Electricity Usage?!

[martyj]

Hi all,

This is going to seem like a stupid post, but I have just received an electric bill through and i just don’t see how I have used that much power.

I moved in on 27th Oct. 2 bed flat, 13 years old, all electric. From 27oct-21Nov i used 271 kwh of day rate and 200kwh of night, actual readings. 

Usage details:

-i live alone

-i’m tight as f*ck, e.g always turn lights off

-half way through i replaced all lighting with LED 5watt, so each room is only 15w to light

-no dish washer or tumble drier

HEATING

-i have a Dimplex SH12 series B in the hall but that is currently not working (see other post)

-in the lounge I have a Dimplex Duo 500n Series B, input is half way, output varies between a third and a half

-in the 2 bedrooms i have small Dimplex convection heaters that come on for an hour each morning, 5-6am just to take chill off

HOT WATER

- range tribune, direct 210L, TPR 15.

there is one wired switch going into the middle of the tank, i always leave this on, and it is lit up. There is another wired switch that goes to the bottom of the tank, this is on but not lit up at the wall?

all other usage is average or below eg cooking etc. Is something not working overnight and using day rate instead? I have lived in these flats before and Im sure the electricity wasnt this expensive for 2 of us?

Any advice would be appreciated.

thank you.

Martin.

 

[ProDave]

I would say the "cuplprit" is the duo heat heater. I would not have one personally. They are a combination of a storage heater and a convector heater and it chooses when it wants to top up the cheap stored heat with peak rate daytime heat.  I think they are  designed to maximise comfort, but definitely NOT to maximise cheap running costs.

My guess is the previous flat you were in just had a normal storage heater so did not keep topping it up with daytime electricity.

Also your water heater. Turn the "middle" heater switch off. Leave the bottom heater switch on. That will energise over night at cheap rate and heat the whole tank. 

Only turn the middle heater on if you have used a lot of hot water and used up all what was heated last night.  By leaving that on, you will be continually heating the upper half of the tank with a good proportion of that being at the peak daytime rate.

 

[martyj]

Thanks (again) Dave. I twigged the water not long after posting. Ive increased the “background” of the duo and turned down the comfort, so hopefully that will ease things a little!

 

[Murdoch]

What you need to do is take reading once per week for a few weeks, then you may get an idea of what is going on. Obviously it's now a colder snap so the hearing will take its toll.

an owl meter may help you understand what is using power, but as Dave says, it's more than likely the duo heater.

hope this helps

 

[binky]

think I would concurr with ProDave, the fact the day use is higher than off-peak suggests your heating is on during the day time too much. Other things people don't allow for is stuff like PCs (300-500w power supplies, and higher for gaming spec PCs)and other electrical items on 'standby'. Your bill though equates roughly to about £70 for the quarter, which isn't that excessive for Autumn / winter period?

 

[martyj]

Hi Binky, thanks for your reply.

Am i missing something though, bill was £117 for the 34 days!

 

[binky]

sorry didn't read the dates, but I based my rough calculation on 15p per kWh @ 471 kWhs. 15p is about the average rate per kWh for a standard supply as I undestsand it. Sounds like you are on a relatively high day tariff, which is not unusual with Dual Supplies ( Economy 7 as it used to be known). You get cheaper off peak leccy, but a dearer day rate. Think I would have a look at other deals available  to you . Trouble with leccy suppliers, there is now something like 200 different offerings, some have high standing daily charge and lower unit charges and vice versa, and shed loads of variations on that theme, plus throw in off peak and it all gets very confusing! Go shop around (and don't get a smart meter, it makes changing energy suppliers quite difficult as they have to change the meter every time you change suppliers). I change suppliers every year, think we are with OVO currently.

 

[martyj]

Good advice Bink, thanks 

 

[binky]

that's weird, a posting of mine seems to have disappeared? Can anyone see the posting I made between the 2 posts of marty?

 

[poni]

its at the top, as best answer 

 

[Evans Electric]

Am i missing something though, bill was £117 for the 34 days!

Thats not sounding too bad  ....  £3..44   /day  for leckie  .   Lights,    Heating & hot water    & no gas bill .  

£104  / month  and reducing in the summer. 

 

[martyj]

Thats not sounding too bad  ....  £3..44   /day  for leckie  .   Lights,    Heating & hot water    & no gas bill .  

£104  / month  and reducing in the summer. 

Watch this space Ev, i’ll be reducing it even more now I have sussed out the boiler and Dimplex Duo! 

 

[binky]

its at the top, as best answer 

not used to that!  :happybunny: