Energy Prices

[Luath]

No offence taken at all, Big Al, just that CM and I are usually quite quick to jump in and defend our way of life

As for the paper bricks, I'm still making them here - they burn well in the Rayburn and on the open fire.

Horses for courses, and we each do as much as we can.

[Millymollymandy]

Hello Luath! Are you related to Caundle Mama? Just that you haven't been on the site for such a long time......

[CaundleMama]

sadly not related but we live fairly close which is awesome as I have a very good example to inspire me

[Big Al]

No offence taken at all, Big Al, just that CM and I are usually quite quick to jump in and defend our way of life

As for the paper bricks, I'm still making them here - they burn well in the Rayburn and on the open fire.

Horses for courses, and we each do as much as we can.

..... and more power to your elbow Luath and CM. At times I feel really powerless and ashamed at the extravagant selfish lifestyle I used to have but these last couple of years have woke me especially, my wife and my son up a great deal and we are all the better for it.

We will probably never go to the extent of some on this board but we will be doing more than many others in our town and country. I've already been called weird because I want solar water heating, lol.

[red]

As for the paper bricks, I'm still making them here - they burn well in the Rayburn and on the open fire.

yup making paper bricks here too.

[marshlander]

As for the paper bricks, I'm still making them here - they burn well in the Rayburn and on the open fire.

yup making paper bricks here too.

And here!

Would you explain that Duvet at the window thing again, CM? Do you take them down during the day and retie them at night? How do you mean 'swing'?

[CaundleMama]

course I will Marshlander at the back of our old house we had no DG & old rattly sash windows & it was North facing on top of a hill,brrrr brass monkeys.
We had the sort of metal curtain poles so a bit sticks out either side of the window if that makes sense? the summer weight duvet,got mine form Wilkinsons for £1.99 each & pretty covers from charity shops(girls had a Jemima Puddleduck one in their room!) I put the duvet in the cover as normal & then sew or safetly pin along the top,sew ribbons/tape to the top corners & tie from the corners of each curtain pole under the curtains.

It hangs down & then you pull the curtains over the top,or can have other way round ,it doesnt matter really,we then had metal bracket type things half way down the wall,on one side so during the day I would open curtains as normal & then swing duvet cover over to one side & tuck behind the bracket.As they were thin weight its easy to tuck them to the side & then untuck & let them swing into place at dusk.
The difference it made was astounding & it looked quite nice too

[Big Al]

I wash up dishes in cold water,its effective,you get cleaner dishes as the grease doesnt melt in the water & cover everything in tiny bit of grease yuk! & its free I am utterly convinced in not too long a time,we will see washing plates in hot water thats cost electric/oil/gas combi to heat as chronically wastefull.
I would rather wash my body in warm water,than my plates is the way I look at it

You are getting infectious Caundle mama....... I tried today to wash up in cold water...... It worked !! mind you apart from the cold hands the fairy liquid seemed to be a lot more bubbly than with hot water. Might just be me putting in a bit more of a squirt but will need to check this next time. Hey ho onwards and upwards.

I have also been doing the daily meter counts and I am shocked...... TOTALLY SHOCKED. In 3 days i've used 1.3 units of Gas but 28 units of leccy. We haven't had the central heating on during this time so the gas is hot water and a bit of cooking. I've had the bath filled sensibly but it shows that the cost is in the CH. The leccy... don't know where that has gone....

Take care,



BA

[CaundleMama]

it does work doesnt it Hot water just melts the grease off into tiny particles that grab on to everything with cold you scrub them off,much cleaner,ok if I have been chopping meat I sluice boiled water over the board & knife. I have done this for years & we are healthy peeps
Wear gloves,because the cold is felt alot less that way,f somethings really gunky ust soaked it overnight

I truly believe in the not too distant future we will look back & gasp woaaah folks heated water with electric or gas to wash dishes??!!
Like I said beofre I would far rather wash me bod in the warm water than my pots

Youll find ways to get the units down,just keep taking readings,it makes you aware of so much

[Luath]

Hello Luath! Are you related to Caundle Mama? Just that you haven't been on the site for such a long time......

No, not related, but she's over the hill and not far away..........

I'm still about, lots of fingers in lots of pies, you know......

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Hello Luath! Are you related to Caundle Mama? Just that you haven't been on the site for such a long time......

No, not related, but she's over the hill and not far away..........

I'm still about, lots of fingers in lots of pies, you know......

Hope they're clean fingers

[Luath]

Yep - clean fingers and home made pies

[Big Al]

Youll find ways to get the units down,just keep taking readings,it makes you aware of so much

I know how to gewt my units down..... send my son back to uni !!

He's going to be in for a shock come september. He's moving into a house with mates on a pre payment meter ..... I know, I know i used to work in the industry....

Anyway, I have started to put my figures into the Eon online billing thingy so they can guestimate the bill closer to my useage and I put my gas units in and they sent it back with the note that it is less than they estimate i use, please check and re submitt. I did and they sent it back.... A third reading and they accepted it so that's miffed them !!

[gug]

Sneaky trick that some energy companies pull is to charge you more, the less you use.

Npower used to do this to me for gas.

Look up http://www.ebico.co.uk, they're an "ethical" non-profit and they charge you a flat rate no matter how much (or little) you use. (i only have them for gas -but they do leccy too).

I'm already frugal (no CH for 2 years) - but my gas bill halved and i'm still using the exact same amount of gas ( HW on a timer ) - no central heating (you just cant beat insulation !)

If you're already frugal, and given that theres no "green" option for gas (other than cutting down) then the money is far better in your pocket that in "the mans".

If you use a lot of gas then it might turn out you pay the same, but if you're frugal , you might save a packet.
My Gas bill is rarely more than 50gbp / quarter ( but no CH - insulate insulate insulate !!!)

[Big Al]

Sneaky trick that some energy companies pull is to charge you more, the less you use.

Npower used to do this to me for gas.

Look up http://www.ebico.co.uk, they're an "ethical" non-profit and they charge you a flat rate no matter how much (or little) you use. (i only have them for gas -but they do leccy too).

I'm already frugal (no CH for 2 years) - but my gas bill halved and i'm still using the exact same amount of gas ( HW on a timer ) - no central heating (you just cant beat insulation !)

If you're already frugal, and given that theres no "green" option for gas (other than cutting down) then the money is far better in your pocket that in "the mans".

If you use a lot of gas then it might turn out you pay the same, but if you're frugal , you might save a packet.
My Gas bill is rarely more than 50gbp / quarter ( but no CH - insulate insulate insulate !!!)

N power are one of the worst..... As for gas i'mm using less than one unit a day now with many days being 0.3 units. I put the CH on t'other day for 2 hours to see how many units it would use and it was 0.35 for 2 hours so that would be 3.5 units for a "normal " winter dayfor us.... well it was a normal day till I got onto this site.

a few question Gug, The insulation. I am supposed to have cavity wall insulation because you can see the cement plugs but it is well over 25 years sinceit was done. Will it have shrunk or become less effective by now ? I ask because we got the loft done and it was amazing what the difference the extra lagging made. Secondly, because i don't think the cavity wall is working i was going to secondary insulate my internal walls. If I do this by putting up the battens then filling it with the solid foam sheets then plaster board and skim will I need any sort of barrier paper between either the walls and foam boards or foam boards and plaster boards??

I'll check out the supplier link.

Also been talking to an Npower rep and he says that they will be putting up their prices by 20% on the 7th of August. It wasn't a sales ploy as I know him and he knows i'll never go to N power,lol.