Useful money-saving tips for Winter 2022

We’ve been meaning to ditch Virgin for some time but their latest price hike got us into gear.
Had an aerial fitted £170.
Free view box £180.
A deal with 3. £10 per month for 6 months then £20 per month for 2 yr contract. Unlimited 5G.

Daisymae

Nadhim Zahawi suggests that we should think about using less power ?. Never thought of that, guess it must be the fact that he's Chancellor that he comes up with such brilliant ideas.

That’s why he’s Chancellor and you’re not! ??

I wonder if the Chancellor would like to tell us what he is doing to make substantial cuts in his and his families consumption of energy.

My problem is that many of the hints and tips are things I have always done anyway, whether not having a tumble dryer, using appliances only when fully loaded, and then using the shortest coolest programme practical. Every light bulb in our house is an LED bulb and the thermostat is set at 18.5, so the scope for changes in our living patterns that will enable us to easily make cuts in our energy consumption is lmited.

Of course this thread is full of ideas, but they are all what I would call energy shaving ideas, cutting a few units here and a few units there.All these make their contribution, but I am sure many other GN members are in the same siuation as we are, they have always been economical with energy, so silly suggestions from government ministers, who should know better, go down like a lead balloon.

I've bought three heated 'Relaxwell' throws for C gifts from Dreamland UK, at £59 each, they've just come back into stock at last. Great reviews and recommended by a lot of people on Mumsnet.

JenniferEccles I don’t know where you live for blackberry picking but I am just back from visiting the UK and noticed Manchester’s blackberries were larger, juicier and sweeter than those in Surrey, which were dryer. I thought it was because of the rain fall But MOnica has proved me wrong.

The farmer here has stopped blackberry picking in his field because too many people were going, and just smashing his hedge to pieces to get to them. Same happened with the sloe berries. Another farmer had to stop people cutting the holly after some people started selling it.

Daisymae

Nadhim Zahawi suggests that we should think about using less power ?. Never thought of that, guess it must be the fact that he's Chancellor that he comes up with such brilliant ideas.

Oh brilliant!
Why didn't I think of that?

Does anyone know if air fryers are economical to use?

Callistemon21 BBC radio 4 have done a podcast on Air Fryers
It’s very interesting.

Thé BBC test was on cooking chicken legs and jacket potatoes to see what was economical.

"The chicken took about 35 minutes to cook in the oven and the smart meter told me that I used 1.05 kilowatt hours of electricity." Converted to cash, that's 21.04p. "The air fryer took 20 minutes to cook the chicken and my smart meter read a usage of 0.43 kilowatt hours of electricity." That’s 8.6p.

It took around an hour to cook the potato through properly in the oven. That was 1.31 kilowatt hours, or 26.25p. "But the air fryer took much less time," says Simon. “Thirty-five minutes for the jacket spud.” That used 0.55 kilowatt hours (11.02p).

The conclusion? … cooking in the oven costs more than double what it costs in an air fryer.»

I'm thinking about a heated clothes airer, as an alternative to the tumble dryer in the winter. It seems that they are cheaper but not as quick and not a cheap buy. Anyone use one? They have them in Lakeland .

mokryna

Callistemon21 BBC radio 4 have done a podcast on Air Fryers
It’s very interesting.

Thanks mokryna
I mentioned them to DH this evening because he put the oven on to cook just oven chips (one portion, I don't like them).

I thought of buying an air fryer and had a look on Gumtree. There are lots for sale and everyday two or three more are listed. They sell quickly but I can't help thinking most will end up back on Gumtree after people find they are taking up space after the initial enthusiasm wears off.

Esspee maybe a small one could be stored in the oven?

M0nica

TeacherAnne I am surprised that you need your heat on all day. We have a big old house and only have the heating on from 6.00am-9.00am(I am an early riser) in the morning and 5.00pm-10pm in the evening, Yes, the temperature in the house will gently drop but between 9.00am and 5.00pm it rarely drops more than a degree or so.

We live in a listed building so there is a limit on how much we can do in the insulation line, although we have done a lot and have partial double glazing.

How well insulated is your house? Do you have the recommended 12 inches of insulation in the roof, double glazing and cavity insulation or other wall insulation?

As far as I know, my house is fully insulated although I cannot have cavity wall insulation due to the floor space underneath the house - like a cellar but with air bricks. I have a dormer bedroom upstairs and I had additional insulation added around the inner walls when I moved in and also in the roof when I had my roof replaced. There is no where else to have insulation.

I was working when I first moved in and had no heating during the day, that was when I had damp problems. My house never felt warm even in the evening until I had a new, more powerful boiler.

I think part of the problem is the large space under my house which floods after heavy rain and often has puddles on the earth floor - or so the workmen who have been down there tell me! All the bungalows on the estate have these under floor spaces. Also the roof area of a detached bungalow is quite large, the roofer said mine was similar in size to a five bedroom detached house.

I’ve never really checked how much the temperature drops during the day but it’s more than just a degree or two. In reality, it not that I need the heat on, it’s more that I like an overall ambient temperature in the house to keep it from getting damp and I find that if it’s set at 19 degrees, I rarely need to put it any higher unless it’s freezing outside.

I have reduced mobility due to arthritis so don’t move around much and probably feel the cold more than some fitter people. Or maybe I am just a wuss who hates feeling cold!

Esspee

I thought of buying an air fryer and had a look on Gumtree. There are lots for sale and everyday two or three more are listed. They sell quickly but I can't help thinking most will end up back on Gumtree after people find they are taking up space after the initial enthusiasm wears off.

Certainly easy access is important as air fryers are quite heavy. Mine is left on the work top all the time ready to use as I have a fairly large kitchen. I use mine most nights but I don’t think I would if I had to get it out of the cupboard.

I really like these threads, gives us ideas may not have thought of , so thank you

I bought an airfryer a month or so ago , was thinking shall I or not , in the end I did ... I wouldn't do with out it, just wished I had bought one that cooks a couple of things at the same time ... I read someone bought one from Lidl recently for £30, I did see it was £30 about February, when I got mine from Lidls it was £50, perhaps come down in price now ARGH !

I go to the supermarket if they have vegetables on special offer, bread & cakes , I buy them & freezer them

I started off a few years ago putting shampoo in a soap dispenser bottle , recently I have started to put shower gel in one aswell, surprising how much you save & not waste

Food Warehouse / Iceland 10% off if you can prove
you are a pensioner
... bus pass driving licence whatever ... Tuesdays only

We all need to save a bit here & there so all tips are welcome please

In the winter I wear a big fleecy dressing gown around the house during the day, not whilst cooking though as a bit bulky and can get in the way which could be dangerous. Also wear those fingerless gloves - again not whilst cooking. And I like to keep my neck warm - even a thin silk scarf can help. I’m going to be more careful about using my electric oven - by using it less often and when I do use it, try not to use, for instance, one pie. Apparently using the microwave is cheaper than the electric oven although not everything can be cooked that way of course. Also, go to bed a bit earlier - with a hot water bottle! Some extra sleep has to be a good thing for me!

What I intend to do is buy rigid tin foil pieces from Amazon which can be fitted easily behind radiators so that the heat goes back into the room and is not dispersed outside. I am not sure if ordinary tin foil with some sort of sticky stuff applied would work. These are only for radiators sitting under a window. The prices do vary so I must do more research but if it works it would soon pay for itself.

If any other bright spark tells me to switch off gadgets at the wall I will scream.

I bought an air fryer last November and have not used my oven since Christmas. I live on my own so do not need a Ninja but one favourite meal is Tempura prawns, sweetcorn and thin French fries. Little oil, cooks quickly and cheaply. It is too bulky and heavy to move around. I would never use it if it was in a cupboard.

Esspee

I thought of buying an air fryer and had a look on Gumtree. There are lots for sale and everyday two or three more are listed. They sell quickly but I can't help thinking most will end up back on Gumtree after people find they are taking up space after the initial enthusiasm wears off.

Oh.

I'll have a think. It could end up with the coffee percolator, the other coffee machine, the juicer (such a faff to clean) etc in the top of the cupboard.

TeacherAnne I too feel the cold. It is a family joke, how well into the summer, I will be found wearing woolly socks and a sweater.

If you cannot have cavity insulation. Houses can have wall insulation fitted inside or out. If you are renewing flooring, you can get insulated underlays. DD has a 100 year old house with suspended flooring, floorboards with an air space under, and when she was replacing the flooring she put down a foil-backed underlay, which gave insulation and also cut out all drafts. This is what she used www.howdens.com/joinery/floors/underlay-and-damp-proofing/underlay/4-in-1-foil-backed-3mm-low-density-polyethylene-underlay-108sqm-obj-sku-family-sdh0915 She used it under laminate , as shown, but I do not see why you could not overlay it with a sheet of floor paper then carpet underlay and carpet on top.

Obviously all these alternatives cost money and I know many people will have enough trouble paying bills, to be able to improve insulation, but if the opportunity arises, there are alternatives to cavity insulation for walls, and extra insulation for floors.

Our internal walls are dry lined which is supposed to help with insulation.
It had been done when the house was built but can be done afterwards, I believe.

TeacherAnne I too feel the cold. It is a family joke, how well into the summer, I will be found wearing woolly socks and a sweater

As my mother used to call me - nesh!

My Ninja, two drawers, Airfrier is the best thing I have ever bought. My daughter says the same, and she has a family. We use the Ninjas just as we would use the conventional oven, but adjust the temperature and timings.
Yesterday I roasted chicken breasts, stuffing balls, new potatoes, carrots and courgettes in mine. Only a teaspoon of oil used for the veg. The actual cooking time, including turning the chicken was 25 minutes.
Airfriers are not a 'nine day wonder'. They are a cheaper, quicker and healthier way of cooking. I love mine.

I think a lot of this I am afraid is fiddling round the edges and wont alleviate the catastrophe that some families will face. I also think the benefits that the middle class have with regard to saving money are many. We have been in dispute with British Gas for months, they have finally agreed and refunded the very considerable amount they owe us. This required the ability to phone/email every day, and the confidence that we were right. I work with many families who would just have been beaten down by their system. The advantages that certain section of society have even in challenging times should not be underestimated.

Honeyrose

Forgot to say I wear my housecoat / dressing gown round my home too ... lovely & warm