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?

Ramen noodles

[dslauson]

Also, Macaroni and Cheese. Have you considered selling plasma?

Your computers double as space heaters

[guspasho]

Only obvious things come to mind. In case they aren't so obvious to you: Use the computers for heat in the winter, try to pipe the heat away in the summer. Wear a sweater. Shower with your girlfriend. Wear your clothes multiple days to save on laundry loads. But of course all these habits you probably picked up in college anyway.

Save!

[pizza_milkshake]

You can save on water and power by not showering regularly.... but I think that's a given.

Re:Do your computers always need to be on?

[Anonymous Coward]

Do your computers always need to be on?

You must be new here.

Re:And lose Internet access

[tepples]

RingDev wrote: Not if your neighbor has a wireless hub ;)

OP wrote: What tips do any of you have for (legally) saving on bills?

What is considered "theft of service" in the United Kingdom?

My old roommate the scammer.

[jlseagull]

I once was a housemate with a guy that got kicked out of a fraternity for being too drunk and rowdy. He had stolen a 1968 vintage kegerator from a carnival, and the thing sucked like 1200 watts or more, and ran continuously with no thermostat. One day, he came home with a keg of Stroh's that he had bought for $20 on special. He came face to face with the resolution that it would cost him more in electricity to cool the beer with the antique device than it cost to buy the keg.

Late that night, I found him outside dressed in all black, carrying a trenching shovel and a long extension cord toward our neighbors' house...

Re:Ramen noodles

[Anonymous Coward]

Have you considered selling plasma?

Um, forget that. Kill two birds with one stone:
1) Cancel your pr0n subscriptions.
2) Sperm Bank.

That was the funniest comic I read all week in my college newspaper.

Locate your meeters, then put a magnet inside wall

[HornWumpus]

A simple electromagnet powered by a household DC converter will stop a mechanical meeter from meetering.

Too many gause and you will break the meeter. So add wraps to your electromagnet untill it just stops the meeter.

Then hook the magnet up to a timer (so you will still use some electricity and so the meeter will be running when read).

Viola you've just cut your utility bills without any of that tiresome conservation etc.

Re:Turn off

[mctk]

Yes, turn the heat off. We've done it. And saving on bills hasn't been the only plus! You'll be a lot closer to my friends. No really, you'll be huddled together all of the time. Leaving those nachos out for a few days will no longer be an issue. You'll be so incredibly happy when you get on the bus in the morning and thaw out your toes. You can overclock your computer without having to submerge it in oil. You'll no longer dread spring-cleaning as you long for the thaw. And, of course, you'll get outside more often!

"Hey man, I'll be outside warming up."

Re:Just went through this myself

[mattwarden]

As a college student myself, I was with you and nodding my head until...

No alchohol, no drugs

My guess is that the OP was asking for ways to save money so he could purchase more of these.

Re:And lose Internet access

[Anonymous Coward]

Them signals were on my property damnit!

Re:Just went through this myself

[cerberusss]

* No alchohol, no drugs

That's easy. I can stop any tome.

Re:Ramen noodles

[digitalgiblet]

" they don't pay you for your blood in the uk, its called a donation"

Here in the US of A we don't sell our blood or donate it; we rent it out to the highest bidder. I personally favor a nice "lease-to-own" program for my clients. Sweet recurring revenue for me, eventual ownership for my clients. If this were '98 or '99 I'd be talking to venture capitalists by now...

Re:remember the first law

[Inda]

"In Summer - open the windows near the computers to let the heat out"

1. He's from the UK. We don't really get a summer here.
2. Open the windows as apposed to what? Turning on the air conditioning? He's from the UK. We don't have air conditioning in our homes.

"[take] advantage of the energy that is freely available from the sun when it shines"

HE'S FROM THE UK!!!

God bless The Queen!

Re:Plastic on the windows

[Anonymous Coward]

we draped plastic sheeting over the archway to the room.

Classy. Did you have a large wooden wire spool as a coffee table too?

Re:And lose Internet access

[Anonymous Coward]

Hey, thanks again for letting us use your service.