Gas and electric - keeping the bills down without noticing.
Here's some tips that you can try that shouldn't impact on your life in any way.
Washing machines. Find the 30 degree wash on your washing machine. Mine has a 60 degree fast wash and a 30 degree fast wash. By using the 30 degree wash instead of the 60 degree not only should it use less electric to heat the water it also cuts the wash time from an hour to half an hour.
Kettles. They say with kettles, only boil the water that you need. This is obvious but also many people have a habit of switching the kettle on, getting distracted and then when they come to make a brew they boil it again. If you're making a brew then stay by the kettle and brew up when it boils.
Cooker. Use the correct size pan for the ring. If you use a ring that is too big for your pan you are heating up the air around it, what a waste! Use lids on pans and if you have an electric cooker you can turn off the heat completely when things are almost cooked as the ring stays hot for quite some time.
Drying clothes. Buy a clothes maiden if you have the room rather than use the dryer. It apparently doesn't matter if the room is cold as long as it's well ventilated, an open window should do. Don't hang clothes directly on radiators as this will stop the room from heating. If you must, then place the maiden near a radiator.
Radiators. Turn the thermostat down a tad and use a timer. Also you can buy that heat reflecting foil from DIY shops pretty cheaply and it's easy to put behind the rads. There's no point in heating a wall, you may as well have it reflected into your room.
Electrical appliances. Don't leave things on stand by. Turn them off if they're not in use. Fill your freezer to full capacity so you're not paying to heat empty air. If you've not got enough food to fill it then use carrier bags stuffed with newspaper. bottles of water or in our case - bottles of vodka.
Curtains. Invest in some thermal backed curtains, or heavy curtains and at dusk close them to keep heat from escaping. Windows at night are like ice to touch and all your lovely heat will be lost. Don't have them dangling over the tops of radiators though or the heat won't go onto the room.
Doors and windows. Seal up any draughts. Invest in some of those brush type door trims for the bottoms of your doors or have fun making a sausage dog draught excluder if your doors have gaps at the bottom. The draught excluders are ideal as when your not at home and it's not behind the door you're still getting air flow which is essential for preventing damp.
Lights. Switch off lights in rooms you're not using and replace standard bulbs with energy efficient ones. I personally don't like energy efficient ones, they take ages to light up and they stick out of the shade too much. I'm waiting for LED to become wilding available. Turn off the TV and eat your meals together by candlelight - it's romantic and you'll save a few pence from both the TV and the lights, you may even find something to talk about and set the mood for a bit of cuddling later on, sharing body heat is free.
Those are mine, not that I do them all but if needs must I will. Has anyone got any more ideas or tips that conserve energy but yet don't infringe on your lifestyle?
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