How is your attempt to use less gas/electric/water going ?

[KangarooKenny]

I read all 3 meters again yesterday and the app shows I’ve used quite a lot less 🎉
My waterbutt is practically empty, but I am making the effort to put any clean water - such as out of the dog’s bowl or the kids water bottles - on the plants. And I’ve cut down on showers at night, doing pits n bits instead when I’ve not been to the gym.
The heating is off and staying off until October now.
The majority of washing is going on the line, but I’ve had complaints about rough towels so have to fluff them up for 10 minutes in the dryer.
Unfortunately I still seem to have mountains of washing, need to see how I can reduce it.

I turned down our thermostat by 1 degree in the autumn and reduced the time it comes on. We have saved £300 on our gas bill as a result.

I've just sold a load of stuff on eBay and scraped enough to buy a Breville Halo Rotisserie air fryer. So far so good and using the oven less already. I'm already amazed how much quicker it gets to temperature so will definitely save in the long run.

Today I've also started using a flask. I WFH and normally put the kettle on 3-4 times a day. I'm aiming to just boil it once now so a small but worthwhile change.

A big challenge will be to try to get the kids not to turn our house into Blackpool Illuminations every day 🙄😂

I'm using slightly less electric than I was. Batch cooking and turning everything off not using the dryer etc

Gas I hardly use at all and haven't had the heating on much in months , that's down to about £28 a month.

I'm on a pre payment meter though and can't afford to put on much more than I am doing now

I just put what I need in the kettle. I don’t find water out of a flask hot enough, plus you waste water warming the flask.

I’m turning the oven off 5 minutes before I need to as it keeps cooking. I do the same with boiling pans, turn the gas off and make sure the lid is on.

Not very well because we weren’t exactly extravagant with it before the price increase.

Slow cooker costs, based on 2020 prices…

chefspick.co.uk/how-much-electricity-does-a-slow-cooker-use/

I have got to give the flask idea a try. It has been sitting in unopened packaging for over a year. It just reminds me of those horrible corporate meetings with the soggy sandwiches on the side.

I've made lots of changes. Bought an air fryer and have barely used oven since. Leave nothing on standby. Lights out all day, one small lamp in evening. Only put tv on when I'm actually going to watch it. Cold washes for dark clothes. I only use hotter washes for sheets, towels, underwear. Stopped using the tumble dryer.

I also bought a Bissel carpet sweep and now use that daily on carpet and rugs with a house broom on the wooden floors, reserving the hoover for a weekly clean. That has saved daily use and has been perfectly efficient.

I bought Primark oodies for DS and I and we don't need heating wearing them. I also save any water into a big watering can and use that on the garden. We shower daily but as quickly as possible. I have a hot bath with bubbles once a week. Turned the boiler down. My bill this month was more than I usually pay but not excessive. I am annoyed with myself that I didn't do a lot of these things before as I could have saved myself a lot of money!

Yes I do this too. Used to be terrible for filling it up, completely unnecessary. I also take a flask out now rather than buying drinks. Saves a fortune.

Boiled eggs in an air fryer ?

I have practically stopped using the tumble dryer completely. I only used it for sheets and towels anyway. I hang them outside o r out them over the radiators as our gas is very low (£22 pcm).

I spent two days unwinding my washing from the line and prop at the weekend, it was too windy !

Wow never tried an egg in the air fryer yet. It is just d s only who uses the electric oven still as being 17 he eats huge portions.

Ive now found myself looking out the window to see if it’s a good drying day or not, like my mum used to !

I’m definitely going to get an air fryer, so many people rave about them. Particularly about how fast they warm up compared to an oven.

We've only had the oven on once since beginning of March - everything else done in the air fryer. Chicken roasted in about 50 minutes.

We're getting a water meter so have 3 water butts and am turning the shower down while washing and doing hair.

Only putting 2 mugs worth of water in kettle when we want a cuppa.

We moved house recently and the tumble dryer hasn't been hooked up, not that we used it much anyway.

Heating set at 17 degrees for an hour and a half in the evening and hasn't actually come on most evenings. Not on at all in the morning.

Bill for last month gas is about £60 and elec £85. Not too bad, but gas is only used for central heating, which hasn't been on much so the standing charge is annoying.

We have solar hot water, backed up by gas but the gas has never kicked in.

All lightbulbs changed to low energy and lights on only when room's in use. Lids on pans.

Did you not do that before?

started washing at 30 degrees, which i resisted before

Iirc slow cookers uses miniscule amounts of electricity. It was likened to a light bulb's worth in for a few hours.

Slow cookers use little electricity, making them energy efficient. Slow cookers, like those from Crock-Pot, use between 75 and 150 watts of electricity on low and between 150 and 210 watts on high. The appliance can cook all day, but it will use the same amount of energy as a standard light bulb

From google

Wtf? I hate the new MN, God knows what happened to my bold there!!

Thanks for that info

Ah, so glad for this thread. We're already low users in a 2 bed 2 person household. So far I turn off at the wall all unnecessary appliances, including cookers, tv, mobiles (when fully charged), try not to use the gas boiler and only wash-up in cold water (unless greasy stuff), have less showers and at a reduced temperature and wash with cold water, put washing on line (not in the dryer), heating was never really on - it's always off and only used when unbearably cold - otherwise we just wear more layers, hats and scarves; only wash a maximum of 2 loads washing per week on Eco setting; reduced fridge temperature; other savings: have cancelled Netflix and actually don't put TV on now when I can watch from my laptop which is always open anyway; cut back on mobile phone package, use Split-Ticketing for train travel I need - recently saved a whopping 50% on tickets to visit my father (£100 normally); shop at Aldi as we found it to be the cheapest, shop for cheaper insurances etc.

Normally in the summer, being a 'hot' person, I would have my stand fan blowing a gale all night long just so that I can sleep. That's not going to happen this year so I'll have to rely on my chillow pillow with a back-up!

Honestly? Putting the TV remote through the washing machine seems to have helped...