Energy/Money Saving Tips

[kilk]

hi everybody

just some ideas on energy saving regarding heating and holding onto the few bob for a little longer!

i find a good way of heating is to use turf mould. i line the base of the stove with sods first to block the mould from falling through the grate and then light some small pieces of turf, when it starts to burn i pile in the mould and close off the stove. (no risk of fire) it burns slowly all day and night and i may not have to relight it again for a few days, (saving on firelighters) the ashes keep the cinders alive for ages.

i also have my central heating rigged so that it heats up the stove first and when i light it the boiler then cuts out. i put 1000 ltrs of oil in tank 4 yrs ago and stil have 1/3 left. honest! it also heats 6 double rads.

for anybody interested in doing this, if you fit a motorised valve on the boiler pipe, the boiler will heat the stove, but the stove will not heat the boiler, hence saving energy.

[unapam]

So you have dual heating? Oil and solid fuel stove? It's so handy that you can switch between them...That's a great idea. Do you find the stove is good for heating? I nearly have one installed.

[kilk]

yeah the stove is great for heating, i have two more double rads to connect, a 4ft and a 5ft and it should be no problem to it to heat them. i would recommend that you line the chimney before you install it tho, can save a lot of hassle later especially in an older house.

[unapam]

Yes we are lining the chimney this weekend and will run four rads and hot water tank from it.

My latest money saving change is I have gone back to using bars of soap instead of liquid soap. I had not thought of it before but one day my friend said "I never buy liquid soap as most of it is water!"

Devestating logic to that... Every little helps!

[summersun]

Hi Kilk,

I am new here to family of jumbletown, and am beginning to find it an addictive site especially when reading all your senior member threads and feedback.

we have just installed a Mulberry Beckett (the big one that feeds 12 rads)... so was interested to read your advise...
Forgive the ignorance but what is turf mould? I live in Clones which has a lot of bog area and continuous rain... so might be able to talk to a farmer nicely to get some, as long as you are not sendinng me off asking for a left handed screwdriver...
1000 litres in 4 years my husband would be Happy.

Thanks Kilk,
Summersun

[Ocker]

Kilkie, you are new Thomas Edison ! Well done mate. The Aborigines cover over their fires with clay and then put a tiny hollow stick in the side snd another in the top. When they come back a few weeks later they still have a fire after lifting off the now baked cover, then they add a few kippens to cook the roo. They also recycle almost every part of the roo. The best one I saw was the tail turned inside out to become a top radiator hose for the car.

[mrsl]

My father-in-law used to build up the fire, last thing at night before he went to bed, with cinders and coal dust to form a seal over the hot coals. When he got up in the morning all he had to do was stoke the fire to get it going again.

Sometimes when he came to visit us, he could go home again and the fire would still be burning after a few days if he had packed it up well enough before he left.

He always had hot water in the back boiler this way - and even managed to keep the rads warm as well so his house was always warm.

[unapam]

My dad always did that too. He called it putting the fire to bed! He used to mix slack (coal dust) with a little water to make a paste and plaster it over the fire where it baked and formed a crust which kept the fire alive until morning. A neighbour lady used to make this mix and put it into milk cartons and use them like briquettes on the fire later.

[kilk]

Originally Posted by summersun

Hi Kilk,

I am new here to family of jumbletown, and am beginning to find it an addictive site especially when reading all your senior member threads and feedback.

we have just installed a Mulberry Beckett (the big one that feeds 12 rads)... so was interested to read your advise...
Forgive the ignorance but what is turf mould? I live in Clones which has a lot of bog area and continuous rain... so might be able to talk to a farmer nicely to get some, as long as you are not sendinng me off asking for a left handed screwdriver...
1000 litres in 4 years my husband would be Happy.

Thanks Kilk,
Summersun

hi Summersun, i like your name... brings back memories!

turf mould is the small bits of turf and dust thats left over after you use up the turf in shed or rick.
you could ask any person for the remainder of their old turf.
or if the weather was fine you would find mould on the bog where the turf had been loaded onto a trailer to bring home.. best ask permission first tho.
you may be tempted to bring wet mould with you thinking it will dry at home, and its a strange thing but it never does!
hope this is of some help to you.

regards
kilk

[kilk]

Originally Posted by Ocker

They also recycle almost every part of the roo. The best one I saw was the tail turned inside out to become a top radiator hose for the car.

hi Ocker,
that was one well travelled roo!

[kilk]

my hot water cylinder has a twin coil, one of which was never used so i connected some copper pipes to it, attached them to CH tank and use them to heat a clothes press nearby using gravity flow, so when the cylinder is hot the water is continuously circulating through the pipes in the press too at no extra cost.

[Wisteria]

There's lots of suggestions on this thread:

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=62751

(I'm only a learner when it comes to linking web pages so you'll have to copy and paste above URL)

[unapam]

Never go shopping while hungry.

[kilk]

and never send someone else shopping for you when they're hungry!

[erica]

Check out the MABS website for money saving advice. You will also find a budget sheet in there, if you want to get serious about budgeting. You can buy budgeting programs on line, relatively cheaply too. It takes quite a while to complete a budget, but its very worthwhile. You can amend it as you remember what you forgot to include. Things like TV licence, medical expenses, house insurance, vet fees are often overlooked.

When it comes to money saving, it's all the small things you do that will make a difference to your budget. For example:

Bring a packed lunch to work every day, rather than eating out. Give the kids a packed lunch too, which cuts down on spending money.

Before you go shopping, make a list! How often have you arrived home with items you forgot you had bought already. So check your cupboards before you go, make a list and stick to it. Retailers spend millions on finding ways to have you part with your money, so even the shop lay out is carefully planned. The necessary items like bread and cereals, are at the back, so you have to pass the luxury items to get to them! That's where your list comes in!

Save on energy costs by turning off lights and appliances when not in use, unplugging chargers, turning off TV's (dont leave on standby cos when the red light is showing, the TV is using electricity).
Turn your heating thermostat down to 20 degrees. If its cold in the evening, put on a jumper rather than turning on the heat!
Only boil the amount of water you need, dont fill the kettle every time.

As an experiment, write down everything you spend for a week! Keep a pencil and notepad in your car and make a note. You will be amazed at where your money is going.

Try to avoid impulse spending, it wreaks havoc with your budget. Avoid going near shops at all unless you have to, if finances are strained, because window shopping will lead to spending. A bargain is only a bargain if you need it!