RMweb Energy Saving Tips

[chris p bacon]

I was talking to the plumber about cold water only feed washing machines. He pointed out that many houses (ours included) took a little time when running the hot tap before warm water appears, so it works out cheaper and used less water to just take cold water into the washing machine and heat to the required temperature rather have the boiler reheat the storage cylinder.

 

If you have a hot water storage cylinder set the thermostat on it as low as possible - ours is 40 degF as we have an electric shower and only tend to use the hot water for hand basins and the kitchen sink.

 

 

Dave

NNnnnnnooooooooooooooooo don't 

 

Trust me the stat should be set to 60C, below that you are at risk (a real risk) of legionella.

 

As an example we recently fitted an air source heat pump, this would only take the tank up to 50-55C so every few days the immersion was set to take it up to 60C to kill off any nasties, the system has to have this and will not run without it.

 

Plumber is right with the first bit too but I could only think of a long winded answer.....

[mezzoman253]

Please be aware that  12v LED downlighters will work with the original electronic transformers BUT they produce LARGE amounts of RFI.

 

If you are going to swap out your halogens for LEDs you need the appropriate transformers too.

 

Not all LEDs are dimmable either, and give the same problems. 

 

There's a lot a cheap rubbish out there too, from the far east, please buy a reputable brand.

 

Rob

[big jim]

There's a lot a cheap rubbish out there too, from the far east, please buy a reputable brand.

 

Rob

A work collegue mentioned the same to me a while back when i was looking for some LED replacement bulbs, he does a lot with electronics and has come across a lot of cheap LED bulbs where the metal 'heatsink/fin' side has been live when switched on

 

I noticed on the screwfix site linked to above that they do LED specific dimmer switches to to with the bulbs

[stewartingram]

Point to note with LEDs:

They do not work on voltage, but on current flowing through them. (Don't worry if you can't get your head round that). Each LED therefore has to have a resistance in circuit, to control the current flowing through it. So although little energy (ie heat) is dissipated by the LED (the actual part that glows), the associated series resistor does dissipate heat. As "domestic" LEDs are built with the resistor inside the "bulb", yes, there will be heat dissipated by the LED. Conversely, in electronic applications - even our model railway control panels - the LED and resistor can actually be separate components.

As for buying LED bulbs from the High St. suppliers, make that the last choice. Try the component suppliers instead.

2 that I have used:

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/

http://www.mygreenlighting.co.uk/

 

Stewart

[Kenton]

Energy saving - not interested. I'm quite happy with what I have (except the low energy rubbish that we now have to purchase to replace good old fit for purpose tungsten bulbs.

 

A few weeks back I had to change a bulb (one of those silly sealed units in the bathroom) and did a count of the various types of "spares" in stock I reached 30 and that didn't include my "reserve" stash of tungsten bulbs ranging from 100W to 40W. We even have 5 different exterior lights! There is absolutely no way I am wasting money changing all the units (at a significant capital outlay) just for the sake of some global warming nonsense.

 

I'm not that happy paying the ever rising utility bills (but then who is) but the temperature of the house stays on a comfortable 23'C and the woolly sweaters only go on when venturing outside. It is my hard-earned money and I'll spend it as I like and that will not be on some half baked fashion.

[mezzoman253]

 

Rob

[APOLLO]

Lots of interesting and practical advice in the various threads.

 

Here's what I have done. 23 year old house built with double glazing, cavity wall insulation and 6" fibreglass loft insulation.

 

1. CFL's (compact fluorescent lights) all round (except for Kitchen etc which have 5' strip lights). A couple or so years ago Tesco were selling these at 5 for £1, 23 Watt (equivalent to over 100W "normal" bulb types). I bought a boatload as they will never be these prices again. They seem to have a good life time as I've only had to replace a couple. A decent enough light, similar to the old 100W bulbs..

 

2. However much I try, I just DO NOT like LED bulbs. It's the blu(ish) light they seem to emit, as well as the cost. Our street lights have recently been fitted with LED heads. A cold blue light, only noticeable recently as the nights draw in. OK though, street lights are not for living in and they are perfectly acceptable in the street.

 

3. Outside PIR lights, I've fitted smaller 50w halogen bulbs, adjusted the timer to minimum.

 

4. Heating. No fancy controls, I just have a standard thermostat and twice daily clock. I've set the Hot Water to Daily, (all the tappets together) so the water is heated from 4pm to 6pm ONLY, daily. This gives enough stored hot water for the bath, showers etc and being stored (old system !!) is still hot enough for a shower next morning. Turn down the cylinder stat to the minimum acceptable (when the wife doesn't nag !!).

 

The Central Heating is set now (winter) to be on continuously on the clock. I just now use the room thermostat (situated above my computer), set to around 21 degrees in the day (or as required) and down manually to 18 degrees at night. I'm thinking of getting a programmable thermostat, but my current regime of daily twiddling works for me.

 

Radiators - Years ago I fitted TRV's (Thermostatic radiator valves) to all radiators except the 3 in toilet / bathrooms. (as recommended). I have also put insulating reflective foil behind all radiators fixed on outside walls. Lidl / Aldi sell this around this time of year. Two rolls did all my rads for under £20

 

5. External door gaps - fit draught proofing, Run your hand round the external doors when it's cold and windy to feel where the cold air comes in. Again Aldi etc sell good self adhesive draught excluders.

 

6. Kids - 50p fine of pocket money for every light left on !!!!! (kidding on this - I'm sick of telling em !!).

 

7. Standby items - TV and associated junk all turned off at night by a central switch I've fitted at the side of the TV cabinet. My and kids computers etc similarly fitted.

 

8. Cooking Electric hob (fitted by house builder) ditched for a Gas hob years ago - far, far cheaper to run. Kept the electric oven as it's not used much. Wife uses a combination microwave and halogen cooker quite a lot.

 

9. Loft insulation - Extra insulation when I built my loft layout, with advice taken from the professional who fitted my Velux loft window. Take care with ventilation.

 

Not rocket science and as a retired gas engineer I know I can / should do more. But the above seems OK at the moment for us.

 

Brit15

[kevinlms]

I can't find any RMweb thread directly addressing energy costs, but the wealth of experience that supports this forum must have a great deal of practical advice that can be proffered.

 

 

2 Stuff on Standby

Little pin pricks of light twinkle all around our house from kit ‘on standby’. Wife and I have long had tussles over switching everything off (she used to work with Firefighters who switch off all appliances for fire safety reasons). Trouble is we forget to turn all of them on again, also things like new TVs have to be unplugged to switch off ‘standby’ and are awkward to reset coming back home.

Has anyone any hints on how to manage the myriad of such tell tale little neons – from TV aerial boosters, through phone chargers, computers, TVs etc., to ovens with digital clocks, model railways and stuff out in the garage?

 

Any ideas?

 

dh

Ignoring the answers (and whinges about lighting & CC), I'll address the power question, since unless you have lots of halogen lights, your likely to use more electricity on power items, than lighting.

 

I suggest you get some of these (brand selected at random, since I've no idea on what's available in UK market), so can can turn off appliances WITHOUT crawling around to the wall socket each time.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Energenie-Remote-Control-Sockets-Pack/dp/B004A7XGH8

 

For equipment like PVR's you need them on all the time if you want to record stuff, so you need to think about TV's, sound systems & the like which can be turned off if your not in the room, so need to separate them to different power boards. Obviously your whole layout room could be turned off with one or two of these, too.

[melmerby]

 

.  I do know that some recent boilers have short life spans and are expensive, though, so research things well.

 

Our Worcester Bosch has a seven year guarantee!

 

Point to note with LEDs:

 

As for buying LED bulbs from the High St. suppliers, make that the last choice. Try the component suppliers instead.

2 that I have used:

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/

http://www.mygreenlighting.co.uk/

 

Stewart

I'd rather go to the High Street where they are cheaper

 

Keith

[big jim]

we got given some adapter plugs free through eon when we had our electricity from them, they are a 3 way adapter that have a perminently live socket where you plug in say your computer and there are 2 more pheriphiral sockets for your printer and monitor so when you switched off the computer a few seconds later the printer and monitor would completly shut down rather than going into standby mode

[big jim]

 I'd rather go to the High Street where they are cheaper

 

even poundland have started selling LED bulbs now

[Kenton]

 

Rob

Terrifying not in the slightest - just an amateurish presentation.

 

I much prefer this far more convincing and professional scientific approach:

 

 

[teaky]

  Terrifying not in the slightest - just an amateurish presentation.

 

I much prefer this far more convincing and professional scientific approach:

 

 

The Great Global Warming Swindle was exposed years ago for the nonsense it is.  The program was formally criticised by Ofcom, which upheld complaints of misrepresentation made by David King.

 

The key figure in this unbalanced film is Dr Tim Ball who, courtesy of the documentation resulting from a court case he filed and subsequently withdrew, "...never had a reputation in the scientific community as a noted climatologist and authority on global warming," and "...is viewed as a paid promoter of the agenda of the oil and gas industry rather than as a practicing scientist."  Ball acknowledged that he had only been a professor for eight years [not 28 as he had claimed], and that his doctorate was not in climatology but in geography.

 

 

Try this for some useful info.  (yes I know it is Wikipedia which can be variable but the sources are valid):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_opinion_on_climate_change

[Arthur]

that his doctorate was not in climatology but in geography.

 

Not too much of a problem in the global warming circus.

 

Former IPCC chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, was a Railway Engineer.

[teaky]

Not too much of a problem in the global warming circus.

 

Former IPCC chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, was a Railway Engineer.

Yes, but a chairman needs to be a capable manager rather than an expert in the field. Provided he doesn't put himself forward as a scientist, I don't see the problem.

[Arthur]

 

I do, this is a one issue organisation, an expert in the field would have been a much more appropriate choice.

[APOLLO]

Not too much of a problem in the global warming circus.

 

Former IPCC chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, was a Railway Engineer.

 

Good.

 

A railway engineer, well, any engineer in such an important role is good. Engineers are practical people.

 

How many UK politicians are engineers ?. I know of practically none, but know a VERY senior one was once a professional towel folder !!!.

 

Brit15

[AndyID]

The greatest flaw in the great scientific conspiracy assumption is that scientists and engineers love to rip each other to shreds if they detect the slightest mistake in someone else's work.

[Arthur]

 

Well, I guess he was well qualified to run the global warming gravy train,

[jjb1970]

I agree with the theory of anthropogenic climate change and have no issue with much of the science behind those who have argued in support of the theory. What does worry me is that there seems to be a worrying intolerance to anybody that questions the accepted orthodoxy on the subject and the influence it has had on research funding. Whilst I agree that human activity is changing the climate and that this change is on the whole undesirable some of the models thrown around are less than convincing and you do not need to be a mathematician to that there are large uncertainties in much of the science yet in some quarters that is considered climate change denial. And an intolerance of scientists with counter ideas is profoundly unhealthy given that scientific breakthroughs are often the result of those working in opposition to accepted orthodoxy.

[kevinlms]

I agree with the theory of anthropogenic climate change and have no issue with much of the science behind those who have argued in support of the theory. What does worry me is that there seems to be a worrying intolerance to anybody that questions the accepted orthodoxy on the subject and the influence it has had on research funding. Whilst I agree that human activity is changing the climate and that this change is on the whole undesirable some of the models thrown around are less than convincing and you do not need to be a mathematician to that there are large uncertainties in much of the science yet in some quarters that is considered climate change denial. And an intolerance of scientists with counter ideas is profoundly unhealthy given that scientific breakthroughs are often the result of those working in opposition to accepted orthodoxy.

But denial for denials sake, isn't science.

 

An obvious example, is the concept of smoking is bad for you. Some scientists denied that it was bad for you & indeed actively encouraged it, by their 'evidence'. Now tobacco is a legal product (no country has made it illegal) and the makers went down the path of stating that 'discouraging smoking', was against the principle of 'free choice'.

Now the argument has changed to that the 'plain packaging' packets in Australia & other places, was a waste of money as it made 'no difference', except for preventing advertising brands. Funny how if it 'doesn't matter', then why the fuss?

 

I see that the denial concept, is being duplicated by Coca Cola, who are trying to convince us that excessive consumption of sugar, as contained in their key product,  has no health risks (diabetes, obesity, poor teeth etc), its all down to insufficient exercise.

 

I don't really mind if these products are sold, as long as information is freely available, of what it contains and isn't really good for you. Its the denial of anything wrong, that is the problem.

[jjb1970]

But denial for denials sake, isn't science.

 

An obvious example, is the concept of smoking is bad for you. Some scientists denied that it was bad for you & indeed actively encouraged it, by their 'evidence'. Now tobacco is a legal product (no country has made it illegal) and the makers went down the path of stating that 'discouraging smoking', was against the principle of 'free choice'.

Now the argument has changed to that the 'plain packaging' packets in Australia & other places, was a waste of money as it made 'no difference', except for preventing advertising brands. Funny how if it 'doesn't matter', then why the fuss?

 

I see that the denial concept, is being duplicated by Coca Cola, who are trying to convince us that excessive consumption of sugar, as contained in their key product,  has no health risks (diabetes, obesity, poor teeth etc), its all down to insufficient exercise.

 

I don't really mind if these products are sold, as long as information is freely available, of what it contains and isn't really good for you. Its the denial of anything wrong, that is the problem.

I'm not arguing as a climate change deniar, I'm arguing that there is an unhealthy tendency to dismiss any scientist who is not fully on-board with the current consensus as either idiots, cranks or in the pocket of oil companies and I find that very disappointing. If their science is bad then fair enough, criticise the science and debunk theories, but in many cases rather than do that, which requires some effort and expertise, it seems acceptable to just play the person rather than the ball to use a sporting analogy. And this is not really about climate change denial as such but rather about the uncertainties and modelling, it is entirely possible to accept man made climate change whilst not accepting some aspects of the theories and models thrown around.

[kevinlms]

I'm not arguing as a climate change deniar,

Sorry, if I suggested that you were. I think your arguments are quite valid, but there are plenty out there who think man made CC is just a load of carp, including a former PM of Australia. We've all seen photos of heavily polluted air, water and land, especially in various parts of Asia. To suggest this deliberate action, makes no difference overall, is IMO illogical.

[newbryford]

even poundland have started selling LED bulbs now

 

How much are they?

 

 

 

Hat, coat, gone..........

 

Cheers,

Mick

[AndrewC]

After catching an episode of Fake Britain earlier this week, beware of cheap LED replacement bulbs. Seems as though there are plenty of fakes out there that have forged CE stamps on them. In one test the casing of the bulb which should have no current in it, was measured at over 70v and 91ma. Generic brands from pound shops or online seem to be the worst.