How are you saving electricty and gas?

honeyrose I used to use the short cycle then read an article about the eco cycle being the best for the planet.
Apparently it’s all to do with the amount of water used PN not the time taken.

I dont have the heating on in the bedroom any more I have invested in 2 x teddy fleece quilt cover sets and am sleeping so well now there is nothing worse waking up cold during the night I bought them on sale from Brentfords Sale late last year when we where first told of the energy increases.
Everything is switched off from standby,I use my slowcooker twice a week and freeze what I don't use.
When at home I wear a fleece during the day and find a warm scarf keeps me cosy all day.

These are things I’ve always done as I feel the cold.
Wear thermal vests in winter
Thermal or thick socks every day in winter
13 tog duvet on bed
Fluffy flannelette sheets in winter
Heating on at 8.30 then on all day at 20 degrees, off at nine
Cavity walls filled
Double glazing
Loft insulation
Hot water on 1 hour in the morning, 2 hours at night
Economy light bulbs
Curtains as well as blinds
Take hot water bottle to bed
Sleep next to husband, he’s always toasty warm
Wear thick jumpers, polo necks, warm clothing in winter
Keep a beautiful quilt on the sofa to snuggle in
Wear warm pjs in winter and a thick, fleecy dressing gown if walking around house

I wear a woolly hat when i am inside and long fingerless gloves. Thermal leggings from Lidl are so warm and stop my knees from aching too much. Today is my day for batch cooking soup, casseroles, Stovies, curries and chilli they are all frozen then popped in the slow cooker on low to heat.

We’ve mostly worked on improving the warmth retention in our very old crafty house! Loose Thermal curtain linings (available ready made) can be added to existing curtain backs, via curtain hooks. Draft excluders screwed to outside doors. DIY secondary glazing. DH (engineer) is currently making a large insulation backed cork board ( I think he is using carpet underlay) for a wall to hold pinned maps. I don’t know how much warmth that one will save but every little helps!

I would look very closely at my budget and try to cut back in other areas before I reduce my heating so low that I need to wear a hat, scarf or gloves in the house. Even when I was first married ( in 1978) when we did not have central heating, my house was not cold enough to need outdoor clothes on indoors, I doubt that is healthy especially for older people.

I know I could trim my food budget, clothes buying and probably what I spent socialising but I appreciate that some people have no lee way in their budgets. I just think it is wrong that energy costs are so high that some people cannot afford to heat their houses adequately. Not only are there health concerns but also the worry of damp and condensation issues to the structure of the house.

I forgot to add that I’ve just started a regular collection of groceries at my WI so that we can contribute to a local food bank. I add an extra £5 to £10 worth of items to my weekly shopping as I know some people are having to choose between heating or eating. Last meeting I took six bulging bags to the food bank and they were very grateful as their shelves are getting rather empty. I know my WI friends will be generous in the future.

PamelaJ1

honeyrose I used to use the short cycle then read an article about the eco cycle being the best for the planet.
Apparently it’s all to do with the amount of water used PN not the time taken.

Thanks PamelaJ1. I didn’t know that - I’ll certainly bear that in mind. It’s interesting that when we think we’re economising, we could actually do better if we knew the facts.

Some useful tips on this thread, thanks

I do everything that Maddyanne does except with heating, we tend to stay in bed longer in mornings, reading and listening to the radio. The heating goes on for an hours or so depending how cold it is. The log/multi fuel burner is lit at around 2 if we are home, we are also have the house insulated to a very high degree so we are happy