Electricity astronomical!!!

kingoftherodeo

Hi All

I recently moved into a new build flat, in May 2008 to be precise. I am still yet to receive an electricity bill so have decided its been too long and there must be a problem, we're not registered or something. We are electric only.

I decided the first port of call was to check my meter its reading over 8000 units and thats for just 8 months!!! This is obviously beyond belief right now. Our neighbor moved in about 3 months ago and theirs reads over 10000 units so even higher than ours and theirs is a new build also.

There are only two of us living here. We work 9-5 so are not at home most the time.

Washing 3x a week always in the night
TV x3hrs a night
Fridge Freezer 24/7
Over or hob most nights, no more than 30 mins
Microwave x1 hour a week
Heating on for about 3 hrs in the evening and 2 hours in the morning
Immersion heater is on for 1.5 hrs in the morning and again for the same time in the evening.
We also have energy saving bulbs throughout apart from in living room where we have spotlights.

Any idea what could be going on? At least both mine and our neighbors is high so I dont feel its just mine thats astronomical. Im not sure my neighbor is aware either.

Any thoughts? Im crapp*** myself as when I get the bill its going to be crazy

Thanks

3under3

Hi,

Did you check the meter was at zero when you moved in? I moved into a new build but my flat had been used as a base for the works machinery and had 5000 units or so when I first moved in.

Magentasue

I don't think it sounds high - you have electric heating. You heat your water for three hours even though there are only two of you - seems a lot to me.

KimYeovil

Even if the meter was zero (very unlikely, as already mentioned) 1000 kWhs per month is not astronomical. It is reasonable for an all electric house (and your usage pattern is high, not low.)

kingoftherodeo

I think it was 0 yes.

If we don't heat our water for that long we end up with cold showers in the morning.

I go to the gym in the evening and run home. When I get in I shower and that drains a lot of the water for the next morning.

How long is the average heating cycle?

Fire_Fox

My flat was the show flat and had the fridge left on with the freezer compartment door slightly open. Also lighting will have been switched on to allow viewings, and maybe the immersion if the electricians tested it and forgot to switch it off. You should have taken meter readings when you moved in, as should your letting agent or estate agent - did this not happen?

Then to usage ... what ambient temperature are you keeping the flat at? How long are your showers? Are you showering twice a day? Do you use a tumble dryer?

A_fiend_for_life

As others have mentioned - immersion heater sounds like it is on longer than necessary to compare in a previous flat the immersion would come on for half an hour just for a bath so you could probably reduce it a bit. Try turning it down to an hour then half an hour.

Do you have a programmer for the immersion? A little voice in my head tells me a new build should have one. You should be able to set it to come on earlier and for less time.

You mentioned:

"Washing 3x a week always in the night"

Do you have a white meter?


Do you need two hours heating in the morning?

Cardew

Immersion heaters are not the problem when you are talking about this level of consumption.

A well lagged tank, as they must be these days, will 'lose' between 2kWh and 3 kWh in 24 hours if left on 24/7.

So in the 8 months it would have 'lost' 500 -600kWh if left on 24/7. However even if it was on timed, there would still be some hot water in the tank so still losses.
So the odd extra hour left on or not is hardly going to dent affect your overall consumption.

But the important point is that heat is not 'lost' as it warms up the fabric of the house; you have in effect a tiny radiator.

kingoftherodeo

Yes I often shower twice a day if i've been to the gym, for a run or on the turbo trainer.

We dont use a tumbledryer no. Im not sure what our ambient temperature is actually.

I have a programmer for the immersion heater yes, its set now to one hour in the morning and one again in the evening for those evening showers. Plus if we go out at weekends and both want to get showered again to go out the water can be cold if its not on long enough.

Yes i have a white meter?!

Thanks Cardew, thats an interesting point!

Pont

Just check the reading over 24 hours. Record the reading at say 8pm and record it again 24 hours later. From taking a 24 hour reading you can work out how many units (roughly) you use per month. If your calculations work out to be about 1000 a month I'm afraid you will need to cut back. If your calculations are a lot less it would seem that either your metre is faulty or it wasn't at zero when you moved in. It seems quite strange to me that a metre would be at zero, as once the electrics are in the property the trademen use the power points for lighting, charging up tools, radios etc etc.

Pont

Just checked - I use approximately 300 units a month (heating and cooking gas though).
3 people (inc. 2 teenagers) - 3 bedroom house
Washing machine at least 5 times a week
Big fridge/freezer 24/7
TV (s) at least 8 hours a day
Kettle/microwave - numerous times every evening
Lap tops - several hours each evening
Electric piano - couple of hours each evening
Vacumn cleaner -most days
Nobody at our house during the day Monday - Thursday, me at home Friday, Saturday, Sunday, everyone at home Saturday and Sunday.
As you moved into your flat in May surely your heating wasn't on (my central heating didn't go on until October) so imo your unit use seems high.