Fonafrend from Lawrence in South Otago writes, Hot Water – I save hot water in a thermos pump for jobs like cleaning teeth, warm water for bread making, boiling the jug quickly etc. When I do boil the jug I put the leftovers in my pump. Also always have at least 2 kettles on the […]
D.B. from Christchurch is combating high power bills by putting their hot water cylinder on a timer to heat at night when the lower night power rate applies.
Butterfly Lady from Blockhouse Bay writes, “Slow cookers are a great way of cooking casseroles/stews but who can afford to buy one? Try making your own slow cooker… it’s called a straw box. I use a strong carton or a chilly bin, which I pad with towels (or any clean insulation fabric/paper), one folded neatly […]
Lorraine from Whangarei has a question. “How can you check if your appliances are power hungry?” Do you have any ideas for Lorraine?
The winter chill is about to arrive which means temperatures will soon be falling and electricity bills, rising. So we thought it worth sharing some tips on ways to keep those power costs to a minimum. There are really only two ways to save money on power – either pay less per unit for use, […]
Defrost foods in the fridge – this not only keeps the flies off but helps to keep the fridge cool and saves power.
As a man living alone I can do what I like, which can have oily rag advantages. I just got my water bill and it tells me that my usage is way below the average for someone in my circumstances. Reasons? I never use the bath; just have a quick shower every other day. I […]
Regarding the hot water cylinders, your cyclinder should reach 60 degrees C EVERY day to kill any legionaire bacteria that thrive in lower temperatures. Two people in NZ have caught legionella recently, a respiratory infection, from the water in their cylinders not being hot enough, one had to have her feet amputated. The temperature of […]
The Hawke’s Bay District Health is warning people against turning down their hot water cylinders to save money after two people contracted Legionnaires disease from water in their own homes. Here are some key points for a media report about the matter. – The most common sources of Legionella are hot water cylinders and garden […]
The disadvantage with bubble wrap is that you won’t be able to open the window. I had three windows I wanted to insulate but also open. They are aluminium windows, so at first I thought I’d just stick my plastic (not bubble wrap, but I’ll get to that later) to the frame of the window, […]