A mum-of-three has told how she managed to slash hundreds off her electricity bill while renovating a 250-year-old cottage.
Jenny Bean and her husband John managed to save €400 (£355) on electricity bills over a three month period.
The pair had no access to gas and oil due to their tricky location, which prompted them to hunt down alternative supplies.
Jenny decided to install two ESSE wood-burning stoves and soon discovered it was saving her a fortune.
The couple spent £600 (€682) on logs in August 2021, which they are still using over a year later, reports RSVP Live.
Jenny said: "With the cost of fuel for the chainsaw and log splitter it works out at £30 (€34.15) a month for both woodburners.
"This provides our heating, hot water for washing clothes etc and us, cooking and ironing.
"The woodburner in the kitchen has an oven in the bottom, cook on the top and grill over the flames."
Before buying the woodburner, Jenny says she had to use electricity for everything, which meant her bill for April to June 2021 was £450 (€512).
Jenny has also opted for a mangle and tub instead of a washing machine, saving her even more.
She said: "My washing machine broke two months ago.
"I only used the washer for rinsing and spinning, the washing part being done in a dolly tub with a posser using water heated on the stove.
"Washing is put in the dolly tub in the evening and left to soak overnight, then rinsed and spun the next day. As I currently can't use the washer I borrowed a mangle - very hard work but does the job!"
Purchasing a modern "tin bath" has also contributed to the pair’s electricity savings.
Planning ahead for winter, Jenny said: "I refuse to heat the bathroom.
"We only have an electric radiator to heat it with, that costs a fortune. I have invested in a modern 'tin bath' for use in front of the fire... not too close mind, don't want to melt it!
"Test run on two occasions, works well! Use it with the hand held camping shower, so not actually filling it with water.
"Working out how much the heater would cost to run, the 'tin bath' will have paid for itself in 10 weeks."
The Isle of Man nurse says she had monitored the cost of each appliance after purchasing a plug-in electricity monitor from Amazon
"I now know how much it costs to use each electric appliance, and which appliances draw electricity even when they appear to be 'off' (no standby light, vampire appliances) such as dishwasher/toothbrush charger/phone charger, and switched them off at the plug when not in use.
"The electricity bill for April/May/June 2022 was £115 (€130.91), a saving of £355 (€404.10) compared to the same period 2021.
"We just had the bill for July/August/September. It's £108 (€122.94)! Our combined energy bill for this three month period (wood & electric) was £280.
"If we can keep it up it is possible we could achieve a yearly energy bill of about £900 (€1024.48)!"
But Jenny is aware that these tips won’t work for everyone.
"This is 'OUR' story, but it demonstrates what can be done when you have no choice," she said.
"I am 60 years old, I work two days a week as a nurse in our IOM hospital.
“I have arthritis in my hands and back, we run a three-acre smallholding which includes caring for animals and free-range chickens. So always plenty to do.
“There is much to be gained by simply 'switching off at the plug' when things are not in use.
"I'm thinking of everyone who is struggling with the cost of energy, it's a terrible situation."
