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Jul 2022
10:00am, 2 Jul 2022
27,529 posts
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Johnny Blaze
They win whatever you do.
Ours has gone up from 114 to 186 per month. A big part of our bill is taken up by our autistic son insisting on having most the lights on upstairs throughout the night - and a lot of the day as well. When he goes to college we are hoping that a dark house will reduce our bills somewhat.
Meanwhile we have a Nest thermostat and we have cut right back on oven use. I might even start wearing a onesie come October...
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Jul 2022
11:26am, 2 Jul 2022
743 posts
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Shades
Fields - good luck with the solar panels. I live in a ground floor flat so not an option for me.
Johnny Blaze - not much you can do about the lights except use the most cost efficient bulbs. Could be worse, your son might have wanted the heating on 24/7.
I recently had a smart meter installed and my cooker is far more efficient than expected.
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Jul 2022
11:30am, 2 Jul 2022
33,647 posts
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EvilPixie
Anyone know if it’s more cost effective to use a slow cooker for 8hrs to do a meal on low heat or to use the oven for less time?
What I’m reading said it’s little difference but surely heating the oven is more?
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Jul 2022
1:17pm, 2 Jul 2022
744 posts
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Shades
Pix - I would imagine using the oven would be much more expensive. You'd have to Google the stats. You appliances should state Kw usage.
If I use the hob once I've brought pan to the boil, then on simmer my cooker hardly uses any electricity at all.
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Jul 2022
1:30pm, 2 Jul 2022
90,700 posts
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Hanneke
I use the oven to heat the house in winter... It is a fan oven. I never pre-heat it: I just put the food in the oven and let it warm up with the oven. This saves a lot of electricity.
I then leave the oven door wide open to warm the kitchen and dining area of my open plan home. Temperature on the thermostat rises by 1-1.5 degrees! Result! So I can turn the heating down when cooking something.
In stead of a slow cooker, I use a "hot bag" it is called hooi madammeke in Dutch. It was made for me out of old blankets stitched into a cotton bag. Bring the rice to the boil, then take it off the fire and put it in the bag. It will cook itself without any further input from the cooker. Same thing for say a stew or curry... I used to put my food in there, then went bike training and 1-1.5 hrs later I would come home to cooked food. Cooked, slowly, in its own heat...
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Jul 2022
1:32pm, 2 Jul 2022
90,701 posts
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Hanneke
My electricity was said to go up from £64 to £115 but my bill just came through and it is only £91!
Now trying to change my direct debit, which is still £64, to mop up the debit balance but can't get it to work...
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Jul 2022
1:32pm, 2 Jul 2022
5,248 posts
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Fields
I think someone mentioned you can use pillows in a similar way Hanneke
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Jul 2022
1:37pm, 2 Jul 2022
90,702 posts
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Hanneke
I am religious at turning everything off! It really helps. Broadband router is only on when I use it, so 20 hours a day it is off. My phone charges for one hour, then it is full and I unplug it. It is turned off when I don't use it, again, about 20 hours a day. I used to leave it on charge over night...
Laptop gets unplugged as the transformer and it will still draw power when off. I have a chorded phone = no power needed. All pilot lights are turned off all the time, as in things get turned off not left on standby. It has made a huge difference!
No electric kettle. I cook on a gas bottle. No microwave. In fact, I have very little that needs power and at night I only have one light on.
Outside lighting is all solar...
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Jul 2022
1:38pm, 2 Jul 2022
90,703 posts
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Hanneke
Fields, or a duvet or sleeping bag!
Above: I use the oven when it cools down after cooking in it to heat the house... Not as a heater 
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Jul 2022
1:39pm, 2 Jul 2022
90,704 posts
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Hanneke
In the past, one would use a wooden box. Put the pan in it, pack around with hay...
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