The cost of living... what can we do?

Mould needs damp. The reason mould doesn't form in heated rooms is not because of the heat, it's because warmer air can hold more moisture before it condenses.

With this in mind we bought a dehumidifier a couple of years ago. We run it on and of over winter. Sure it uses energy, but nowhere near as much as achieving the same result through heating.

We bought ours because we found mould forming in a specific area of the kids bedroom ceiling. It was right where it meets the wall, so the loft insulation would be thin above there. Since getting the dehumidifier we've not had a problem.

As an aside, I watched a YouTube video where Roger Bisby, apparently a famous tradesman off the telly but I don't watch much telly so didn't know, he was explaining why older houses that have been modernised have damp problems. It was very interesting. He said the house would have been built around an open fireplace as the sole heating source. The fire draws air in from the house, and sends it up out of the chimney, carrying all the moisture with it. Whereas nowadays with modern heating systems there is no such air draw, and that coupled with all our efforts to exclude draughts means the air just gets wetter and wetter as we breath into it.

 

I used to polish mine every day but now I only polish it once a week.

 

To me there are two kinds of damp, or at least two ways of it occuring.
Condensation is often the main cause, when warm air hits cold surfaces, often happens in the corners of the room where you get less airflow, by heating a room you warm the surfaces, providing there is reasonable insulation, but you also create warm air currents that help to dry any condensation that may form.
But without insulation condensation can form even in heated rooms.

The other kind of damp is what Rigsby had.
Penetration from outdoors.

When the rising damp meets the falling damp you have a big problem.

 

I had a insulation company, offering to cavity fill my walls for £1200
I declined as my walls are 18" solid granite ?

 

We don't usually go below 7c-ish, maybe an odd day lower. We have had an odd light frost skimming the tops of the trees, only one time in February 2009 damaging plants. The cottage is open plan, only internal doors to main bathroom and guest room. Cooker hood is open to the chimney/outside using natural draw.

 

I made a special request loaf yesterday using the Italian setting. I'ts only 4 hrs 30 minutes as opposed to the French setting of 6 hours that I usually use for white bread in my Panasonic breadmaker.
Yesterday's loaf had a fine rise for the final bake sequence so I am using it for my standard white loaf this morning. If it gives a satisfactory loaf then I will use the Italian setting in future.
It's little things like this that I need to develop a " mindset " for ,
Jenny namaste

 

Can I ask how much you are paying for gas and electricity at the moment? I haven't got a clue what is normal or usual.

I just got my latest bill, we pay now around £100/ month combined and of course more when the heating goes on.

Your estimated annual cost
£904.27 a year for electricity
£1103.78 a year for gas

I don't think this has changed much since last year and to me is reasonable for a three bed swiss cheese old semi where someone is in all day.

With everything going up I'm much more cost aware and would like to explore options.

 

My last G&E bill was £96, usually it would be 50 ish at this time of year.

 

We use about 70 quid per month over summer, in our 3 bed semi up north, with 4 of us living in it. That's based on a unit price of 19.35 pence, which we'd fixed last year. Our deal runs out in September, when the new fix starts at 59 pence per unit. Needless to say our house is going to be cold this winter because the heating won't be getting used much. Still, it'll be warmer than the house I grew up in. With its double glazed windows, cavity walls and insulation, I'm hoping not to be scraping ice off the inside of the windows at least.

 

Our's is a 2 bed " cottage" with another house attached either side of us. We are solely electric with a 4 way meter reading managed by EDF. Currently paying a fixed monthly rate of £148 . An 80% increase I calculate as £266 per month from October. Are my maths correct ?
Absolute nightmare,
Jenny namaste

 

Well, it looks good, smells good and the weight's about right. Proof of the puddjng ect.