Energy usage and savings

[RaceDiagnostics]

I've been trying to reduce my energy consumption over the last few years, driven by a goal to reduce costs, if there is a benefit to the environment then that's good but that's not my main goal. Having the kids moving out was probably the main driver to reduce costs towards the start of this process but also a few years ago we decided to use an upstairs sitting room in the winter and limit the downstairs heating. So other than the electric shower not being used so often and converting to LED lighting, we didn't really do anything else.

These energy costs were for a 5 bedroom detached house built ~ 1990 for 2018 to 2021 then a detached house for the last year built in 1900. I also put in our direct debit amount per year (year to end of August) but up to 2021 its very approximate since it involved over/under payments and adjustments, 2022 is accurate though.

	Gas kwh	Electricity kwh
2018 Dunfermline (£150)	30,148	3,746
2019 Dunfermline (£131)	25,178	3,460
2020 Dunfermline (£114)	18,993	3,073
2021 Dunfermline (£108)	21,621	3,154
2022 Broughty Ferry (£121)	19,500	2,592

I think the blip up in 2021 was due to my wife retiring and thus higher heating costs.

I was surprised that the gas figure in the new draughty house wasn't higher but I think is due to it having a new more efficient system boiler.

Over the summer we have been using ~ 5kwh of electricity a day but we have brought that down to 4kwh over the last couple of weeks by being more energy conscious, ie not filling the kettle, using the smaller of our two ovens, handwashing dishes rather than using the dish washer, turning off other low usage items. The main background use items are the fridge (~60W) and the gas boiler (~9W) so cant do anything about those.

Over the summer we have been using about 6.7kwh of gas per day, that is enough to heat enough water for showering and washing up, I expect that will only go up and the ambient cold water feed temperature drops over the winter.

Our plan this winter is to avoid turning on the gas central heating as long as possible and instead using the wood burning stove that is in our kitchen/dining/siting room. We are lucky to have this room as it means we mainly only need to heat this one room which benefits from the heat from cooking. I've no idea how long we will be able to hold out before having to put on the gas heating, or how much the wood will cost, time will tell but our goal is to achieve the following.

	Gas kwh	Electricity kwh
2023	12,000	2,000

Pretty sure that the cost of wood heating will be much less than gas at 7p/kwh, maybe half that. If gas goes to 15p/kwh, more like a quarter.

The loft is already well insulated and I've been busy draughtproofing the front and back door but any other suggestions are welcome.

 

[Shox Dr]

If you are running a stove/fire. Keep all the internal doors open. You will be amazed at the heat circulation around the house.

 

[AVI_8]

I’ve been looking to do the same, my usage is significantly more with a 3 bedroom bungalow and therein probably lies a lot of the problem as I’ve no upstairs benefiting from heat below and the house is quite exposed to the elements and with sash windows.
I got my gas down from 61,000 kWh to 54,000 by fitting a hive thermostat and lagging the CH pipes
Elec is over 5000 kWh and with all LED I don’t see how I can save any, my wife loves the tumble drier in winter.
Boiler was new in 2016.
My plan is to insulate the loft, somewhere in the region of 300 sq metres which currently has no insulation, I’m hoping that will save around 20%
Also to have the log burner running all day, previously I’d light it around 5pm, I’m in the process of building more log stores to store the wood I’ve collected and seasoned this year, currently got around 12 cubic metres, and a tonne of smokeless fuel will be ordered for the winter.
Ive hopefully convinced my wife that the thermostat will be reduced by a 1 degree so 17 degrees during the day and 15 in the evening and throughout the night, by running the stove all day the boiler won’t have to run so much.
Im going to turn off the 2 rads in room where the stove is and one of the rads in the other front room and the utility room where the boiler and freezer, tumble drier is located so by having 4 rads less that should also help.
Ive upgraded my Hive app to give analytics so I can see where the savings are.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Another thing I forgot to say, the old house had a big hot airing cupboard, so all the clothes drying happend in there in winter. In the new house I installed a pulley in the utility room and used a cheap dehumidifier rather than using the tumble dryer. It works really well and is very cheap to run compared to a tumble dryer.

 

[Shox Dr]

Each to their own. BUT... I dont understand why you would want CH on through the night?

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

In years gone by our CH went off at 11 and on at 7.30, pretty sure it's cheaper to do that than run all night.

 

[AVI_8]

Each to their own. BUT... I dont understand why you would want CH on through the night?

For me it was because my house is 100 years old and when I switched it off at night the boiler in the midst of winter would run continuously for 4 hours just to get the temp back up to 18 degrees and my wife works from home and doesn‘t like being cold, if it was me I’d turn it off.

 

[steveo3002]

be lucky if our house is 15 during the day lol , i think the days of heating overnight and in unused rooms are over

 

[James1979]

Each to their own. BUT... I dont understand why you would want CH on through the night?

It really can vary house to house as well as method I think.

Last house was 120 years old. I played with all sorts of settings and leaving it on 16 permanently was cheaper by far.

Mrs79s house before she moved into mine chewed money like that. It worked better having it on and off in bursts for different times.

As for stoves, those heat cell fans are good. I thought it was a gimmick but got one for mother and I was amazed.

I had an idea about putting heat cells on the flue in a mates camper but apparently it’s been done and you can get USB output on them. I want it in our place. Never seen one for real mind.

 

[Morrisman]

In years gone by our CH went off at 11 and on at 7.30, pretty sure it's cheaper to do that than run all night.

I turn mine off about 10pm, and my bungalow has never dropped below 13°c by mid morning next day. It's only set to 17 anyway, so I guess the dog must keep the temp up.

I try to keep busy during the day try not to turn it on until late afternoon, depending on what I'm doing. I shall try to improve on that, given the impending price rises.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

I omitted to say it only comes on for an hour or so in the mornings over winter, then doesn't go back on till it gets chili again. Have to say that since my wife retired it on time in the afternoon has been getting earlier.

 

[jenki]

+1 for a Dehumidifer much cheaper than a tumble drier
AVI_8 I notice you mentioned lagging the CH pipes can you add insulation to the boiler made a big difference on an old oil boiler we had here. I also insulated the new replacement.
If you have no roof insulation can you get a grant to install new? I had an upgrade for my mother after she retired had to be installed by approved 'cowboys' but it was cheaper than I could buy the material for (Installation was crap but at least I have the material.)

 

[AVI_8]

+1 for a Dehumidifer much cheaper than a tumble drier
AVI_8 I notice you mentioned lagging the CH pipes can you add insulation to the boiler made a big difference on an old oil boiler we had here. I also insulated the new replacement.
If you have no roof insulation can you get a grant to install new? I had an upgrade for my mother after she retired had to be installed by approved 'cowboys' but it was cheaper than I could buy the material for (Installation was crap but at least I have the material.)

I have a combi boiler. The only heat escape from it seems to be through the Flue.
With regards to the grant for insulation, if someone gets any type of benefit including child benefit and pension credit that qualifies for a grant. Personally I don’t qualify.
B & Q seems to be the cheapest place to buy loft insulation from my Googling

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I had an idea about putting heat cells on the flue in a mates camper

That's the idea - practise on someone else's gear first....

 

[Memmeddu]

With electric energy costs rising to the stars I'm seriously considering to install an hybrid solar and eolic power system .

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

I thought about my own hydro electric system by putting a generator on the rising main and letting it run 24/7 but it turns out it wouldn't generate much power with the rubbish pressure we have here.

 

[addjunkie]

Weve a thing called a foodie Ninja, it was bought as the electric posh cooker (aga) is expensive to run and takes ages to reach temperature, and the generator isnt big enough in a power cut.
But you can easily cook a meal for two in the gadjet saving loads of juice. I hate kitchen gadjets, but this has impressed me.

Our heating is oil, and under floor so it's basically on all the time. Log burner has a back boiler heating heat store tank as does the excess solar after hot water reaches temperature. Simplistically lighting log burner at 4 and letting it burn out at bedtime adds enough heat to the system to heat the house till fire lit the next afternoon, except when really cold.

Will need to buy logs this winter as my stock has dwindled, but theres an abundance of ash in the village due-to die back, all been cut this week. So my order is in at the pub for two trailer loads of rounds un split the advantage of living in a village where about 50% work in Forestry.

 

[Morrisman]

Saw this and thought of you guys with family, especially females who are permanently cold.