The 50% Electricity Challenge - Everyone welcome!

ifti

im going to get a meter reader tommorow its only 6 quid and gives a good indication on where the electricity is going.

we have a free wireless meter from southern electric which is quite good, it was free because we changed to a different plan with them.

it says we use around 17-18 units a day which works out to around 65 quid a month,

the only things that are on 24/7 are the following:

plus in timers, fish tank pump, sky boxes on STANDBY, fridge and freezers. thats about it.

i might have missed somthing small.

thanks again for the info on here.

Lemon_Tree

better late than never, my reading was Rate 1 4667.41, Rate 2 2872.08 on 23rd at 6.40pm
Washing machine won't be on today cos the engineer messed it up yesterday and mum's doing it for me

Welshlassie

Well I went to defrost our back freezer yesterday and found either the workmen or DH unplugged it last week to plug the extension lead in. One defrosted freezer complete with contents. Saved me a job, but lost a freezers worth of food
I do now have an empty freezer though which currently isn't on as I have an empty draw in the front one aswell, (although that should get filled to night when I portion out the Costco purchases).

Bit disappointed that I won't have a true reading for Thursday, but at least its not costing us.

SamanthaA

I`d like to join, please.

Not sure how much we can reduce, but will give it a go!

Missed the meter reader this week, so just happen to have readings to pass to both companies - as of 25/10,
Electric (£28 per month, due to increase to ?) rate1 39091/ rate2 13866;
Gas (£28 per month, again due to increase to ?) 6622

Live in a 2 bed terraced, me & DS, with gas CH, its on, & oven. Have dishwasher, freezer, washer, tumble dryer, games consoles & cable with internet.
Dishwasher isnt sucessful on a timer, unless it starts, then has to be stopped - thinks its a power cut & will restart once timer switched on, so thats a pain.:mad: Washers on same timer, but usually have one or other on, rarely both. Timble dryers on a timer, but in an outhouse, so no risk of fire, as its very old! DS is programmed NOT to leave anything on standby.
Only things on are fridge, freezer, pc, stereo & 2 alarm clocks, actually thats quite a few things!:o

I normally work 7 days per week, so no one in to use the stuff, except my mum who picks DS from school 2 days per week, so between 8 am & 6pm most days there isn`t much useage, but we make up for it when we are home!

mumzyof2

Hi all
tomorrow night i re take my meter readings and from then on try to cut it down by 50%. Looking forward to this even though i have 2 extra kids here tomorrow till thursday.
Bought two engery saver lampstoday from argos for £9.99 they are really nice.
Does anyone know how much a hour does a small laver lamp use?

Bree

Just had a look at the meter. Its 318 at 9.15, erm that'll be 318-161 = 157 units used this week then.
The main thing I'll do is make sure all lights are turned off in the morning. Because it's dark when we get up the lights go on, and tend to stay on untill mid day, partly because the back rooms are dark as they are north facing.
We are still without a dishwasher, so that's saving leccy. Its a choice between wood and coal for the rayburn or a new dishwasher this week. Fuel for the rayburn won.
The dishwasher was terminal by the way, twas 12 year old, and the wheels on the drawers are wearing out, and the the spring in the door fell off some time ago, DH found it yesterday when he was having a look at the dw. So its not done to badly.

Lula-Hula

Hello,

I set my alarm for half two so that I'd remember :rolleyes: & dutifully took new readings :
rate 1 - 43885 so 35 units used
rate 2 - 11464 so 3 units used

That seems quite low but it does show that I'm not making much use of the night rate. I cannot find mention of the times anywhere so will have to ring & find out.

Looking forward to hearing how everyone else got on

lula x

SarahNeedle1872

Lula-Hula wrote: »

Hello,

I set my alarm for half two so that I'd remember :rolleyes: & dutifully took new readings :
rate 1 - 43885 so 35 units used
rate 2 - 11464 so 3 units used

That seems quite low but it does show that I'm not making much use of the night rate. I cannot find mention of the times anywhere so will have to ring & find out.

Looking forward to hearing how everyone else got on

lula x

If you're on E7, its usually night rate between midnight-0700.... although mine is 0030 - 0730 during the summer, and had just switched to 2330 - 1630 now the clocks have gone back.

milliemonster

Hi everyone, sorry I didn't do my reading yesterday but I was away from home and didn't get back until last night!

Anyway, I have just read the meter now and it's 9378 so thats usage of 115 units since last Monday morning, so an average of just over 14 units a day, I don't know whether that's high or not!

But now its half term and I've got 2 tv's on that I'll be fighting to turn off all day argghhh!!!!

pandapaws

Thanks for the first few readings - everyone else who joined last Mon/Tues get your readings in now!

Mine yesterday were 2454/337, so I used 130 units at rate 1, and 13 at rate 2.

I'm going to try and half the rate 1 use to 65 - if the rate 2 goes up then that's fine as it's so much cheaper.

Lula, that was a great result for your normal use week - you'll be working miracles if you can get that down at all, never mind 50%! I suppose, as you say, you can try and move some of it to the night rate.

Last night I seemed to walk round the house in circles switching lights off. It's going to be a fun week this, isn't it?!