[JoeSoap]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

... Us older (and wiser?) heads...

Surely you mean, ''Us more chronologically gifted...''? 😁

[meldrewreborn]

@JoeSoap
of course, but I'm into economy of typing strokes now as well!

[Tracy]

I think maybe we need to realise outside lighting can be thout of has a luxury now maybe try deal without it it's only the winter months that many people need it and they pass focus on the needs rather than the wants try those long micro lights they can go quite far it you buy the very long ones and only have one plug and are very low voltage they can give you lots of light very cheaply in the home , solar power garden lights don't last very long replacing all the time is futile to the environment and pocket most of us have street lighting makes ya wonder wat the poor guys did years ago we are way to spoilt in this generation but we have clever minds and I'm sure we can make changes if we really want to and show them we can still survive ,the people in power only do these things to try to make us struggle so we turn to them to keep us in better living environments Wen we can do it ourselfs food for thout 🤔

[JoeSoap]

@Tracy

I see where you’re coming from. We consume energy using lighting because it looks nice as opposed to using it out of necessity so we can see what we’re doing.

I’m guilty of that and there’s still room for it, especially as we have low consumption LEDs now.

That said, with the price of electricity now, the nice lighting is getting switched off and we try to only have lights on where we need them to see what we’re doing… unless we’ve got guests and want to show off of course 😂

[DebF_EONNext]

Originally Posted by JoeSoap

The energy saving continues…

We like soft towels so the weekly towel wash always resulted in a heavy load of wet towels going in the tumble dryer for two hours. Air drying results in rough towels.

Now we eek out the towels a bit longer and then when we do wash them we air dry them until almost dry and then tumble them for 15 minutes maximum.

Result… soft(ish) towels and a lower leccy bill.

One good thing about high energy prices is the bigger incentive to cut down on energy use and even if the price cap is frozen we’re getting into good habits in our house.

We have been doing this too @JoeSoap, I am the first to admit I over use my tumble dryer, I hate clutter, clothes hung up makes me mad & I'm also a little impatient...I hate waiting for clothes to dry on the clothes horse or airer & I also love a fluffy towel!! 👕👚👖👗

Recently though the cost of living crisis has made me alter my habits as like everyone else we have to keep a tighter leash on our finances. 💸

We changed our dryer to a heat pump dryer which in dryer terms is apparently the most efficient a dryer could be 🤷‍♀️ I like you have started air drying until they are just damp before popping them in the dryer along with woolen dryer balls, to help keep the cost down. I have gone from my dryer being on a 3hr cycle to around 30 mins which for me is fantastic!

I have seen some people using those drying pod things a bit like a clothes horse with a jacket, I'm not sure how efficient they are though or if they even work 👀 has anyone used them?

[DebF_EONNext]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

We will all face the option of paying shed loads more for our energy or using less. Us older (and wiser?) heads can lead the way. None of us have faced energy inflation on this scale before. but in addition the younger generations haven't faced general inflation on this scale while we have - in the 1970s.

The consumer society of today isn't generally used to looking at those pesky energy labels on appliances, or come to that on homes for purchase or rent. If people have got any sense at all they will pay more attention from now on.

It was ironic that the prices of the new iPhone 14 were released yesterday, their scale surely has to be compared to the size of our energy bills, and it doesn't flatter. if we discount borrowing for a moment, we can only spend our money once. We have choices and some of those choices have become more difficult now.

I agree with this @meldrewreborn I was born in the 80's & I have to say we had it quite easy! My Grandparents were always very frugal & would always tell me off when I would frivolously spend my pocket money (and in my late teens / early 20's my wages). To quote my Nana "You're going to regret this one day you'll get to my age & you won't have a pot to p*** in, you don't know what it's like for my generation we couldn't just go out & buy a new dress we had to make do & mend" of course back then I was young & foolish without a care in the world and I would just roll my eyes 🙄 but she was right & I find myself now quoting my Nana to my own kids, now more than ever we need to take a long hard look at ourselves.

I have recently taken up the do I need it, is it necessary, can I live without it mentality when it comes to spending and 9 times out of 10 I put whatever it is back on the shelf! I certainly think money management and budgeting should be skills taught in schools as these are the life skills people will need!

[JoeSoap]

Originally Posted by DebF_EONNext

... I have seen some people using those drying pod things a bit like a clothes horse with a jacket, I'm not sure how efficient they are though or if they even work 👀 has anyone used them?

Never heard of these, but I remember in the 60s my mum had a contraption that was a low level heater with a clothes horse on top of it. All the clothes went on it and then a sheet was draped over the outside to cover them all up. Maybe a drying pod is based on that.

Back then we had no central heating, no bathroom and one solitary cold tap for the whole house. Hot water was from a 'Geyser' which was an electric water heater over the sink. We used to bring the tin bath in from outside, where it hung on the wall opposite the outside loo, and fill it up from the geyser in two goes. By the time the geyser heated the second lot of water the coldness of the bath had chilled the first lot.

Ah... happy days. You try telling that to the kids of today and they won't believe you 😂

[DebF_EONNext]

Originally Posted by JoeSoap

Never heard of these, but I remember in the 60s my mum had a contraption that was a low level heater with a clothes horse on top of it. All the clothes went on it and then a sheet was draped over the outside to cover them all up. Maybe a drying pod is based on that.

Back then we had no central heating, no bathroom and one solitary cold tap for the whole house. Hot water was from a 'Geyser' which was an electric water heater over the sink. We used to bring the tin bath in from outside, where it hung on the wall opposite the outside loo, and fill it up from the geyser in two goes. By the time the geyser heated the second lot of water the coldness of the bath had chilled the first lot.

Ah... happy days. You try telling that to the kids of today and they won't believe you 😂

I love this! When we moved in to our house there was an old tin bath in the garden, apparently the lady that lived here didn't upgrade and there was no central heating at all, she was still using this little tin bath to get a wash in the 00's, heating it up with a kettle!!

[meldrewreborn]

@DebF_EONNext

A rise in the standards of living has come at a price both financial (and environmental) - largely affordable when energy was cheap - but now we have to reconsider the difference between a nice to have and what is desirable or even essential.

[Tracy]

@JoeSoap hi joesoap I think we are all guilty of something or another noone is perfect but it's makes for a better character for the ones who realise this and try to change ,it's so hard for people these days we have been given so much in life that we become complacent really these last few years have really shaken people and now again it's causing mayhem and hard times , really makes ya wonder if it's all a plan of some sorts especially with the way life is going and so many people are struggling not only financially but mentally feels like we're all being challenged , I just hope people who have more than others can help the ones struggling , I've met a few homeless people well we say homeless but that's a illusion they have a home it's just not a material home there home is a doorway or box but they get turfed away because it dosent fit in with the surroundings yet do big houses up the road from a council estate ? they seem to just get on with life do wat they have to too survive not all are low life's has people tend to point out I've met some people who just had a unlucky break , so from my own perspective I see my life has very rich I have a choice wether to manage to worry to feel disadvantaged I choose the first and I choose to manage anyway I can life's a battle for everyone but changing the mindset rather than running with Mr worry can make a huge difference to your own life and that of others and like always things pass 😊