28-12-2015, 04:15 PM
23
Re: Are You Mean Or Generous When It Comes To Using..Water, Electricity Or Gas?
We have just gone onto a new tariff so we have got all the data OVO sent us telling us how much the last 12 months of energy has cost us, (as if we were not monitoring carefully!), like I suspect the vast majority in our age group tend to do!People don't believe that we do not live in a freezing, cold house but our total usage for the past 12 months was under £800 - that's Gas and Electricity.
This is a 3-bedroomed, semi-detached house built in 1926 so no cavity walls.
We did the best we could lining the loft but we couldn't afford to do anything about the heat lost through the walls yet this house isn't too bad and as far as we are concerned it's warm enough for us.
We have had very cold winters since we have lived here and had to use more but we have never had to pay extra over and above our monthly direct debit and even now we are still £175.55 in credit.
Our children on the other hand sometimes say our house is cold but they live in a terrace with the heating turned up to 20 degrees at least and they expect to be able to walk around in T shirts all year round but they gain from neighbours each side who must have their heating on all the time as their living room was 28 degrees on Christmas Day.
We are realistic and hardly ever turn our heating above 15 degrees on the wall thermostat, although we do ensure that the boiler temperature is set higher in Winter and we dress for the weather.
The heating's on timer and is on for 6 hours per day.
We are both is our 60s and we are just fine.
My mother-in-law is 89 and lives in sheltered accommodation in London.
She is often told by the busybodies that visit her that she really must turn her heating up to at least 23 degrees but she says that's too hot!
Nobody ever explains how she is supposed to find the extra money to do so either.
As we have got older we have noticed that at times we feel the cold more but that's only to be expected.
To be honest I find all the "save the planet" rhetoric a waste of time as for every home doing their bit there are probably 100 around the world wasting energy plus 1000s of unregulated industries world-wide happily burning billions of tons of fuel as if there's no tomorrow.
We economise because it suits us stevmk2
28-12-2015, 04:36 PM
24
Re: Are You Mean Or Generous When It Comes To Using..Water, Electricity Or Gas?
Originally Posted by Artangel
->
No one has admitted to not flushing the toilet every time to save on the water bill ... but I suppose, who would?
such as.
If its yellow let it mellow
If its brown flush it down !
28-12-2015, 04:39 PM
25
Re: Are You Mean Or Generous When It Comes To Using..Water, Electricity Or Gas?
Originally Posted by Muddy
->
When I was living in the middle east where water is a precious commodity some people had little notes stuck on their Loo.such as.
If its yellow let it mellow
If its brown flush it down !
28-12-2015, 04:43 PM
27
Re: Are You Mean Or Generous When It Comes To Using..Water, Electricity Or Gas?
stevmk2, you've just made me feel great - electricity is more expensive here, yet my bills for my much bigger old house are about half of yours.
So I'm obviously doing something right, as I'm comfortable with the way I live.Now that I've moved to a smaller place I'm looking forward to spending even less.
28-12-2015, 05:32 PM
28
Re: Are You Mean Or Generous When It Comes To Using..Water, Electricity Or Gas?
I dont worry too much,if I want a light or the heating on I will put it on,but I turn lights off when not in use, or the heating down if it gets too warm [ its been very mild here lately] .Im not on a water meter , which is just as well because my son eats at different times to me and washes his dishes when he finishes [ usually ], so we probably use more water, but I am satisfied with my bills so far
28-12-2015, 05:45 PM
29
Re: Are You Mean Or Generous When It Comes To Using..Water, Electricity Or Gas?
Steve, we were in a similar position as you regarding heat lost through walls.Our house dates from about 1830 and the walls are almost 30" thick in places. This is made up of stone, an air gap, a wooden stud wall with (originally) Victorian lath & lime plaster.
Much as we hated to do it (and it was mesy), we stripped out the plaster & lath and inserted 'Kingspan' into the stud wall, maintaining the air gap. We covered this with OSB and then plasterboard which we taped & plastered. The results were fairly dramatic and we've cut the heating oil consumption by 25-30%. The total cost was about £20 a sq.mtr. - doing the work ourselves.
The wall stripped back showing original stonework..
The insulated wall covered, wallpapered and painted
We have 300mm (12") fibreglass insulation in the roof space.
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