I know this is cheeky but I wondered if anyone would be willing to give me a
"price comparison" for their electric usage?

My house is a large 2 bedroom bungalow. I say large because we have large
rooms and a big kitchen dining room and extra big sitting room as well as
two double bedrooms.

There is no gas main where I am so I use all electric - economy 7

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the central
heating last winter. The company is British Gas - so not the cheapest I am
sure but given its E7 none of them come in greatly cheaper for my area
(Cornwall) so I have stayed with who I know since they have been no trouble.

My eco conscious and money miser husband thinks our bill is high and wants
me to look for ways to cut it. I cant find any.

He wants me to stop using my washing machine which goes on once a week - or
maybe twice if I have anything big and my usual wash is 40 degrees although
I occasionally use the higher wash rates for bed clothes and towels.

He wants me to use the dishwasher less - I put it on every other day at
normal ( 55 degrees) wash and he wants to switch the emersion heater off
altogether - it goes on for an hour each night to provide water for cleaning
and washing every day.
He says our bill is high ( the DD is £26 a month ) but I cant see where
its going other than on things I need now.

My mum tells me her leccy bill is higher than ours yet she uses a coal fire
central heating system ( but my parents are old and need the heat so do
supplement it with electric fires and she has a much bigger house).

I just wondered what other people who are all electric in a comparable
situation might be paying.

Sorry to be a pain.

sweetheart wrote:
I know this is cheeky but I wondered if anyone would be willing to give
me a "price comparison" for their electric usage?

My house is a large 2 bedroom bungalow. I say large because we have
large rooms and a big kitchen dining room and extra big sitting room
as well as two double bedrooms.

There is no gas main where I am so I use all electric - economy 7

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the
central heating last winter. The company is British Gas - so not the
cheapest I am sure but given its E7 none of them come in greatly cheaper
for my area (Cornwall) so I have stayed with who I know since they have
been no trouble.

My eco conscious and money miser husband thinks our bill is high and
wants me to look for ways to cut it. I cant find any.

He wants me to stop using my washing machine which goes on once a week
- or maybe twice if I have anything big and my usual wash is 40 degrees
although I occasionally use the higher wash rates for bed clothes and
towels.

He wants me to use the dishwasher less - I put it on every other day at
normal ( 55 degrees) wash and he wants to switch the emersion heater
off altogether - it goes on for an hour each night to provide water for
cleaning and washing every day.
He says our bill is high ( the DD is £26 a month ) but I cant see where
its going other than on things I need now.

My mum tells me her leccy bill is higher than ours yet she uses a coal
fire central heating system ( but my parents are old and need the heat
so do supplement it with electric fires and she has a much bigger house).

I just wondered what other people who are all electric in a comparable
situation might be paying.

Sorry to be a pain.


I'm also sorry to appear flippant, BUT, you problem is not the
electricity but your husband. If he want you to stop using these
appliances, is he going to do the resulting extra work? If he want
cheaper electricity, get him to seek out a cheaper supplier.
Incidentally, I have found BG have improved markedly of late, but that
doesn't make them the cheapest.

As for the bill, it sounds reasonable enough - I'm guessing the DD
figure is per week !

All you can do is ensure there is maximum insulation, including
excluding drafts, get on the lowest available tariff and adjust your
lifestyle to suit. It's not just YOUR problem, but both of yours !
Sorry to sound unsympathetic, but his attitude stinks.

Andy C

On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:20:08 +0100, sweetheart wrote:

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the
central heating last winter.

Our monthly DD is £51... we don't space heat with electricity. I've
just given them a meter reading, online, and I'm reasonably sure I
saw a page flash up saying the the DD is going to rise to £61 and
that I don't need to do anything. Oh yes I fing do, I need to contest
that DD rise. I want to be under paying a little rather than over a
lot!

My eco conscious and money miser husband thinks our bill is high and
wants me to look for ways to cut it.

You haven't managed to chuck him out yet then?

He says our bill is high ( the DD is £26 a month ) but I cant see where
its going other than on things I need now.

12 X 26 = £312. Bill £1086 = shortfall of £774. The power companies
are normally very good at ensuring that they owe you money all the
year rather than the other way round. OK we are talking Bristish Gas
but I don't think even they are that incompetent. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:40:13 +0100, Andy Cap wrote:

I'm also sorry to appear flippant, BUT, you problem is not the
electricity but your husband.

Ditto all wot he said.

Do you manage the account wholly on-line? Most suppliers now offer a
discount if you opt for a fully on-line managed account. I get an extra 10%
discount on my account.



--
The Wanderer

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography

On 15 Aug, 09:20, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote:
I know this is cheeky but I wondered if anyone would be willing to give me a
"price comparison" for their electric usage?

My house is a large 2 bedroom bungalow. I say large because we have large
rooms and a *big kitchen dining room and extra big sitting room *as well as
two double bedrooms.

There is no gas main where I am so I use all electric - economy 7

*The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the central
heating last winter. *The company is British Gas - so not the cheapest I am
sure but given its E7 none of them come in greatly cheaper for my area
(Cornwall) so I have stayed with who I know since they have been no trouble.

My eco conscious and money miser husband thinks our bill is high and wants
me to look for ways to cut it. *I cant find any.

He wants me to stop using my washing machine which goes on *once a week - or
maybe twice if I have anything big and my usual wash is 40 degrees although
I occasionally use the higher wash rates for bed clothes and towels.

He wants me to use the dishwasher less - I put it on every other day at
normal ( 55 degrees) wash *and he wants to switch the emersion heater off
altogether - it goes on for an hour each night to provide water for cleaning
and washing every day.
He says our bill is high ( the DD is £26 a month ) *but I cant see where
its going other than on things I need now.

My mum tells me her leccy bill is higher *than ours yet she uses a coal fire
central heating system ( but *my parents are old and need the heat so do
supplement it with electric fires and she has a much bigger house).

I just wondered what other people who are all electric in a comparable
situation might be paying.

Sorry to be a pain.

Your pattern of usage seems very reasonable - you're already doing all
the right things to reduce your bill.

What do you do for hot water for daily washing? Electric showers, or
do you manage everything with the hot water from the cylinder?

You might look at running your immersion a good while longer than an
hour on economy 7, if you're having to supplement it with hot water
from elsewhere.

But *above all* what will save you money is any improvements you can
get in home insulation - 250-300mm loft insulation, cavity wall
insulation, draughtproof windows (which usually means modern double
glazed units), hot water tank insulation, and tackling draughts - both
those due to how the house is built (poor fit, cat flaps etc), and bad
habits with doors left open etc.

Low energy lights might save you a bit, as might careful planning with
electric cooking, only filling the kettle with what you need, turning
down heating in less used areas of the house, thick curtains and
carpets - it all counts - but house insulation is the big win.

Like you, there's no gas in my area, and I have oil-fired central
heating and hot water - but have gone overboard on the insulation and
airtightness - and reap the benefits.

Really, you sound to be doing all the right things, and your bill is
probably around average for a rural all-electric house.

To get your bills down substantially, you're looking at extensive
professional insulation and draughtproofing (an investment), or
changing to a cheaper source of heating (oil, LPG, or even a ground
source heat pump) - a large investment

In message , Andy Cap
wrote


I have found BG have improved markedly of late, but that doesn't make
them the cheapest.

In the last 3 years I have found BG to be cheapest BUT this is for my
usage of dual fuel. Comparing other peoples bills is often like
comparing apples with oranges. Unless you live in identical properties
and have an identical lifestyle the bills could be substantially
different.


As for the bill, it sounds reasonable enough - I'm guessing the DD
figure is per week !

I agree, to me the figure does appear realistic and the stated usage of
appliances on a day to day basis is not out-of-order.

If the OP has registered on the Web with BG they would be able to see
the historic information on the account and they would be able to
calculated exactly the usage in KW for a complete 12 month period. This
figure could be then plugged into the web comparison sites.

The warning I would give about BG is that they will keep you on the
tariff you signed up to. They may have a cheaper tariff they haven't
told you about. You still need to go to the price comparison sites to
see if BG have a cheaper deal. In my experience changing tariffs with
BG takes around two minutes on line on their own web site if you have
registered your previous account with them. Changing tariffs will mean a
minimum contract period during which there is a fee if you change
suppliers or tariffs again. However this minimum period is often around
6 months, which is shorter than with some other suppliers.


--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:20:08 +0100, sweetheart wrote:

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the
central heating last winter.

Our monthly DD is £51... we don't space heat with electricity. I've
just given them a meter reading, online, and I'm reasonably sure I
saw a page flash up saying the the DD is going to rise to £61 and
that I don't need to do anything. Oh yes I fing do, I need to contest
that DD rise. I want to be under paying a little rather than over a
lot!

Thank you for that.

My eco conscious and money miser husband thinks our bill is high and
wants me to look for ways to cut it.

You haven't managed to chuck him out yet then?

No, I do love him despite his obsession with money. I just want to know how
reasonable it is and what should be reasonable fuel ( energy costs in
total ) costs for a year.

He says our bill is high ( the DD is £26 a month ) but I cant see where
its going other than on things I need now.

12 X 26 = £312. Bill £1086 = shortfall of £774. The power companies
are normally very good at ensuring that they owe you money all the
year rather than the other way round. OK we are talking Bristish Gas
but I don't think even they are that incompetent. B-)

I am sorry I did make a mistake there. The DD is £26 a week. That is for
everything since we dont have any other form of fuel at all. british Gas
have just raided it to that for the next period. We were paying a DD of 86
a month and now its to be £108. We are currently £122 in credit on the
bill we received yesterday.
--

"The Wanderer" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:40:13 +0100, Andy Cap wrote:

I'm also sorry to appear flippant, BUT, you problem is not the
electricity but your husband.

Ditto all wot he said.

Do you manage the account wholly on-line? Most suppliers now offer a
discount if you opt for a fully on-line managed account. I get an extra
10%
discount on my account.

No, to do this would be cheaper I know - about £30 cheaper but to be honest
I have a phone bill on line and its a pain. I can never see what we are
paying. I like to get the bill and see it. At least that way I know whats
going on.

In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice wrote

OK we are talking Bristish Gas
but I don't think even they are that incompetent. B-)

With BG you can give them your own meter reading on-line as many times
as you like. A monthly reading will result in accurate bills.

A shortfall of £700 could result if they have assumed that heating is
supplied by another utility company and no meter readings, either
official or customer self read, have been applied to the account.
However, there would be no shortfall if the OP has given the equivalent
weekly DD amount rather than a more normally quoted monthly amount.
--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

"sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote in message
...
I know this is cheeky but I wondered if anyone would be willing to give me
a "price comparison" for their electric usage?

My house is a large 2 bedroom bungalow. I say large because we have large
rooms and a big kitchen dining room and extra big sitting room as well
as two double bedrooms.

There is no gas main where I am so I use all electric - economy 7

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the central
heating last winter.
snip

£270 a quarter for all your needs - heating, light, cooking, all apliances,
hot water - doesn't sound too high.

You don't give any detail about your central heating, so can't comment on
the possible efficiency.

Using a dishwasher is usually more energy and water efficient than washing
stuff by hand.
[Some Anglican bishop got this pointed out to him the other year when he
told people they should save energy and do their thing for the planet by not
using the dishwasher and washing up by hand instead.]

The one thing I might agree with is turning off the immersion heater in the
summer.
If you have an electric shower and a dish washer then there isn't much you
need a hot water tank for.
We have turned our gas boiler off for the summer and don't miss the hot
water.

There are obviously options for using calor gas, oil, or solid fuel to meet
your heating needs but it might take you a while to recoup your investment.

Which has some fairly 'noddy' advice he
http://www.which.co.uk/advice/home-h...ting/index.jsp
This includes:
" * Annual fuel cost for heating and hot water: £870 Economy 7/10 tariff
* Carbon emissions per year: 6 tonnes

These yearly costs are estimated costs based on heating and hot water
demands of a three-bedroomed, semi-detached, well-insulated house (insulated
cavity walls, 270mm loft insulation and insulated primary pipe work), the
efficiencies of typical heating systems and the current average price per
fuel per kWh (as at Sept 2008). They are not derived from actual fuel
bills."

From this it seems your electricity costs are not abnormally high because
they also include lighting, cooking etc.

As has already been said, the best way to save money is to make sure that
everything is well insulated.

HTH

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

wrote in message
...
On 15 Aug, 09:20, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote:


Your pattern of usage seems very reasonable - you're already doing all
the right things to reduce your bill.

What do you do for hot water for daily washing? Electric showers, or
do you manage everything with the hot water from the cylinder?

Most of it is from the cylinder. We do have an electric shower but its not
used so often as many may use theirs.


But *above all* what will save you money is any improvements you can
get in home insulation - 250-300mm loft insulation, cavity wall
insulation, draughtproof windows (which usually means modern double
glazed units), hot water tank insulation, and tackling draughts - both
those due to how the house is built (poor fit, cat flaps etc), and bad
habits with doors left open etc.

We have all of that. The only problem I do find is living in a very damp
part of the country we are constantly plagued by condensation since
increasing the insulation. I have been told this is because we are totally
air tight and we run the heating too low!

But we have double glazing, we have full insulation and the bloody eco
bulbs.

Low energy lights might save you a bit, as might careful planning with
electric cooking, only filling the kettle with what you need, turning
down heating in less used areas of the house, thick curtains and
carpets - it all counts - but house insulation is the big win.

I only cook properly once a week ( today) My husband has suggested I should
get up extra early and run the oven on the cheap rate . The cooker is new
( as are the dishwasher and washing machine) so is A rated. In the week I
do a minimum of cooking because I am out working.

I have told my husband ( he knows anyway) that we need to keep the house at
a minimum temperature because I have a weak chest and get bouts of
pneumonia if I get an infection and its left with me in the cold .

On 15/08/2010 10:26, sweetheart wrote:

"The Wanderer" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:40:13 +0100, Andy Cap wrote:

I'm also sorry to appear flippant, BUT, you problem is not the
electricity but your husband.

Ditto all wot he said.

Do you manage the account wholly on-line? Most suppliers now offer a
discount if you opt for a fully on-line managed account. I get an
extra 10%
discount on my account.

No, to do this would be cheaper I know - about £30 cheaper but to be
honest I have a phone bill on line and its a pain. I can never see what
we are paying. I like to get the bill and see it. At least that way I
know whats going on.

I don't understand that. You may not get a paper bill in the post - but
with most suppliers you can access a bill online and print it out if you
wish. That is certainly true with my BT phone bills and my Scottish
Power and Southern Electric energy bills.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...

"sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote in message
...
I know this is cheeky but I wondered if anyone would be willing to give me
a "price comparison" for their electric usage?

My house is a large 2 bedroom bungalow. I say large because we have large
rooms and a big kitchen dining room and extra big sitting room as well
as two double bedrooms.

There is no gas main where I am so I use all electric - economy 7

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the central
heating last winter.
snip

£270 a quarter for all your needs - heating, light, cooking, all
apliances, hot water - doesn't sound too high.

You don't give any detail about your central heating, so can't comment on
the possible efficiency.

Night storage heating and we have changed the heaters for new ones recently.
My husband checks the usage daily in winter and he will turn them off if he
thinks we are uasing too much ( that is what he thinks is too much) .



Using a dishwasher is usually more energy and water efficient than washing
stuff by hand.

The dishwasher is almost brand new ( my old one bit the dust, was obsolete
and the insurance company gave us a new one - its an AAA rating.)

The Washing machine is two years old and again AAA rarted.

My mum bought me a new fridge which is A rated my old one kept defrosting
and OH wouldnt let me have a new one. The freezer is a little older - and
may be higher on usage but it isnt THAT old - five years? B ut I dont use
the dishwasher and washing machine daily. Weekly for washer and every other
day for dishes ( I always ensure I run it full that way)



The one thing I might agree with is turning off the immersion heater in
the summer.
If you have an electric shower and a dish washer then there isn't much you
need a hot water tank for.

My husband uses the emersion heater to shave daily. I use it for cleaning.
I know its an extravigance but it is set low on the thermostat. Boling
kettles for hot water might be just as wasteful and time consuming.

In fact the kettle seems to be the only thing we havent cut back on - yet.



Which has some fairly 'noddy' advice he
http://www.which.co.uk/advice/home-h...ting/index.jsp
This includes:
" * Annual fuel cost for heating and hot water: £870 Economy 7/10
tariff
* Carbon emissions per year: 6 tonnes

But it doesnt seem to work that way for me. I have seriously cut out
everything I know now. We are a detached bungalow and I said - large.

These yearly costs are estimated costs based on heating and hot water
demands of a three-bedroomed, semi-detached, well-insulated house
(insulated cavity walls, 270mm loft insulation and insulated primary pipe
work), the efficiencies of typical heating systems and the current average
price per fuel per kWh (as at Sept 2008). They are not derived from actual
fuel bills."

Well that explains a lot. Unfortunately my husband will look at figures
like those and expect me to hit them in our house.

On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:20:08 +0100, sweetheart wrote:
I know this is cheeky but I wondered if anyone would be willing to give me a
"price comparison" for their electric usage?

My house is a large 2 bedroom bungalow. I say large because we have large
rooms and a big kitchen dining room and extra big sitting room as well as
two double bedrooms.

There is no gas main where I am so I use all electric - economy 7

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the central
heating last winter. The company is British Gas - so not the cheapest I am
sure but given its E7 none of them come in greatly cheaper for my area
(Cornwall) so I have stayed with who I know since they have been no trouble.

My eco conscious and money miser husband thinks our bill is high and wants
me to look for ways to cut it. I cant find any.

He wants me to stop using my washing machine which goes on once a week - or
maybe twice if I have anything big and my usual wash is 40 degrees although
I occasionally use the higher wash rates for bed clothes and towels.

He wants me to use the dishwasher less - I put it on every other day at
normal ( 55 degrees) wash and he wants to switch the emersion heater off
altogether - it goes on for an hour each night to provide water for cleaning
and washing every day.
He says our bill is high ( the DD is £26 a month ) but I cant see where
its going other than on things I need now.

'pollies if this gets posted twice

The first thing you (that's _both_ of you) need to do is establish some
hard facts. Don't just guess at where the usage or savings will come from
or you'll probably miss something significant - as well as have arguments.
Start off by getting an OWL, or similar, electricity monitor. See how
consumption changes when various things are turned on.
Although I have both gas and electricity, here are some high-level points
about my energy - that's combined gas + electricity - usage.
- half of it is used in winter for heating the house (gas c/h)
- of the other half, half is used for hot water, over the whole year.
- the final quarter is everything else: TV, computers (leave a computer
running for a year is over £100 in electricity costs), electric kettle,
gas cooker, low-energy lighting.
- leaving stuff plugged in: e.g. phone chargers, or leaving stuff on
standby makes no measureable difference to my consumption figures.

No doubt other people will be along shortly to advise you on energy/cost
saving ploys, such as solar hot-water, air/ground sources heat pumps etc.

--
www.thisreallyismyhost.99k.org/page1.php

"sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote in message
...

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:20:08 +0100, sweetheart wrote:

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the
central heating last winter.

Our monthly DD is £51... we don't space heat with electricity. I've
just given them a meter reading, online, and I'm reasonably sure I
saw a page flash up saying the the DD is going to rise to £61 and
that I don't need to do anything. Oh yes I fing do, I need to contest
that DD rise. I want to be under paying a little rather than over a
lot!

Thank you for that.

My eco conscious and money miser husband thinks our bill is high and
wants me to look for ways to cut it.

You haven't managed to chuck him out yet then?

No, I do love him despite his obsession with money. I just want to know
how reasonable it is and what should be reasonable fuel ( energy costs in
total ) costs for a year.

He says our bill is high ( the DD is £26 a month ) but I cant see where
its going other than on things I need now.

12 X 26 = £312. Bill £1086 = shortfall of £774. The power companies
are normally very good at ensuring that they owe you money all the
year rather than the other way round. OK we are talking Bristish Gas
but I don't think even they are that incompetent. B-)

I am sorry I did make a mistake there. The DD is £26 a week. That is for
everything since we dont have any other form of fuel at all. british Gas
have just raided it to that for the next period. We were paying a DD of
86 a month and now its to be £108. We are currently £122 in credit on the
bill we received yesterday.

I pay £100 per month for dual fuel, and in a bungalow, but we're retired so
in all day.

"pete" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:20:08 +0100, sweetheart wrote:
I know this is cheeky but I wondered if anyone would be willing to give
me a
"price comparison" for their electric usage?

My house is a large 2 bedroom bungalow. I say large because we have
large
rooms and a big kitchen dining room and extra big sitting room as well
as
two double bedrooms.

There is no gas main where I am so I use all electric - economy 7

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the
central
heating last winter. The company is British Gas - so not the cheapest I
am
sure but given its E7 none of them come in greatly cheaper for my area
(Cornwall) so I have stayed with who I know since they have been no
trouble.

My eco conscious and money miser husband thinks our bill is high and
wants
me to look for ways to cut it. I cant find any.

He wants me to stop using my washing machine which goes on once a
week - or
maybe twice if I have anything big and my usual wash is 40 degrees
although
I occasionally use the higher wash rates for bed clothes and towels.

He wants me to use the dishwasher less - I put it on every other day at
normal ( 55 degrees) wash and he wants to switch the emersion heater
off
altogether - it goes on for an hour each night to provide water for
cleaning
and washing every day.
He says our bill is high ( the DD is £26 a month ) but I cant see where
its going other than on things I need now.

'pollies if this gets posted twice

The first thing you (that's _both_ of you) need to do is establish some
hard facts. Don't just guess at where the usage or savings will come from
or you'll probably miss something significant - as well as have arguments.
Start off by getting an OWL, or similar, electricity monitor. See how
consumption changes when various things are turned on.
Although I have both gas and electricity, here are some high-level points
about my energy - that's combined gas + electricity - usage.
- half of it is used in winter for heating the house (gas c/h)
- of the other half, half is used for hot water, over the whole year.
- the final quarter is everything else: TV, computers (leave a computer
running for a year is over £100 in electricity costs), electric kettle,
gas cooker, low-energy lighting.
- leaving stuff plugged in: e.g. phone chargers, or leaving stuff on
standby makes no measureable difference to my consumption figures.

No doubt other people will be along shortly to advise you on energy/cost
saving ploys, such as solar hot-water, air/ground sources heat pumps etc.

--
www.thisreallyismyhost.99k.org/page1.php

I second the recommendation to get a whole-house electricity monitor. I like
the CurrentCost ones, not least because they also tell you the temperature.
My electricity bill has dropped since I got one.

"Roger Mills" wrote in message
...
On 15/08/2010 10:26, sweetheart wrote:

"The Wanderer" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 09:40:13 +0100, Andy Cap wrote:

I'm also sorry to appear flippant, BUT, you problem is not the
electricity but your husband.

Ditto all wot he said.

Do you manage the account wholly on-line? Most suppliers now offer a
discount if you opt for a fully on-line managed account. I get an
extra 10%
discount on my account.

No, to do this would be cheaper I know - about £30 cheaper but to be
honest I have a phone bill on line and its a pain. I can never see what
we are paying. I like to get the bill and see it. At least that way I
know whats going on.

I don't understand that. You may not get a paper bill in the post - but
with most suppliers you can access a bill online and print it out if you
wish. That is certainly true with my BT phone bills and my Scottish Power
and Southern Electric energy bills.

That has not been my experience with either BT or videophone ( my mobile
phone). The bills are erratic. On personal level I have to remember the log
in details and on at least one occasion they locked me out despite the
details being correct..

When I do see the bill it isn't like having a paper copy in my had to read.
I can rarely make sense of them
Finally online bill management seems to mean you have no right of recourse
to speak to anyone, it has to be done online.

But bottom line is, I would like a bill sent . I am old fashioned and want
to sit and read it .

We have all of that. The only problem I do find is living in a very damp
part of the country we are constantly plagued by condensation since
increasing the insulation. *I have been told this is because we are totally
air tight and we run the heating too low!

You might try a dehumidifier then. Because everything (especially
clothes/upholstery) will feel bone-dry to the touch, you may be
comfortable with a slightly lower room temperature. (However, if your
house is a sealed box, you should really have properly designed house
ventilation - usually by kitchen and bathroom extracts).

Electric blankets are great things in cold houses - also keeping the
sheets bone dry and comfortable, in addition to the warmth - and very
cheap to run.

And buy warm clothes - really, really expensive arctic stuff - and
make that skinflint hubby pay.

wrote in message
...

We have all of that. The only problem I do find is living in a very damp
part of the country we are constantly plagued by condensation since
increasing the insulation. I have been told this is because we are totally
air tight and we run the heating too low!

You might try a dehumidifier then. Because everything (especially
clothes/upholstery) will feel bone-dry to the touch, you may be
comfortable with a slightly lower room temperature. (However, if your
house is a sealed box, you should really have properly designed house
ventilation - usually by kitchen and bathroom extracts).

Electric blankets are great things in cold houses - also keeping the
sheets bone dry and comfortable, in addition to the warmth - and very
cheap to run.

Best thing since the proverbial sliced loaf IMO. We hate warm bedrooms.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "sweetheart" hotmail.com saying
something like:

Sorry to be a pain.
Not at all.
26 quid a month doesn't equal what you quoted p/a, did you mean per
week?
Even so, it's not bad for all-in cost.
Your husband is a miser, it seems to me.
Ditch the skinflint and go weave baskets by the sea in a warm country.

On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 10:55:29 +0100, sweetheart wrote:

The dishwasher is almost brand new ( my old one bit the dust, was
obsolete and the insurance company gave us a new one - its an AAA
rating.)

The Washing machine is two years old and again AAA rarted.

A typical washing machine cycle (obviously this depends on what
temperature you select) costs just a few pence. Dishwasher likewise (more
than doing it by hand).

By the way....it would be helpful if you could select the 'quoting'
option in the program you're using to read mail. This adds '' (or
similar) to the parts of other people's posts when you include them.
Sometimes it's a bit hard to disentagle 'who said what' otherwise...

--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "
saying something like:

You might try a dehumidifier then.

He'd only moan about the cost of running it.

sweetheart wrote:

I only cook properly once a week ( today) My husband has suggested I
should get up extra early and run the oven on the cheap rate .

Holey moley - why don't you suggest *he* gets up early to cook?

Other than that - my only suggestion is, as others have intimated, a
change of one appliance - the husband...

David

"sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote in message
...

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...

snip
My husband uses the emersion heater to shave daily. I use it for cleaning.
I know its an extravigance but it is set low on the thermostat. Boling
kettles for hot water might be just as wasteful and time consuming.

In fact the kettle seems to be the only thing we havent cut back on - yet.
snip

With regards to shaving - which do you think would cost more?
Heating one kettle full of water or heating one hot water tank full of
water?

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

sweetheart hotmail.com wrote:
"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...

"sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote in message
...
I know this is cheeky but I wondered if anyone would be willing to
give me a "price comparison" for their electric usage?

My house is a large 2 bedroom bungalow. I say large because we have
large rooms and a big kitchen dining room and extra big sitting
room as well as two double bedrooms.

There is no gas main where I am so I use all electric - economy 7

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the
central heating last winter.
snip

£270 a quarter for all your needs - heating, light, cooking, all
apliances, hot water - doesn't sound too high.

You don't give any detail about your central heating, so can't
comment on the possible efficiency.

Night storage heating and we have changed the heaters for new ones
recently. My husband checks the usage daily in winter and he will
turn them off if he thinks we are uasing too much ( that is what he
thinks is too much) .


Using a dishwasher is usually more energy and water efficient than
washing stuff by hand.

The dishwasher is almost brand new ( my old one bit the dust, was
obsolete and the insurance company gave us a new one - its an AAA
rating.)
The Washing machine is two years old and again AAA rarted.

My mum bought me a new fridge which is A rated my old one kept
defrosting and OH wouldnt let me have a new one. The freezer is a
little older - and may be higher on usage but it isnt THAT old - five
years? B ut I dont use the dishwasher and washing machine daily.
Weekly for washer and every other day for dishes ( I always ensure I
run it full that way)


The one thing I might agree with is turning off the immersion heater
in the summer.
If you have an electric shower and a dish washer then there isn't
much you need a hot water tank for.

My husband uses the emersion heater to shave daily. I use it for
cleaning. I know its an extravigance but it is set low on the
thermostat. Boling kettles for hot water might be just as wasteful
and time consuming.
In fact the kettle seems to be the only thing we havent cut back on -
yet.


Which has some fairly 'noddy' advice he
http://www.which.co.uk/advice/home-h...ting/index.jsp
This includes:
" * Annual fuel cost for heating and hot water: £870 Economy 7/10
tariff
* Carbon emissions per year: 6 tonnes

But it doesnt seem to work that way for me. I have seriously cut out
everything I know now. We are a detached bungalow and I said - large.

These yearly costs are estimated costs based on heating and hot water
demands of a three-bedroomed, semi-detached, well-insulated house
(insulated cavity walls, 270mm loft insulation and insulated primary
pipe work), the efficiencies of typical heating systems and the
current average price per fuel per kWh (as at Sept 2008). They are
not derived from actual fuel bills."

Well that explains a lot. Unfortunately my husband will look at
figures like those and expect me to hit them in our house.

But you are hitting those figures. £870 for heating and HW leaves you £216
pa for the lighting, cooking, washing machine, TV kettle etc.

--
Adam

On 15 Aug, 12:08, Grimly Curmudgeon
wrote:
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "
saying something like:

You might try a dehumidifier then.

He'd only moan about the cost of running it.

He might, and he might be wrong. If the OP can borrow one to see what
difference it makes, it'd deffo be worth a whirl. Otherwise they're
very cheap on ebay at this time of year.

BTW - to the OP - how are you drying washing in winter?

In message , David WE Roberts
writes

"sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote in message
...

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...

snip
My husband uses the emersion heater to shave daily. I use it for
cleaning. I know its an extravigance but it is set low on the
thermostat. Boling kettles for hot water might be just as wasteful
and time consuming.

In fact the kettle seems to be the only thing we havent cut back on - yet.
snip

With regards to shaving - which do you think would cost more?
Heating one kettle full of water or heating one hot water tank full of
water?

Or shaving using cold water ...

--
geoff

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...

"sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote in message
...

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message
...



With regards to shaving - which do you think would cost more?
Heating one kettle full of water or heating one hot water tank full of
water?

Well it also provides me with hot water to clean the house daily. I value
that. I dont like constantly boiling kettles for it. I go to work and then
have to come and do these things

I think what my OH would really like is if we were living in the 1930's with
no mod cons at all.

wrote in message
...
On 15 Aug, 12:08, Grimly Curmudgeon
wrote:
We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember "
saying something like:


BTW - to the OP - how are you drying washing in winter?

If I can I put them outside. if not I either have to put them in the tumble
dryer ( hubby doesn't like that as it costs money) or I have to try and dry
them in the house ( which makes the house damp! yes, I know)

In article , sweetheart
hotmail.com@?.? scribeth thus
I know this is cheeky but I wondered if anyone would be willing to give me a
"price comparison" for their electric usage?

My house is a large 2 bedroom bungalow. I say large because we have large
rooms and a big kitchen dining room and extra big sitting room as well as
two double bedrooms.

There is no gas main where I am so I use all electric - economy 7

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the central
heating last winter. The company is British Gas - so not the cheapest I am
sure but given its E7 none of them come in greatly cheaper for my area
(Cornwall) so I have stayed with who I know since they have been no trouble.


FWIW all of our tenants have complained big time re their power bill's
since last winter which as we know was once of the worst for some years
hence the power demands will be higher, and I dread to think what
electric only heating costs will be for larger houses!.

That said and re the other responses why don't you keep a daily or
weekly record of meter readings to see where its going then seek out a
cheaper supplier, and look at improving insulation and reducing
consumption if you can....

There are other power companies who are very little trouble..
--
Tony Sayer

Sweetheart...

#1 Loft Insulation, £50-99-199.
Get the loft insulated to 300mm or so immediately.
You lose probably 35% of your heat through the roof in a bungalow and
E7 heaters work by heating the room in a morning then keeping it warm
thereafter. Without proper insulation E7 is both expensive to run and
goes cold too early.

#2 Wall Insulation, £50-99-199.
Get the cavity wall insulated similarly.
You lose probably 30% of your heat through the walls in a bungalow, so
the same applies, plus the cold surface will create draughts which
will make it feel colder.
If you do not have a cavity wall the best thing to do is insulation
the inner walls of the main living room (where you spend the most
time), you can buy 25mm & 50mm Celotex online, then screw plasterboard
to the top, simple plaster skim and even Super Fresco Bobble wallpaper
looks ok in Barley White Matt (not like most super fresco wallpapers
which look a bit hideous, it is small textured and lends itself well
to painting).

#3 Floor Insulation, DIY.
A floor is about 15-20% heat loss.
If your floor is solid concrete the best insulation is felt (3.4 Tog),
polyurethane foam (2.7 Tog), Tredaire (1.7 Tog), Rubber Crumb (1.1
Tog), Sod All (0 Tog :-) What is the difference? Well a solid concrete
floor with quarry tile & 20yr old green tredaire heavily compacted
used to make the lower legs ache painfully if stood on for very long,
changing to polyurehane and felt (I know too high) removed that ache
and actually made the room warm /in the 2009 winter/. Very surprising.
If your floor is wood, you need to reduce any gaps re direct heat
loss, then insulate between the joists under the floor. This is done
by fixing string or netting to the joists, then pushing down *tightly
fitted* PIR foam or cavity bat foam. It must be tightly fitting re no
air gaps otherwise the insulation is bypassed. It MUST retain an
airflow path under the floor to prevent rot - in that respect you need
to ensure the underfloor area is dry or at least ventilated by cross-
vents under the floor in the direction of the joists and that the
vents are not blocked. This can save you a lot of money re remedial
work in the long run.

#4 Draught excluder, £20.
Letterbox, windows & doors. You want EPDM rubber type in white or
brown, not the foam stuff. P type is for large gaps, E type is for
small gaps. if you have modern DG obviously this does not apply.

#5 Reduce ventilation in winter a little.
If your bungalow has 1-2 open fireplaces with no gas / real fire in
them, plug up the chimney except for a small ventilation gap over the
winter. Likewise restrict general house vents - it depends on the age
of the house. Do not clog up trickle vents.
You want to reduce the house Air Changes Per Hour if they are high
(such as a 1950s 12-vent 2-chimney bungalow), but not so much that you
suffer condensation and mould (which will not help your health).
Generally to avoid condensation you a) remove steam generated in
kitchen by extractor fans b) increase heating c) increase ventilation.
Unless the bungalow is very old this is not likely to be a problem.

#6 Fit an extractor hood in the kitchen.
A cheap one off Ebay "shipping scratched" can be as little as £20.
More expensive is getting a hole through a wall, but that is what
husbands are for. Same goes for any shower. Just ensure someone knows
how to wire it correctly, there are Electrician's Guides out there on
Amazon UK website quite cheaply and easy to follow.


Now, Paying for it - Money saving tips.

Food & Domestic.
Look at what you buy in a year. You may find certain branded stuff is
cheaper at say Asda than Sainsbury's (check the websites). Then buy in
bulk when things are on special offer. For example if you buy 52 boxes
of Special K in a year that is nearly £150 when not on offer, but only
£100 when on offer - £50/yr saved. Eating 2 cheap meals a week can
help too, saving £150-350/yr. Put another way, it is easy to knock
£200/yr off the total bill.

Electricity prices.
Shop around regularly re uSwitch websites etc - but watch for early-
switch penalties.

Careful use of energy.
If you are on E7, ensure any tumble dryer is on E7 - the saving is
£30-75/yr.
Energy saving bulbs throughout - they do save about £25-30/yr.

All the savings add up. Saving £200/yr on domestic is the same as
saving £200/yr on electricity.

With economy 7 heating insulation is everything.
Loft Insulation + Wall Insulation + PU Carpet Underlay Insulation.

Also remember females prefer to be warm - because they get cold
easily, whereas males prefer to be cooler - they do not feel the cold
much. That can mean a "duvet fight" re one wanting 15 Tog and one
wanting 3.5 Tog. So there is a biological difference to consider.

If you collect a newspaper rather than delivered it saves about £100/
yr (if not more). Quite substantial. Same goes with getting all the
shopping done on one day vs multiple trips. Same goes with making a
list of things you want, then only buying them a month later if you
really need them; that way you can also combine online orders to
reduce postage charges.


Savings of £250/yr are quite possible with electric heating if poorly
insulated. That together with other energy saving measures (£50/yr)
and "domestic savings" (£150/yr) can save £450/yr.

"js.b1" wrote in message
...
Sweetheart...

#1 Loft Insulation, £50-99-199.
Get the loft insulated to 300mm or so immediately.
You lose probably 35% of your heat through the roof in a bungalow and
E7 heaters work by heating the room in a morning then keeping it warm
thereafter. Without proper insulation E7 is both expensive to run and
goes cold too early.

#2 Wall Insulation, £50-99-199.
Get the cavity wall insulated similarly.
You lose probably 30% of your heat through the walls in a bungalow, so
the same applies, plus the cold surface will create draughts which
will make it feel colder.
If you do not have a cavity wall the best thing to do is insulation
the inner walls of the main living room (where you spend the most
time), you can buy 25mm & 50mm Celotex online, then screw plasterboard
to the top, simple plaster skim and even Super Fresco Bobble wallpaper
looks ok in Barley White Matt (not like most super fresco wallpapers
which look a bit hideous, it is small textured and lends itself well
to painting).

#3 Floor Insulation, DIY.
A floor is about 15-20% heat loss.
If your floor is solid concrete the best insulation is felt (3.4 Tog),
polyurethane foam (2.7 Tog), Tredaire (1.7 Tog), Rubber Crumb (1.1
Tog), Sod All (0 Tog :-) What is the difference? Well a solid concrete
floor with quarry tile & 20yr old green tredaire heavily compacted
used to make the lower legs ache painfully if stood on for very long,
changing to polyurehane and felt (I know too high) removed that ache
and actually made the room warm /in the 2009 winter/. Very surprising.
If your floor is wood, you need to reduce any gaps re direct heat
loss, then insulate between the joists under the floor. This is done
by fixing string or netting to the joists, then pushing down *tightly
fitted* PIR foam or cavity bat foam. It must be tightly fitting re no
air gaps otherwise the insulation is bypassed. It MUST retain an
airflow path under the floor to prevent rot - in that respect you need
to ensure the underfloor area is dry or at least ventilated by cross-
vents under the floor in the direction of the joists and that the
vents are not blocked. This can save you a lot of money re remedial
work in the long run.

#4 Draught excluder, £20.
Letterbox, windows & doors. You want EPDM rubber type in white or
brown, not the foam stuff. P type is for large gaps, E type is for
small gaps. if you have modern DG obviously this does not apply.

#5 Reduce ventilation in winter a little.
If your bungalow has 1-2 open fireplaces with no gas / real fire in
them, plug up the chimney except for a small ventilation gap over the
winter. Likewise restrict general house vents - it depends on the age
of the house. Do not clog up trickle vents.
You want to reduce the house Air Changes Per Hour if they are high
(such as a 1950s 12-vent 2-chimney bungalow), but not so much that you
suffer condensation and mould (which will not help your health).
Generally to avoid condensation you a) remove steam generated in
kitchen by extractor fans b) increase heating c) increase ventilation.
Unless the bungalow is very old this is not likely to be a problem.

#6 Fit an extractor hood in the kitchen.
A cheap one off Ebay "shipping scratched" can be as little as £20.
More expensive is getting a hole through a wall, but that is what
husbands are for. Same goes for any shower. Just ensure someone knows
how to wire it correctly, there are Electrician's Guides out there on
Amazon UK website quite cheaply and easy to follow.


Now, Paying for it - Money saving tips.

Food & Domestic.
Look at what you buy in a year. You may find certain branded stuff is
cheaper at say Asda than Sainsbury's (check the websites). Then buy in
bulk when things are on special offer. For example if you buy 52 boxes
of Special K in a year that is nearly £150 when not on offer, but only
£100 when on offer - £50/yr saved. Eating 2 cheap meals a week can
help too, saving £150-350/yr. Put another way, it is easy to knock
£200/yr off the total bill.

Electricity prices.
Shop around regularly re uSwitch websites etc - but watch for early-
switch penalties.

Careful use of energy.
If you are on E7, ensure any tumble dryer is on E7 - the saving is
£30-75/yr.
Energy saving bulbs throughout - they do save about £25-30/yr.

All the savings add up. Saving £200/yr on domestic is the same as
saving £200/yr on electricity.

With economy 7 heating insulation is everything.
Loft Insulation + Wall Insulation + PU Carpet Underlay Insulation.

Also remember females prefer to be warm - because they get cold
easily, whereas males prefer to be cooler - they do not feel the cold
much. That can mean a "duvet fight" re one wanting 15 Tog and one
wanting 3.5 Tog. So there is a biological difference to consider.

If you collect a newspaper rather than delivered it saves about £100/
yr (if not more). Quite substantial. Same goes with getting all the
shopping done on one day vs multiple trips. Same goes with making a
list of things you want, then only buying them a month later if you
really need them; that way you can also combine online orders to
reduce postage charges.


Savings of £250/yr are quite possible with electric heating if poorly
insulated. That together with other energy saving measures (£50/yr)
and "domestic savings" (£150/yr) can save £450/yr.

You think I am not already doing all of that?

You sound like my husband.

In message , sweetheart
wrote

You sound like my husband.

Ironing men's clothing cost a lot in electricity. That's probably one
saving that could be made.

During the winter every time you flush the loo it a gallon of water
you've heated up from near freezing to room temperature. Don't flush
until the bowl becomes full
--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Snip good advice

Also remember females prefer to be warm - because they get cold
easily, whereas males prefer to be cooler - they do not feel the cold
much. That can mean a "duvet fight" re one wanting 15 Tog and one
wanting 3.5 Tog. So there is a biological difference to consider.

Odd that 'er indoors is deffo the 2,500 odd tog one, whereas I can get
away with any old blanket but my Irish born Mum just needed a tea shirt
in the coldest weather morn, noon and night!, winter or summer. I've
never known such a hardy woman;!...

--
Tony Sayer

Savings of £250/yr are quite possible with electric heating if poorly
insulated. That together with other energy saving measures (£50/yr)
and "domestic savings" (£150/yr) can save £450/yr.

You think I am not already doing all of that?

You sound like my husband.


I reckon your blokes OK then...
--
Tony Sayer

OP... Iron has a thermostat.
- 70% duty-cycle @ 2kW @ 1/2hr @ 180x per year
- 0.70 x 2 x 0.5 x 180 = 126kWhr = £12.60.

Reducing it 50% brings it down to £6.30 per year.
Not much for a 50% reduction - but no point ironing things that do not
need ironing.


Water Meter!!
The Rateable Value charge may be £470, Assessed Usage charge may be
£420, but Water Meter may be £200. Now that could be an easy way to
save £800 over 4 years. That is 1 year free electricity in a very bad
(2009) winter after basic insulation changes have been made.

Cash in Banks.
Cash is earning 0.1%, sadly the govt shut the NSandI Index Linked
Savings Certificates (RPI Index Linked + 1%) which is just an insult -
or smart considering how high inflation will be over the next 10 yrs.
Even so ING offers about 3% and so do others so do not lose even that
seemingly small 2.5-2.9% potential.

Can you save £20/month into a broad equity-multi-asset fund?
You could put 20/month into an ISA fund such as Cazenove Multi-Manager
Diversity, www.trustnet.com will let you chart it, you simply set up a
D/D to buy it. Avoid Absolute Return funds or UK Index funds because
the UK FTSE is now quite tired in terms of 81% global income (not UK)
and frankly not likely to give a good return unless you time a 2008
crash event and hold for a very long time. Try to save 20/month for
5yrs and it at least gives a good reserve for events. Particularly if
you tell no-one about it, then it is not "assumed to be part of the
pot". If you can do 50/month that really will make a difference after
5yrs, a useful chunk that can swat otherwise horrible bills.

E7 has the benefit of no maintenance, no £2000 boiler cost, no
radiator replacement and so on -- but it does require good insulation
to work properly.

"js.b1" wrote in message
...
OP... Iron has a thermostat.
- 70% duty-cycle @ 2kW @ 1/2hr @ 180x per year
- 0.70 x 2 x 0.5 x 180 = 126kWhr = £12.60.

Reducing it 50% brings it down to £6.30 per year.
Not much for a 50% reduction - but no point ironing things that do not
need ironing.


Water Meter!!
The Rateable Value charge may be £470, Assessed Usage charge may be
£420, but Water Meter may be £200. Now that could be an easy way to
save £800 over 4 years. That is 1 year free electricity in a very bad
(2009) winter after basic insulation changes have been made.

Not in our case. We pay £158 water a year.

Cash in Banks.
Cash is earning 0.1%, sadly the govt shut the NSandI Index Linked
Savings Certificates (RPI Index Linked + 1%) which is just an insult -
or smart considering how high inflation will be over the next 10 yrs.
Even so ING offers about 3% and so do others so do not lose even that
seemingly small 2.5-2.9% potential.

I currently have one earning 6% with the Halifax. I took it out days before
the 2008 crash and it was guarenteed for five years ( I had to tie the
money up that long) I recenly ( few months back now) took another with
Halifax also and that has a 3.5% rate on it.

Can you save £20/month into a broad equity-multi-asset fund?
You could put 20/month into an ISA fund such as Cazenove Multi-Manager

I am up to the hilt on ISA - all minimum of 3.5 % on them too ( they came
from RBS when they were giving a good fixerd rate.


E7 has the benefit of no maintenance, no £2000 boiler cost, no
radiator replacement and so on -- but it does require good insulation
to work properly.

Yes, we know that and we have the insulation but for some of us there are
few alternatives.

What I really needed to know as per my original question is are my
electricity costs exorbitant in terms of other peoples or is my OH being
unrealistic in his expectations of reducing it further?
That's why I gave the figures.

"js.b1" wrote in message
...
OP... Iron has a thermostat.
- 70% duty-cycle @ 2kW @ 1/2hr @ 180x per year
- 0.70 x 2 x 0.5 x 180 = 126kWhr = £12.60.

Reducing it 50% brings it down to £6.30 per year.
Not much for a 50% reduction - but no point ironing things that do not
need ironing.


Water Meter!!
The Rateable Value charge may be £470, Assessed Usage charge may be
£420, but Water Meter may be £200. Now that could be an easy way to
save £800 over 4 years. That is 1 year free electricity in a very bad
(2009) winter after basic insulation changes have been made.

Cash in Banks.
Cash is earning 0.1%, sadly the govt shut the NSandI Index Linked
Savings Certificates (RPI Index Linked + 1%) which is just an insult -
or smart considering how high inflation will be over the next 10 yrs.
Even so ING offers about 3% and so do others so do not lose even that
seemingly small 2.5-2.9% potential.

Can you save £20/month into a broad equity-multi-asset fund?
You could put 20/month into an ISA fund such as Cazenove Multi-Manager
Diversity, www.trustnet.com will let you chart it, you simply set up a
D/D to buy it. Avoid Absolute Return funds or UK Index funds because
the UK FTSE is now quite tired in terms of 81% global income (not UK)
and frankly not likely to give a good return unless you time a 2008
crash event and hold for a very long time. Try to save 20/month for
5yrs and it at least gives a good reserve for events. Particularly if
you tell no-one about it, then it is not "assumed to be part of the
pot". If you can do 50/month that really will make a difference after
5yrs, a useful chunk that can swat otherwise horrible bills.

E7 has the benefit of no maintenance, no £2000 boiler cost, no
radiator replacement and so on -- but it does require good insulation
to work properly.

According to some posters I ought to be able to reduce the bill to nothing
then? But that isn't realistic is it?

On Aug 15, 4:33*pm, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote:
According to some posters I ought to be able to reduce the bill to nothing
then? *But that isn't realistic is it?


Do you have Loft + Cavity Wall + Below Wood Floor Insulation?

If the answer is "no" to all 3 then you could save £400/yr on your
electricity bill.

In message
,
js.b1 writes
On Aug 15, 4:33*pm, "sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote:
According to some posters I ought to be able to reduce the bill to nothing
then? *But that isn't realistic is it?


Do you have Loft + Cavity Wall + Below Wood Floor Insulation?

If the answer is "no" to all 3 then you could save £400/yr on your
electricity bill.

The op already confirmed they have roof/cavity insulation and DG.

Possibly not underfloor insulation, but for most situations that's
marginal in benefit, and is disruptive to install
--
Chris French