Reducing power consumption

[Borchester]

Well, used to live with 1 analogue telephone, 1 TV, no microwave, 1 cooker, no wifi, wind up alarm clock and no battery charges. I was born late 60's and that's the equipment you were brought up with. Everything goes full circle,

We used to have a gas cooker, the BBC Home Service and when we wanted to know the time we looked out at the clock on the wall of the undertaker across the road.

We could not afford the power bills then or now and I am buggered if we are going to cut back. I am too old and poor to economise

[Benson]

I dutifully read my meter and today Octapus have updated my account. This prompted me to start looking around the house to see what is currently using power that I don't need 24/7. These are things that are on standby etc. Any thoughts?

3 telephones
3 TVs
microwave
Cooker
wifi
laptop
alarm clock
battery chargers


That's all I can see at present so it would seem to me sensible to just turn them on at the plug when I need them. I might go back to a wind up alarm clock!

Well, used to live with 1 analogue telephone, 1 TV, no microwave, 1 cooker, no wifi, wind up alarm clock and no battery charges. I was born late 60's and that's the equipment you were brought up with. Everything goes full circle,

[Streetwalker]

thats putting a brave face on it streetwalker to say the least. With some of the quotes im hearing about turning the lights of for a few weeks and grinning and bearing it wont make a blind bit of difference.

For many the luxuries have already been ditched long before this.

As i said , reality hasnt bit yet , but when it does , i think potentially there is going to be massive trouble.

The good thing is we are coming into the better weather , summer is closer , but if at the end of the year we are still in the same boat , johnson has big trouble.

Im not sure how giving Johnson big trouble is going to cure  Global price rises but we all know their will be some better news for consumers  come election time .

Speaking of elections its maybe worth noting that countries with elections in the next couple of years are the ones spending the most on keeping the price down for consumers , our time will come .

[Thomas]

obviously the high cost of living crises and taxes is worrying the tory party high command from reports...

[Thomas]

[Thomas]

Here's how an EU country deals with the energy problem Spain :- Value added tax on energy bills at 10% down from 21% Tax on electricity will also stay at 0.5% rather than 7% Curbs on profits from renewable and nuclear energy plants

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/spain-extend-energy-vat-cut-102214503.html#:~:text=Spain%20will%20keep%20value%2Dadded,rather%20than%20reverting%20to%207%25

[Thomas]

That's not possible in Manchester.

.

To be fair cromwell , i dont think the tories telling people to reduce energy consumption where possible is going to alleviate the hardship and problems a 54 % price rise is going to bring.

I would have thought the common sense advice given above is already in place in most homes  , and as we know , all electrical appliances , light bulbs etc are already energy saving and have been for years now.

Its like telling an ethiopian that to deal with famine , dont waste any food that you have.

I see that the labour party , the snp and others are already hammering the tories about price rises for the forthcoming local elections. It hasnt bitten yet , but will be interesting to see how this plays out over the medium term.

[cromwell]

Items on standby, perhaps showing a clock might only be using a Watt or 2 each. They really are peanuts, and switching them off completely might be more trouble than it is worth.
Battery chargers for mobiles, even if left plugged in with no phone on them, hardly draw any current.
The best ways to save electricity are to cut down on use of washing machines, tumble dryers, electric cookers, and to change every light bulb in the house for LED bulbs, where possible.
Dry clothes outdoors where possible.

That's not possible in Manchester. 

[Barry]

I dutifully read my meter and today Octapus have updated my account. This prompted me to start looking around the house to see what is currently using power that I don't need 24/7. These are things that are on standby etc. Any thoughts?

3 telephones
3 TVs
microwave
Cooker
wifi
laptop
alarm clock
battery chargers


That's all I can see at present so it would seem to me sensible to just turn them on at the plug when I need them. I might go back to a wind up alarm clock!

Items on standby, perhaps showing a clock might only be using a Watt or 2 each. They really are peanuts, and switching them off completely might be more trouble than it is worth.
Battery chargers for mobiles, even if left plugged in with no phone on them, hardly draw any current.
The best ways to save electricity are to cut down on use of washing machines, tumble dryers, electric cookers, and to change every light bulb in the house for LED bulbs, where possible.
Dry clothes outdoors where possible.

[Thomas]

I can see that some people are going to struggle but most of us will just turn the lights off for a few weeks then go back to normal . For sure everythings costing more but its the luxuries that will be cancelled before living in the dark ages

thats putting a brave face on it streetwalker to say the least. With some of the quotes im hearing about turning the lights of for a few weeks and grinning and bearing it wont make a blind bit of difference.

For many the luxuries have already been ditched long before this.

As i said , reality hasnt bit yet , but when it does , i think potentially there is going to be massive trouble.

The good thing is we are coming into the better weather , summer is closer , but if at the end of the year we are still in the same boat , johnson has big trouble.

[T00ts]

I can see that some people are going to struggle but most of us will just turn the lights off for a few weeks then go back to normal . For sure everythings costing more but its the luxuries that will be cancelled before living in the dark ages

I think you are right. I noticed in earlier hard times that parents went without a lot before they cut the kids dance classes. They will cut back gym memberships, holidays and all sorts of things first. The ones truly going to suffer are those like the eg Thomas offered earlier - limited income and no cut backs available. I'm not sure how Sunak will justify that. He is way off the mark in what he is doing, I just hope sense penetrates.

[Streetwalker]

I can see that some people are going to struggle but most of us will just turn the lights off for a few weeks then go back to normal . For sure everythings costing more but its the luxuries that will be cancelled before living in the dark ages 

[Thomas]

They are taking the piss about the energy increases at the minute , because of course it hasnt yet begun to bite , but i wonder how long before the laughs turn to anger and the conservative government starts to feel the bite of public anger?

[Thomas]

They are calling it the biggest fall in yookay living standards since before the 1950`s , with pensioners being the core tory vote , and sunak hammering their pensions never mind all the rest.

Can the tories survive as the government in the face of the plebs having their pockets picked by the privileged?

Much as i loathe the labour party , and think starmer completely inept , im beginning to wonder if the stars are indeed aligning for labour and the tories about to get a severe kicking?

[Thomas]

Army veteran 'doesn't know if he'll be alive at Christmas' as he makes choice between eating and heating

An Army veteran has told GB News how he doesn't think he'll be alive at Christmas due to soaring energy costs.
George Ford, 75, from Hull, has to wrap himself in warm clothing and can barely move round the house.
He told GB News' Anna Riley how he has lost two stone in one month because he has to choose whether to heat his house or to eat.
He said: "I sit here until about 10 o'clock with no light on.


https://www.gbnews.uk/news/army-veteran-doesnt-know-if-hell-be-alive-at-christmas-as-he-makes-choice-between-eating-and-heating/262718