A typical washing machine cycle (obviously this depends on what temperature you select) costs just a few pence. Dishwasher likewise (more than doing it by hand).
By the way....it would be helpful if you could select the 'quoting' option in the program you're using to read mail. This adds '>' (or similar) to the parts of other people's posts when you include them. Sometimes it's a bit hard to disentagle 'who said what' otherwise...
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember " snipped-for-privacy@gglz.com" saying something like:
He'd only moan about the cost of running it.
Holey moley - why don't you suggest *he* gets up early to cook?
Other than that - my only suggestion is, as others have intimated, a change of one appliance - the husband...
David
With regards to shaving - which do you think would cost more? Heating one kettle full of water or heating one hot water tank full of water?
But you are hitting those figures. £870 for heating and HW leaves you £216 pa for the lighting, cooking, washing machine, TV kettle etc.
He might, and he might be wrong. If the OP can borrow one to see what difference it makes, it'd deffo be worth a whirl. Otherwise they're very cheap on ebay at this time of year.
BTW - to the OP - how are you drying washing in winter?
In message , David WE Roberts writes
Or shaving using cold water ...
Well it also provides me with hot water to clean the house daily. I value that. I dont like constantly boiling kettles for it. I go to work and then have to come and do these things
I think what my OH would really like is if we were living in the 1930's with no mod cons at all.
If I can I put them outside. if not I either have to put them in the tumble dryer ( hubby doesn't like that as it costs money) or I have to try and dry them in the house ( which makes the house damp! yes, I know)
In article , sweetheart scribeth thus
FWIW all of our tenants have complained big time re their power bill's since last winter which as we know was once of the worst for some years hence the power demands will be higher, and I dread to think what electric only heating costs will be for larger houses!.
That said and re the other responses why don't you keep a daily or weekly record of meter readings to see where its going then seek out a cheaper supplier, and look at improving insulation and reducing consumption if you can....
There are other power companies who are very little trouble..
Sweetheart...
#1 Loft Insulation, =A350-99-199. Get the loft insulated to 300mm or so immediately. You lose probably 35% of your heat through the roof in a bungalow and E7 heaters work by heating the room in a morning then keeping it warm thereafter. Without proper insulation E7 is both expensive to run and goes cold too early.
#2 Wall Insulation, =A350-99-199. Get the cavity wall insulated similarly. You lose probably 30% of your heat through the walls in a bungalow, so the same applies, plus the cold surface will create draughts which will make it feel colder. If you do not have a cavity wall the best thing to do is insulation the inner walls of the main living room (where you spend the most time), you can buy 25mm & 50mm Celotex online, then screw plasterboard to the top, simple plaster skim and even Super Fresco Bobble wallpaper looks ok in Barley White Matt (not like most super fresco wallpapers which look a bit hideous, it is small textured and lends itself well to painting).
#3 Floor Insulation, DIY. A floor is about 15-20% heat loss. If your floor is solid concrete the best insulation is felt (3.4 Tog), polyurethane foam (2.7 Tog), Tredaire (1.7 Tog), Rubber Crumb (1.1 Tog), Sod All (0 Tog :-) What is the difference? Well a solid concrete floor with quarry tile & 20yr old green tredaire heavily compacted used to make the lower legs ache painfully if stood on for very long, changing to polyurehane and felt (I know too high) removed that ache and actually made the room warm /in the 2009 winter/. Very surprising. If your floor is wood, you need to reduce any gaps re direct heat loss, then insulate between the joists under the floor. This is done by fixing string or netting to the joists, then pushing down *tightly fitted* PIR foam or cavity bat foam. It must be tightly fitting re no air gaps otherwise the insulation is bypassed. It MUST retain an airflow path under the floor to prevent rot - in that respect you need to ensure the underfloor area is dry or at least ventilated by cross- vents under the floor in the direction of the joists and that the vents are not blocked. This can save you a lot of money re remedial work in the long run.
#4 Draught excluder, =A320. Letterbox, windows & doors. You want EPDM rubber type in white or brown, not the foam stuff. P type is for large gaps, E type is for small gaps. if you have modern DG obviously this does not apply.
#5 Reduce ventilation in winter a little. If your bungalow has 1-2 open fireplaces with no gas / real fire in them, plug up the chimney except for a small ventilation gap over the winter. Likewise restrict general house vents - it depends on the age of the house. Do not clog up trickle vents. You want to reduce the house Air Changes Per Hour if they are high (such as a 1950s 12-vent 2-chimney bungalow), but not so much that you suffer condensation and mould (which will not help your health). Generally to avoid condensation you a) remove steam generated in kitchen by extractor fans b) increase heating c) increase ventilation. Unless the bungalow is very old this is not likely to be a problem.
#6 Fit an extractor hood in the kitchen. A cheap one off Ebay "shipping scratched" can be as little as =A320. More expensive is getting a hole through a wall, but that is what husbands are for. Same goes for any shower. Just ensure someone knows how to wire it correctly, there are Electrician's Guides out there on Amazon UK website quite cheaply and easy to follow.
Now, Paying for it - Money saving tips.
Food & Domestic. Look at what you buy in a year. You may find certain branded stuff is cheaper at say Asda than Sainsbury's (check the websites). Then buy in bulk when things are on special offer. For example if you buy 52 boxes of Special K in a year that is nearly =A3150 when not on offer, but only =A3100 when on offer - =A350/yr saved. Eating 2 cheap meals a week can help too, saving =A3150-350/yr. Put another way, it is easy to knock =A3200/yr off the total bill.
Electricity prices. Shop around regularly re uSwitch websites etc - but watch for early- switch penalties.
Careful use of energy. If you are on E7, ensure any tumble dryer is on E7 - the saving is =A330-75/yr. Energy saving bulbs throughout - they do save about =A325-30/yr.
All the savings add up. Saving =A3200/yr on domestic is the same as saving =A3200/yr on electricity.
With economy 7 heating insulation is everything. Loft Insulation + Wall Insulation + PU Carpet Underlay Insulation.
Also remember females prefer to be warm - because they get cold easily, whereas males prefer to be cooler - they do not feel the cold much. That can mean a "duvet fight" re one wanting 15 Tog and one wanting 3.5 Tog. So there is a biological difference to consider.
If you collect a newspaper rather than delivered it saves about =A3100/ yr (if not more). Quite substantial. Same goes with getting all the shopping done on one day vs multiple trips. Same goes with making a list of things you want, then only buying them a month later if you really need them; that way you can also combine online orders to reduce postage charges.
Savings of =A3250/yr are quite possible with electric heating if poorly insulated. That together with other energy saving measures (=A350/yr) and "domestic savings" (=A3150/yr) can save =A3450/yr.
#1 Loft Insulation, £50-99-199. Get the loft insulated to 300mm or so immediately. You lose probably 35% of your heat through the roof in a bungalow and E7 heaters work by heating the room in a morning then keeping it warm thereafter. Without proper insulation E7 is both expensive to run and goes cold too early.
#2 Wall Insulation, £50-99-199. Get the cavity wall insulated similarly. You lose probably 30% of your heat through the walls in a bungalow, so the same applies, plus the cold surface will create draughts which will make it feel colder. If you do not have a cavity wall the best thing to do is insulation the inner walls of the main living room (where you spend the most time), you can buy 25mm & 50mm Celotex online, then screw plasterboard to the top, simple plaster skim and even Super Fresco Bobble wallpaper looks ok in Barley White Matt (not like most super fresco wallpapers which look a bit hideous, it is small textured and lends itself well to painting).
#3 Floor Insulation, DIY. A floor is about 15-20% heat loss. If your floor is solid concrete the best insulation is felt (3.4 Tog), polyurethane foam (2.7 Tog), Tredaire (1.7 Tog), Rubber Crumb (1.1 Tog), Sod All (0 Tog :-) What is the difference? Well a solid concrete floor with quarry tile & 20yr old green tredaire heavily compacted used to make the lower legs ache painfully if stood on for very long, changing to polyurehane and felt (I know too high) removed that ache and actually made the room warm /in the 2009 winter/. Very surprising. If your floor is wood, you need to reduce any gaps re direct heat loss, then insulate between the joists under the floor. This is done by fixing string or netting to the joists, then pushing down *tightly fitted* PIR foam or cavity bat foam. It must be tightly fitting re no air gaps otherwise the insulation is bypassed. It MUST retain an airflow path under the floor to prevent rot - in that respect you need to ensure the underfloor area is dry or at least ventilated by cross- vents under the floor in the direction of the joists and that the vents are not blocked. This can save you a lot of money re remedial work in the long run.
#4 Draught excluder, £20. Letterbox, windows & doors. You want EPDM rubber type in white or brown, not the foam stuff. P type is for large gaps, E type is for small gaps. if you have modern DG obviously this does not apply.
#5 Reduce ventilation in winter a little. If your bungalow has 1-2 open fireplaces with no gas / real fire in them, plug up the chimney except for a small ventilation gap over the winter. Likewise restrict general house vents - it depends on the age of the house. Do not clog up trickle vents. You want to reduce the house Air Changes Per Hour if they are high (such as a 1950s 12-vent 2-chimney bungalow), but not so much that you suffer condensation and mould (which will not help your health). Generally to avoid condensation you a) remove steam generated in kitchen by extractor fans b) increase heating c) increase ventilation. Unless the bungalow is very old this is not likely to be a problem.
#6 Fit an extractor hood in the kitchen. A cheap one off Ebay "shipping scratched" can be as little as £20. More expensive is getting a hole through a wall, but that is what husbands are for. Same goes for any shower. Just ensure someone knows how to wire it correctly, there are Electrician's Guides out there on Amazon UK website quite cheaply and easy to follow.
Now, Paying for it - Money saving tips.
Food & Domestic. Look at what you buy in a year. You may find certain branded stuff is cheaper at say Asda than Sainsbury's (check the websites). Then buy in bulk when things are on special offer. For example if you buy 52 boxes of Special K in a year that is nearly £150 when not on offer, but only £100 when on offer - £50/yr saved. Eating 2 cheap meals a week can help too, saving £150-350/yr. Put another way, it is easy to knock £200/yr off the total bill.
Electricity prices. Shop around regularly re uSwitch websites etc - but watch for early- switch penalties.
Careful use of energy. If you are on E7, ensure any tumble dryer is on E7 - the saving is £30-75/yr. Energy saving bulbs throughout - they do save about £25-30/yr.
All the savings add up. Saving £200/yr on domestic is the same as saving £200/yr on electricity.
With economy 7 heating insulation is everything. Loft Insulation + Wall Insulation + PU Carpet Underlay Insulation.
Also remember females prefer to be warm - because they get cold easily, whereas males prefer to be cooler - they do not feel the cold much. That can mean a "duvet fight" re one wanting 15 Tog and one wanting 3.5 Tog. So there is a biological difference to consider.
If you collect a newspaper rather than delivered it saves about £100/ yr (if not more). Quite substantial. Same goes with getting all the shopping done on one day vs multiple trips. Same goes with making a list of things you want, then only buying them a month later if you really need them; that way you can also combine online orders to reduce postage charges.
Savings of £250/yr are quite possible with electric heating if poorly insulated. That together with other energy saving measures (£50/yr) and "domestic savings" (£150/yr) can save £450/yr.
You think I am not already doing all of that?
You sound like my husband.
In message , sweetheart wrote
Ironing men's clothing cost a lot in electricity. That's probably one saving that could be made.
During the winter every time you flush the loo it a gallon of water you've heated up from near freezing to room temperature. Don't flush until the bowl becomes full :)
Odd that 'er indoors is deffo the 2,500 odd tog one, whereas I can get away with any old blanket but my Irish born Mum just needed a tea shirt in the coldest weather morn, noon and night!, winter or summer. I've never known such a hardy woman;!...
I reckon your blokes OK then;)...
OP... Iron has a thermostat.
- 70% duty-cycle @ 2kW @ 1/2hr @ 180x per year
- 0.70 x 2 x 0.5 x 180 =3D 126kWhr =3D =A312.60.
Reducing it 50% brings it down to =A36.30 per year. Not much for a 50% reduction - but no point ironing things that do not need ironing.
Water Meter!! The Rateable Value charge may be =A3470, Assessed Usage charge may be =A3420, but Water Meter may be =A3200. Now that could be an easy way to save =A3800 over 4 years. That is 1 year free electricity in a very bad (2009) winter after basic insulation changes have been made.
Cash in Banks. Cash is earning 0.1%, sadly the govt shut the NSandI Index Linked Savings Certificates (RPI Index Linked + 1%) which is just an insult - or smart considering how high inflation will be over the next 10 yrs. Even so ING offers about 3% and so do others so do not lose even that seemingly small 2.5-2.9% potential.
Can you save =A320/month into a broad equity-multi-asset fund? You could put 20/month into an ISA fund such as Cazenove Multi-Manager Diversity,
E7 has the benefit of no maintenance, no =A32000 boiler cost, no radiator replacement and so on -- but it does require good insulation to work properly.
- 70% duty-cycle @ 2kW @ 1/2hr @ 180x per year
- 0.70 x 2 x 0.5 x 180 = 126kWhr = £12.60.
Reducing it 50% brings it down to £6.30 per year. Not much for a 50% reduction - but no point ironing things that do not need ironing.
Water Meter!! The Rateable Value charge may be £470, Assessed Usage charge may be £420, but Water Meter may be £200. Now that could be an easy way to save £800 over 4 years. That is 1 year free electricity in a very bad (2009) winter after basic insulation changes have been made.
Not in our case. We pay £158 water a year.
Cash in Banks. Cash is earning 0.1%, sadly the govt shut the NSandI Index Linked Savings Certificates (RPI Index Linked + 1%) which is just an insult - or smart considering how high inflation will be over the next 10 yrs. Even so ING offers about 3% and so do others so do not lose even that seemingly small 2.5-2.9% potential.
I currently have one earning 6% with the Halifax. I took it out days before the 2008 crash and it was guarenteed for five years ( I had to tie the money up that long) I recenly ( few months back now) took another with Halifax also and that has a 3.5% rate on it.
Can you save £20/month into a broad equity-multi-asset fund? You could put 20/month into an ISA fund such as Cazenove Multi-Manager
I am up to the hilt on ISA - all minimum of 3.5 % on them too ( they came from RBS when they were giving a good fixerd rate.
E7 has the benefit of no maintenance, no £2000 boiler cost, no radiator replacement and so on -- but it does require good insulation to work properly.
Yes, we know that and we have the insulation but for some of us there are few alternatives.
What I really needed to know as per my original question is are my electricity costs exorbitant in terms of other peoples or is my OH being unrealistic in his expectations of reducing it further? That's why I gave the figures.
- 70% duty-cycle @ 2kW @ 1/2hr @ 180x per year
- 0.70 x 2 x 0.5 x 180 = 126kWhr = £12.60.
Reducing it 50% brings it down to £6.30 per year. Not much for a 50% reduction - but no point ironing things that do not need ironing.
Water Meter!! The Rateable Value charge may be £470, Assessed Usage charge may be £420, but Water Meter may be £200. Now that could be an easy way to save £800 over 4 years. That is 1 year free electricity in a very bad (2009) winter after basic insulation changes have been made.
Cash in Banks. Cash is earning 0.1%, sadly the govt shut the NSandI Index Linked Savings Certificates (RPI Index Linked + 1%) which is just an insult - or smart considering how high inflation will be over the next 10 yrs. Even so ING offers about 3% and so do others so do not lose even that seemingly small 2.5-2.9% potential.
Can you save £20/month into a broad equity-multi-asset fund? You could put 20/month into an ISA fund such as Cazenove Multi-Manager Diversity,
E7 has the benefit of no maintenance, no £2000 boiler cost, no radiator replacement and so on -- but it does require good insulation to work properly.
According to some posters I ought to be able to reduce the bill to nothing then? But that isn't realistic is it?
Do you have Loft + Cavity Wall + Below Wood Floor Insulation?
If the answer is "no" to all 3 then you could save =A3400/yr on your electricity bill.
The op already confirmed they have roof/cavity insulation and DG.
Possibly not underfloor insulation, but for most situations that's marginal in benefit, and is disruptive to install
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