Average electricity units used a day

garden-lover

When I moved into my present house 2 years ago I was astounded by the amount of electricity consumed, in comparison to my previous house and I was not doing anything differently. I spoke to my supplier who suggested I take readings for two weeks, twice a day; this didn't throw any light (pardon the pun!) on the problem and we discussed monitoring the meter, but this would be at my cost (£90 approx) if it proved correct. Anyway, coincidentally, I had to have a new GAS central heating system around this time and ever since then my electricity consumption is what I would expect it to be. A weird thing to happen and I have never found out the reason! Any suggestions?

Kez100

In the past two weeks we have used 9.92 units a day on average. For the four of us I think that is the best we can do without becoming a real saddo. Do all the washing, cooking and dishwashing we need and a small fish tank but no standbys, mostly energy saving bulbs and we don't own a tumble dryer (just a big garden for drying).

gazza975526570

Kez100 wrote: »

In the past two weeks we have used 9.92 units a day on average. For the four of us I think that is the best we can do without becoming a real saddo. Do all the washing, cooking and dishwashing we need and a small fish tank but no standbys, mostly energy saving bulbs and we don't own a tumble dryer (just a big garden for drying).

I know what you mean. 10 units for 4 aint bad. I think im close to becoming that saddo!!! Daily readings and going round the house turning lights off all the time etc etc.

OH things ive gone mad! Ive done everything practical now so look forward to reduced bills coming my way

Kez100

Because we work and the children are at school, that helps a lot. I will be interested in seeing our bill because last year this qtr was £350 and with increases I guess I'd be looking at £500 for equal use. That would eat up all our present credit and direct debits and not be good for going into the really difficult quarter over Christmas. Anything I save off of the £500 will be a big bonus.

TITEASCRAMP

We live in a 3 bedroomed semi. I've been on a mission this last week and done readings every day. At the moment we are averaging 7-8 units a day electric.
Thats two adults and 1 child.
Im home all day too.

Theo_Cupier

Eydon wrote: »

Currently using around 16-18 kwh per day in a 3 bed detached with two adults and two small children (someone in most of the day).

This is a 60% increase on last years consumption thanks to the addition of:

1) a tropical fish tank
2) electric heating in the garage conversion (existing central heating wasn't powerful enough to be extended)
3) a tumble dryer (even energy efficient ones use a huge amount)
4) a 10.5kw shower
5) underfloor heating in the bathroom (soooo nice on a cold morning )

Phew, finally someone close to my average usage.

19 units a day in electricity is the lowest we've achieved recently (since I started daily recordings). We've been as high as 30 units on the day when both our boil washes came around (lots of bedding!).

We're a family of 5 - 2 adults, 3 small children - in a 4 bed semi. Our heating is gas, we do most of our cooking on gas hobs but use electric ovens/grills sometimes too. We don't have any electric heating (apart from an immersion that isn't used) or fish/reptile tanks.

We do have energy saving lightbulbs everywhere and are pretty fastidious about turning stuff off, even to the stage of PC monitors when going to the loo!

On the downside, both adults are at home nearly all the time since we both work from home and we have at least 3 PCs on for 8+ hours a day. We also do at least 2 washes a day (with associated tumble drying afterwards).

The "background usage" in our house is 0.25KW/hour. That's just from stuff that is on 24 hours a day like fridges, freezers cookers (with electric clocks), internet routers, PVR set-top boxes on standby etc. Which I guess adds up to us using 6 KWH a day before we even boil a kettle or turn a light on.

I really don't see how we can cut down our consumption without both of us adults going out to an office to work, meaning we have fewer computers on during the day, boil fewer kettles, have less lighting on dark days, etc. But that would obviously push other costs up - such as petrol (or rent since my wife runs her own business).

So unless anyone can spot something obvious we're doing wrong, I guess we have to live with relatively high gas & electricity costs but compensate with lower bills for transport/petrol, lunches out and Starbucks, etc.

prolific8

We're at around 55 a day for our 2 bedroom flat (1306 total over 24 days), that's after we decided we didn't like freezing to death and dared to turn our sole working storage heater on for a few nights!

Magentasue

Well, theo, I can see room for improvement! Trouble is, different things matter to different people so my economies probably won't appeal to you! Also, if you can afford 19-30 units a day, it's not a problem - we cut back from a similar figure because we needed to.

- We are a family of six (adults, teens 20somethings) and do one or two washes a day, all but one a week on 30deg. Sheets on 30deg too. Line drying throughout summer. Tumble drying in winter.
- Someone home most of day. Three of us have own laptops. Another for family use. There's also xbox, dvd players, other games consoles, phones, chargers etc. All hibernate or off when not used.
- main TV and Sky off all day and at night unless recordings set. Otherwise, evening use only unless one of kids is watching. Router off at night.
- Lamps in most rooms with energy saving bulbs as alternative to ceiling light fittings
- Dishwasher economy wash

Some people won't like the idea of washing at 30deg but we find it's OK for everything. I do whites on a boil wash once a week.

It's been a battle with the teens but have cut our average daily use to about 12kwh this summer - that's with no tumble drying. I teach so in the summer holidays am around all day to dodge showers and line dry. If it rains, the washing waits. Winter, I tumble dry until damp, then iron and hang until dry or finish off on radiators for bigger items.

whatatwit

I don't have a washer at home, I use the one at work although as I work for myself, I'm still paying.
I never use a boil wash....the majority of stuff is done at 30deg, if I'm doing whites and bedding/towels I will often throw a bit of bleach in. That soon kills any bugs lurking.
I also wash clothes in with the bedding/towels as it helps to fill up a machine, as yet, nobody has contracted any diseases.

As part of my latest cost cutting at work, I'm washing on cold a lot of the time. I've not noticed any difference in the cleanliness of the clothes, but I do try and pre-treat any obvious stains/marks by using a bit of water and a bar of soap.
I don't wash towels after every shower, they are hung up to dry and re-used, flannels and little hand towels do get changed daily. I only wash once a week and it's amazing how much of my daughter's stuff gets worn twice now.

As well as increasing energy costs, I do think that we make an awful lot of extra work for ourselves by throwing everything to wash even when it may only have been worn for a couple of hours.

My average electricity use is 10-11 units a day.

Magentasue

Agreed, whatatwit. I don't buy into this idea of eliminating every germ or bit of dirt. I often take my kids clothes out of the washing bin, fold them and put them away when I know they've only worn them to watch TV in after school. And we're talking about jeans here.

I do a boil wash for white shirts, tea towels, hand towels, dishcloths etc once a week. This was recommended to me years ago by a trusted washing machine engineer who reckoned my old machine lasted so well because I boil washed nappies in it. I've continued the idea of a once a week boil wash and it's recommended by most manufacturers.