Eliminating Electricity & Gas Bills

I think this community may be able to help me with some ideas for a new initiative of mine. I have been trying to virtually eliminate my gas/electricity spend lately and am trying to come up with innovative ways to keep my power bills as low as possible.

Here are the things I have implemented so far

  • I have 2 power banks I rotate and charge in my apartment complex garage. I use these to keep my phone powered
  • I don’t use any traditional in-built ceiling lights. I have a few solar camping lanterns I use as my primary light source
  • I only use cold water for bathing, washing etc.
  • I do not use any heating or cooling
  • I don’t do any cooking, only eat cold things. Predominately canned tuna & salads. I also have been making a no bake protein slice (peanut butter, rolled oats, canned black beans) which has been cost effective high calorie food
  • For all my internet and entertainment I only use my phone, which as mentioned above is charged from the power banks

It really just leaves me with my fridge as my only source of power draw. Does anyone have any innovative ideas on how to keep things cold without powering a fridge? Obviously I do not need refrigeration for my tuna. However, my salad ingredients last longer cooled and my protein slice requires cooling for it to set properly.

Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Comments

    • The garage is relatively open. I am not sure I could make it discrete enough were I would not be concerned about theft. I think there would be a good chance the contents of the fridge were stolen or perhaps even the fridge itself.

      I did not know there were USB fridges, if I can run one off a powerbank this could be an ideal solution.

    • Never knew that USB fridges existed, might get one to keep soda cold on the go with a powerbank.

      • They aren’t very cool. Probably a ‘peltier’ cooler. Low power, but not very efficient at cooking.

    • I used to put Dell cardboard boxing around my mini fridge at work to pass inspection. It was really obvious but somehow worked for people not expecting it.

      HAHAHAHAHA - must see a picture of this! Hahahahaha

  • Eat once a day to save more $$$ .

    • Actually not a bad idea
      Also better for your waistline and health in the long run

  • +11

    Where do you find enjoyment living like this?

    • +42

      Mostly in the dark.

    • +3

      More importantly, think about all the inconvenience this guy is putting himself through to save some bucks.

      • +4

        Agreed considering service charges are what makes up our utilities bills.

  • Liquid nitrogen?

  • Does anyone have any innovative ideas on how to keep things cold without powering a fridge?

    Wrap it up and put it in the darkest corner of the apartment basement car park.

  • +14

    Mate, you do realise that energy retailers charge for supply? Typically around $1 per day. That is just to supply power - no usage at all.
    So for a quarter power bill, you'll at least need to pony up $90.

    And seriously, if you ran ALL your lights 24 hours a day, the most you'd pay per year would be around $20. Lighting is cheap.
    Powering your mobile phone? About $5 per year.
    For that amount of effort it's just not worth it, but whatever floats your boat.

    • +1

      Well said. His is not the OzBargain way of life.

  • You sound like a shit friend

    • +9

      How do you know. Maybe he turns the light and heating on when friends come over.
      He even boils water for them for tea and coffee.

      • spook290 is also in Melbourne. Maybe he is saying that from actual experience with OP.

        • Maybe he is saying that from actual experience with OP.

          If it was actual experience then he wouldn't word it as "you sound …" he'd have said "You're …" which would sound better in context with first hand experience…

      • +1

        You just know he's the guy that will split the bill in half when he orders the expensive steak, but asks for the itemised bill if his main was 2$ less

        • +5

          he doesn't sound like he eats out.

          • +4

            @BuyoTheCat: True. He is on a diet of "predominately canned tuna & salads".
            Kudos to the OP for his discipline though.

      • Be careful you might give him ideas…once you get a taste of the high life…

    • -2

      That seems a bit harsh. I wouldn’t want to be friends with someone like you, so judgmental!

      Ignore the haters crashbeejy

  • +15

    OP r u ok?

  • +3

    how about some kind of cycling thing to charge a powerbank. that way you get to keep warm, exercise and generate electricity.

    What is your end goal?
    Is this just an experiment? are you trying to save money? Trying to reduce carbon foot print?

    Dry beans is much better value than canned beans. I have been cooking my beans from dry beans since Jan. I get much more than from cans

  • +17

    Just join a 24/h gym, that way you can shower there and take bottles of warm water, soap, paper towel, lost socks etc home. Practically pays for itself

    • +2

      It’s probably cheaper not to have a gym membership and just use those items at home.

      • Good for if one was homeless.

        • +1

          Go to uni, they're free and open to the public. Free showers and water.

    • +3

      If it's a big gym and you're descrete enough you could probably get away with living there. Just buy a small van with a mattress in the back to sleep in. The savings in rent would be huge.

    • Good idea. But how about water for flushing the toilet, washing clothes and dishes?

  • switch to a retailer giving away $$$ sign up credits - your first bill will be in credit!

  • +11

    Lol. You're trying to go "self sustaining" (in a very odd bill centric way) in an apartment?

    It's an interesting post I gotta give you that.

    The time cost of going to the garage and the risk of having your power banks stolen makes your endeavour not feasible.

    Your nutritional source is rather expensive vs getting proper ingredients and cooking.

    Your nutrition range is limited which opens you up to illness or just lethargy. That's lost opportunity and potentially medical costs.

    If you want to go off-grid, get yourself a small block at the fringe of a country town, or a small unserviced farm block and get a caravan.

    Apartment dwelling is a high dependency, high outgoings set up. No two ways about it.

  • You can buy solar power in window. Use apartment or pupils toilet warm water and face washer and wipe like bath but no water.

    You can also go shopping for heat/ Coll. At work you ca also charge your battery for home time too

  • Why don't you just run the fridge in your garage.

    If you need to hide it then get some removalist boxes, cut them to shape so it looks like 2 hanger cartons (they're the tall ones for hanging clothes) sitting on-top of each other - sure you get the idea.

  • +10

    God I hope this is a troll. I can't imagine what would possess someone to want to live like this.

  • Beejy, what do you do when you invite a girl/guy over?

    • +3

      Checks their ozbargain account.

    • Charges an extra power bank for that special someone.

  • +10

    Why do you need gas for?

    Kudos to the OP, he's living off the grid in an apartment.

  • +7

    But why do you want to make your life hard like that?

  • Get a small fridge. They use less power.

    Time to move somewhere where there is good sunlight so you can install solar and some form of batteries. Doesn’t mean you need a $10k powerwall. Think like a caravan setup.

    Our caravan has one 12v 120ah battery and a 180w solar panel and successfully runs a camp fridge, lights, tv and phone chargers when we have good sun all day. If we don’t get full sun then the system is a little lacking and we need to consider fridge usage but adding a portable panel helps.

  • +11

    Do you have to make life so difficult for yourself?, Life is such a wonderful thing in most cases, I suggest you try to enjoy it as much as is possible, a view from a senior citizen!.

  • +2

    Truly intrigued to know the reasoning behind this way of life OP.

    • CrashBeejy, I would also like to understand the reasoning behind your way of life?

      • Are you friends with CrashBeejy, or you are the CrashBeejy with a ghost account?

        I am beginning to feel like this is a troll post; CrashBeejy = roast me (Beejy)

  • +5

    Move to Antarctica

  • Move into the woods, live like an indigenous.

  • Edit. Not sure why I took bait

  • +5

    My biggest tip is not to trust The Precious. It will betray you.

  • +3

    i wouldn't be surprised if the OP has tried to run the fridge from a bicycle generator.

    • I tried running a computer off a bicycle generator….only lasted a couple of minutes before my weak ass legs decided to stop from the extra load….

  • +3

    Have you received a bill following this pattern? The minimum charge will make you realise that there is no way out of paying sizable bills.

  • Sounds like an episode of extreme cheapskates. Don’t you even boil water for a tea or coffee?

  • +1

    Bro leave your house and live under a shaded tree, don't wear cloths and stay natural. Hunt squirrel (if not caught by police) and live tension free life.

  • +3

    This is like an episode of Mr Bean.

  • +2

    This is Chuck from Better Call Saul.

    There is a daily supply charge which makes up a large percentage of the bill. Eliminating usage won't bring your bill down by a huge amount.

  • +2

    Really appreciate your committment mate. But, is there a reason why you want to live your life like this ?

  • +2

    Share a fridge with the neighbour. Cut a hole in the common wall with access to fridge from both sides.

    • Cut a hole in the common wall with access to fridge from both sides.

      HBahahahaha, I can imagine OP pulling out a jigsaw and attempting to cut said hole.

  • +1

    Possibly find some cheap land and build a Tiny house….solar, rain water, composting toilet….grow your own greens and whatever else….Bob's your uncle. There is of course initial outlay, but after that….all yours. Except for yearly rates.

    • This right here is the dream. Kids and partner ruin this dream, but it’s a wonderful dream nonetheless.

      OP, take your chance and run now. Melbourne isn’t safe anyway. Life is better without anyone around

  • +1

    Most household electricity is billed as a "fixed" portion and a "variable" portion, namely "supply charge" and "consumption charge"

    typically the fixed is in the order of 2-4x the variable "unit cost"

    to live a comfortable life as a single, I imagine you can get by using 4 of the unit costs per day.

    for me as an example, that would double my annual energy costs from ~ $365 (0 usage per day) to $730 (4kwH per day) per year.

    So a dollar a day roughly to live (much more) comfortably with electric.

    IMO, either turn off your power and go the whole hog, or just be smart with your usage.

    p.s a phone costs in the order of 1c to charge empty to full.

    • +2

      But when you're charging that phone everyday…That's a whole $3.65 your saving EVERY YEAR. Well worth it.

  • Think forward a bit…

    On your death bed, will you think, this was all worth it? Or Nope, it wasn't.

    Who are you going to leave all your money to that you save from minimising on energy costs?

    • Who are you going to leave all your money to that you save from minimising on energy costs?

      Probably no one……so i guess its ripe for the picking for thiees to break in and steal his shit when he dies….

  • Not using hot water to shower or do any cooking doesn’t sound like an ideal way to live 🤷🏻 Might as well live in a cave.

  • +2

    I am lost for words. Also, you need to eat proper foods. Is there any reason why you would do this?

  • +1

    What a sad way to live your live. What will you do with the extra $5k you save in energy bills.

  • +5

    Why don't you just live in a modded van since you're so minimalist

  • Always good to be innovative. Living off the grid would be great, but since we have to pay for electricity supply you may as well use some.

    Maybe what you need to do is collect car batteries and hook them up to a few solar panels and use a small cheap car plug inverter. That would run most of your low power consuming items like led lights and even a decent camping fridge if you have enough batteries and sun. I have lived off the grid like that for a few months very comfortably, with a small wind mill as well for night time and cold periods. I had about 40 batteries hooked up with 3kw panels, proper inverter, and even had electric heater on occasionally. Plus had modern fridge as well. Gas cooking and hot water from a tank that I could use sparingly!!

    Good luck!

    • OOooh, I would like to see this setup of yours….how much did it cost? I am also intrigued….

  • +2

    4FS…. live life….
    Your phone charge would be 5c
    Your cold showers are a ridiculous idea… utterly ridiculous.
    Go to a Gym and shower there… charge your phone at the Gym….
    And are you ok.. do you need any mental health assistance?

    • Some people actually choose cold bathing not just for power saving.

      Ever heard of the Bondi icebergs?

      • +3

        I actually have cold showers sometimes as a way to wake up (very) rapidly. In Melbourne, in winter. I can confirm that it's very effective.

        (but I only do this sometimes and it's unrelated to energy use…)

  • +1

    Apart from the obvious troll, I'd be most concerned about eating so much tuna.
    Heavy metal poisoning is, apparently, not fun.

  • +1

    Have you ever brought a chick home?

    • +9

      he doesnt have any way cook a chicken

    • +5

      He goes back to hers.. and while there be charges his phone and possibly get dropped off by her in the morning too.

      • +4

        And then she notices all her toilet paper and hand soap is gone…

  • What about the obvious thing most people seem to be missing… stick the unset protein bars in the fridge at work, then he doesn’t need a fridge at all.

  • The only way is solar/wind/hydro and batteries.

  • Does anyone have any innovative ideas on how to keep things cold without powering a fridge?

    A cold, wet sack.

  • +3

    Live next door to a 24 hour supermarket so you dont need a fridge or freezer.

  • +4

    I'd be extraordinarily concerned about your mercury intake if what you're saying is correct. You shouldn't be having more than one can a week of tuna due to the high mercury levels. Ideally less than that.
    If you've been having tuna almost everyday for a while then you might want to seriously reconsider your diet to reduce your heavy metals intake.

    I'm not a doctor and I don't want to scare you but there's plenty of literature out there.

    • I thought the same thing… not so good for brain function 🤔

      • +2

        Which explains the behavior, like a vicious cycle eh?

    • but omega 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • You shouldn't be having more than one can a week of tuna due to the high mercury levels

      That really depends on the size of the can

    • I think making the switch to sardines would be a healthier alternative while remaining cost conscious

  • +2

    OP, look into making some Zeer pots. They might work in your environment.

    https://www.instructables.com/id/A-Practical-Zeer-Pot-evapor…

  • +3

    reminds me of this episode of Extreme Cheapskates
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJXz6YAP9vk&ab_channel=%D0%9…

  • Coolgardie meat safe. Google it.

  • +1

    Does anyone have any innovative ideas on how to keep things cold without powering a fridge?

    Unplug the fridge, Lay it on its back, Fill with amounts of ice from the servos.

    Ta-da you got yourself a chest freezer.

    • My guess is that it's cheaper to make your own ice than pay for ice?

  • Firstly, Are you OK?

    Secondly, it sounds like you do not have much needs .. have you considered to live in a caravan park? minimal requirements, lower rent .. :-D

  • +1

    Reminds me of that TV show "Hoarders" in USA, where there was a Japanese woman living in New York and she was just on another dimensional level of OzBargainess, similar to OP description.
    Except she never washes clothes and only takes stuff from rubbish… even food. No power, no gas etc.
    Anyone has a link?

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