Home energy saving tips /ideas...

[mrcharly-YHT]

We turned the (oil fired) heating right down, with the intention of basically not using it.

Most evenings for the past 2 weeks have lit a fire in the living room stove.

MrsC is away, so I didn't bother with the fire (much to the dog's disgust).

Heating came on in the mornings . . .

So it seems that having a fire going for 3 hours or so was warming the house enough overnight to keep temp above 15C.

I think I'll do that a bit more. Seems better to heat one room to comfort level for a couple of hours than heat a whole house.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Down here in the subtropics we're still leaving a window open all night to make it cool enough to sleep comfortably!

[De Sisti]

Woke up at 4am* and went downstairs. It was a bit nippy so fired up the central heating (for the
first time since first week of May) for half an hour @ 20°c.




*Will probably fall asleep on the settee this afternoon.

[mrcharly-YHT]

20!

It is 12C downstairs in the hall. Warmer in my office, about 17C maybe.

I'm wearing a jumper. Not needed thermals yet.

[Ham]

Serious thought here about how to improve our Victorian semi.

#1 - Replace boiler. Current boiler is ~22 years old, but was class leading at 78% efficiency when we installed. Change to Condensing at 93% efficiency should lead to 20% improvement.

#2 - change our front sashes to slimline double glazed (12mm deep, argon/other gas filled). Units can be bought for about £1,300, not sure about the fitting cost. Uncertain benefit, but 6m² of single pane glass does a lot to cool a room.

#3 - improve draftproofing on front door, consider if some sort of secondary glazing might be an idea for the stained glass, without making it look too naff.

[Kim]

Down here in the subtropics we're still leaving a window open all night to make it cool enough to sleep comfortably!

And in Middle Earth we need the upstairs window to make it cool enough to sleep, and central heating to make the downstairs rooms comfortable.

[rafletcher]

Serious thought here about how to improve our Victorian semi.

#1 - Replace boiler. Current boiler is ~22 years old, but was class leading at 78% efficiency when we installed. Change to Condensing at 93% efficiency should lead to 20% improvement.

#2 - change our front sashes to slimline double glazed (12mm deep, argon/other gas filled). Units can be bought for about £1,300, not sure about the fitting cost. Uncertain benefit, but 6m² of single pane glass does a lot to cool a room.

#3 - improve draftproofing on front door, consider if some sort of secondary glazing might be an idea for the stained glass, without making it look too naff.

Biggest improvement - somehow insulate the exposed gable end - our end of terrace has a huge radiator at it's northern end.  But rooms are small, would loose another 4-6", have to move doorways (front, which would then impinge on window, and bedroom (no real frames, old ledge and brace door)) and stairs (already v narrow so can't reduce width). Externally no overhang of slate tiles so external would look distinctly odd. Not easy.

[andyoxon]

I'll probably put the heating on with thermostat set to 17C initially, when we get first frosts...  Currently 19C inside, without heating.

[TimC]

Serious thought here about how to improve our Victorian semi.

#1 - Replace boiler. Current boiler is ~22 years old, but was class leading at 78% efficiency when we installed. Change to Condensing at 93% efficiency should lead to 20% improvement.

#2 - change our front sashes to slimline double glazed (12mm deep, argon/other gas filled). Units can be bought for about £1,300, not sure about the fitting cost. Uncertain benefit, but 6m² of single pane glass does a lot to cool a room.

#3 - improve draftproofing on front door, consider if some sort of secondary glazing might be an idea for the stained glass, without making it look too naff.

I've been working through the same things for my C17th cottage. I'm installing the 12mm DG panels myself; each panel (about 330mm sq) costs around £35. I only have four windows in the old part of the house and one of those is only two panes, so around £490 for all four.



I will also be installing secondary DG on these windows, but that's quite a lot more expensive. The doors are thick oak, and were installed about 30 years ago with quite decent weather and draught sealing. I'm not sure I can do much to improve them, but I'm working on it. My biggest heat loss is the vaulted ceiling in the kitchen, which originally was a Victorian workshop or forge. It has some thin rigid insulation and a layer of 'bubble wrap' under the tiles but I can probably get another 50-60mm Celotex between the (very irregular) joists. But it will be a very messy job!

[Mrs Pingu]

Ham, I would be doing #2 first in terms of priority, although I guess it's then complicated by relative cost for 1 and 2 versus will the boiler break down forever as soon as you've sprung for new windows...

[Ham]

Ham, I would be doing #2 first in terms of priority, although I guess it's then complicated by relative cost for 1 and 2 versus will the boiler break down forever as soon as you've sprung for new windows...

Unfortunately, the boiler circuit board went bang last year (for the third or fourth time - it is the Achilles heel of what is, otherwise, a simple, reliable boiler). While our original plan was to sweat it a bit more, my calculation is that changing boiler would put a minimum of £400 a year back for a £3k-ish outlay, so a no-brainer thanks to current energy costs

I've been working through the same things for my C17th cottage. I'm installing the 12mm DG panels myself; each panel (about 330mm sq) costs around £35. I only have four windows in the old part of the house and one of those is only two panes, so around £490 for all four.



I will also be installing secondary DG on these windows, but that's quite a lot more expensive. The doors are thick oak, and were installed about 30 years ago with quite decent weather and draught sealing. I'm not sure I can do much to improve them, but I'm working on it. My biggest heat loss is the vaulted ceiling in the kitchen, which originally was a Victorian workshop or forge. It has some thin rigid insulation and a layer of 'bubble wrap' under the tiles but I can probably get another 50-60mm Celotex between the (very irregular) joists. But it will be a very messy job!

Interesting, I'd be curious how you get on with them "as is" without the secondary glazing. Who did you use for the units?

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Talking about boilers, I live in a flat in London which has gas for central heating and cooking.
I replaced the boiler 18 months ago with a Worcester Bosch, plus Hive thermostat. Which seems to be good.
I did not know that electric boilers existed - I would have considered one at the time, though I am not sure if the figures still add up.
No smart meters - chappie came along to fit one to the electric supply and triggered our burglar alarm so did not continue. Actually I am quite happy about that .

I imagine these days that gas is not supplied to apartment buildings, though I may be wrong.

[Mrs Pingu]

I don't think electric boilers make financial sense until there is less difference between the cost of electricity and gas.

Meanwhile, today I finally sent off all the proof of payment, guarantees and other assorted paperwork to hopefully get my Home Energy Scotland payout for the CWI and underfloor insulation.
I've only been at this since November!
It's no wonder we have such poor take up of insulation in the UK, they don't exactly make it easy.

[road-runner]

I don't think electric boilers make financial sense until there is less difference between the cost of electricity and gas.

I might have misunderstood but I thought that gas is a fossil fuel whereas electricity can be generated using fossil fuels or through renewable sources. As such I thought we should be looking to reduce and eliminate our dependency on fossil fuels.

[Pickled Onion]

I don't think electric boilers make financial sense until there is less difference between the cost of electricity and gas.

I might have misunderstood but I thought that gas is a fossil fuel whereas electricity can be generated using fossil fuels or through renewable sources. As such I thought we should be looking to reduce and eliminate our dependency on fossil fuels.

That's right, they clearly make sense, but Mrs Pingu said they don't make financial sense, which is also true.

[Mrs Pingu]

Yes, that is what I meant.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Ireland appears to be implementing a similar "paying your bills for you" type scheme to the UK.

Every household will get €600 in electricity credits in three payments
Lump sum of €400 for fuel allowance recipients before Christmas
Double week cost-of-living support payment for social welfare recipients

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2022/09/27/budget-2023-main-points-vacant-homes-tax-introduced-excise-reductions-on-fuel-extended-tax-credits-for-renters/

[road-runner]

Yes, that is what I meant.

Indeed, that is what you wrote! Don't let me upset the apple cart.

[Mrs Pingu]

No apples were harmed

[ian]

I was inspired to build my own DIY nuclear reactor earlier though I'm currently confined by only having one americium-containing smoke alarm. I was excited when I remembered I had a 500-tablet tub of Pepto-bismol still mostly unused and all bismuth is radioactive (it's metastable and should decay to thallium-205 via alpha decay).

Unfortunately, it seems that while bismuth is radioactive, its half-life is a billion times the age of the universe.

[Ham]

I remembered I had a 500-tablet tub of Pepto-bismol still mostly unused

You do realise that, in the face of a global Pepto Bismol shortage, you could be sitting on a resource that could pay your winter heating bill?

[Lightning Phil]

Serious thought here about how to improve our Victorian semi.

#2 - change our front sashes to slimline double glazed (12mm deep, argon/other gas filled). Units can be bought for about £1,300, not sure about the fitting cost. Uncertain benefit, but 6m² of single pane glass does a lot to cool a room.

I suppose it depends on how big an energy bill you have for that to make financial sense.  My annual bill is far less than that amount and thus I’d never get back the money from such a spend.

[TimC]

Ham, I would be doing #2 first in terms of priority, although I guess it's then complicated by relative cost for 1 and 2 versus will the boiler break down forever as soon as you've sprung for new windows...

Unfortunately, the boiler circuit board went bang last year (for the third or fourth time - it is the Achilles heel of what is, otherwise, a simple, reliable boiler). While our original plan was to sweat it a bit more, my calculation is that changing boiler would put a minimum of £400 a year back for a £3k-ish outlay, so a no-brainer thanks to current energy costs

I've been working through the same things for my C17th cottage. I'm installing the 12mm DG panels myself; each panel (about 330mm sq) costs around £35. I only have four windows in the old part of the house and one of those is only two panes, so around £490 for all four.

I will also be installing secondary DG on these windows, but that's quite a lot more expensive. The doors are thick oak, and were installed about 30 years ago with quite decent weather and draught sealing. I'm not sure I can do much to improve them, but I'm working on it. My biggest heat loss is the vaulted ceiling in the kitchen, which originally was a Victorian workshop or forge. It has some thin rigid insulation and a layer of 'bubble wrap' under the tiles but I can probably get another 50-60mm Celotex between the (very irregular) joists. But it will be a very messy job!

Interesting, I'd be curious how you get on with them "as is" without the secondary glazing. Who did you use for the units?

Slim Glass of Norwich. https://www.slim-glass.co.uk/

They have had a fairly substantial effect on the level of noise from the nearby A road. I still have to optimise the draft proofing around the casement, but this morning the two bedrooms - both with windows facing the east side of the house, one with the DG units, one without - showed about a 1C difference in temperature in favour of the treated window. The untreated room was 14C, the treated one was 15C (as recorded by the room thermostat controllers), the outside temperature was 6C and no heating was on, or had been on in the previous 24 hours.

[ian]

I remembered I had a 500-tablet tub of Pepto-bismol still mostly unused

You do realise that, in the face of a global Pepto Bismol shortage, you could be sitting on a resource that could pay your winter heating bill?

Hmm, it seems there is. The 500 tub is actually a Walmart Pepto knockoff called Soothe, but I also have a smaller tub of the real deal for special occasions.

I love the epic tubs they have in US pharmacies. I always think to myself, what if – after the fall of civilisation – I get a headache or indigestion? It's not like I'll be popping out over the blistered radioactive, plague-festering hellscape to Boots to buy a pack of sixteen tablets. On this basis, I never knowingly have fewer than 1,000 ibuprofen caplets to hand. The last thing I want at the end of the world is a headache.

[De Sisti]

My fuel direct debit is £69 per month. The £400 government credit for October to March works out about £67 per month. Octopus Energy have told me (via email) that between October and March my direct debit will be £2 per month. Yes, £2 per month.

Yes, I know my credit balance with them will eventually be eroded away due to what I use over
the coming months.