Hello me hearties. I haven't got any fresh veg left because I want to eat out of the cupboard and freezer for a few more days. I have plenty in the freezer to keep me going, seems daft to leave it in there forever and a day, it's got to be eaten sometime, might as well be now.
Frozen chips indeed. Yes I bought a bag of these as something different, can't remember when I last bought them, that long ago I have forgotten. Yes, a bag of potatoes would have been cheaper, but I don't make real chips in a pan at home, I don't have a chip pan, and I'm certainly not doing them in a frying pan on the hob with all that oil spitting all over the place. These oven chips are cooked under the grill, turn once. Half a tin of spag hoops, and two scrambled eggs, my dinner tonight. I just fancied this and it was very nice.
Three bills dropped through my door last week which will be paid tomorrow. I'm not too bothered by regular bills because I know more or less how much money they want from me. I email my gas and electricity readings in monthly, and they use these to calculate an amount. I last emailed on 25th September and the bills were dated 5th October, so there is a bit of a gap there. I see they have estimated what I have used during that gap, and they are pretty close so I am happy to pay them.
I get both gas and electricity from SSE, they are the suppliers, but my account is with Ebico, a not for profit organisation. I have no penalties for paying quarterly, and I have no standing charges. Everyone pays the same price per kwh. So, my gas bill is for £4.04, and my electricity bill is for £36.75. My electricity bill is always more than gas, probably because I have this computer on a lot. It rises slightly in the winter due to lights going on earlier.
My gas bill is obviously low in the summer months because I don't have any heating on. It will go up a bit in the winter. I think it is so low because I have been having a lot of meals which require little or no cooking. A lot of salads, and one pan meals, the shorter the cooking time the cheaper the meals are. Even a pan of veg stew made with fresh veg only takes about ten minutes on the hob, and if I use a big pan to make four portions, three of those will get heated in the microwave.
I only heat a tank of water if I am going to have a bath, why do I need to have a tank permanently full of hot water? I can boil a kettle to wash a few pots in the sink or wash my hair.
The other bill I have received is for £28.10 payable to Severn Trent Water. This covers the period from April to October, and is for surface water drainage. I will get another bill shortly from Anglia Water, it will be around £37, that's for clean water into the house, and a small amount of that will be sent on to Severn Trent for removal of dirty water through the sewers. Being on a water meter works best for me because I am in control of how much I use.
All cats are in for the night, they don't seem to want to go out much these days. Mayze spends a lot of time on my bed, she loves snuggling under the top cover, I often find a bump in the bed when I get in. Heidi is due for a vet visit later this week, we are getting to the end of her tablets. Best let the vet check her over and get some more. Bugsy is still camped out on the living room table right next to me. Boy does he yowl when I don't serve up the right food. Today they got a treat, I buy bags of cheap frozen white fish and microwave it for them. They love it.
Right, I'm off now. It's not yet 7pm and dark already. I still have to go and do my walk. I could have a day or two off but I don't want to drop behind. The extra I did last week has boosted my total, I will finish October over the target. Hope you are all keeping it up, no slacking now the weather is getting cooler. A good fast walk will keep you warm.
Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip
It is clearly stash clearing season. I have unloaded a huge amount and am currenly knitting twiddle muffs in order to use up my yarn stash. I still have loads more to get rid of but it will happen....... I hope
ReplyDeletewow £4.04 for gas! until last month we were paying £100 on direct debit with Npower, now it's down to £46 month and that is with monthly meter readings! but last year we replaced a 30 year old boiler with a combi-boiler so it just shows how much gas it was using!
ReplyDeletestay safe walking in the dark. cycling in the dark I am lit up like a Christmas tree but usually early in the morning and there isnt too much traffic about.
ReplyDeleteCheap and cheerful meal, as they say a little bit of what you fancy does you good.
ReplyDeleteI have the same suppliers as you for gas, electric and water, we have pre paid meters here for the gas and electric and I like that , that way we can see whats what.
I love all the photos from your recent holiday walk. I hope you've not gotten any blisters. AsI live in Florida, most of the year is spent with air conditioning on indoors. Our heat has been stifling and though the temperatures have lowered a bit to the mid-eighties, it still quite warm. One of the ways I lower my costs is to unplug the computer when not in use. Another is using a smaller tank for the hot water in the flat. Here, the utility companies offer a free energy-saver appraisal for your house or flat with suggestions on everything from insulation to appliances and I've not gone above $60 per month in the last three years. I'm hoping to lower the bill further if we ever cool down.
ReplyDeleteI live in Florida as well and during the months of Jan, Feb and March (winter) I am able to keep the air conditioning off much of the time and my electric bill is half $. I wish I could keep it off more but the heat makes me feel sick and nauseated.
DeleteI love to read about your walks, you live in such a beautiful area. Well, Ive set up a blog and done a short post, will see how it goes, it's a different way to write
ReplyDeleteLove you thiftyness those big services company's would go out of business if everyone adopted your ideas.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you already have this one covered Ilona but it may help another reader of your blog...... Several years ago we discovered that we were being charged by Anglian Water for surface water drainage when in fact all our rain water was going via a soak away. We have an early 60's bungalow on the outer edge of the village, so fairly rural. It was also originally on a septic tank but not since the 80's. Once the soak away was proved to AW (sent deed documents etc) we were credited back for just the year in which we proved it but no more ....typical. I think they tried it on when the proerty had new owners before us and no one noticed it being charged again. Like you we rarely ever have our immersion on except for the odd bath but we do have an electric shower which is lovely. Rae x