A well-known super saver who once dried tea bags on his washing line to reuse them for a second cuppa has revealed heating hacks for parents.
Ahead of tomorrow’s energy price cap rise (1 Oct), Al Baker is sharing his secrets to keeping bills low.
The 51-year-old from Aldershot, Hampshire, is an ex-Morrisons worker who now runs the Penny Pincher blog.
Al has a few wise words for fellow parents.
He recommends a fun method of heating up for kids – investing in a hot teddy over the more traditional hot water bottle – to heat in the microwave, which is more energy-efficient, he told Need To Know.
The dad also recommends limiting water usage at bath time by using bath buoys and dams to limit the amount used in the tub, using a child-friendly shower timer, or having your child pick a few favourite songs and aim to finish washing before the playlist ends.
And try to explain how their actions impact bills to your kids so they understand the value of heating.
Al said, “I showed my son how much heat was produced by our TV and how much power it must use to generate that much heat, and I just got a shrugging of the shoulders.
“So I tried showing him by removing a £10 note from his money box and saying that ‘if you left the TV on all day without watching it, would you be happy for me to keep the £10?’
“He said no, and so I said, ‘Well, by not turning off the TV, you might be costing me a £10 note every day, so do you think I would be happy if the TV wasn’t being watched?’.
“I think he finally grasped it!
“Kids don’t really understand what goes into earning that £10 as it doesn’t affect them personally, so for them it’s quite hard to comprehend.”
Al also uses the app Equiwatt in conjunction with his smart plugs to save energy.
He said: “I also use the smart plugs to turn off devices overnight that don’t need to be on – for example in one room I’ve set it so that the power turns off at 10 pm and goes back on at 7 am on the computer monitor, desk light and laptop charger which would otherwise be powered all night, and that’s a saving.”
Speaking about reusing his tea bags for the beloved British cuppa, Al admitted that it is perhaps the “most un-British thing you could do”.
He added: “I’ve tried it, and it is kind of OK… obviously, it’s a weaker cup of tea than the first cuppa, but more or less passable.
“I think it would be better for making iced tea, as you don’t need quite so much flavour, and based on that, again, it’s on the list as an extreme frugal contender!”
