New Build Flat problems (electric/heating/air vents)

Legacy_user

Hi, I wondered if anyone could provide me with home heating/electric water heater/window advice?

I moved into a new build flat (in Oct 2008). It has 3 rooms, a hall and a bathroom. It's on a main road, which I obviously knew when I moved in but I didn't think it would be quite so noisy... or expensive to run!

I've just got my 1st electric bill and it is really high, even though I've been quite cold through the winter. All heating is via modern electric heaters (not storage) - these are NOBO panel radiators. I keep my heating on so that the flat is between 13-16 degrees whilst I'm at home and awake (turn it off at night), and sometimes put it up to 19-20 degrees when I have guests (about once a week). I'm not sure whether I should change to economy 7 or if this would make it more costly. Any advice welcome.

Hot water - is via a pulsacoil A class thermal store which I don't really understand how to use. In the instruction manual, it says not to turn off the hot water system as it costs more to heat it back up, so I haven't, but I have figured out that I don't actually need it on most of the time - I only use the hot water twice a week for a bath/shower (washing machine is via a cold feed and for day to day washing I wash in cold water). I'm not sure whether to turn this off the hot water and only switch on when I need it, or if this will indeed be more costly.

Finally, I have windows which have large air vents at the top, these can be closed over, but even when closed they let in a draft and the noise is rather bad (I live next to a pub, main road, and in between two student halls of residence...I know I should have thought about this before moving, but was won over by the shiny newness!!!). Anyway, sleeping is proving rather difficult apart from between 3am and 6am when it is quieter. Is there any way that I can block these vents up to reduce the noise level/keep my flat warmer? I do open my windows each day to let the fresh air in and circulate, so have no real need for the vents...or do I?

Any advice would be very gratefully received.

Thank you.

edgex

if its a newbuild, you shouldnt be cold, as it should meet the current requirements in terms of insulation, & it should be double-glazed.
there should also be a decent level of noise insulation, due to its location.
check with the council planning department on these.

heating:
obvious, but turn them off completely when you dont need them
eg, turn off bedroom heating when you get up
dont turn on heating in lounge until you get home, & then bedroom a little while before going to bed
if they have timers use them

where else do you have heaters?


hot water:
after looking up what a pulsacoil is, it seems it should run off your off-peak electric. (make sure you have this, & that the system is set-up properly)
dont turn it off. it uses the off-peak power to heat a tank of water in the device, then when you turn on a hot tap, it runs the incoming water through this to heat up the water you want.
off-peak is an overnight thing, so the best time to use the hot water is in the morning.

you need to contact your electricty supplier to find out when their off-peak is.
use this period for other things as well, eg washing machine.


ive just re-read your post, you mention changing to economy7
are you not already on it, or similar?