated throw during the day (WFH) and hot water bottle at night rather than have any heating on. I'm turning off my double screen set up once I've stopped work for the evening. That's about it really, we turn off all lights anyway, don't tend to have many things running. We've stopped the DC watching TV or screens unless it's the weekend and then only one film and it's off.

We could probably cut down on clothes washing but that would involve me sifting it all out and working out what really needs washing and tbh I have more important things to do!

@ImFree2doasiwant

It’s like Blackpool illuminations in this house.

I said this when I walked into the front room last night (and there's only two of us).

I have finally, officially, as a 42-year-old woman, turned into my dad.

@1Week it's OK, i kniw the roof, doors and windows all need doing in this house, it would make a huge difference. Making these small changes does seem pointless when there's a gale blowing through the house.

yeah, we need our windows doing upstairs. Unless the poor sod can hover he ain't getting at teen dd's windows. need to clean up a bit first.

Hello. Popping in to let you know that we're doing a Q&A with fuel poverty charity National Energy Action about these energy price hikes on Wednesday 23rd Feb at 12 noon. The thread is now open for questions here.

Watching to see if anyone has any tips im not doing already.

Changes we have made are switching to the eco cycle on washing machine and only doing 1 load per day (and an extra towel wash once a week). Would previously use only quick washes and maybe 2-3 per day.

I am back to air drying everything on the airer, washing done and hung to air in the morning then the next day it goes in the dryer to finish - only takes about 10 mins. Previously drying at least one load from wet per day. On warmer days and in summer we wont use dryer at all.

We have gas central heating so are cutting down shower times & putting the 2 little ones in the bath together. We dont have a gas cooker but we are trying to use slow cooker/air fryer instead of the oven.

We've changed to put the heating on for only 1 hour in morning and 1.5 hours at night. We have an oil rad in the living room for evening time which is 400w on lowest setting and using this instead of the heating. Worked out on current tariff this costs just under 9p an hour. We have blankets out and wear extra layers.

We turn off unnecessary plugs when not in use.

I can't think what else we can do so interested in more tips.

Anyone on this thread who posted on the 'How often do you shower?' thread? Any of those who said the rest of us were dirty scum if we didn't shower 3 times a day? Are you still having 3 a day?

Started using the eco cycle on the washing machine as much as possible. Taking electronics off the kids for an hour every time I find a light in a room they are not in (or mostly the landing lights!), that's working surprisingly well considering they have totally ignored my previous pleas to turn lights off. I'm using my Ninja grill & one pot to cook a lot more which cooks quicker and saves heating the whole oven and hob for dishes. Not turning the heating on when I'm the only one in and in the small office. Bought some blankets for the living room to use when watching TV etc instead of putting the heating on.

We have:

• put smart plugs on all the things that would otherwise be on standby 24/7. Chargers, TV, laptops etc.
• Set computers to shut down/start up on a schedule
• Cut back a little on tumble drying (we didn't do much anyway)
• left the dishwasher and washing machine permanently on eco settings
• made an effort to double up in the oven when we can, rather than cook things seperately

The result is a saving of approx 1000-1500kwh a year (£280-£420 per year!).

We have a halogen cooker and a pressure cooker. They use far less energy than cooking the equivalent meal in our large gas oven, so I'm planning to make good use of those.

I've turned off the hot water tank. The shower is electric and it seems ridiculous to keep over a hundred litres of water hot 24/7 so I can do my dishes at the end of the day. So I've got a washing up bowl and boiled the kettle to do them. It's weird not having hot water coming out of the tap to wash hands though.

We've had a power cut.. so I guess that will save us something until it comes back on .. thanks Eunice.

@Billandben444

Anyone on this thread who posted on the 'How often do you shower?' thread? Any of those who said the rest of us were dirty scum if we didn't shower 3 times a day? Are you still having 3 a day?

Take no notice. These are the people who scrub their roofs thoroughly on the first of each month, wash each item of clothing in its own wash for fear of "cross-contamination" and expect to catch bubonic plague if a member of the working classes uses their fucking bog

Run dishwasher on E7 using the timer
Heated blankets instead of heating (this has had no detrimental effect either but it’s not cold and has been mild generally)
Woodburner for genuinely cold days
Slow cooker instead of electric oven
If using electric oven (hardly ever these days) putting several things in at once; slow roast lamb in with bolognese and a pot of chilli.

[quote motherofawhirlwind]@Diditopknot our Google routine to turn off all lights except the lounge is "It's like Blackpool Illuminations in 'ere!" to which she replies "I'll leave big light on, shall I?" Amuses me every time. [/quote]
Genius

@PerseverancePays

I've turned off the hot water tank. The shower is electric and it seems ridiculous to keep over a hundred litres of water hot 24/7 so I can do my dishes at the end of the day. So I've got a washing up bowl and boiled the kettle to do them. It's weird not having hot water coming out of the tap to wash hands though.

Waste water by washing hands in hot water. Either use cold with anti bac,soap or use ant bac stuff. We have A/B. Stuff in bathrooms. Such a waste of water. & don’t forget turn hot tap on; boiler fires up gas Electric being used just for that, crazy.

@zebrarobot

Watching to see if anyone has any tips im not doing already.

Changes we have made are switching to the eco cycle on washing machine and only doing 1 load per day (and an extra towel wash once a week). Would previously use only quick washes and maybe 2-3 per day.

I am back to air drying everything on the airer, washing done and hung to air in the morning then the next day it goes in the dryer to finish - only takes about 10 mins. Previously drying at least one load from wet per day. On warmer days and in summer we wont use dryer at all.

We have gas central heating so are cutting down shower times & putting the 2 little ones in the bath together. We dont have a gas cooker but we are trying to use slow cooker/air fryer instead of the oven.

We've changed to put the heating on for only 1 hour in morning and 1.5 hours at night. We have an oil rad in the living room for evening time which is 400w on lowest setting and using this instead of the heating. Worked out on current tariff this costs just under 9p an hour. We have blankets out and wear extra layers.

We turn off unnecessary plugs when not in use.

I can't think what else we can do so interested in more tips.

What do you class as unnecessary plugs?

I wonder if electric car sales will be affected?

@mogsrus chargers when not being used, tv at night, making sure things are off and not on standby where possible. Radio when its not on, air fryer when we're finished with it etc

@Billandben444

Anyone on this thread who posted on the 'How often do you shower?' thread? Any of those who said the rest of us were dirty scum if we didn't shower 3 times a day? Are you still having 3 a day?

I've thought that, but about the incessant towel washers. I also thought that on the house deposits thread. The same friend who was talking about big energy bills a few years ago gave another friend a baby shower present including no fewer than four different "essential" types of wipes.

The fact that I have pig-in-a-midden standards has no doubt saved me a lot over the years.

[quote zebrarobot]@mogsrus chargers when not being used, tv at night, making sure things are off and not on standby where possible. Radio when its not on, air fryer when we're finished with it etc

[/quote]
Why bother with a charger it’s absolutely negligible it’s big stuff people need to get round, your radio is not using power when off, hardly anything when on either,same as your air fryer. it will only pull power when on.

Making sure we turn the kitchen lights off. We have multiple downlights that I replaced half of not long ago as I didn't want it dark all winter. I'd already swapped them around so the ones that still worked were over the work surfaces, I shouldn't have bothered replacing the others!

Boiling the kettle with the right amount of water

Doing less washing

We can more easily save on gas by having short showers and less heating