How many units of Electricity are you using a day?

LittleMissAspie

We use approx 7 units per day.

2 adults, 1 cat.
electric shower, used twice a day and I like long showers
average size fridge freezer
washing machine used 3-4 times a week
tumble dryer was used a couple of times a month but we don't have one anymore
microwave rarely used
cooker is gas
no TV
digital radio on several hours a week
laptop used from mains for several hours a day
desktop computers x2 used for several hours a week
electric fan heater used 10 minutes a day after my shower in autumn only (to save putting heating on)

We paid £42 a month for gas and elec combined but we came out of winter still in credit so they've reduced it to £37 a month.

talulahbeige_2

furndire wrote: »

Talulahbeige - you seem to be getting a good deal for your usage.

this makes me quite happy.
We do turn things off when not in use and all our bulbs are energy efficient.
All the kitchen goods (fridge/freezer, washing machine, dishwasher & Garage freezer) are all brand new and a minimum of A+ rated.

notbritishgas

Big_Tone wrote: »

I hope not an inappropriate post, still a freshman here, but I had a wasteful experience recently which is sort of on topic I think...

I moved into my current abode 18 months ago and about 9 months ago someone knocked on my door.

Now e-on are the big cheese in my area and I was happy with them TBH but when someone called at my door with an offer, I was taken in by a very nice young man from n-power. (No fool like an old fool).

The bate and main selling point, apart from a £200 reduction of my bill if I stayed with them for two years, was how the electric per unit went down from 8 pence per unit to just over 2 pence per unit!

It was all there in black and white and I read it thoroughly.

What I didn’t know or question at the time, because I’d only been in my home for less than a year, is that the rate only goes down to that level after some 2000+ units and as a single man I found out later that I used about 500 in a year!

I’ve since gone back to e-on, not because there’s much to choose between them but on a point of principle! (When will they learn that if you sting someone, you leave and get no recommendation from the punters you've conned? Rhetorical).

I know he would have known because I told him my situation, but doubtless he got his commission; nuff said.

Caveat emptor, and never ever by from the door! A rule I broke, to my shame...

So your electric bill with Npower would be £40 per year??
I think there are many on here who would love that bill, also 8pence for a primary electric unit is very cheap (and 2 pence even less believable), which npower tariff was it?
What are you paying with EoN?

angels01

Big_Tone wrote: »

Almost certainly angels01; just about the most inefficient and expensive means of heating a room. Depending on the type you have and what setting you use, it could easily be 3KW. (so times that by 2 in your case for however long = not good).

If you really need to go the electric route an oil-filled convection heater is better, but not as instant of course. So maybe used in conjunction with a timer to pre-empt your arrival.

They are no longer inside the property. I got rid straight away without hesitation. They were both oil filled heaters but that surely doesnt make a difference when they both use electric to heat up?!

furndire

Big_Tone wrote: »

I hope not an inappropriate post, still a freshman here, but I had a wasteful experience recently which is sort of on topic I think...

I moved into my current abode 18 months ago and about 9 months ago someone knocked on my door.

Now e-on are the big cheese in my area and I was happy with them TBH but when someone called at my door with an offer, I was taken in by a very nice young man from n-power. (No fool like an old fool).

The bate and main selling point, apart from a £200 reduction of my bill if I stayed with them for two years, was how the electric per unit went down from 8 pence per unit to just over 2 pence per unit!

It was all there in black and white and I read it thoroughly.

What I didn’t know or question at the time, because I’d only been in my home for less than a year, is that the rate only goes down to that level after some 2000+ units and as a single man I found out later that I used about 500 in a year!

I’ve since gone back to e-on, not because there’s much to choose between them but on a point of principle! (When will they learn that if you sting someone, you leave and get no recommendation from the punters you've conned? Rhetorical).

I know he would have known because I told him my situation, but doubtless he got his commission; nuff said.

Caveat emptor, and never ever by from the door! A rule I broke, to my shame...

Lesson well learnt, some of the door to door people only get commission on sales, no other wage, so they get desperate and lie through their back teeth to get a sale.

Big_Tone_2

KimYeovil wrote: »

There is no difference between one electric heater and another. What magical properties do you imagine oil-filled heaters have? There is no difference in efficiency. Do you mean a switched off cooling radiator is comforting? - in which case it would be a lot cheaper to just use a hot water bottle.

Sorry for late reply Kim

I don't check-in here often and, unlike other forums, I don't get a notification of a new post even though I have looked at my settings. But no matter....

TBH, with reference to your query, I said what I did based on what I have oft been told and my background in engineering & electronics when I declared that there are better and more efficient ways to heat a room using electricity and you are right to query this.

I reserve the right to be wrong and if I have made a mistake or inaccurate post I am always more than happy to explain and/or apologise.

So then; efficiency...

I know we are talking, or I was talking, about electricity but there are more ways than one to 'burn' fuel.

If I had a pint of petrol and poured it on the ground to set fire to it I'm sure it would not give off the same heat energy which we could appreciate as utilising it in a proper dedicated petrol-fired heat generator, the likes of which I have owned, (I stand to be corrected), although I’m sure it would make a spectacular display.

I would expect the same to be true of electricity but I don't mind being shot down in flames, no pun intended, if someone of a scientific background can prove otherwise?

A 100 watt bulb for example is designed to give off light, as opposed to heat, although it does give off heat too; no argument there I hope?

An equivalent modern day 100 Watt bulb designed to give out light, as opposed to heat, is very different and more efficient at doing what it is supposed to do, i.e. give out light.

Ideally, I want to buy a light bulb to give out 100% light; not heat energy.

Ideally, I want to buy a heater to dissipate 100% heat, not light or heat some other part of ‘the system’ in a place which is not my intention to heat. (Cables, wiring etc.)

I could get more scientific but I hope that made sense...

Best wishes

Tony

Andy_WSM

Big_Tone wrote: »

Ideally, I want to buy a heater to dissipate 100% heat, not light or heat some other part of ‘the system’ in a place which is not my intention to heat. (Cables, wiring etc.)

So long as "the system" is in the space you want to heat it doesn't matter which part of it gets warm (hence all electric heaters giving the same efficiency) - although one would hope the cables & wiring weren't the things doing the space heating...

cybergibbons

Big_Tone wrote: »

Sorry for late reply Kim

I don't check-in here often and, unlike other forums, I don't get a notification of a new post even though I have looked at my settings. But no matter....

TBH, with reference to your query, I said what I did based on what I have oft been told and my background in engineering & electronics when I declared that there are better and more efficient ways to heat a room using electricity and you are right to query this.

I reserve the right to be wrong and if I have made a mistake or inaccurate post I am always more than happy to explain and/or apologise.

So then; efficiency...

I know we are talking, or I was talking, about electricity but there are more ways than one to 'burn' fuel.

If I had a pint of petrol and poured it on the ground to set fire to it I'm sure it would not give off the same heat energy which we could appreciate as utilising it in a proper dedicated petrol-fired heat generator, the likes of which I have owned, (I stand to be corrected), although I’m sure it would make a spectacular display.

I would expect the same to be true of electricity but I don't mind being shot down in flames, no pun intended, if someone of a scientific background can prove otherwise?

A 100 watt bulb for example is designed to give off light, as opposed to heat, although it does give off heat too; no argument there I hope?

An equivalent modern day 100 Watt bulb designed to give out light, as opposed to heat, is very different and more efficient at doing what it is supposed to do, i.e. give out light.

Ideally, I want to buy a light bulb to give out 100% light; not heat energy.

Ideally, I want to buy a heater to dissipate 100% heat, not light or heat some other part of ‘the system’ in a place which is not my intention to heat. (Cables, wiring etc.)

I could get more scientific but I hope that made sense...

Best wishes

Tony

All electric heaters are 100% efficient. The only losses are from non-heater components, like fans, controls and indicators, and these are minimal in comparison to the power the heater consumes. I prefer oil-filled radiators, as they stay at a more constant temperature, and as a result tend to get less hot, and hence are safer.

Interestingly, if your heating is electric, and your house well insulated (i.e. to modern standards), then using 100W lightbulbs in the winter isn't a waste of electricity, as most of the heat is used to warn the house.

loracan1

I've become slightly obsessive about power usage since I got one of the n-power monitors. Was using approximately 100/110 units a week - One adult, two children, 15year old freezer, elderly fridge, brand new d/w and efficient washer. Plus 15 year old t/d that isn't used in summer. Now using between 60 and 70 a week. Easy to take a cursory glance at it (on the tv) and encourage the kids to see what they can do to make it go down.

Most shocking was the lighting in both the kitchen and bathroom, 4 x 100watt spots, 4 x 35 watts and carelessly left on whenever anyone went in there. Not cheap to replace with energy savers but would pay for themselves very quickly. Made a point of replacing all the lamp bulbs with low energy and that's made a huge difference.

rsykes2000

loracan1 wrote: »

I've become slightly obsessive about power usage since I got one of the n-power monitors. Was using approximately 100/110 units a week - One adult, two children, 15year old freezer, elderly fridge, brand new d/w and efficient washer. Plus 15 year old t/d that isn't used in summer. Now using between 60 and 70 a week. Easy to take a cursory glance at it (on the tv) and encourage the kids to see what they can do to make it go down.

Most shocking was the lighting in both the kitchen and bathroom, 4 x 100watt spots, 4 x 35 watts and carelessly left on whenever anyone went in there. Not cheap to replace with energy savers but would pay for themselves very quickly. Made a point of replacing all the lamp bulbs with low energy and that's made a huge difference.

Similar in my kitchen, actually replaced the spots with LED ones and the draw for them is approx 2W each - makes a massive difference. Need to replace the old fluorescent tube system next, but that's more of a job than I have time for at the moment...
The power monitors really are a good thing, the background power use in my house is approx 80W (fridge, freezer, some security lighting, modem/router) and current usage over the last 4 months averages out at 4kWh / day which isn't bad IMO (2 people, 2-bed mid back-to-back terrace).