How to Make our Appliances Work Harder and Cut Costs!

From the 1st October 2022, energy prices have risen again (we saw the first increase in April 2022), and if you have a smart meter the dramatic increases are really starting to show. You’ll  have a better understanding of how different appliances are shooting up the prices on that smart meter screen. 

There are some ways we can help to reduce the amount of energy we use, and there are even some swaps we can make with appliances that are considered to be more efficient.

So here we go, what are things costing now and how can we make them more efficient?

What’s Cooking?

When we’re cooking, we don’t usually take into consideration how much it costs to actually make the meal. Instead, we presume it wouldn’t be that much… Would it?

From a recent study by Go Compare, it was announced that from October 2022 the cost to use your oven for an hour would work out between £1.04 and £1.14. Prior to October, it would cost you between 56p and 61.60p.

This price jump is pretty extreme, especially when there are other appliances you can use to halve the cost of your cooking - and no, this doesn’t involve loading the Deliveroo app!

Microwaves

(Prices from Go Compare)

Admittedly, they’re not everybody’s first choice but running a microwave for 10 minutes will cost you between 5.20p and 12p per hour. 

Whether you’re going to batch cook your meals for the week and then use the microwave to heat them up, or if you find ways to cook your meals from fresh using a microwave, this could be a cost-effective option towards the cost of cooking.

Air Fryers

(Prices from Hometree)

Yes people were starting to buy air fryers a few years ago, but since the announcement of the energy bills rising, air fryers have become a popular and firm favourite in our households.

Using an air fryer for 10 minutes costs around 5p, so using it for an hour would cost around 30p.

The great thing about air fryers is that you can cook practically anything in them! From roasted veggies to meat, eggs to cheese on toast… Great meals for the fraction of the price of turning on the oven!

Toasters

(Prices from Go Compare)

To use your toaster for 30 minutes is going to cost you between 20.80p and 39p. This seems like a lot for toasting some bread doesn’t it?!

Another alternative is to use an air fryer; you can cook some amazing recipes in there! (See above)

Slow Cookers

(Prices from Hometree)

Slow cookers are great for cooking large pieces of meat, stews, curries and more. People tend to use slow cookers in the colder months, or for the convenience of putting something in the slow cooker and leaving it until meal time.

To use a slow cooker for 8 hours (the standard use) costs around 5p per hour which is 40p.

Washing Your Clothes

(Prices from Go Compare)

We all need clean clothes and the majority of us do this at home using our washing machines.

As of 1st October 2022, washing your clothes will cost you between 5.20p and 13p for ten minutes. Although these prices are quite unavoidable, there are some options to help make it more efficient.

Try washing your clothes on a 30° or even 20° wash, to stop using as much heat. When you need to put a wash on, make sure you’re doing full loads so you don’t need to use the washing machine as frequently.

Many of us have tumble dryers to dry our clothes, however when it’s fine weather we have the option of putting clothes outside to dry (if you have access to an outside area), or using a clothes horse. When we start to enter the colder months, we can’t really use Mother Nature’s services to dry our clothes, so we end up using a tumble dryer or a clothes horse indoors.

A tumble dryer sounds lovely and cosy, but from the 1st October it will cost you between £1.04p and £1.56p per hour to warm your pyjamas up. That price is extortionate, especially if you have multiple loads of washing and a busy house with no option to dry your clothes outdoors! However, drying your clothes indoors without proper ventilation can come at a cost too, as this produces damp and mould.

Once all your washing is done, most people like to give their clothes an iron to make them look more presentable. The cost of using an iron has risen to 72.80p per hour. 

So, what can we use instead?

Heated Drying Rack

(Prices from Go Compare)

Ever since the energy prices have increased, heated drying racks have become a must have! You should see the queues in Aldi with customers drying to get their hands on one.

Using between 13p and 26p per hour to run, they are the new alternative to a tumble dryer and drying your clothes indoors…(basically the two options at a fraction of the cost) Heated drying racks are upright or wide, and they normally hold a full wash load.

You’ll no longer have to grin and bear the tumble dryer costs or damp clothes, and you’ll no longer have to pile on the jumpers either. Heated drying racks give off heat so the temperature will increase in the room your clothes are drying in and give you that added extra bit of warmth. As your clothing is drying hanging up, the creases will drop, reducing the need to pull out the iron and use another 72.80p!

Here are just a few ways you can reduce your energy bills this winter and turn your home into efficiency central. We’ve got plenty more tricks up our heated dryer sleeve, so feel free to give us an email or message us on our socials and we’ll let you in on a few more energy saving techniques. Who knows, with all these pennies you’re saving you might just be able to open up the Deliveroo app at the end of the month after all.

Property Guardian Testimonial - Mark Van Der Zeyden

Property Guardian Testimonial by Mark Van Der Zeyden

I currently work within the government sector. Although it’s a stable job, the remuneration could often be described as ‘lacking’. The price bracket for Guardianship in my current property seemed really appealing to me, and as a bonus it’s well-maintained, close to shops and public transport.

In my case, I found this property on Spareroom and the process of applying to view and all the vetting required upon acceptance, happened within a quick turn-around timeframe.

This is my first Blue Door property that I’ve been a Property Guardian with, and I have been resident since April 2022. The current group of Guardians have been very easy to get along with, and there is a communal perspective whereby everyone is kept abreast of any updates or changes within a group chat. The property is kept clean and collectively, we contribute to having a cleaner attend for an intensive clean up of communal areas which all lends to the mutually agreeable environment.

From what I have come to discover, the properties available through Blue Door are in general more than initially expected in terms of available space. Also, the affordability aspect is a major contributor especially in the current economic climate! 

Property Guardians are adequately vetted prior to acceptance, with the same base expectations from the start. There is a mutual respect and simultaneously the security that comes with a group of people all looking out for one another, whilst securing and utilising a property that would otherwise be left vacant and unsecured. 

The communal acceptance has led to many opportunities to share meals and the occasional drink out, which in itself can’t ever be overlooked. The fact that this can be so readily available closer to home is hard to turn down. I would happily recommend trying out Property Guardianship.

Property Guardian Testimonial - Former Office, London

Property Guardian Testimonial by D.L

I have been securing properties on and off for many years. Currently residing in my fourth property, a former office block. I’ve been a Property Guardian in East London and North London with the opportunity to live in a broad range of unusual and spacious properties.

When you register as a Property Guardian, you become familiar with other companies through other Property Guardian’s recommendations. Blue Door Property Guardians are one of the few companies that are staying true to affordable accommodation and really maintain their buildings.

I have been lucky to live with the same core people for two moves, and the community that we built together has been really enjoyable. We celebrated holidays together, held mini festivals, built outdoor bars for the summer and cooked and enjoyed meals together. It really has been a real community.

Some of the many benefits of being a Property Guardian are the low Licence Fees, and the living environments/locations that are unusual and unique. I would recommend being a Property Guardian 100%!

My advice: Live light! Save furniture and home accessories for when you’ve saved enough to get your own place.

Welcome to ORGANIC SEPTEMBER!

A month-long campaign to raise awareness of the huge benefits of organic food and organic farming. To celebrate and support the nature around us and to encourage people to make planet and plant positive decisions and changes. Whether you’re new to the organic lifestyle or you’re already actively engaged, there’s still so much you can do throughout Organic September.

Shopping in local organic stores, signing up for organic box schemes and even the classic of recycling organic waste, can all contribute to living an organic lifestyle. But, what if you went one step further and started to grow your own organic produce? We know not everyone has the luxury of having a greenhouse or an allotment but guess what?! You don’t need one to get those tomatoes ripening at home. Stick with us and we’ll give you the knowledge and know-how to get those veggies growing at home and how to take advantage of your communal spaces.

Grow at home kit

Here’s everything you need to turn those hands green at home:

Pots

Of different sizes depending on what you want to grow. These don’t have to be expensive either. Going to your local garden centre or looking at freecycle sites is another way to reduce waste.

Seeds

You can pick these up online or in a local gardening store. You can also get seeds and seedlings from vegetables and fruits that you already have in your house.

Good quality soil

We would always recommend choosing organic soil. It is Organic September afterall!

If you’re going to be gardening outside then you might want to consider these bits too:

Watering can

We need to keep those goodies hydrated. You can also be creative and use a recycled water bottle with a spout lid.

Wooden stakes, garden wire or trellis

These are to help any vegetables or fruit that grow upwards onto a vine (tomatoes). We’d opt for the wooden stakes here because guess what? You’ll be able to recycle these easier when you’ve finished!

Shovels and heavy duty gardening tools

Now we’re talking about some serious gardening here. You’re only going to need these if you’re working with a large outdoor space. Some of our properties benefit from beautiful communal areas, so you can pick these tools up for a fair price online or check the freecycle sites.

Let’s get growing

It doesn’t matter how big or small of a space you have, there is always room for some vegetable and fruit growing. In honour of Organic September, we’ve put together our top choices of what to grow, how to grow it and where to grow it.

Window sill

Yes, you can grow organic goodness right on your windowsill.

Herb box

First thing’s first is picking the right window sill. You need a window sill with adequate lighting to give your herbs the sunlight they need to flourish and grow, and also be super tasty! The majority of herbs are going to need at least six hours of sun per day and ideally kept away from drafts. You don’t want to choose herbs that grow really tall, your best bets are herbs like basil, parsley, mint, chives, thyme and rosemary.

Step-by-step guide:

• Fill your plant pot with soil until it’s just about full, about an inch from the top

• Sprinkle your seeds evenly into the pot and then add a little more compost on top of them to just slightly cover them up (don’t drown them in soil!)

• Water your pots so the soil is moist and then pop them on your sunny windowsill and watch the magic happen

Top tip: if you’re planting various herbs, we recommend labelling your pots with herb names so there’s no mix ups when it comes to adding some flavours to your cooking. 

Your herbs should start to sprout in about a week and you’ll be able to harvest your herbs in about a month’s time. As always, external factors such as sunlight will affect how fast your herbs grow.

What else can you grow on a window sill?

• Peashoots

• Rocket

• Watercress

• Chillies

• Spinach

• Kale

• Baby carrots

• Baby beetroot

• Radish

• Bean sprouts

Patio trees

Patio trees and plants are game changers. Gone are the days you need acres of fields to pick some fresh lemons. All you need is a decent size pot and off we go with some fresh juice. 

Citrus trees

Oranges, lemons and limes use most of the same steps to make your backyard or patio feel like you’re walking through the sunny fields in Greece. You’re going to need quite a large pot and a terracotta one preferably. Terracotta pots lose moisture quicker, which makes it harder for the soil to become overwatered. Good drainage is vital when it comes to taking care of your citrus trees. No one likes waterlogged soil…

Step-by-step guide:

• Select your plant from a nursery. Let’s go with the lemon plant for this example. You want to choose a plant that has already started to bloom. Starting from seeds can take up to 5 years!

• You want well-enriched soil with organic matter, is light draining and slightly acidic. The recommended soil for a citrus tree is sandy loam.

• Plant your lemon plant into the pot with your soil and then lightly water.

There are a few problems to look out for when growing citrus trees, such as leaf yellowing which can be caused by dry compost or overwatering, low temperatures and lack of nutrients to the roots. Poor fruit growing can be down to low humidity and lack of flower blooming is due to lack of light. 

Other types of patio trees:

• Peach

• Cherry

• Apple

• Plum

Communal areas

The majority of our properties allow our guardians to have access to communal green areas. Guardians can work together as a community to enhance these areas and are encouraged to develop these spaces. With it being Organic September, why not come together with your fellow guardians and try a spot of organic gardening? One of our current guardians worked closely with other members of the community to create a gardening and fitness initiative that was not only beneficial to the other property guardians, but the local community too. 

One of the roles and responsibilities of being a property guardian is to maintain site environmental conditions, and what better way to do that than create a communal organic vegetable and fruit garden?!

Here’s what you could grow together:

• Lettuce

• Tomatoes

• Cucumbers

• Peppers

• Garlic

• Courgettes

Don’t forget about us when all these lovely foods are ready to harvest!

We try our best here at Blue Door to help our guardians make the most out of their properties, create communities and have long-lasting relationships and memories. You can view our available properties here, or if you’re here for a little help in securing your own property, please get in touch. Enjoy growing those veggies!

Keeping Your Vacant Property Secure and Preventing Summer Burglaries

Summer is definitely in full-swing - especially with the recent heat waves we’ve experienced across the UK over the past few weeks. Although it has been enjoyable having some (hot!) sunshine, summer sadly comes with burglaries. Alongside this, vacant properties that haven’t been properly secured are at risk of fires, water damage and more.

Summer burglaries

Did you know that in summer, burglaries tend to occur in the daytime between 10am - 12pm? You would think burglaries happen when the sun goes down and everybody is sleeping but no, that isn’t the case. A lot of people leave their windows open when venturing out, in the hopes of allowing cool air to circulate the house, or they leave their front door unlocked and front windows open when in the garden, thinking nothing of it.

The grass isn’t always greener…

When you’re enjoying some time in the garden, make sure you’ve locked your doors and windows to the front of the house. If there’s music on in the garden or you have guests around, it can be quite hard to hear if there are any intruders trying to get into your home.

By all means keep your windows and doors to the back of your home open and allow the cool air to get in that way because you can keep an eye on them, but don’t risk those at the front!

A valuable lesson

Plenty of us have valuables we cherish and we often keep them in a safe place, however things such as wallets/purses, mobile phones or even car keys should be kept well away from doors and windows.

All it takes is for a potential intruder to spot your valuables and make note of where they’re kept. Keep your valuable possessions in a drawer or cupboard away from prying eyes, and make a conscious effort to put them away after you’ve used them.

We’re all going on a summer holiday

Have you got plans to go away this summer? Make sure to keep your plans quiet on social media. We all love to share our adventures on social platforms to keep our friends and families up-to-date with our whereabouts, but this could do more harm than good.

If you’re planning to go away, ask your friends and families to keep your holiday quiet. Instagram for example has a great feature of creating a ‘close friends’ list option for your Instagram stories. You can add who you choose to the list and when you publish anything to your story, you can add it to this selected list instead.

Under lock and key

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but when you’re leaving your home make sure that all doors and windows are locked. Sometimes we like to keep windows open to allow cool air to flood the house when we are absent, but to an intruder this is an open invitation to your home.

If you’re looking for ways to keep your home cool whilst you’re out, close all blinds and windows to bounce off the heat. Another factor that we shouldn’t ignore are small windows. Again, these often go ignored because we may think “they’re only small, they’ll be fine” when in reality, these pose a threat to burglaries too.

The land of nod

Trying to get a restful night's sleep in warmer temperatures can be quite frustrating, especially when there is no cool air and if you don’t have the luxury of a fan! Most of us opt for sleeping with our windows open (if you don’t mind the bugs!) in the hopes of catching a cool breeze to help us drift off. 

However, this is ample opportunity for intruders to have a snoop around your home. If you’re wanting to keep your windows open whilst you sleep, look at installing some window restrictions so your home is safe whilst you snooze.

A key thing to remember…

Hands up if you leave your keys in your door when it’s locked? Maybe you need to re-think that one…

Always take your keys out of your door once you’ve locked it. All it takes is one swipe from the letter box to grab the keys to unlock your door. If you have a key holder, hang your keys up away from the door and windows or if you don’t, pop them in a trinket dish or drawer out of sight.

The dangers of not properly securing your vacant property

Leading on from summer burglaries, ensuring that your vacant property is properly secured is a must too.

Properties that haven’t been properly secured can pose many risks such as fires, water damage and much more.

Fires

Fires are a common threat to vacant properties that haven’t been secured. Whether this is due to arson from intruders, faulty electrics, faulty heating or tripped wires, once a fire has started it can spread very quickly. 

Without suitable property security in place, a fire can destroy a whole building and also spread onto neighbouring buildings too. Fires can be devastating in many ways, so preventing these as much as possible is necessary.

Water damage

Water damage can go undetected for a large amount of time, but the effects of it can be long lasting. Water damage can lead to damage in a buildings infrastructure, mould and damp problems which are quite costly to get repaired.

Water damage can occur from burst pipes or other pipe problems. With the right property security, these can be managed and checked on a regular basis.

Burglary

If your vacant property still has furnishings and belongings inside, this can become a prime target for burglars.

Keep all valuables away from windows and doors and anything that you don’t want on show, keep in one room. If the intruder recognises that the property is vacant and noone is going to be occupying it, they will take the opportunity to break in and claim possessions for themselves.

Squatters

Making sure your property has no visible or hidden entry points is a must for vacant properties. Entry points allow for squatters to claim the property if it’s left vacant. Damage can be caused to the inside of the property, that you as a property owner will have to rectify.

Squatters do have legal rights and it can take months alongside costly court fees to get them removed. Minimise this risk by checking the vacant property and inspecting it on a weekly basis.

There we have it - how to prevent those summer burglaries and what dangers surround vacant properties that aren’t properly secured.

If you have a property - commercial or residential - that you’re looking to properly secure, get in touch with us at Blue Door Property Guardians to get the ball rolling.

We have an extensive list of Property Guardians waiting to secure their next property!
If you would like to ask us any questions, register your property with us or view our vacant properties, you can email us at: admin@bluedoorpropertyguardians.co.uk, call us on: 02071174232 or send us a direct message on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.