My giant electricity bill part 2: down 25% in just one week!

[vonsudenfed]

Having posted last week and discovered that yes, we were using a lot of electricty, and it wasn't just the prices going up, So DH and I have put some effort in.

The main thing was going round unplugging every single transformer that wasn't being used (not just rechargers for phones and laptops, we have a few (OK, 6) DAB radios, all of which have transformers that use a bit of electricity when the radio is off. The only other thing we did was make sure we put the computers to sleep when we walked away. We've been taking meter readings every morning and night, and our use is down 25% already.

There's still more work to do, as the house seems to use huge 'background' levels of electricity all the time, but we have been lent one of these which is not so lovely it's my new pet, but also making me completely obsessive about turning things off to see how low I can get it. More reports if we get below a 25% reduction.

ps. I know this is all probably blindingly obvious to some people, but it's been a surprise to me.

Genius! Well done. This is exactly what everybody should be doing, particularly the meter readings and monitoring of their consumption.

It really is a bugbear of mine, but then I work in an energy related job and am acutely aware of the serious issues we are facing in the UK and globally when it comes to our energy supply.

I read a report yesterday from an eminent energy research group stating that we could be facing energy shortages as early as 2015. We really are in a mess.

Good on you Vonsudenfed.

vs, if you unplug the transformers on the DAB radios, do you have to re-tune next time you turn it on?

Wow vonsudenfed, well done, keep us posted!

RantinEminor

Hi, can you offer any advice on how to reduce energy consumption on top of von's ideas?

Thanks

Thankyou everyone - we've still got a way to go, although our bills will always be a bit higher than usual as we both work from home - DH with a giant computer that whirrs and grinds and fans rather.

We have - I have discovered in the course of this - a brilliant local scheme, where volunteers are trained to do energy audits for free and give advice on how we might save money. I've borrowed the lovely, lovely Wattson through this - for free - and they've also lent me a plug meter too. So if anyone else is in Somerset I'll give them the details.

And no, the DABs are quite happy to be turned off at the plugs. I am starting to loathe transformers; we've even got them on our bedside lights...

Do you use flat screen monitors for your computers? They will use much less electricity. You can also buy plugs that switch off the peripherals when you switch off your computer.

have you changed over all your light-bulbs? Laptops are more energy efficient than normal computers. Also heated towel racks are a waste of power. Congrats on a 25% reduction!

I have a question and I would like another person's opinion...
For a long time I have been paying an extortionate amount of money for electricity from Good Energy (all wind power). Due to credit crunch etc I decided to switch to a 'green' Scottish Power supply - this will save me about £150 a year. However, I then heard on the radio that the government has pledged that by 20xx (can't remember exact year) 15% of its power supplies will be from green sources. So, am I right in thinking that it won't make any difference which tariff I choose - I may as well save £300 and go for the cheapest option - because energy providers will have increase their green sources in order to comply with the government targets anyway.
?????

0606 I think that the answer is complicated. There is an article about it here
As far as I understand it the only one that is really worth considering is Good Energy. All the green tariffs from providers who also offer 'normal' tariffs are pretty much a con, as all providers have to meet their renewables obligation anyway.
Good Energy are 100% renewable, so it is arguable that it is worth supporting them and that it actually may make a difference.
For a more direct approach, there are various co-ops around who will support communities in getting together to put up a community windmill, some places in Wales are working on it I know, if lots of people put in money people can even make a bit of a return on their investment.

Ecotrcity is pretty good.