7,000kw of electricity used per anum...reasonable?

Clasics

Just seems rather a lot to me (I've just added it up).

We live in a 4 bed semi, 2 adults 2 teenage sons. 3 PCs, 5 TVs, 2x Sky+, 4 DVD players, 2 xboxes (God, we sound soooo materialistic ). Electric cooker, 2x electric showers, gas central heating.

Is 7,000kw of leccy silly or about right, you reckon?

Edit: Forgot the main culprit - tumble dryer!

Ken68

Hi Clasics....got this from a sticky up top......just less than 5000kwh p.a.for a family and 1900 for on your tod, if I've read it right.
Not sure about the 'so much a month' poll, a year old.

Graham1

The big consumption items are the things which generate heat (cooker, showers, tumble drier, any electric convector or fan heaters if you ever use these when it's not worth turning on the C/H).

It's very easy to get to 7,000 Kwh a year if those heat generating items are used a bit more than average. I doubt if the small appliances (PCs, Xboxes, TVs, Sky etc.) add more than 10% to the total, even if on for long periods in the day.

jennifernil

WOW! you have a lot of electrical stuff! With all that I don't think 7000 kwh is too much! Try switching something off. Why are you running 5 tvs if there are only 4 of you?

tomstickland

I'm using 6 units per day on average (3 daytime and 3 econ 7), so that'd be 2190 per year.

1900 for on your tod,

Looks like I'm in the right ballpark.
That's for a 1 bed flat with me in it, all electric, no gas.

I guess that a family of 4 adults would use less than 4 times one person, but if they did it'd be 8000 units per year.

Ken68

tomstickland wrote:

I'm using 6 units per day on average (3 daytime and 3 econ 7), so that'd be 2190 per year.
Looks like I'm in the right ballpark.
That's for a 1 bed flat with me in it, all electric, no gas.

I guess that a family of 4 adults would use less than 4 times one person, but if they did it'd be 8000 units per year.

Your consumption is good, Tom, if including heating as well. Could well win a competition, if ever this board has one. Best to let Clasics implement a few savings first tho. :=))

Clasics

Ken68 wrote:

Your consumption is good, Tom, if including heating as well. Could well win a competition, if ever this board has one. Best to let Clasics implement a few savings first tho. :=))

Thanks for the replies, you good people! Yes, I am now motivated to try and get the consumption down to 5,000 for the coming year. Achievable? We already have energy saving light bulbs everywhere but I reckon there are savings to be made in the tumble drying dept and the PCs tend to be left on even when not being used. Just sorted them with the power options, so we'll see if that makes a difference. Ironically maybe the biggest saving will be switching to Scottish Power for leccy and Ebico for Gas (which I have just done). Previously with Powergen Online Dual which was competitive until the recent price hike. I bet someone is going to tell me Scottish Power is going to hike their leccy charges now....eek!

tomstickland

Ken68 wrote:

Your consumption is good, Tom, if including heating as well. Could well win a competition, if ever this board has one. Best to let Clasics implement a few savings first tho. :=))

Thanks.
I have a 5 minute shower every morning, plus run the oven at 140deg most nights for 30 minutes. However, I've got energy saving bulbs and only run a fridge and PC/monitor pretty much full time.
Water heating is done on Econ 7 and I run the washing machine on a timer on Econ 7 too.

I'm not running any heating at the moment, but I don't expect to pull my consumption up too high: the flat gets very warm at the moment and I'll keep it minimally heated.

Ken68

Scottish Power are in talks for a merger, Clasics, doubt if they would want to rock the boat for a year.

Clasics

Ken68 wrote:

Scottish Power are in talks for a merger, Clasics, doubt if they would want to rock the boat for a year.

THAT'S what I want to hear, cheers! :j

Incidentally, on the amount of leccy consumption we have, it was cheaper to go with the Scottish Power* standing charge of £51/yr and price per Kw of 7.65p than actually sign up to the 9.79p/kw I would be charged through Ebico (even though I believe they actually use Scottish Power?). I hope I've got the calculations correct, btw

*Forgot the £17.50 Quidco which has already tracked!

Ken68

Don't know Scottish Power, but EQUIPOWER favours low users. Even then depends on the region.
Nice choice you've made.Is that right £586.50 less 17.50 the first year.
Check the vat. included on all the figures.