Smart Door Power Options

[Guest]

I'd forgotton about the cavity wall insulation, Mum was getting it done last year but didn't! I'll get her to get back on to it. Apparantly some of my house is insulated but some isn't.

 

I'm also thinking of putting up some more curtains. When I bought the house they had ornamental curtains - that didn't close! I already fixed the ones in the living and dining room but the study could do with some over the french doors. There are also french doors in the kitchen and a huge "glass wall" in the hall as well as similar on the landing. The landing has some voiles up but I could add curtains. I'm not so sure about the hall though because I wouldn't want them obscuring the light.

 

I'm not convinced solar for only water will make much difference. The washing machine is cold fill as that's more efficient. Mum's shower heats its own water so its just my bath that we really use every day - James shares with me

 

I "could" take a shower but A - I hate it and B my shower is rubbish so would need a costly replacement - its like standing under a dripping tap when it's full on.

 

Car wise I'll try and use Mum's more often I just feel so uncomfortable driving it.

 

Fuel I will economise on - right now on the "jeremy vine" show they are talking about cheap food and a 2p sausage - NOT an option, we all know what kind of conditions animals are kept in to produce that!

[Mrs Webmuppet]

We haven't had the heating on for ages. I always put a fleece on if its a bit chilly. I only put the heating on as a last resort.Our is a very modern house so is pretty well insulated.

 

As for my car, it does 40 miles to the gallon and I make one tankful last a month..........I try to cycle and walk as much as possible ( all part of my keep fit plan too). As for the price of food.........I have a small veggie patch and pad meals out with pulses ( plus of course puddings made with those lovely eggs).

[MedusA]

Like Claret, I live in a Victorian house so no cavity walls to insulate. We've done out our loft with recycled paper insulation earlier this year, so hopefully that will help. Reminds me - I've still got 4 bags left (not very good at calculating areas so I over-ordered). I really must try and sell it on.

 

My daughter is a devil for being what I term "half-dressed" and then moaning that it's cold. She's fed up of my mantra "put some clothes on then". I try to keep the heating to a minimum and put on extra layers, use blankets/duvets/rugs to snuggle up in, and keep active to generate my own heat. We also have an open fire in the lounge which is lovely in the winter. Even so the fuel bills keep escalating - due to price increases, not usage! I think I'll have to go and live in the eglu with the girls next winter!

[Helly Welly]

We haven't had the heating on for a while. We used to have it on more for me as i suffer badly when i'm cold but i constantly have a hot water bottle with me for my hip pain so i'm usually the warmet in the house now. When i remember, i boil a full kettle in the morning and then put it into thermos flasks, the water stays hot enough for my hot water bottle and cups of coffee. We live in a 30's semi so have no cavity to insulate unfortunately but if we were staying in this house we would get solar water heating.

 

We have an electricity monitor so we tend to be quite good at not wasting electricity but now OH works mostly at home our usage has probably gone up. Fortunately, work now pay our phone bill as OH makes international calls.

 

As far as food goes, we tend to worry about quality more than price, although as ex-students we are very adept at getting value for money. We are lucky in that we actively chose to only have one child and OH is on a fairly good salary.

 

Household items are usually bought, or at least researched, online s as to get the best price possible. We often go charity shopping and have picked up so many goodies for so little pennies. In fact, going charity shopping is one of our top five favourite family activities.

 

Our car is diesel and OH is going to leave earlier this week for work and see how the journey is going no more than 60mph. He's noticed that with the trailer on, when he can't go faster than 60mph, the car is more fuel efficient. The trouble is, he works in Reading which is already a 2-2.5 hour drive. He does get a car allowance as part of his salary though so it could be worse. The fact that i'm disabled means that we often have to use the car where we used to walk or go by bus. I have a free bus pass but nausea is part of my condition and buses aren't good for nausea

 

We are always careful with the obvious things such as only using the dishwasher when it's full, ditto the washing machine. I spent many hours making sure i got the most fuel efficient appliances rather than worrying about the initial cost as i knew i would save money in the long run.

 

I think that being ex-students from fairly poor families has made us appreciate what we have now but also be able to be frugal where we can. We've worked hard to get to where we are now. For us, the issue isn't so much the money as the environment.

[Mutrix Farmers]

I drive a Citroen C1 that does 60+ to the gallon and has v low emissions (I wouldn't pay the congestion charge in London if I took it there). I only do town driving so it's perfect for that. On the odd occassions I take it on longer journeys it copes very well and handles motorways perfectly. OH drives a 1.6 diesel (a new one) but we are fond of weekends away which are obviously not good for the environment. Since a good shopping centre opened locally we don't have to go far for most of our shopping needs, and the rest is done by the internet.

 

We have a Combination Gas boiler that only heats water on demand. Heating is on a timer and all radiators have thermostats. Heating is off now so it's jumpers and fleeces when cold.

 

We shower rather than bath (and collect the water for use in the garden)

 

Cavity walls have been filled up, loft insulated, all windows checked for draughts (we have two large windows in the kitchen that need replacing as they are old double glazing and not very effective

 

Full washing loads, rather than half, at 30 degrees

 

Nothing left on standby (have to nag Son to remember to switch off the digibox at the wall - why don't they have on/off switches??)

 

Freezer is full up to run more efficiently

 

Energy saving bulbs in most light fittings where they will fit (even the small ones are still a bit big)

 

Could still do more and will try to do one more thing every month.

[Tiggy]

we've had solar panels for about 8 years & they have paid for themselves, there is a grant now so its worth looking into, we also have a back boiler behind our open fire & I burn wood no one has complained yet, I'm sure some miserable so & so will eventually

[Tessa the Duchess]

We drive a 21year old VW Caravelle, we are determined to keep it roadworthy as in four years time it will be old enough not to incurr road tax It passed it's MOT on the second try last week It is brilliant, can carry 8 people and anything else you might want to shift. It is diesel and does 30mpg around town and 40 on a run. Last year we did less than 2,000 miles, it's much easier to use public transport or walk in London. Our house is another matter altogether It is a three storey Edwardian terrace, 7 bedrooms and is a nightmare to heat. We recently had a new condensing boiler fitted which has made a big difference to the heating costs. We have done everything possible to try and conserve energy, spent a fortune double glazing the original sash windows, the loft is lagged within an inch of it's life, no cavity walls to insulate. DH and I are very good about turning lights off and not leaving things on standby. However the real culprits for waste are my son and his family who live in a self contained flat on the top floor They go out and leave lights and tv on I am constantly nagging them about how if they had to pay the bills they would act a little differently. I am of the school of 'put another jumper on' but I feel the cold really badly and have Raynauds disease particularly in my hands, so we do switch the heating on when we really shouldn't We have an open fire in the living room where we burn wood we find in skips or in the woods, but it is really for the cosy effect as it doesn't reall give out much heat.

We could do much better

 

Tessa

[The Dogmother]

Try getting a stove Tessa - mine churns out a tremendous amount of heat and is far more efficient than the open fire that I used to have.

[Lesley]

I'll second that Clare - and the windows in the new ones are as good as looking at the flames of an open fire.

 

What happens to Sky + Planner if everything is not left on standby?

[The Dogmother]

I love watching the stove roaring away - it's quite satisfying knowing that I can heat it at virtually no cost.

[Tina C]

We drive a 21year old VW Caravelle, we are determined to keep it roadworthy as in four years time it will be old enough not to incurr road tax

 

 

Sorry - bit of an aside here - I thought it was just vehicles registered before 1973 that were tax exempt? Am intrigued to know what makes a vehicle tax exempt as I have a 29 year old camper and if I can exempt it I will - as I don't use it very often anyway.

[Tessa the Duchess]

We drive a 21year old VW Caravelle, we are determined to keep it roadworthy as in four years time it will be old enough not to incurr road tax

 

 

Sorry - bit of an aside here - I thought it was just vehicles registered before 1973 that were tax exempt? Am intrigued to know what makes a vehicle tax exempt as I have a 29 year old camper and if I can exempt it I will - as I don't use it very often anyway.

 

As I understand it, once a vehicle is 25 years old it is no longer necessary to tax it. I hope this is true otherwise we have been keeping the 'heap' going for for no reason Actually I would still keep it going because I love driving it and I don't like throwing things away.

 

Tessa

[Helly Welly]

We have a freeview box but don't switch it off as updates for it are sent through at 2am.

 

Forgot to say before, we have thick curtains at the front and back doors to minimise any draughts, especially from the damn cat flap

[Geoid]

As I understand it, once a vehicle is 25 years old it is no longer necessary to tax it.

Its only exempt if the car was made before 1st January 1973.

[Tessa the Duchess]

As I understand it, once a vehicle is 25 years old it is no longer necessary to tax it.

Its only exempt if the car was made before 1st January 1973.

 

Really? Oh poo, there is now deep gloom in our house

 

Tessa

[Cinnamon]

Thats right Fred.

My beloved old gumdrop orange Beetle was exempt, & I do miss him so

 

I drive a new Fiat panda now,which is ultra efficient & does for our family very well.

Its only a bit small when we go on holiday,but we have bought a top box which sorts that problem.

 

As for house fuel,we do have a woodburner & are VERY lucky to burn mainly old window frames which my husband gets as he replaces them for our business.

[Tessa the Duchess]

I should really look into getting a stove, they sound great. The only problem is that our fire place is what estate agents call 'an original feature':roll: and I wouldn't want to spoil the look of it.

 

Tessa

[Shirl]

I've got a Galaxy which does about 40mpg (diesel) but costs £75 to fill. I use it loads because we're semi- rural and DDs school is 2 miles away and she's not yet 4 so can't walk that far and I'd hate to think what time we'd have to get up to get her there for 8.30am (no buses on that route).

 

We've noticed a massive improvement since we had the old double glazing replaced last year. We had solar panels but the system packed up about 6 months ago and any savings were negligible so we haven't paid to have it fixed because it would probably cost a fortune.

 

Our monthly combined gas and electric is £175 (large 4 bed detached) and we still owe them money! We don't have the heating on often now but we have the stove which we put coal in which is about an extra £200 a year. I don't like the idea of burning old household wood because of the varnish etc that has been on it and wood from trees etc we've chopped down needs to be left for a year to dry and it's stroring it that's the problem. We have low energy bulbs and have turned our heated floors off for the summer too. Last year we didn't .

 

We use reuseable nappies so do our bit there but there is truly only so much you can do when you're busy with a family and general life.

[SueSteve]

Just reading through this topic.

I am forever monitoring the gas and electric usage! We pay £75 pm combined, and I thought that was a lot (fairly new, 4 bed, 3 storey terr)!! At the moment we are £5.50 in credit, and now without the heating up the credit should build up until we get the rebate in October, just in time for the heating to go on again!!

I will not turn the heating on until after ds birthday 16 nov, and try not to turn it on until dh birthday 3 days later. It works similarly in the Spring, I try to tunr it off by my birthday at the beg. April, but definately turn it off by ds birthday in the middle of April.

We have recently bought a new car, the old one was drinking fuel and costing us lots on repairs. We now use around 37mpg petrol(yes, it has a read out!!), a full tank is just under £50 (last week!) I tend to walk short distances, cycle a bit further, bus, and use the car if I NEED to. It is a 1.8l 6 seater family car, we only have one car. DH cycles everywhere. 2 children catch the bus to school, one walks.

I am also trying to cut down food bills, I have gone from spending around £40 a week around a year ago to around £60 (not including chicken feed), although I have now started bulk buying and having it delivered at home.

I don't know how I can reduce any more!!

Edited June 3, 2008 by Guest

[Olly]

this is a really interesting thread ... I'm guessing that I don't have cavity walls, I've got a 1930s semi - how do you know if you have?

 

I've got mostly double-glazing, but I have two more windows to do, saving up for those. I had thermostatic valves fitted on all the radiators earlier this year and I really noticed the difference, however the boiler is quite old and I don't think it is the most efficient. I'm waiting for it to give up the ghost and then I'll get a better one, I'd love a combi again as I had that in my last house, and for one person it's ideal. I rarely have baths, and I'm also (after the summer of drought) someone who only flushes the loo occasionally - never thought I would convert to that, but it is natural now! (Ken Livingstone's mantra was 'if it's yellow, let it mellow - if it's brown, flush it down!)

 

I've got a Ford Focus diesel, and I get 500 miles to a full tank, however the cost of that tank has gone up from £50 to £60 recently! I use the Tube quite a lot, but I have to run a car as sometimes my work requires me to travel - also, as a single woman, I'd feel uneasy using public transport late at night. I do use the car for voluntary work that I do for a charity, as well, so that makes me feel better about it.

 

I don't leave things on standby, and use low-energy lightbulbs where I can, but some of the light fittings in this house won't accept them. Not sure what else I can do, but I'm reading this with great interest - go on, who's next with their experience?

Edited June 3, 2008 by Guest

[SueSteve]

Thought I should add that we have low energy bulbs thoughout, cavity wall ins., gas radiators, with individual thermostats, double glazing.

Again after last years water shortage we only flush when needed (iykwim). The shower is run at least twice a day, and the bath about every other day, the children do tend to share bath water, going in one after another.

I usually empty the washing up water on the garden, and also collect the cold water from the hot tap before it warms up, for the garden (although I don't do it at the moment with this weather we are having!!)our water meter DD is £20 pm, how does that compare to others??

[Lesley]

I should really look into getting a stove, they sound great. The only problem is that our fire place is what estate agents call 'an original feature':roll: and I wouldn't want to spoil the look of it.

 

Tessa

 

Have a look at a few sites Tessa - you'll be amazed at the choice.

[Stevie]

As I understand it, once a vehicle is 25 years old it is no longer necessary to tax it.

Its only exempt if the car was made before 1st January 1973.

 

It was to stop there being a sudden influx of 25 year old Ford Sierras hitting the streets looking like the Red Arrows display team with smoke following in their wake paying zero road tax...

[chelsea]

our water meter DD is £20 pm, how does that compare to others??

 

 

that is very cheap! We are on water rates and pay £70 a month and there's only 2 of us living here costs a fortune, we have one of the highest water bill areas in the UK as we have to pay for the upkeep of the lovely beaches for all the tourists. Same goes with our council tax too (we pay more than some boroughs of London)

[Helly Welly]

this is a really interesting thread ... I'm guessing that I don't have cavity walls, I've got a 1930s semi - how do you know if you have?

 

We had one of those council offers for cavity wall insulation so i rang the number and someone came and drilled a hole in the wall. No charge.