Cutting the Cost of Household Bills?

schlumpf_louise asks: "I'm in the UK, and I'm about to move out of university accommodation and live in a house, for the first time. When we move, we will have to pay for water, electricity and gas. We'll still be students renting from a landlord, so we can't make any major physical changes to the property. The house has gas central heating and a gas cooker. Four computers will be running pretty much all the time, in addition to the usual general household appliances. What tips do any of you have for (legally) saving on bills? Are there any technologies that are worth buying for long term savings? What should we not do, or not use?" What other saving tips, and frugal suggestions might you have for a house full of college students?

Comments

My Tips:

[zerocool^]

1.) Keep the computers off. I mean, wtf. I turn mine off when I go to sleep, cause I don't want to hear it. And that's even watercooled and very quiet - I just don't want to hear it. Plus it costs money. Are you even home that often? What's your computer even doing, really? If it's that bad, find an old laptop with a dead battery and make it the apartment server so you can leave it downloading your new Lost episodes or whatever. Need space? USB HDD. Laptops use less power. Also, encourage everyone to get an LCD. Nothing like a 19" TV-style computer monitor to use electricity all the time. LCD's pay for themselves in about a year or less these days.

2.) Turn the lights off when not home or not using the apartment.

3.) In the winter, keep the thermostat (or whatever that thing's called in the UK) set lower, so the heat kicks on less. Use blankets, or wear a sweater. I have an afghan that my aunt made me; I commonly curl up on the couch with it to play some Dragon Quest VIII, or read a book.

4.) In the summer, keep the AC temp up a little, and use a good old fashioned box fan, or open a window. I don't know your climate so this may be less practical. It works great in the Appalachian mountains in western Virginia; I don't remember it working so well when I lived in Memphis TN, which is hot and humid all summer. Anyway, box fan = more efficient than hugeass compressor.

5.) Set your refridgerator on "saves energy" rather than "reduces exterior moisture". I'd much rather have the exterior moisture; but then, it's hardly ever above 20% humidity in the winter here.

That's about it. Try not to own anything like a 5 foot iguana (thanks, wife) that constantly needs a full spectrum bulb, a black-lite bulb, a ceramic bulb, a water fountain, 2 heated fake rocks, and a nuculear processing plant to keep it happy.

~Will