What ideas have you had for reducing Electricity consumption

[Homeless Squirrel]

Fill kettle just to amount needed for task.
Open/vent house in morning then close later for rest of day that way clear the damp claggy air replace with fresher air rather than hitting heat buttons feel warmer.
Turning shower off while washing don't really save as will still run after turn off as needs to cool element or burns out then needs to reheat when turn back on or "Cold" but can always turn down a bit but if sort your life out should be ready to go as soon as wet!
Washing run cooler and use likes of Vanish to clean togs!
Leds higher temps ie Daylight/cool white 6500k plus will give more light than Warm 5000k minus per watt.

But remember if block all the vents/airways etc etc will end up with a damp house and a damp house is never a warm one old house wasn't so bad as had lot's of wood and absorbent areas where as new/Junk builds don't so there often colder and end up damper not always are but feel more unfriendly so perceived more.

Jeans are one of the worst for colder times as hold damp! Around house wear tracksuit/joggie bottoms and decent slipper things ive these furry boots slippers Sobaka's(Russian for furry dog) toasty tootsies. =Warm feet =warmer person.
Another is looser tops rather than tight as loose gets a warmer air cushion.

 

[Stevekane]

Your comment above about showers and the system running on to cool down the DHW circuit would only apply I think to more modern combi boilers, and not to regular system ones with a sep hot water cylinder. I wet myself turn off the shower, lather up and then rince off,,Ive often wondered how little water I actually use having a shower,,,it cannot be that much.
Now a more contensious issue,,,
How often does your wife ( or yourself) run the washing machine?
Ours seems to be on every day and there is only the two of us!
Where is all the washing coming from??
You will realise that this is not the sort of thing that can be easily raised on the home front given that Im also on a reduced heating plan campaign for when the heating goes on, but it seems excessive to me.
Steve.

 

[Dibs-h]

Changed the shower head from a 20L/min one (which seems common) to one that is limited to about 8L/min - no one in the house has noticed any difference but it consumes less water and ultimately less gas.

 

[Stevekane]

They are certainly nothing like the old baxi's with the gas pilot light and piezo ignitor but weighting a great deal and would run for decades without issues. The way to reduce the issues with complexity is to avoid combi boilers, just a cheap option that seems to be in fashion at the moment. Fit a normal boiler as part of a sealed system with unvented H/W cylinder, Honeywell zone valves and Grunfoss inteligent pump paying attention to the bypass needed for pump over run and it is as good as you can get.

Yep I think thats the way I will go when the old Potterton Kingfisher finally expires,,to that end Ive just fitted a new Honeywell 3 port valve replaceing a horrible Screwfix Horstmann that was cheap at the time but required constant fiddling around with, so when it started to leak I was happy to see it go. My general concern is that we have a Microbore system and whilst it works just fine we have had to unblock a couple of the pipes where sludge has settled, but its been easy to do with a blast from the garden hose and the rad is once again red hot. So if and when its replaced it will be just an open vented boiler, a good flush out and a filter fitted to try and catch the rubbish,,,,and keep my fingers crossed.
Steve.

 

[Just4Fun]

How much electricity does your fridge use?

I am puzzled by this. I pondered getting a new fridge in the black Friday sales, as an energy-saving measure. I have read that old fridges use a lot of electricity. Our current fridge is an old one left by the previous owner of our house when we moved in. It was clearly old even then, and is a full height model, taller than I am. Money was tight and we did not have a fridge so we thought we would use that for a while, or until it failed. Here we are 18 years later, still using it, so I figured it must be really inefficient and a new energy-efficient model would pay for itself quite quickly.

The previous house owner also left a matching freezer but that was hopeless and we ditched it very quickly. It now serves as a cupboard in my very stylish workshop. The fridge, though, just keeps on going.

Anyway, I put an energy meter doohickey on the fridge's socket and it says the fridge uses less than 0.5 Kwh per day. That seems to be better than new fridges. Is my meter wrong? Would you change this fridge?

 

[John Brown]

How much electricity does your fridge use?

I am puzzled by this. I pondered getting a new fridge in the black Friday sales, as an energy-saving measure. I have read that old fridges use a lot of electricity. Our current fridge is an old one left by the previous owner of our house when we moved in. It was clearly old even then, and is a full height model, taller than I am. Money was tight and we did not have a fridge so we thought we would use that for a while, or until it failed. Here we are 18 years later, still using it, so I figured it must be really inefficient and a new energy-efficient model would pay for itself quite quickly.

The previous house owner also left a matching freezer but that was hopeless and we ditched it very quickly. It now serves as a cupboard in my very stylish workshop. The fridge, though, just keeps on going.

Anyway, I put an energy meter doohickey on the fridge's socket and it says the fridge uses less than 0.5 Kwh per day. That seems to be better than new fridges. Is my meter wrong? Would you change this fridge?

That seems low to me. I'd double check those figures. Having said that, I think a lot of new frost-free appliances are not as efficient as older ones without the frost-free option.

 

[Homeless Squirrel]

How much electricity does your fridge use?

I am puzzled by this. I pondered getting a new fridge in the black Friday sales, as an energy-saving measure. I have read that old fridges use a lot of electricity. Our current fridge is an old one left by the previous owner of our house when we moved in. It was clearly old even then, and is a full height model, taller than I am. Money was tight and we did not have a fridge so we thought we would use that for a while, or until it failed. Here we are 18 years later, still using it, so I figured it must be really inefficient and a new energy-efficient model would pay for itself quite quickly.

The previous house owner also left a matching freezer but that was hopeless and we ditched it very quickly. It now serves as a cupboard in my very stylish workshop. The fridge, though, just keeps on going.

Anyway, I put an energy meter doohickey on the fridge's socket and it says the fridge uses less than 0.5 Kwh per day. That seems to be better than new fridges. Is my meter wrong? Would you change this fridge?

As say's above/below? Frost free suck energy as constantly doing things unlike an old type that froze up top then rest of fridge if kept opening door esp in moist house and putting things in warm as more moisture = more frosted ice.
But if keep on top of fridge you won't have to do a major defrost mind often never have to do for at least 6 months+ so probably still well in front on Leccy.
Many older fridges was better made Beko's used to warm the home up a tad!..................................As caught fire plus compressor unit was dung but if replaced as can do they fridge was actually quite good.

To me better off with a fridge maybe combi and a freezer one with lid on top as cold sinks heat rises so your main freezer will see little opening plus cold stays in = less leccy.
Front door units cold drops out replaced with warm air as all and sundry open door!
If mostly low stocked 5 litre bottles of water or what can fit in provide a more stable environment for chilling effects as the cold is held in them.

Never put open/uncovered items in fridges as a part from them absorbing bacteria present "Drawing action from chilling" leading to food poisoning!
The fridge gets to wear whatever was in items you put inside even more so with frost free types as the moisture gets all around fridge and makes fridge work harder.
Worst is onions and Garlic which both shouldn't be left chopped up for long periods as absorb bacteria but great if unwell chop some up leave around bedroom next day feel better but onions/garlic not so a find black spots on them that is the bacteria.
Salad items like lettuce etc will spread water in fridge but also poison you with Listeria as water goes stagnant =brown bits on lettuce and salad is where you get the Friday night beery Kebab Belly! =Trots!
Learn't all this when worked in Spitalfields Market as place i worked for prepped food

 

[Oldman]

I have 2 fridge/freezers (frost free) both quite old 8-10yrs and the oldest Daewoo uses around 950watts/24hrs or 107watts when running with more on defrost cycle. Mfg says 284kwh/yr

The other a Beko uses 750watts/24hrs with 130watts when running, 172watts on a defrost cycle. Mfg says 311kwh/yr.

I have a Logik chest freezer in the garage which uses 550watts/24hr. Mfg say 222kwh/yr

All test done over several days using Energenie ENER007 Energy Saving Power Meter Socket

To gain perspective I would need to spend £400 plus on a replacement fridge freezer to get the reduction in power use down. around 145kwh/yr.

At current prices my 2 tall fridge freezers cost over £200/yr to run. A single new one would cost £49/yr so dumping the 2 old ones and replacing them with 1 super efficient one should see me on the good side in 3yrs.
Or I can grit my teeth and keep paying twice the amount and keep two perfectly viable fridge freezers, or tell the wife she doesnt need 2 fridge freezers and a chest! I have very deep pockets and extremely short arms btw.

 

[Fatherclive]

A mate of mine has put a Wi-Fi power controller on his power supply to the shower so when his kids are in there too long he can just shut it off with or without warning.

 

[Jacob]

Insulation Insulation Insulation

 

[Phil Pascoe]

It's 2022. How many properties that can be insulated (some can't) aren't by now? Very few, I'd think.

 

[niemeyjt]

Changed the shower head from a 20L/min one (which seems common) to one that is limited to about 8L/min - no one in the house has noticed any difference but it consumes less water and ultimately less gas.

And whilst waiting for the warm water to come through, put the shower head in a bucket to catch the cold water to use in the garden.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

For various reasons I bath rather than shower. From spring onwards I have a little pump that fits my drill and pump it out either straight onto the garden or into butts.

 

[rogxwhit]

It's 2022. How many properties that can be insulated (some can't) aren't by now? Very few, I'd think.

Tons, actually. And neither is it a simple tick box - many are insulated inadequately. Another uncomfortable factor is that insulation can be installed inappropriately so that it produces problems (sometimes initially hidden) with condensation dampness and possible mould and rot.

To many traditional builders, no matter how skilled, insulation and its implications have been an unknown consideration. I remember looking at a timber structure mid-build and saying to the builder 'you'll need a vapour barrier there'. 'Why?' he retorted ...

 

[rogxwhit]

Anyway - insulation, led lighting throughout, a modicum of appliances and a modest lifestyle ...

The next step would seem to be stay in bed all day ...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Tons, actually.

Estimated %?

 

[rogxwhit]

Dunno, Phil - it's a very wild guess based on personal sampling. I'm not sure much data is available.

 

[Jacob]

It's 2022. How many properties that can be insulated (some can't) aren't by now? Very few, I'd think.

Many millions by all accounts. Most that have are below standard.

 

[John Brown]

From stuff I've read, some houses in foreign parts, such as Scandinavia, are build to such a standard as to cost almost nothing to run. We should have been building houses that way for decades, but we've had cheap energy and weak government.

Back to the original question, I fitted wireless radiator valves just over a year ago, and now we have room by room control of temperatures, but I think it has exacerbated our condensation/mould problems. I'm still thinking of installing a PIV unit, but that might necessitate keeping some doors open, which makes the room by room temperature control a problem. I think the real answer is to win the lottery and turn the heating up a lot...

 

[Pedronicus]

A mate of mine has put a Wi-Fi power controller on his power supply to the shower so when his kids are in there too long he can just shut it off with or without warning.

When our lot were at home I just turned off the shower pump. Left just enough water to rinse themselves off!