Egluntyne Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 We have an open fire and it's lovely. I do wish that we had invested in a back boiler system which would heat the radiators and hot water from the fire. That would have saved a fortune. When I was little the emersion heater used to make funny noises when we lit a fire because the water was so hot. Same here!! I do remember the system being a palaver for my Dad who had to stoke the fire first thing and clear everything out a couple of times a week. They went for a gas fire eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 You can't beat a real fire though! Can you Kate?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 You can't beat a real fire though! im not listening *fingers in ears* I would kill for a real fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Mines been blazing all afternoon after I somehow got chilly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Our duel fuel bill is £160 a month and we aren't in credit . That doesn't include the coal for the multi fuel burner. The OH doesn't like using wood because it burns so quickly. We really do need to do something we have 3 PCs on all the time . TVs (5 in the house) are on stand by all the time. Then there's all the other things that just drain and can't easily be turned off. I looked at those remote power off adaptors and didn't buy any. Maybe I should get to Tesco tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 OH and I have been discussing the energy price rises this evening. We had the heating oil delivered yesterday, £453 for 1000 litres The tank is filled about 3 times a year. Our house is old and cold. We have short summers and long winters, we had no summer last year and often switched on the heating in the evening. we have decided to try and cut down on our energy usage. finish replacing light bulbs with energy saving ones. Stop using the tumble dryer. Un plug electical appliances at night and nag, nag, and nag the children about leaving lights. pc's etc on when not in use. If we don't move house this year we will look into opening up the fire in the living room and installing a log burner, and also look into solar panels for heating some of the hot water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 OH and I have been discussing the energy price rises this evening. We had the heating oil delivered yesterday, £453 for 1000 litres The tank is filled about 3 times a year. Has oil gone up that much Ali? I have just checked our last bill from 30/08/07 as it cost us £326 for 1000 litres. We are down to number 4 on the high-tech-oil-measuring-thingy, which means we have about 500 litres left. The tank holds 1300 litres so we have used a fair bit since the end of August. We do have the heating on a fair bit, but if its a quiet night in and cold, the fire is lit in the lounge and that does make a difference. A log burner sounds like a good idea. Next door have one and their house is always roasting hot! We recently started draught proofing the lovely, but gappy, doors and that makes a difference too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 It makes you think about draught proofing doesn't it? I will be draught proofing my double glazing soon. I have a couple of packets of B&Q double glazing film draught excluder (less than £4 for 3m x 1.5m piece), and will do the windows in each room as I spring clean my house. I put my hand near one window and there was a howling gale coming through so it will be stopped! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-s Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 OH and I have been discussing the energy price rises this evening. We had the heating oil delivered yesterday, £453 for 1000 litres The tank is filled about 3 times a year. Has oil gone up that much Ali? I have just checked our last bill from 30/08/07 as it cost us £326 for 1000 litres. We are down to number 4 on the high-tech-oil-measuring-thingy, which means we have about 500 litres left. The tank holds 1300 litres so we have used a fair bit since the end of August. We do have the heating on a fair bit, but if its a quiet night in and cold, the fire is lit in the lounge and that does make a difference. A log burner sounds like a good idea. Next door have one and their house is always roasting hot! We recently started draught proofing the lovely, but gappy, doors and that makes a difference too! I can't find the bill for the previous delivery to compare. Maybe we pay more for the oil because of our location I was chatting to the delivery driver while he was filling the tank. He said that his company struggled to get enough oil delivered to the depot to cover all their oustanding customer orders I find that quite worrying. Our tank holds 1000 litres, so in actual fact we had less than a 1000 litres delivered as there was a small amount of oil left in the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 I just pm'd pengy this - there is a website called 'boilerjuice' it is worth looking at as they do competitive prices based on delivering to more than one address in the same area on one day - might be worth you oil folk taking a look at it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisnrob Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 I looked at those remote power off adaptors and didn't buy any. Maybe I should get to Tesco tomorrow. We have got two sets of these. One set from Lidl and one set from Aldi. Each set was £9.99 for four remote sockets. They sell them in B&Q for £19.98 for three sockets! Might be work keeping an eye on your local Lidl/Alid...? Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Thats a better price than ~Ebay! I always have the Aldi mail too. I've realised the washing machine and tumble dryer are quite easy for me to turn on and off - they are in the back of the cupboard under Mums sink. Trouble is its only her that uses them and she cant reach to turn them on and off so it needs to be remotes for there. And for my electric recliners... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 And for my electric recliners... Call me old fashioned, but what's an electric recliner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 OK now I'm embarrassed I have a sofa with reclining ends. It usually involves pushing and using muscles to recline (the other sofa and the arm chair certainly do) so I bought one with electric reclining. I just sit and press a button. and hey presto I recline Now if somebody rings the doorbell they have to be patient, the thing about electric recliners is you CAN'T do them manually so I have to press the button and go slowly back down before I can answer the door. Oh I'd definately buy them again - I am that lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Sorry Pengy, I'd just never heard of it before. Still never seen one before..... perhaps I lead a sheltered life. Does it sort of help you up out of your seat then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 No it doesn't help you up. You just sit down, press the button and the seat moves into a reclined position, you can stop it whenever you like and it goes to almost completely flat. Its very comfortable really, like the old cradle seats they had on BA a while back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Sounds rather like my dentists chair I think my sofa must be old fashioned then - if I want to recline, I have to put my own feet up It's nice and long though and comfy to sleep on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 we have electric recliners on our leather settee too! hubby loves it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 My old fashioned sofa wore out - was all threadbare so I took a trip to DFS one Xmas eve (top tip - store COMPLETELY empty BUT sale prices already avaialable!) and bought a new suite. I liked the idea of reclining chairs and when I saw the electric ones I was sold. I wasn't too extravagant though I had the electric ones on the three seater, manual on the 2 seater and a static chair. Mind you I since bought a fantastic reclining chair for a tenner on Ebay. Anyone who comes wants to sit in the Ebay chair because it is so comfortable, if you don' recline, you can rock! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Oooo, I love rocking chairs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Update on the energy price rises. Apparently Alastair Darling will be having talks with OFGEN (or OFGEM whichever it is) about the price rises as, coupled with the interest rate rises, is beginning to affect consumer spending (surprise, surprise ) and therefore the economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Update on the energy price rises. Apparently Alastair Darling will be having talks with OFGEN (or OFGEM whichever it is) about the price rises as, coupled with the interest rate rises, is beginning to affect consumer spending (surprise, surprise ) and therefore the economy. Be a good start if he cut fuel duty by 20% With the increase in crude oil prices the government make more through the VAT, never mind Treasury increases. A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Be a good start if he cut fuel duty by 20% With the increase in crude oil prices the government make more through the VAT, never mind Treasury increases. I agree, and don't forget we pay 5% VAT on our home energy too, where do they spend it all?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I think they think we have bottomless pockets... it makes me so angry its just pay out and out and out, and we get nothing back. I was only looking at hubby's payslip tonight and tutting at how much tax he paid - its crazy.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Be a good start if he cut fuel duty by 20% With the increase in crude oil prices the government make more through the VAT, never mind Treasury increases. I agree, and don't forget we pay 5% VAT on our home energy too, where do they spend it all?? I don't think I could post about where I think some of it ends up as I would not be able to get my point across in a sensible and reasoned way. A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
