End of the race, start of savings

Our final week of the race showed even greater savings via our meter reads. Our electricity usage was 42% lower than the week before the race started and our gas a mighty 48% lower! Ok, so some of the savings are due to the weather improving (slightly) but if we could keep this up all year we would save over £600!!! Our estimated savings on the ideas we've put in to practice, see below, now total nearly £450 which we are surprised and delighted with. Surprised because we thought we were already pretty energy efficient( (oops!) and delighted because this will result in more actual money in our pockets (hurray!).

Well just because it was the last day of the race we didn't slack off. Whilst I was at work, Toni took the kids and their holiday homework to the library so that we could turn everything off and keep saving. I think Tom and Sammy enjoyed it more than doing homework at home as there were less distractions and more to investigate.

Dreaming of better weather, we fitted some door strip blinds which allow cool air in but not the bugs. This will mean that we can keep our back doors open in the summer and not have to use electric fans to cool us down.

One final energy saving action that I have been doing for the whole 4 weeks is that I stopped shaving with my electric razor.

I think it probably saved about 50p and the family's reaction wasn't overly positive so one I might not be able to continue! Apart from that we are going to keep saving with all the plans and ideas we have put in place and will now be more focused on our energy use in the future (watch this space for any new ideas we come up with!).

ESTIMATED ANNUAL SAVINGS
No electric shaving                         £5
Door strip blinds                           £10
Lined back door curtain                  £5
Draught excluder to seal gaps       £15
Unpowered propagators                  £5
Plugged-in doorbell off                   £2
Video & DVD player unplugged    £2
Chimney blocked-up                       £4
Radiators bled                                 £4
Fridge vents/fins cleaned                £3
Radiator shelves                            £10
Free water saving stuff                    £5
H2O alarm clocks x 4                    £30
Door draught seal                            £5
Lined front door curtains               £10
Bathroom energy saving light       £30
No power games & activities        £10
Less charging (car inverter)          £15
No power lawn mowing                £10
Reduced ironing                            £15
Hall energy saving light                £30
Front door solar light                    £30
Lined bedroom curtains                  £5
Cooking Co-operative                   £25
Dishwasher used only when full   £20
Bed half an hour earlier                 £25
Washing Machine at 30 deg C      £15
Reduced Heating & Hot Water     £50
Ditch the Tumble Dryer                £50
Still Less TV & Xbox                   £10
Total Annual Savings                  £445

ACTUAL SPEND
Door strip blinds                              £9
Lined back door curtain                 £14
Draught excluders                          £20
H2O alarm clocks x 4                    £26
Door draught seal                            £5
Pulley bathroom airer                    £43
Lined front door curtains               £21
Bathroom energy saving light       £20
Invertor                                          £20
Hall energy saving light                £27
Front door solar light                     £25
Lined bedroom curtains                 £10
Total spend                                   £240

And finally a huge thank you to B&Q and The Observer for selecting us to take part in the Great Energy Race, its been Electrifying!

TTFN