Bringing our energy consumption under control

macman

aliette wrote: »

Thanks for your replies, great start.

We don't have immersion heater, Electric shower, Electric cooker, Electric fires or storage heaters or electric blankets.
We use the tumble-dryer once every 2 weeks, the washing machine & dishwasher only when they're full 6 days out of 7 on average. I turn my PC off at night and dh leaves his on sleep mode.

But I can see where one problem might be. None of our bulbs are low energy, apparently you can't fit low energy bulbs in our lights, it's tiny ones (halogen I think) and they are all on dimmers.:question: I wonder also how much the big American fridge uses, it was category A and a bargain when we bought it (comet clearance) but not sure how much it costs to run.

How do you heat your flat?-you mention storage heaters and electric fires and also a boiler! If you heat your water by gas boiler (combi), do you not also run central heating off this?
Worrying about energy saving lightbulbs or leaving your PC on is irrelevant, your lighting bill is probably no more than 5% of your total electricity bill. The big cost in your flat will be heating, especially if it's all-electric, as it's about twice as expensive to heat by electricity as gas.
What's puzzling me is why your gas bill is so huge. If it's only heating hot water via a combi, it should be a third of that. Which leads me to think there is a problem with your boiler.
PS: if you are heating mainly by storage heaters, I assume you are already on Economy 7? If not, you're throwing money away.

Mankysteve

He said he's not using storage heaters. You could look at replacing some of your halogen fitting with energy saving equivalents they are available from your usually suspects on the high street and on-line. You'll also have to switch the switches to normally ones. Its not beyond the competent DIYer but if unsure contact an electrician.

Aldi had the meter thing for £8-9 the other week they may well still have some left.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

aliette wrote: »

Thanks for your replies, great start.

We don't have immersion heater, Electric shower, Electric cooker, Electric fires or storage heaters or electric blankets.
We use the tumble-dryer once every 2 weeks, the washing machine & dishwasher only when they're full 6 days out of 7 on average.

Your leccy seems awful high, (over £4 a day) considering it's only used for appliances and gadgets, and especially if tumble dryer only on once every two weeks.

Is heating and hot water through gas?

You say you take a daily reading what is the usage?

Wouldn't worry too much just now about lights and tv/comps being left on, something is running away with the leccy.

macman

Mankysteve wrote: »

He said he's not using storage heaters. You could look at replacing some of your halogen fitting with energy saving equivalents they are available from your usually suspects on the high street and on-line. You'll also have to switch the switches to normally ones. Its not beyond the competent DIYer but if unsure contact an electrician.

Aldi had the meter thing for £8-9 the other week they may well still have some left.

'We don't have immersion heater, Electric shower, Electric cooker, Electric fires or storage heaters or electric blankets'.

Sorry, I read this as meaning, 'no immersion heater. We have an Electric shower, electric cooker, electric fire or storage heaters or electric blankets'.
So if no electric heating, can we assume the OP has gas CH running off a combi, and gas cooking? Gas usage still seems high, and electric very high, given no heavy tumble drier use, no electric shower or electric cooker.
OP I suggest you take your meter readings and measure consumption over say a week?

Pssst

Just paid my latest quarterly bills.
2 Bed house, GCH/Gas cooking..
electric £57
Gas £54

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Deleted User]

Hi,

mmmm,,,,,,,nice,

looks as though you've got your utilities in good shape. :rotfl:

ariba10

aliette wrote: »

Thanks for your replies, great start.

We don't have immersion heater, Electric shower, Electric cooker, Electric fires or storage heaters or electric blankets.
We use the tumble-dryer once every 2 weeks, the washing machine & dishwasher only when they're full 6 days out of 7 on average. I turn my PC off at night and dh leaves his on sleep mode.

.

And you say you are paying £136 per month?

You are either paying for the street lighting or next door is wired through your meter.

macman

Given the no. of stories on here about mixed up meters, and the fact that's it's a flat, the first thing I would do is switch off the supply and check that 'your' meter then stops running.

BallandChain

Pssst wrote: »

Just paid my latest quarterly bills.
2 Bed house, GCH/Gas cooking..
electric £57
Gas £54

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Well done! Sorry for being thick but what is the blue top for? I have just changed over to quarterly billing as I have been messed around with when having direct debits. I feel I'm more in control now and no more letters saying the direct debit is going up.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

BallandChain wrote: »

what is the blue top for?

I think it's a 'thermal', saves on heating.