I'm really lost! [Electricity]

Kai

Right, we've had high electricity usage for a while, but it's taken until now that I'm finally going to do something about it.

We are currently with Powergen as the electricity supplier, using Economy 7 I understand. However, the account got into arrears (although I'm not th eone who is responsible for the account) and a prepayment using card meter was installed. Ever since then, we've been puttingin cards like there's no tomorrow and it's annoying me a lot when the power cuts out suddenly and having to buy cards all the time, etc.

However, before switching, I'm really afraid that mega high bills will come just all at once rather than us slowly putting in money...

The house is a detatched house suitable for a family of 5. The only thing that is on all the time would be the router and network hub for internet connection as well as a main desktop PC and a laptop contantly plugged into the mains (always on - it's a server). There are two refridgerators - a big main one in the kitchen and a much smaller one upstairs. There is a freezer, a small one in the kitchen. The whole house has energy saving lightbulbs.

I've been reading numerous threads about high electricity usage and I've just had a look at the bills. I've decided to upload a copy of the bill that I can get access to online for all to scrutinse. It can be seen here: http://s87037160.onlinehome.us/elec/elec_bill1.jpg

I have read that having an immersion water heater? on all the time can lead to high electricity usage, but I have not much idea how to check if this is the case here. I can say though that we never seem to be short of hot water - i.e. hot water always comes out of the hot water tap and can get scaldingly hot. In the airing cupboard where the boiler/tank is, there is a switch that says 'water heater' on it with a little red light to show it's either on or off.

With most other Economy 7 users, I understand that there is suppsoed to be two switches for the tank/boiler and an additional switch downstairs maybe in the kitchen and you are only supposed to use the switch if you need some hot water. (The water is heated up automatically set by the timer and then stored for the day's usage?) If you leave it on, it's like a kettle being used constantly. Is this correct? I cannot find any other switches downstairs that might be related to the water heater, save for the main trip box which does have a seperate trip switch that is labelled 'Immersion' - which I assume would just completely turn off the Immersion system.

I've fiddled about with the electricity box and there is a 'Display Settings' button which cycles through various numbers, but I haven't much idea what they mean. As of about 2:30pm today, the meter read ~6546kWh in the main part.

Then there are two other readings, which are: 1801.23 (R1) & 4743.97 (R2) which when added together gives the total 6545.20 (TOT).

There is a RATE 1, which is 002.82ppu & RATE 2 006.62ppu

There is also something about a FXDCH/WK of 10.99 - but I'm not sure what this is - seems like Fixed charge of £10.99?

There is a red flashing LED with the words 1000 imp kWh and it goes off wuite fast!. After I switched off the 'water heater' switch in the airing cupboard, the led settled down a bit now and it's going off around once every 5 seconds.

I read another thread and someone calculated the usage and I followed his example to work out that if that 1000 number is true, then supposedly we are currently using 1kWh every 1 hour and 24 mins? This would also equate to using around 20 kWh per day? Bearing in mind I have no idea if this is very high or not, I have gone over the bills and their readinsg to work out some further things to save you all doing it:

From April 4th 2006 to June 23rd 2006, it was a period of 80 days exactly. According to the bill, 1128 + 3073 = 4201 kWh units used. Now, I'm not a maths genius, but 4201 divided by 80 days is 52.5125 units per day. From reading the other threads, people have complained about using over 30 units per day? This seems extremely high in comparison.

Now it was only today that I switched off the switch marked 'water heater' andup until today the total amount of units used was 6546 (for round numbers sake), so since the 23rd June 2006 up until today (20th September 2006) is 89 days. So, 6546-4201 (from last bill) = 2345kWh? The usage has roughly halved despite there being no major changes in appliances. If anything it seems more weird because my brother has only in these last two months finished uni and is now back home - he wasn't around before that. Going by that then, 2345/89 is roughly 26.5 units per day now?

I've been looking at the online bills and while we are paying using prepayment cards, we still seem to get whacked with a big charge? The last one is displayed on that bill in the link for ~£250?

I think that allthw hile we are putting cards into the prepayment meter, we can work out that on average we use about £3.5-£4 per day.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what to do about this kind of situation?

I really apologise for the huge post, but I'd thought I'd try get everything in and any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

irnbru_2

Kai wrote:

Right, we've had high electricity usage for a while, but it's taken until now that I'm finally going to do something about it.

:T

Kai wrote:

I've been reading numerous threads about high electricity usage and I've just had a look at the bills. I've decided to upload a copy of the bill that I can get access to online for all to scrutinse.

Check the real values against the estimated ones.

Kai wrote:

I can say though that we never seem to be short of hot water - i.e. hot water always comes out of the hot water tap and can get scaldingly hot.

You only need it on for the periods prior to use. You should really only need it charging during E7 period.

Kai wrote:

With most other Economy 7 users, I understand that there is suppsoed to be two switches for the tank/boiler and an additional switch downstairs maybe in the kitchen and you are only supposed to use the switch if you need some hot water. (The water is heated up automatically set by the timer and then stored for the day's usage?) If you leave it on, it's like a kettle being used constantly. Is this correct? I cannot find any other switches downstairs that might be related to the water heater, save for the main trip box which does have a seperate trip switch that is labelled 'Immersion' - which I assume would just completely turn off the Immersion system.

Ideally, you need a timer switch connected in serial with your other switch. The timer then controls when the immersion heater is on.

Kai wrote:

There is also something about a FXDCH/WK of 10.99 - but I'm not sure what this is - seems like Fixed charge of £10.99?

Sounds like a standing charge.

Kai wrote:

Does anyone have any suggestions about what to do about this kind of situation?

Is it a rented property?

Is there anyone home during the day?

Does the house have an electric shower?

You really want the immersion heater on a timer with a boost switch. I have one of the ones shown here.

Phone up your electricty company and get the times of the E7 period.

For the moment put the immersion heater on when you go to bed and off when you get up.

Kai

irnbru wrote:

Check the real values against the estimated ones.

I'm sorry to sound a bit slow, but how do I go about this? the bill was dated from a few months ago. The meter is obviosuly now showing a different reading...?

irnbru wrote:

You only need it on for the periods prior to use. You should really only need it charging during E7 period.

Ideally, you need a timer switch connected in serial with your other switch. The timer then controls when the immersion heater is on.

The thing is, there is a programmable thingy in the kitchen, which controls both the central heating and hot water. I have programmed the central heating and hot water to appropriate times and the hot water only comes on for 1 hour twice a day (so two hours total).

So what is the purpose of that switch marked 'water heater'?

irnbru wrote:

Is it a rented property?

Is there anyone home during the day?

Does the house have an electric shower?

The house is not rented. I'm at home during the day although I watch almost no TV, but use the computer (which is on 24/7 anyway).

I think the shower uses a pressure system linked to the boiler? You don't need to switch it on to have a hot shower.

irnbru wrote:

Phone up your electricty company and get the times of the E7 period.

For the moment put the immersion heater on when you go to bed and off when you get up.

I think the times of the energy 7 are from midnight till 7am.

Right now, I have left the switch marked 'water heater' in the airing cupboard to off. I have noticed that hot water is still available - but maybe I am (hopefully) using stored hot water from when it was turned on. Will most likely find out tomorrow!

I will now start a daily reading of the meter to see roughly how much electricity is being consumed, then hopefully I can get some more help with this.

Thank you for your comments.

broxis11

If you are paying 10.99 p/w as a fixed charge the majority of that will be paying back a previous debt.


If as I presume you stay in Scotland then Powergen are cheaper than the local options being Scottish Gas and Scottish Power.

Those rates you quoted are actually quite competitive.


I take it you registered youself when you first moved in, you don`t want to be paying back a previous debt.

I`d phone Powergen and question why your fixed charge is so high, in my experience 10.99 p/w is very high for an outstanding debt and also an unusual figure.

irnbru_2

Kai wrote:

The thing is, there is a programmable thingy in the kitchen, which controls both the central heating and hot water.

Have you got Gas central heating?

Kai

broxis11 wrote:

If as I presume you stay in Scotland then Powergen are cheaper than the local options being Scottish Gas and Scottish Power.

I am not staying in Scotland, I'm in the south east.

irnbru wrote:

Have you got Gas central heating?

I think it might be... When the central heating/hot water comes on, the box in the kitchen starts up and there is a pilot hole where you can see the blue flame come on. I think that means gas right?

molerat

Kai wrote:

I am not staying in Scotland, I'm in the south east.



I think it might be... When the central heating/hot water comes on, the box in the kitchen starts up and there is a pilot hole where you can see the blue flame come on. I think that means gas right?

Do you have radiators or electric storage heaters ?

If just radiators you need to get your tarriff changed from economy 7 to standard domestic. Make sure you keep the water heater turned off. You are paying way too much for your daytime electricity and you seemed to have been heating your water with this expensive electricity (and everything else you used in the daytime).

Kai

molerat wrote:

Do you have radiators or electric storage heaters ?

If just radiators you need to get your tarriff changed from economy 7 to standard domestic. Make sure you keep the water heater turned off. You are paying way too much for your daytime electricity and you seemed to have been heating your water with this expensive electricity (and everything else you used in the daytime).

We have radiators. But I don't know what electric storage heaters are? The radiators have hardly been on all summer - the thermostat has been turned all the way down.

I gather standard domestic means one flat rate?

espresso

Kai wrote:

We have radiators. But I don't know what electric storage heaters are? The radiators have hardly been on all summer - the thermostat has been turned all the way down.

I gather standard domestic means one flat rate?

Your invoice shows that you are on the Economy 7 tariff. You appear to have used three times as many night units as day units, although the previous meter reading was estimated, so is meaningless!

Whenever you receive an invoice, read the meter yourself and provide them with an actual reading. You should then be sent an accurate invoice.

irnbru_2

Kai wrote:

But I don't know what electric storage heaters are?

They are the form of heating used by properties running an E7 tariff. It sounds like your property had them and someone switched to GCH.

Kai wrote:

I gather standard domestic means one flat rate?

Yes. A house with GCH will have to work very hard to make any savings on an E7 tariff.

I don't have GCH so am not too familiar with it but I'm wondering why you still have an immersion heater. I thought all the hot water was derived via Gas?

Kai

irnbru wrote:

They are the form of heating used by properties running an E7 tariff. It sounds like your property had them and someone switched to GCH.



Yes. A house with GCH will have to work very hard to make any savings on an E7 tariff.

I don't have GCH so am not too familiar with it but I'm wondering why you still have an immersion heater. I thought all the hot water was derived via Gas?

I honestly have no idea about that. All I know is that there is an electric switch marked 'water heater' in the airing cupboard next to the boiler and also on the main trip switch box there is a switch there labelled 'Immersion'.

espresso wrote:

Your invoice shows that you are on the Economy 7 tariff. You appear to have used three times as many night units as day units, although the previous meter reading was estimated, so is meaningless!

Whenever you receive an invoice, read the meter yourself and provide them with an actual reading. You should then be sent an accurate invoice.

Ok, I will do that then, does this mean that I will have to wait for two cycles of bills? Since the first one will be the true accurate reading and then the 2nd one will also be accurate then it would be possible to calculate?