Electricity useage really high?

Magentasue

My washing machine uses a third of a unit for a 30deg wash. Dishwasher uses 1.75 units on economy programme.

teachergirl

Wow just a third of a unit....it does seem that we are using an amazing amount then. I am sending hubby out to buy the electricity monitor thing today so I am hoping that ,that might help as well. I know my dishwasher is O.K. because I have only recently bought it and I choose it because it was so energy efficient. The washing machine could be another story because we have had it for at least 6 years and it is a dyson. It has a massive drum size so you use it less but I am unsure if it is energy efficient.

Cozworth806

Just a thought, lighting... or more specifically halogen spotlights, or old tungsten bulbs?
Halogens can be 50w a piece and really use a fair bit if you have a few (we have about 30 in this house at the mo... not for long!)

If you have tropical fish then the heater will use a bit to keep the water temp up.

(Just seen a google reference to a underfloor system using about 160w so about 6 hours would equal 1 kwh, but YMMV)

teachergirl

Time to update. So much has happened. Firstly nice Eon man confirmed on wrong electricity taraff.This could be changed really easily over the phone saving me approx £280 a year.:j So thanks again to everyone who told me about the economy 7 being the wrong thing for me. Next we have picked up one of the monitors. The small fish tank is innocent, after an hour plugged in it had used so little electricity it hadn't even registered for 1p!!!!
Last night we unplugged everything. We used just 2.1kw overnight down from our regular 7KW. I have no idea if this is still too high.
The only things still on were bedside radio*2
two outside lights(fitted with low energy bulbs)
Small fish tank.
Fridge and 2 freezers
Microwave and oven etc plugged in...They have small clocks on.
Apart from that everything else was off.
We will have to start turning things on bit by bit, though it could be the underfloor heating in the shower room but it seems odd that the underfloor heating in the bathroom seems to be O.K.Or maybe the washing machine. The problem is with the washing machine it is very difficult to get to the plug but we will have to try.
Thank you to Cozworth for your thoughts as well. We do have halogen lights in the kitchen and one bathroom but I think they are on a transformer thing which makes them more effecient. However they wern't on overnight anyway. We have energy bulbs everywhere else in the house except where the lights can be dimmed but I understand that you can get some energy bulbs that can be dimmed now so I will investigate this too.

teachergirl

P.S. sorry if I am really ignorant but what does YMMV mean? I am really new to this. Is there somewhere you can read all the abbreviations used?

teachergirl

Well I have just take my now, daily reading expecting to be pleasantly suprised after our overnight triumph. Sadly day useage is 17.1 The underfloor heating is still off. Son with jet lag is out so no electric guitar(yes i did forget to mention that). I did do one wash load and the maximum it could have used is1.5kw as I took a reading before and after..I just could not crawl behind the machine.(bad Back) So total for the last 24hours is 19.2.Kw Still way above average and I cannot work out what is on. I will have to check this computer next but I think I might end up going down the checking my meter route. Even if I do have to pay for it to be done.

Ken68

teachergirl wrote: »

P.S. sorry if I am really ignorant but what does YMMV mean? I am really new to this. Is there somewhere you can read all the abbreviations used?

Your Mileage May Vary...like...your results may vary.
Put anything like YMMV into google, will usually come up with something.

Fire_Fox

Do the overnight again and this time actually unplug everything: the more small stuff you leave plugged in the harder it is to identify the cuplrit. The only things that need to be on overnight is one alarm and the fridges/ freezers. EVERYTHING else unplugged.

Also do an hour in the daytime/ evening with no power - if possible at the circuit breaker. Fridges/ freezers will be fine off for one hour. You need to be strict, as you need to know if the meter is going round on it's own.

teachergirl

brilliant idea will try that tomorrow.thank you .

teachergirl

Just a quick update...used 24Kw in the last 24hours and that is with us super concious now about what we are doing. I havn't managed to do fire foxs tip yet because everyone was around and busy yesterday so I didn't want the kids using no electric as an excuse for not doing their homework!!! I will have a go at this on Wednsday afternoon as I will have the house to myself then. I am wondering if the daytime dial is going around at night as well as in the day making it appear as if we use more than we do...I am going to get hubby to check this by sending him out at 1am but this will have to wait until the weekend.