What ideas have you had for reducing Electricity consumption

[Jester129]

Turned the water temp. on the boiler down by 5 degrees, hardly noticed it. Also turned the flow rate down a little.
The boiler is also a top of the range one, really economical.

 

[Jacob]

4" Kingspan (on inside) all external walls with studding and air gaps to the plaster board.
2" in all reveals up to the window and door frames.
9" minimum Kingspan in roof/top ceilings also with 4" rockwool were possible
2" Kingspan under floor tight up to the boards, plus 4" rockwool in places
All sealed as far as possible with sticky tape, foam, mastic as far as possible.
All wiring/plumbing inside the external shell with no holes through as far as possible.
Also we burn all waste wood, sawdust, cardboard in two multifuels for direct heat.
Heavy curtains and /or heavy roman blinds to all windows and external doors.
Draught brushes to nearly all the doors.
Extractor fan over cooker not to outside but recirculates through fat catcher grille and carbon filters. n.b. you can wash these in sugar soap solution instead of replacing them.
Thick underwear. and down jackets as required.
Try to use the microwave more.

 

[niall Y]

@niall Y
Could you explain a little more please? I'm not understanding this. What was happening?

Well, the full story, is that though we compared our electricity consumption, with friends and family, we never could work out why it was that we were consistently using more power than anyone else. This was highlighted when we had a smart meter installed, and our overnight consumption seemed a lot higher than it should be - even after we took into account the standing charge that is added around 12am.

Fast forward to earlier in the year when we were subject to a series of power cuts, one after the other. After the final one we could not restore power to one of the downstairs ring-mains without its fuse blowing. This was traced to a fault in the cabling run in the concrete floor in the rear extension.

Since isolating this, our overnight power use has reduced noticeably. I can only assume that the cable insulation had degraded over time finally resulting in its shorting out. And, before this, that it had placed a small continuous load on the circuit.
The build quality of the extension is not great and there is some dampness in the concrete, which might well have added to the mix.

 

[Spectric]

Well you could dig out the sandals, get some candles and takeup traditional woodworking where no electricity is needed !

 

[1steven]

We still have an old electric meter and this Stanley (oil fired) our electric consumption is 6-8 units a day. Cannot cut back anymore.

 

[Stuart Moffat]

I was asked by MIL to change the bulb in a Bosch oven that is about 14 months old. Was astonished to find that it was a halogen bulb.

I’ve still got a couple of halogens in a cooker hood, but can’t find any leds with small enough bulbs to be able to put the glass cover back on afterwards. Either they’ve got to get smaller or I’ve got to do some radical re-engineering.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Understanding where the energy is used is intellectually interesting but only worthwhile if there is a realistic prospect of doing something about it. Personally my main concern are those old appliances (TVs, freezers etc) consume excessive amounts on standby.

An example - recent EPC certificate. Predictably useful suggestions - eg: save £57pa by installing floor installation at a cost of £4-6000. I'll need to live to 180 to make that worth doing!

So realistically and intuitively:

Basic behavioral changes which cost nothing to implement - just self-discipline. Shorter showers, don't overfill the kettle, make sure dishwasher and washing machine have full load, turn off unnecessary lights, etc.

Most domestic energy costs relate to space heating. Simple no cost solutions - turn off heating in unused rooms, temperature down 2C, wear thermals etc.

There are low cost options which most can implement - draft proofing, loft insulation, thermostatic radiator valves, induction replacing gas hob, replace energy hungry old appliances etc.

Higher cost items will inevitably have a longer payback and may be unaffordable for many or simply not feasible. Triple glazing, wall insulation, heat pumps, wood burners, PVs on roof etc.

Other initiatives involve rather more fundamental changes and may be somewhat idiosyncratic - change diet to incorporate food requiring less cooking, change cooking processes (it costs more electricity to cook oven chips than the chips cost), remove half the light fittings,

The easy, no cost and relatively cheap make good sense anyway. Higher cost options need some confidence that (a) high energy costs are here to stay, and (b) sufficiently deep pockets to make it affordable.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I was asked by MIL to change the bulb in a Bosch oven that is about 14 months old. Was astonished to find that it was a halogen bulb.

Ther bulb on my Zanussi went about seven years ago ...

 

[Spectric]

Terry has hit it on the head, a change in behavior which may be better understood by looking at how we lived forty years ago to now. Today people want to wear very little indoors yet be warm and cosy, well put cloths on and reduce the heating needed. We have gone down this route from moving the toilet indoors and throwing out the tin baths and having a bathroom to this newest craze where people all want to shieete in the bedroom by having so called on suites and increasing the demand on hot water. Many people wear something once and then into the wash, or in cases of vanity they throw it out because they cannot be seen in anything more than once and it is these sorts of living ideas that create so many issues. Yes change the way you live and more energy can be saved but how many will start bleeting on about there rights and freedoms.

 

[redefined_cycles]

Aftwr this thread and some calculations it seemed (if I got them right) there's at least £50 saving to be had with going to the 20w led tube light for the kitchen. That's from the 58w Osram already installed.

If it helps, I got the plug and play tube from Philips/Screwfix. Still showing as an energy rating of F as opposed to their higher grade tube which is a C or E. After it not working and some soul searching I decided to tackle the problem.

After the below vid my bike tools came out to shear some wires and remove the eletrical ballast box - so hopefully some extra savings without that. Thankfully everything is up and running now and the kitchen seems brighter too. Hopefully no more being forced to turn the tiny light on when sat in kitchen!

 

[Thingybob]

I was asked by MIL to change the bulb in a Bosch oven that is about 14 months old. Was astonished to find that it was a halogen bulb.

I’ve still got a couple of halogens in a cooker hood, but can’t find any leds with small enough bulbs to be able to put the glass cover back on afterwards. Either they’ve got to get smaller or I’ve got to do some radical re-engineering.

Replaced mine with GU10 bulbs and fittings LED

 

[Fitzroy]

Doing the heat loss calculations is a a necessary step in understanding what is going on BUT it is a theoretical application and not reality. You could with a lot more effort calculate actual heat loss if you monitor outside temp, maintain and monitor your rooms at your desired temp and then calculate energy consumed to maintain the status quo for each ambient outside temp say, from -2C to 15C. Takes a long time and instruments (I have weather compensation on my boiler plus a slack handful of blue toothed temperature/humidity sensors which I place at strategic points around the house. I have not got a smart meter so rely on taking gas meter readings daily. It’s all ‘handraulic’ and it would be nice to have some sort of data logger to capture the data automatically (but not worth splashing out for one house).

I have an old gas meter and watched a few cool vids of folks using rasberry PIs and old mouses to monitor them. Looked cool and quite accessible but too much other stuff on my plate at the moment.

 

[johna.clements]

Other side comment - My office is in semi finished basement. But office is a loosely used term. I have a table and two desks set up. Area is carpeted but winter temperature can be around 62F. Not a problem in short term, but if you work at a desk most of the day, you can start to get stiff fingers and shivers.

I got a lot of grief from my spouse about installing a split or something for the basement area to heat and cool, which - fine - that's energy efficient, but the head is below the unit which I don't love. It's supported, though -the units are supposedly fine with it. But why cool and heat the whole area to change the temperature 8 or 10 degrees?

I put a heating pad on my chair. It uses about 40 watts. I like it better than a slightly warmer room - it feels good to sit on it. The worst thing that could happen is that you find you don't like it and then do something more expensive.

Why not make some studding out of the lightest timber you can get away with and face it with something thin like 6mm ply. Enclose the office, Curtain for door. Maybe a perspex window so you do not feel like you are in a timber tent. Will not keep all the heat in but greatly reduce the power needed to keep it at a reasonable temperature.

 

[D_W]

This may sound dumb, but it's semi finished (though full), meaning painted block and the floor is carpeted and it's dry. I like having the open space.

It's a mental thing - working sitting still in a closed space all day makes me batty and I hope to not have anything permanent there if we are required to return to office work 5 days a week.

i think neat and organized people will feel different - the desire to compartmentalize and "make more homey" with the space is there. My only issue was slowly getting stiff fingers at 62F during the day, and the first solution, to use a space heater under the desk, resulted in hot feet or hot legs. I remembered something from a permies site (not something I'm into) where there was an article about heating yourself and then later again saw something from a physician or researcher who said something about supplementing heat to people who are very cold or in trouble more efficiently through hands or hands and head rather than an entire body.

Dumb story, I know. 40 watts of heating pad is far more accommodating than 1100 watts of localized heat and I like it better than sitting in the upstairs (72F) the same way someone would like a heated seat in a car, I guess - i notice the effect the researchers talk about. if you have cold hands and heat another part of your body, you won't have cold hands, just as you can heat your hands if they're not doing anything and warm your entire body. It'd probably be annoying to have something hot on our heads.

 

[Spectric]

Or you could buy one of those one piece teddy bear suits that are worn by people in cold storage facilities .

 

[MikeJhn]

Everything is so expensive the payback time puts most of them out of the question for us oldies, PV panels would be just throwing money away, so would an electric car, my thirty year old oil fired boiler is 86% efficient (verified with a Testo gas analyser) I have changed all the bulbs in the house to LED's and the ones outside, but thanks to this thread I had never thought about the hob extract or the oven light, will have to look at those.

 

[1steven]

Or you could buy one of those one piece teddy bear suits that are worn by people in cold storage facilities .

Have one for my workshop

 

[Dave Moore]

Thats kinda right Phil. As far as I've read in my construction book, If it's gonna have footfall up there (though it'll be mainly storage but overengineered if you see what I mean) and habitable then the best way is to insulate the roof space and across the partition/sides. But leave the ceiling space uninsulated so the heat can travel up into the loft space.

Obviously the insulation at the roof/rafters will need to have an air gap behind it to ensure airflow to stop condensation. Still working on thsi project but hoping to get it all right. Did ask a couple of structural engineers to pay a visit and draw me some plans but it seems they're either so busy or it's too small a job. Removing the trusses was done with general structural engineer input and by a local builder (to a decent structural standard but as soon as he knew I'll be doing all the flooring/plasterboards/insulation etc myself he was particular in ensuring the added purlings/perlins weren't squared and straightened for the side walls/partitions.

Work in progress but I think if I get it right then I coupd make some insulation/heat savings (ie. energy savings via correct/quality inuslation and techniques).

Hi,
Latest building regs , looks like insulation is with Celotex or similar and all the edges sealed with Gapotape. It’s not cheap but seals the edges brilliantly. I’ve just done the stepsons vaulted ceiling.
Regards,
Dave

 

[ajs]

I was asked by MIL to change the bulb in a Bosch oven that is about 14 months old. Was astonished to find that it was a halogen bulb.

There are difficulties with replacements. LEDs are fundamentally incompatible with high temperature operation since semiconductors have inherent temperature limits. Can't immediately see a fundamental restriction for florescents but you couldn't use a compact fluorescent for the same reason - the ballast is itself semiconductor electronics. Flourescent with an external ballast somewhere cool which is actually similar to strip lighting - I don't see why not, but you need specialist tubes, I'm not aware of any for high temperature operation.

 

[gcusick]

I was asked by MIL to change the bulb in a Bosch oven that is about 14 months old. Was astonished to find that it was a halogen bulb.

I’ve still got a couple of halogens in a cooker hood, but can’t find any leds with small enough bulbs to be able to put the glass cover back on afterwards. Either they’ve got to get smaller or I’ve got to do some radical re-engineering.

The problem with using LEDs in oven lamps is the operating temperature range. This will genrally be in the region of -25 - 85C, with a maximum junction temperature of perhaps 100C. Standard ovens operate at up to ~250C, with self-cleaning cycles going to higher temperatures.