conservation of energy, fuel, food

I didn`t quite manage to do without ch this morning. It was the bathroom that did it but as the master rad is in there, that rad heats up very quickly. So a 15 minute on in the morning will do fine. To make sure it blasts on at that time, I will need to up the heat differential to more than I need. That will work. Upstairs is a zone in itself, the rads are off in rooms I don`t use

Also re energy and food, 12 minutes is all it took to cook 4 days of lovely lentil and carrot soup. My old pressure cooker, a 5l duromatic. It is a world away from the pressure cooker I used when I was 11, to cook a stew for 9 of us. That was a prestige. The first pressure cooker I ever bought after I got married. The children distracted me and I ended up with thick pea soup on the ceiling. The duromatic has all the safety features nowadays. I replaced the ring and valve 2 years ago

I am wondering when to actually stop using my central heating for this year. Really it is a huge luxury, I am one of the people who grew up with one coal fire etc and then was so skint in my early married years, with three small children, not having heating was just something that we lived with. We had hot meals and dressed for the weather.

I don`t want to be one of those who is supporting the russian regime by using their gas. Air temperature is rising steadily and up another degree tomorrow and a bit more after that. I think I might do it tomorrow, night temperatures will also be a bit higher. I have a multi fuel modern stove in my living room. One fill a day of smokeless ovals will keep the chill off

This most definitely not hairshirt territory for me, it is about doing what is possible, while being comfortable enough

We’re cutting back as much as we can, heating on less, not buying anything new unless it’s essential. I’m also shopping for less food, but locally to support local shops and us8ng seasonal veg.
One area being hit is volunteers, I’m part of a group that drives local people to medical appointments, care home visits etc, we are increasing our clients, but not our volunteers. A couple in our team may have to give up because of fuel costs, that will be sad. I’m sure there are other groups feeling the pinch too with heating and food costs.

Hetty58

DaisyAnne, it's not just about giving things up - it's adapting to changing conditions and being proud of our environmentally friendly lives.

Absolutely about adapting

Its a challenge but extremely rewarding too. To leave something on this planet for the next generation. How very satisfying and thoughtful.

I was taught that one of the signs of good health is being able to adapt to conditions and circumstances. Many of us can and will do it

DaisyAnne

Good Lord, some people do seem to enjoy hairshirts. Lucky to be able to afford them, I feel.

How about moving forwards rather than backwards and sustaining the best life we can rather than only looking at what we can give up?

Looking forwards is what thinking people are doing. Global resources are not infinite. Projecting our increasing use of them forwards leads to a point where there won't be enough for everyone.

If the hairshirts make the comfortably off use a bit less (and some use a lot less!) there will be more for longer for those who are not comfortably off and wouldn't be able to pay the spiralling rising prices that will follow if the "haves" grab all they can.

The alternative is to eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we will be dead and it'll be up to the next generation to wear the hairshirts for us. Is that fair?

Buying and using less seems like common sense to me if we want resources to last longer. We have become used to plentiful supplies of most things and that is changing.

DaisyAnne, I do see your point, in that the poorest have few choices. By definition, though, they're not the worst 'polluters' as they consume/buy less and often don't own cars. I see frugality as a really positive thing, though, for those of us who do have many options.

If I didn’t bother getting dressed all day, I could happily leave the heating off more or less altogether. I tend to sit around reading the paper, GN, etc., in pyjamas, a lovely cosy long dressing gown and my toasty sheepskin house boots, until at least 10 am.*

As it is, we’ve started leaving it off until at least 1 pm and turning it off a bit earlier at night, 9 ish instead of 10 ish.

*I’m actually still in them at just gone 11, but that’s because I’ve been making a massive macaroni cheese to take to dd’s later - 5 adults and 3 children to feed - two of those now big eaters, after very fussy stages. The eldest recently said, ‘Granny, your macaroni cheese is better than chocolate!’ ?

I've just seen this is "chat" so I will stop posting the serious stuff. Have fun

Opps, can't resist. The poorest are rarely able to make the choice to be environmentally friendly Hetty58. They just survive.

DaisyAnne, it's not just about giving things up - it's adapting to changing conditions and being proud of our environmentally friendly lives.

Well, the point is with my hairshirt at the moment is that, with rising energy bills, rising insurances, rising food prices, I can't afford them! I have to make economies to survive financially.
And also I want in my small way to help save the planet.

Good Lord, some people do seem to enjoy hairshirts. Lucky to be able to afford them, I feel.

How about moving forwards rather than backwards and sustaining the best life we can rather than only looking at what we can give up?

It's a challenge - but very rewarding - to go back to basics and economise. I'm pretty much there already, due to concerns about the environment and a strong urge not to 'waste' anything.

I'd much rather spend my money on interesting stuff, not household bills. Long term frugal habits, like measuring exactly two cups of water into my whistling kettle, for tea, were found hilarious by my kids - but they're not laughing anymore.

Agree Chardy!

Same here. I'm thinking about how to cut back all the time now. Combining shopping trips with other errands, not using the car any more than necessary. Not buying any new clothes until essential. Turning the heating off and sitting under a nice soft blanket. Using my halogen cooker more than the oven. Etc.

Definitely trying to do my bit to cut down, certainly on wasted car trips and fuel etc. it’s hard but it makes me feel good.

My DiL and I share a car as neither of us drives much. We both have access to great public transport and a full tank lasts us about 3 /4 months. It helps that we live about tens minutes from each other by bus so swapping the car about is easy. My husband no longer drives so that is our only car.

We have turned down the heating in unused rooms and we also use layers of clothes to keep warm rather than rushing to put on the heating. I recently altered 2 pairs of good quality curtains to fit our bay window and the difference to the heat in the lounge has been considerable. I kept putting off altering the curtains but eventually did it and am very glad I did. We spend most time in in a large kitchen /diner/ living room so I am now going to get curtains for the large bifold doors as we are obviously losing a lot of heat that way. Thankfully the bifolds are a standard drop so I can buy ready made curtains whereas the bay window was an odd size and it needed bespoke curtains.

I have ordered an air fryer after reading the threads about them on Gransnet (and binge watching all the YouTube videos available) and we’ll use that rather than the main oven when cooking for just the two of us. At the moment we use our oven at least 4 times a week so we should see a difference in our electric bills.

I think once you hit retirement age, most, now functioning on a reduced income, will cut back. The problem with living on a pension is that when a crisis comes along there's little left to cut back.

I think we are all conscious of cutting back these days.
Only have the heating on for 2 hours in the morning, - switch on again around 5 for about 3 hours. More layers of clothing. Down to one car. Full load of washing, cut down on unnecessary lighting. We don’t have a dishwasher or tumble drier. Don’t eat out much.
Sounds a bit frugal but I have a full social life - groups/clubs run by the U3A which is cheap and very cheerful, coffees /lunches and walks with friends and family.
As you say Karmalady - peeling back the extravagances of past years.

it is not just about cost, it is about not using petrol and gas, which is still being supplied from russia. I put all my zoned thermostats down and I wear more warm clothes, in layers. It takes longer to get dressed but layers are key to keeping warm

My car mostly just stands on my drive, I am not going to be one of those who keeps the russian money- supply going and who deprives workers here of their essential fuel

We all know about having a full washing machine, dishwasher and drying clothes outside. It is a good day for that today. I did a normal dishwash yesterday but pressed the quick button, it was a good result but then I read about consumption, it is actually takes more to get that good result. Same with the quick programmes on my washing machine. Today I have a full wash, the cotton wash at 40, the symbol is cottons with an open arrow. A bit late this morning but I did not pre-plan, the weather chart changed. My washing will be ready at 10.30 and RH (humidity) will be 62 and similar up to 6pm, it will all dry outside, even the towels