HOW TO SAVE MONEY - HEATING AND COOKING ADVICE DURING HARD TIMES

HEATING

Although some radiators have valves to control temperature, with the heating clicking off automatically when the temperature drops on very cold days (when the pre-set temperature is set) most of the population put the heating control to maximum because they want to be warm. That is a natural human propensity.

However, I have been experimenting for two years with the following:- Put your heating on to the temperature you require, and it will soon rise up from cold to the temperature you chose. Leave the radiators to radiate for a few minutes until they are hot, and then turn the heating OFF. The radiator will stay very hot for some time as the radiator is metal and metal holds the heat. After a while, (in my experiments about 20 minutes) the radiator becomes only lukewarm, but not as cold as it was before you switched the heating on. When that happens, put the heating on again and set to the high level you require. Because the radiator is not stone cold, it will quickly rise up to the original heating temperature you chose as your maximum. Throughout the day, switch the heating on and off as I have suggested.

NB. In considering my experiments over two winter-years, I saved one-third of the heating costs, provided I was prepared to spend the necessary time each day managing the system as I have described.

COOKING

This was an experiment with gas, but it can also work as well with electricity (excluding electric kettles etc).

I have been experimenting for two years with the following:- Instead of putting your gas on full, which allows a lot of the heat to rise from the bottom of the pan and up into the air around the pot, set the gas on a low setting so that all the heat hits the bottom of the saucepan and doesn’t rise up around the pan. It will eventually do the job ( you can use a thermometer to gauge the heating at the bottom of the pan and above, around the sides, so you can understand the method I have written about ) but you will need to be cautious to spend the necessary time waiting for the pan to get to the cooking temperature, but eventually, and with my experiments I set the gas on quite low, the litre of water I used for my test boiled. It took twice as long as the high gas setting but used far less gas.

ADVICE. If you are struggling with gas bills you must be prepared to condition yourself to wait until the pot is hot enough to cook. The fact that water will boil quite quickly when full-on but slower when on low, saves a good percentage of your gas bill, perhaps over a year it will save approximately one-third. Consider the same method with electric hobs, which I have also done, and if this becomes the norm, you will save money, but you must have faith in the system.

NB. The electricity and gas sellers do not like this advice, because they want us all to bang heating and cookers onto high!

Happy warmth and cooking!