Home Electricity & Costs - what are you doing?

[kurienp]

What are we doing to save/manage electricity? No doomsday predictions for this winter on this thread please - just actions that you have taken.

What I have done is - replaced the old Danfoss controller with a Tado smart controller. Now I can change schedules and manage the heating much better - boosting the heat when required. Still need to add additional controllers for the other zones in the house ... so just about 50% done. Also, can add radiator controllers when needed so initial outlay to manage was low.

Was considering solar (we already have solar) + battery storage, but the ROI over 12 years did not justify the investment (with a supposed battery life of about 10 years). Still considering options such as Octopus go, but as we work from home, unless I put battery storage into the mix, the lower night tarrif does not help at all. We do have an electric car, but only need to charge that once a week as the usage is low (mostly walk or cycle locally).

The elec and gas bill is not going down, but the usage is down and now more controlled.

 

[Corradobrit]

I live in a brand new apartment in Germany. They really do energy efficiency right.

Triple glazed windows and patio doors, heat pump, underfloor heating, thick concrete walls between apartments. I installed LED lighting throughout. Set thermostat to mid point (underfloor heating is great for maintaining a steady ambient temp but is quite slow to attain a new temp) so its just left alone as much as possible.

I still have a leccy guzzling 60" Pioneer Kuro plasma tv. The picture it produces is just too good so no wish to change. I now tend to use it for critical viewing and watch BBC, ITV and Ch4 on the iMac computer.

 

[larrylamb]

Led lighting is a nobrainer, if you haven't changed by now you are paying too much to light your home.

 

[Corradobrit]

I bought a combi microwave/convection/grill oven. Never needed to use the regular convection oven which costs far more to operate.

 

[Jester]

I live in a brand new apartment in Germany. They really do energy efficiency right.

Triple glazed windows and patio doors, heat pump, underfloor heating, thick concrete walls between apartments. I installed LED lighting throughout. Set thermostat to mid point (underfloor heating is great for maintaining a steady ambient temp but is quite slow to attain a new temp) so its just left alone as much as possible.

I still have a leccy guzzling 60" Pioneer Kuro plasma tv. The picture it produces is just too good so no wish to change. I now tend to use it for critical viewing and watch BBC, ITV and Ch4 on the iMac computer.

Love the Pioneer Kuro plasma tv, you probably still have the lazer disc.

 

[Calimili]

No more freezer full of unhealthy frozen Pizzas, Ice-cream and meat. Put a timer on my router, no need to stay on all night or during the day when I'm not in. Use the kettle more intelligently, if I need just a cup of hot water i fill the cup with cold water, then pour the water in the kettle to boil exactly what I need, not more. This all saves me 1Kw a day!

 

[GrannyJen]

Installed Solar which has been amazing.

Already have LED lights in every room.

Binned the main oven for an air fryer, using slow cooker more.

I use the peak Time energy saving incentive, last time got paid £2.50 for sitting in a prewarmed room for an hour, with plenty of light from rechargeable led lanterns and everything turned off. Really a good time to do a puzzle whilst listening to an interesting podcast. Next time is tonight, 17.30 - 18.30

Spend more time in the camper, just back from a 4 day museum binge in Cambridge.

I have to say it's not just for me, I get a kick out of knowing that the less gas the country uses for generation the less Vlad the mad has to spend on missiles.

 

[Corradobrit]

Love the Pioneer Kuro plasma tv, you probably still have the lazer disc.

Never got in LD's. I was upscaling DVD's and then all that messing around came to an end with the advent of HD-DVD and Blu ray. Stupidly I invested in the former, but not much, before seeing the light. The 9th gen Elite (Signature) Kuro with hand picked panels is just magnificent even though it can only accept 1080P. Bought it used a few years ago for peanuts when everyone wanted 3D and 4K.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

Two things:
1) Installed a Google nest thermostat, controllable from anywhere in the world.
2) went to Thailand travelling for a couple of months on the money I’ll save not paying bills over the cold winter months

 

[johnyboy]

spent the last 12 years gradually improving the 50s bungalow to A rated... but still choosing to cook as much in an oven in one go, one pot cooks, closing curtains at sunset, dropping the thermostat etc. been sneakily fitting LED bulbs at the in laws - lights on 6hrs a day at these prices pay back in about 4 months now!

 

[Tartan-terror]

Installed Moes Wi-Fi TRV’s on the majority of my radiators. This lets me control the temperature of each room and is easy to turn off rads when rooms not used. TRV’s controlled via Smartlife App or Google Home.
https://www.moeshouse.com/en-gb/pro...1&_sid=c3737e926&_ss=r&variant=39357552328785
I bought two kit6 direct from Moes - took about 10days to arrive.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

All our lights are LED and locked into a cheap deal with Eon till next August 2023..Our Heating is pre Historic and we have a multifuel heater. So far this year we have only used wood with occasional bit of coal. The Coal we paid £320 a Tonne for early this year is now well over £500 now and predicted another £50 a Tonne this week. Luckily I stocked up with a couple of Tonnes when it was cheaper but of coarse it will eventually run out and will then have to pay the new price. Luckily my Son in Law is a project Manager on a new site where a lot of trees have had to come down and get a couple of Tonnes when he passes.
Very unpredictable times, but I regard myself as lucky compared to millions.

 

[andyinluton]

Heating is Gas - decent recent high efficiency boiler so we won't freeze.

Electricity is a real problem , all LED lights, but 3 of us working from home most of the time means 8 computers, printers etc running all the time, kids have large TVs in their rooms, in the kitchen I can see 9 phone chargers actually charging.
I've turned off the electric underfloor heating as an un-neccesary luxury.

Only real solution is to kick a couple of kids out so we can downsize to a more modern efficient house & they can each take their TV & computers. One was about to go until we had the mortgage madness a couple of weeks ago.

 

[sidepod]

So far we’ve not used the heating (oil fired).
Elec underfloor heating has been mothballed.
Wood stove(s) heat the kitchen/living room and the provide hot water.
Fire wood I cut/chopped two years ago when we took a dying Ash out.
Air fryer 90% replaced oven usage.

Forecasting the cheapest winter so far.

 

[willwander]

Gas bill for heating is the killer for us.

We are on price cap tariff, have a new efficient boiler, tvrs and smart wifi thermostat etc. but the few times we’ve had it on the bill has been crazy high. Been using the wood burner to heat the house most of the time.

However, I refuse to shuffle around the house in hats and coats shivering and feeling miserable, so keep it cosy regardless.

It’s a sad state of affairs that in this day and age people can’t afford to turn the heating on and have to burn things to keep warm.

 

[pjm-84]

Like GJ I prefer not to use it and have always conserved to a certain extent. Only turned the heat on for a hour or so just to make sure it still works. Dropping to about 13 degree overnight in the bedroom but I've slept in -16 so its not yet overly cold and we never had heating growing up as kids so .....

Ninja air fryer. Expensive but pretty good.
14.7kwh home battery - so electric will be a negative this month with the £66. (EV charge rate of 7.5p)
PVs - Installed since 2012
Heat low - 18degree but heating so far this month is electric (via batteries) or log burner so gas usage is about £25
Finally closed off the extension which is 2/3rd glazed so better retention of energy.

 

[Kernowboy]

Swapped a thirsty diesel for an ev; high mileage, all home charged on a very low ev tariff (4.5p / kWh for 5hrs a night) has smashed it out the park for us. Washing machine goes on at midnight every other night vs 4-5 times over the w/end, dishwasher on every night at same time; both have built in delay timers so easy. A bit of habit building/breaking but very doable.
Oil fired heating but underfloor throughout so 1000ltrs gets us through a full year, cost has pretty much doubled over last 12 months. Have turned the thermostat down a degree; hasn’t really kicked in until the last week or so, haven‘t had any complaints so far but the unusually warm weather has helped. I’m seriously considering installing 11-14 kwh of batteries which should payback in around 5yrs without solar if the ev tariff I’m on is similar when the fix ends in 2024. But I’m not sure the system would be able to fully charge both the ev and the batteries in the time available; if it can’t, all bets are off. More research needed; would welcome any experience / expertise on that.

 

[pjm-84]

Depends on your incoming supply. My batteries and BMW Phev (already on charge but stopped) will go back on charge in 12mins. Stopped because my battery is down to 9% having sent to home 15.78kwh (yesterday)

100amp incoming supply to most homes (maybe 60 to 80 amp to older properties) gives you 23kwh

 

[sidepod]

After three years of owing a Nest thermostat I’ve still to work out what it’s benefits are?
Ok, so I can turn my heating on/off from the other side of the planet! And?

Any half decent manual timer is perfectly adequate and they don’t throw a fit whenever your Wi-Fi drops out.

Nice looking but pointless.

 

[kurienp]

throw a fit whenever your Wi-Fi drops out

as I am a new Tado user, found that out day before when I walked into a near freezing living room and took me a few hours to figure out what had happened. Wife had unplugged the internet link for the Tado from the power outlet to use her hair dryer

 

[kurienp]

Installed Moes Wi-Fi TRV’s on the majority of my radiators. This lets me control the temperature of each room and is easy to turn off rads when rooms not used. TRV’s controlled via Smartlife App or Google Home.
https://www.moeshouse.com/en-gb/pro...1&_sid=c3737e926&_ss=r&variant=39357552328785
I bought two kit6 direct from Moes - took about 10days to arrive.

Interesting. As Moes is Zigbee compatible, I am sure it would work with Samsung Smartthings. Would you know?

Edit: as with all things new, lots of differing information on the web. Mostly stories of not working. Along with a smartthings and philips hue hub, don't want to add another moes hub to the mix!

 

[sidepod]

as I am a new Tado user, found that out day before when I walked into a near freezing living room and took me a few hours to figure out what had happened. Wife had unplugged the internet link for the Tado from the power outlet to use her hair dryer

We also have a house full of Hue kit. Without a word of exaggeration, frustration is a daily occurrence.
The whole system has a mind of its own!
Trying to get timers/automations to work flawlessly is impossible.
At best I’d say 80% reliable.
Our latest addition were motion sensors in the hallway/stairs/landing.
Approx 1 year in and they’re starting to just not work.
I’m not a Luddite and love shiny stuff but FFS, talk about solving a non existent problem.

 

[kurienp]

We also have a house full of Hue kit. Without a word of exaggeration, frustration is a daily occurrence.
The whole system has a mind of its own!
Trying to get timers/automations to work flawlessly is impossible.
At best I’d say 80% reliable.
Our latest addition were motion sensors in the hallway/stairs/landing.
Approx 1 year in and they’re starting to just not work.
I’m not a Luddite and love shiny stuff but FFS, talk about solving a non existent problem.

There needs to be an emoji for "emphatically agree!" .

 

[sidepod]

On the plus side, I do use the Hue to turn off all of the lights…….once my “better half” has left the building!
In the same way she can’t breath under water or transport herself using time travel, turning lights off is just not a thing!!

 

[WelshGas]

What is wrong with that appliance that we all were born with, the finger. Turn lights off in rooms when no one is in them , mechanical thermostatic valves on individual radiators heating room so desired temperatures depending on their use and switching off heating when no one is at home.
All these electronic systems cost energy and materials to make and this should be taken into account when calculating energy use/costs. The finger costs nothing in comparison and rarely breaks down and you have 9 spares .