Is 1000 kWh too much

palaremzi

Hello
This is my first post -- any help, advice much appreciated.
I moved into a 2 bedroom flat, double-glazed, quite new. Everything is electric, no gas. I had the following meter readings.
From Sept 17 - Oct 23: ~1000kWh
From Oct 23 - Nov 23: ~1000kWh

I am with E-On, so far they sent me an estimated bill for ~£45 that assumed I used around 380kWh. Haven't gotten the new bill yet.

Is 1000kWh per month too much for an all electric place. We try to be careful with water heater/boiler (it's on 4hrs a day). If my calculations are correct this amounts to £120 per month with E-On. Am I right?

Thank you

Fire_Fox

Are these actual or estimated readings? Are you certain that you are reading the correct meter, does the serial number match your bill? Why are you using your immersion heater for four hours a day?? I would not class that as 'careful', we manage on half an hour! Are you using the space heating yet, washing machine, tumble dryer, electric shower?

To give you a comparison, we use around 4000KWH per year in a two bedroom all-electric flat by being very careful with the heating and hot water.

E.ON_Company_Representative

palaremzi wrote: »

From Sept 17 - Oct 23: ~1000kWh

palaremzi wrote: »

From Oct 23 - Nov 23: ~1000kWh

Hi palaremzi,

Is this right? Did you take a reading on each of the listed dates and the result is you used exactly the same number of units in each period?

It's very strange for anyone’s usage to be that consistent, to the unit.

If this is accurate, then your calculation may not be far off, I'd say between £100 and £130 sounds accurate.

It's not impossible to pay this much a month with an all electric property, but you need to ensure you're using appliances efficiently. Is your meter Economy 7? And is your electric heating charging during the 7 hour period of reduced rate electricity?

Brian

E.ON_Company_Representative

Sorry for duplicating Fire Fox, I think we posted at the same time!

Brian

palaremzi

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Are these actual or estimated readings? Are you certain that you are reading the correct meter, does the serial number match your bill? Why are you using your immersion heater for four hours a day?? I would not class that as 'careful', we manage on half an hour! Are you using the space heating yet, washing machine, tumble dryer, electric shower?

To give you a comparison, we use around 4000KWH per year in a two bedroom all-electric flat by being very careful with the heating and hot water.

Thank you for quick reply.
- I don't have direct access to meter, the person in concierge does, but serial nos match, so I am assuming readings are accurate.
- To be exact the readings were: Oct 23: 14060.3, Nove 23: 15025.6, Difference: 965.3.
- 4000kWh per yr. is awsome. The way we are going, we'd triple that
- We have what they call skirt-heating units. We tend to keep the temp. at 23, so it's on and off constantly. And there is a 160liter water boiler. Last month it was on 24hrs (I did not know there was a timer) but after the reading I programmed it to 4hrs a day, but apparently no help.
- I am really not sure what's wrong: are we too inefficient or is there something with the meter.
- Thanks again for all the suggestions

E.ON_Company_Representative

:)Hi palaremzi,

As I mentioned in my previous post paying £100 - £130 a month is possible with electric heating and water.

If your heating is maintaining 23 degrees in your flat at all times, I can believe your figures are accurate. Having heating on all day is going to be expensive, as is heating water for 4 hours.

You may benefit from changing the heating to come on for a couple of hours in the morning and then again in the evening, rather than constantly maintaining 23 degrees all day.

Is this a two rate meter? Check the bill it should say ‘day’ and ‘night’ or ‘normal’ and ‘low’ if you have a single rate meter you won’t be benefiting from the cheaper rate of electricity.

Brian

Wickedkitten

You would benefit a hell of a lot just by turning the temperature down and layering up.

Cardew

All electric heating is just about the most expensive way to heat a house.

If you pay less than £1500 per year you will have done well.

Fire_Fox

palaremzi wrote: »

Thank you for quick reply.
- I don't have direct access to meter, the person in concierge does, but serial nos match, so I am assuming readings are accurate.
- To be exact the readings were: Oct 23: 14060.3, Nove 23: 15025.6, Difference: 965.3.
- 4000kWh per yr. is awsome. The way we are going, we'd triple that
- We have what they call skirt-heating units. We tend to keep the temp. at 23, so it's on and off constantly. And there is a 160liter water boiler. Last month it was on 24hrs (I did not know there was a timer) but after the reading I programmed it to 4hrs a day, but apparently no help.
- I am really not sure what's wrong: are we too inefficient or is there something with the meter.
- Thanks again for all the suggestions

I think the problem is you are being free and easy with the two things that eat electricity - hot water and heating!! Time your hot water for ONE hour per day (or two half hours if preferred), boil a kettle to wash up if you run out of water, if you are used to showers of more than 5 minutes turn the shower OFF whilst you are shaving/ shampooing.

Reprogramming the hot water from constant to four hours has helped your consumption, but your use of the heating and the colder weather has simply made up for it. 23C is t-shirt temperature and will cost you dearly once the winter really sets in - do you have the heating running all the time?? :eek: Turn this down by 1C every five days until you get to 18 or 20C. Each 1C should save you 10% on the heating portion of your bill.

Put on fluffy socks and a fleece sweater when you get home, buy an electric underblanket for your bed and turn off the bedroom heating off, put a soft throw on the sofa for your legs, close the curtains as soon as it gets dark (add thermal or interlining if they are your curtains). Do not have the heating on in the living area while you are work or in bed, you are then paying to heat the street/ neighbours, close the door of the living area whenever the heating is on.

I don't recommend you aim to get as low as 4000KWH per year, I didn't heat the flat at all between 2006 and 2008 which most people would not find reasonable! Our DD then was £26 a month, rising to £34 during 2009 as we used the heating whenever it was snowy or icy last winter. I don't have energy saving lightbulbs so there are more savings to be made, but it's pounds rather than tenners.

Fire_Fox

Cardew wrote: »

All electric heating is just about the most expensive way to heat a house.

If you pay less than £1500 per year you will have done well.

It's a modern two bedroom flat not a house! No need to be anywhere near £1500 with so many neighbours for insulation: my north-facing flat rarely falls below 15C and is noticably warmer than the communal corridors. :cool:

savvysammy

My goodness!! We use approx 1100 kwh per month heating an old 4 bed detached with old draughty windows, very little insulation and running a purely electric heating system and using high power tools etc for renovating...for a 2 bed flat i think 1000kwh roughly per month (and not for the coldest months either!) is very high. Ours currently costs approx £1500 per year and upon closer inspection at new rates, this should come down to £1150 when we change suppliers. I would definately look at timing your water as this shouldnt need to be on all the time (this was initially quite energy consuming before we timed it properly). I would maybe try fitting energy consumption meters to some of your equipment to see where the main usage is coming from and if you can cut it in any way!? Good luck!