ThatFragranceGuy
Well-known member
Most people will still probably need a vehicle and energy bills are probably more than most peope's commute costs (not mine though which was 1.5 hours each way & £300/month in fuel)
Heating Costs?
- Thread starter VladKinder
- Start date
Most people will still probably need a vehicle and energy bills are probably more than most peope's commute costs (not mine though which was 1.5 hours each way & £300/month in fuel)
asredastheycome
Well-known member
Its the gas prices that are killing everyone though. Unless of course you are all electric.
Boro_Interlinked
Well-known member
If you like pastries and pies ( like me , well really add samosa , spring roll, savoury slice , gala pie slice etc etc )
And you like them warm or hot ( like me )
And you don't want to shell out on an air fryer or put oven on for them or destroy the thing in the mic ( like me )
then if you have a slow cooker , here's something that works, as I've been at it for a month
Take the ceramic pot and lid out of the slow cooker and you are left with a mini pie warmer/ heater . Mine is a small 1.5l 120w affair but it means I can take a glass lid from a hob pan and it fits the top perfectly. But you could do your own lid on an eliptical one - tin foil.
The thing gets to 85 degrees after 10m on high and cycles up to 120. I don't cook raw ingredients, just warm up all the pre-cooked things I like , even put a custard tart in in the evenings for 20 mins. It's a perfect little heater for pastry goods , would warm a slice of pizza too but I've not tried that yet. Pennies as well. Only thing needed is a foil tray for the food to sit in plus a bit of patience and planning. Most stuff I put in I leave for 30mins.
And you like them warm or hot ( like me )
And you don't want to shell out on an air fryer or put oven on for them or destroy the thing in the mic ( like me )
then if you have a slow cooker , here's something that works, as I've been at it for a month
Take the ceramic pot and lid out of the slow cooker and you are left with a mini pie warmer/ heater . Mine is a small 1.5l 120w affair but it means I can take a glass lid from a hob pan and it fits the top perfectly. But you could do your own lid on an eliptical one - tin foil.
The thing gets to 85 degrees after 10m on high and cycles up to 120. I don't cook raw ingredients, just warm up all the pre-cooked things I like , even put a custard tart in in the evenings for 20 mins. It's a perfect little heater for pastry goods , would warm a slice of pizza too but I've not tried that yet. Pennies as well. Only thing needed is a foil tray for the food to sit in plus a bit of patience and planning. Most stuff I put in I leave for 30mins.
Fat_Dragon
Well-known member
Boro in Devon
Well-known member
I am considering using a surfing trick. Wear a wet suit under my ordinary clothes, keeps me warm in the water in winter. In the event of needing a wee, the warm water is a good way of keeping your self warm.
Only downside is that you soon smell very bad, but it helps clear a space near the bar in the evening.
Only downside is that you soon smell very bad, but it helps clear a space near the bar in the evening.
I have a log burner in the living room, with efficient gas CH elsewhere. I used to just heat the living room and keep the doors closed. This year, the price of kiln dried logs is probably higher than gas, so sacked that off. But, fortunately, my log fella gets lots of scrap wood from a timber merchants. I now pay £70 a crate for that (as opposed to £320 this winter for kiln dried logs). Plus, I get loads of odds and ends free.
I now run the log burner hard with this stuff and open all the doors and it is actually keeping the upstairs bedrooms at 19 degrees. So, by fluke really, I am actually paying much less for heating than before as the remote thermostat for the gas boiler is set to 17 degrees, so seldom comes on.
I now run the log burner hard with this stuff and open all the doors and it is actually keeping the upstairs bedrooms at 19 degrees. So, by fluke really, I am actually paying much less for heating than before as the remote thermostat for the gas boiler is set to 17 degrees, so seldom comes on.
BiggEggo
Well-known member
From a monetary perspective l I agree that the current cost of energy is a disgrace and I have huge sympathy for parents who have little choic but to heat multiple rooms.
On the other hand it does highlight a level of stupidity, that a lot folk (myself inc) used to happily heat rooms that were not in use. Wasteful and damaging to the environment, and I won't go back to that practice even if prices fall back to where they were. Not that they ever will. Our govt seem to like conditioning us for being ripped off by their big business mates ad infinitum.
r00fie1
Well-known member
I`l chip in if it helps:
I use two Dimplex Convector Heaters with 750 kw or 1250 kw or both at 2000kw. I wouldnt recommend any heater with a fan - as they run away with your money. Both convector heaters - when I get home, I switch them on at max, until the rooms are warm - then turn down to 750 and adjust the thermostat to 5 / 10. Providing the doors are shut and the curtains drawn - the temperature keeps away the chill and makes the rooms comfortable.
I also have ceiling to floor curtains in the lounge, bedroom and hallway, which Ive doubled up and they really insulate the house and eliminate draughts [I have double - glazing].
I mothballed the gas Central - heating, as you pay to keep it on when you dont need it and even the most up to date boilers are very "leaky" when it comes to losing heat. I only have four radiators, and the pipework is insulated underfloor as well as in the attic. But the system was still losing heat on the way to the radiators - in some areas the floor was warmer than the radiators. I had the gas disconnected and save £90 year standing charge.
The bathroom has a Mira instant-heat shower. It obliviates the need for a pre-heated hot water supply and is much cheaper.
I use a Toshiba Commercial Microwave which cooks virtually anything and dont have a gas or electric cooker. I use a sandwich toaster and an ordinary toaster. Also use a blender. I use a travelling kettle and only fill it with the water I need by filling the mug with water and boiling that. The Fridge / Freezer is B+ rated and with the fridge on 3/5 it uses 30p electricity for 8 hours overnight. All light bulbs are of the Lepro Bayonet LED Type. They reduce energy consumption by 75% compared to the old bayonet element bulbs. They work out cheaper than the mini tube micro bayonet bulbs.
On average, I use £2.20 day electricity. Dont have a tumble drier - I use the line [if its warm enough] or the indoors line in the kitchen. Washing Machine - Indeseit Innex 1400 - ensure its a fool load before using the Eco wash [40 degrees]. Extractors in the bathroom and kitchen are Ventaxia Safety Extra-Low Voltage - which operate using an inbuilt 9 volt step-down transformer. They cost less than 1p and hour to run. The bathroom extractor has been running 24/7 for 14 months and it runs smooth and quiet, no problem.
The patio and front doors are UPVC. The inner frames I have used strips cut from a new Army-Issue roll mat and sealed in place with silicon. This reduces heat transfer and reduces draughts. There are trickle-feeds and two opening windows in the windows around the house. I use the small push - out windows in summer and winter. The large windows I dont ever use, so I have sealed them up using roll-mat around the inside frame and silicon to seal around the windows on the inside. I have no problem with condensation in the Bathroom, Lounge or Kitchen.
So far - it all works well and has cut my energy use by 50% since last year. I calculated I`m saving approximately £4 day at current prices.
Hope any of this is useful.
I use two Dimplex Convector Heaters with 750 kw or 1250 kw or both at 2000kw. I wouldnt recommend any heater with a fan - as they run away with your money. Both convector heaters - when I get home, I switch them on at max, until the rooms are warm - then turn down to 750 and adjust the thermostat to 5 / 10. Providing the doors are shut and the curtains drawn - the temperature keeps away the chill and makes the rooms comfortable.
I also have ceiling to floor curtains in the lounge, bedroom and hallway, which Ive doubled up and they really insulate the house and eliminate draughts [I have double - glazing].
I mothballed the gas Central - heating, as you pay to keep it on when you dont need it and even the most up to date boilers are very "leaky" when it comes to losing heat. I only have four radiators, and the pipework is insulated underfloor as well as in the attic. But the system was still losing heat on the way to the radiators - in some areas the floor was warmer than the radiators. I had the gas disconnected and save £90 year standing charge.
The bathroom has a Mira instant-heat shower. It obliviates the need for a pre-heated hot water supply and is much cheaper.
I use a Toshiba Commercial Microwave which cooks virtually anything and dont have a gas or electric cooker. I use a sandwich toaster and an ordinary toaster. Also use a blender. I use a travelling kettle and only fill it with the water I need by filling the mug with water and boiling that. The Fridge / Freezer is B+ rated and with the fridge on 3/5 it uses 30p electricity for 8 hours overnight. All light bulbs are of the Lepro Bayonet LED Type. They reduce energy consumption by 75% compared to the old bayonet element bulbs. They work out cheaper than the mini tube micro bayonet bulbs.
On average, I use £2.20 day electricity. Dont have a tumble drier - I use the line [if its warm enough] or the indoors line in the kitchen. Washing Machine - Indeseit Innex 1400 - ensure its a fool load before using the Eco wash [40 degrees]. Extractors in the bathroom and kitchen are Ventaxia Safety Extra-Low Voltage - which operate using an inbuilt 9 volt step-down transformer. They cost less than 1p and hour to run. The bathroom extractor has been running 24/7 for 14 months and it runs smooth and quiet, no problem.
The patio and front doors are UPVC. The inner frames I have used strips cut from a new Army-Issue roll mat and sealed in place with silicon. This reduces heat transfer and reduces draughts. There are trickle-feeds and two opening windows in the windows around the house. I use the small push - out windows in summer and winter. The large windows I dont ever use, so I have sealed them up using roll-mat around the inside frame and silicon to seal around the windows on the inside. I have no problem with condensation in the Bathroom, Lounge or Kitchen.
So far - it all works well and has cut my energy use by 50% since last year. I calculated I`m saving approximately £4 day at current prices.
Hope any of this is useful.
You need to check your wattages. A 370 watt kettle? 500 watt toaster?
If you started at 8.00am you might have your breakfast ready by lunchtime.
r00fie1
Well-known member
Rubbish
ThatFragranceGuy
Well-known member
I presumed that column was the kWh consumed during its use, not the active wattage
Closing half your central heating system down isn’t the best way to save money. The system is normally designed to heat the full house so you may create a situation where you have one or two radiators trying to heat a whole house. Trvs are only on/off valves they don’t regulate boiler heat. its worth thinking about wear an tear too. In my opinion you may as well just heat the house up if your going to run the heating, and reduce risk of damp etc.
swordtrombonefish
Well-known member
Heard a few people say the same - knock a couple of degrees off the heat so it stays reasonably warm throughout, and wear extra layers
Stocko
Well-known member
If this was a thread about climate change would the answer be yes?
Ingleby_Flash
Well-known member
Daft question but if you’re wfh can’t you backcharge some costs to the employer?
Priv
Well-known member
You get about £5 a month off your income tax. Anything else would depend on the company and its policies. I’d expect most let you claim your internet bill or give an allowance towards it.
You can usually only claim expenses if they are wholly for work so if you have internet anyway (which surely everyone does) then you can't claim. Same for electricity and heating unless you can prove your heating and electricity is because of work.
Most people probably save more in commuting than they spend on increased home running costs which is why it's still better financially to work from home. I know for me it costs about £5 in petrol, potentially parking as well which is less than the increased costs (especially in summer where there are no heating costs).
clay
Well-known member
You can claim a flat £6 per week tax relief (so worth £1.20 per week for a 20% tax payer) if you are forced to work at home; choosing to stay home doesn't count. This year (and last) you only have to be forced to work at home for a single day to be able to claim it for the full year, but from April 2023 you'll only be able to claim for specific days.
Claim tax relief for your job expenses
Claiming tax relief on expenses you have to pay for your work, like uniforms, tools, travel and working from home costs.