PLEASE HELP Regarding immersion heater and electricity

loislane999

First thing I would do is get one of these http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/free-cheap-energy-monitors

I have one (a slightly more expensive version but great for tracking down high energy appliances etc). If the power rate suddenly jumps when nothing else has come on in the house, then perhaps you have a problem with a shared meter (see other previous post)

Check the thermostat setting (see previous post) and set it to 60 degrees (hot enough to kill off legionella but not excessivly hot).

Is the tank foam insualted? If not, then deffo get a timer. doesn't sound like it's a very efficient heater in there - perhaps drop big hints to your landlord.

blackshirtuk

could it be the monthly payment has gone up not actual usage of electric?
maybe the direct debit was too low accruing arrears so the electric company (Along with price rises) needed to up the payment?

you don't seem to give a lot of information or reply to specific questions. Everyone is trying to help the more information you give the better able we are to advise.

JAN.1026

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

This doesn't make any sense to me. The only explanation I can come up with is that something else outside your flat has been hooked up to your supply. I'd be switching the fuse-box off when I left the place to go to work every day and see who complains that they're not getting any hot water. You could be providing piping-hot bath-water to everyone else in your building. Has the landlord got a handy-man who has access to your place when you're not there?

I have got an electrician to check and they say there is no sign of anyone sharing my electricity

They've done some test and confirmed that it was the immersion boiler in my flat that causes the meter jumping so fast.

But they said even if it is on 24 hours it still shouldn't use that much energy. And the fact is it did not even run fast 24 hours , it only runs fast usually at night and in the morning.

But then they say nothing else they can do. But they said that the energy company can actually control how fast the meter runs in order to meet the price that they want/ need to charge. Anyone knows if that is true?

JAN.1026

joerugby wrote: »

Ask your landlord (or agent) to come round and show you how it works

The electrician that came around was from the agent. I have never seen the landlord before and I have been told that the landlord is not in the country:(

JAN.1026

blackshirtuk wrote: »

could it be the monthly payment has gone up not actual usage of electric?
maybe the direct debit was too low accruing arrears so the electric company (Along with price rises) needed to up the payment?

you don't seem to give a lot of information or reply to specific questions. Everyone is trying to help the more information you give the better able we are to advise.

Sorry, my home Internet connection got some problem last few days, so I can only use the Internet in the library:(

I am on a fixed monthly payment plan (but they insist that I need to pay the debit amount now), so guess it has nothing to do with it?
And more important is that the meter test shows that the meter is fine, therefore every single unit that it jumps is consumpted by my flat:(

G_M

1) Go back through the thread and look at the questions people have asked. Then post answers to them all. There are still too many 'unknowns' for us to be able to help.

2) Turn off everything. I mean every single light cooker, radiator, heater........ Does the meter still move?

3) Do this several times at different times of the day. For a good 15/20 minutes.

4) Get an electrician back because
a) an electrician who says: "they said that the energy company can actually control how fast the meter runs in order to meet the price that they want/ need to charge. Anyone knows if that is true? " is talking rubbish and probobly not an electrician! and
b) it seems you did not get him to teach you how the heating/hot water works as advised.

JAN.1026

G_M wrote: »

What kind of boiler?
Combination (Combi)? This fires up whenever you turn on a tap to heat the water, so you should never run out.

However I guess you have a boiler that heats water on a time switch, and then stores the hot water in a tank (same tank as your emersion heater!). If so, there should be a timer! It can be set to
a) constant (keeps the tank permenantly full of hot water)
b) once a day (heats up the water during the day and keeps it hot, but will cool down at night - you need to check when 'night' starts!)
c) twice a day (heats the water up at 2 specified times per day usually morning and evening)

If it is set to 2ce a day the water will cool down a bit in the tank in between. If you use some hot water while the timer is 'off' it will not replace it so you may run out.

You need to find the timer, and learn how to use it!


I know you don't think you turned it on, but the only reason your electricity usage could jump like that, given that the emersion was on 24 hours a day, is that before then it was off. Emmersion heaters ARE expensive. If it was off, then 3 months ago got turned on (if not by you, then the agent? the landlord? a visitor? a workman?), your electricity usage would jump.


Your usage is bound to vary. If the weather is colder, your central heating will be on more (the boiler and pump use electricity). If you come home a bit earlier, the lights will be on. Is the cooker electric? Did you cook more the 2nd week? No two weeks will use the same electricity.

The point is you are no longer using 79 units per day!

Th boiler is a big tank one with timer but seriously I don't know about te setting. I tried to set it by pressing those buttons but no response at all except from the on and off switch. The agent said they have nothing to do about it and have no intruction book..

I know if someone turned it on it will of course use mote electricity than when it is off. But me and my flatmate were both surprised when the electrician said there is a switch. Therefore I am sure none of us knew that there is immersion heater and haven't ever turn it on/ off. That's why I suspect that the immersion boiler is faulty as no one can gain access to my flat except from two of us .

the electrician just said that what they found is the immersion boiler using the electriitu but no idea why it uses that much and they think it is not normal. However then said nothing more they can do regarding this and can only tell me to sworn it off to avoid the high bill. They said they don't deal with the faulty immersion boiler .

ILW

JAN.1026 wrote: »

Sorry, my home Internet connection got some problem last few days, so I can only use the Internet in the library:(

I am on a fixed monthly payment plan (but they insist that I need to pay the debit amount now), so guess it has nothing to do with it?
And more important is that the meter test shows that the meter is fine, therefore every single unit that it jumps is consumpted by my flat:(

I think this may the the problem. It is possible that your fixed monthly payments have been less than your consumption, possible over an extended period.

JAN.1026

helencbradshaw wrote: »

yes, unless a combi boiler. I think you need to get a boiler man in if you are convinced it is the boiler. Although i am not sure about the landlord being responsible, unless their is a proven fault. I am not clear on what is heating what here, but old boilers can be inefficient unfortunately.
Have you got gas CH and hot water, which is heating the water when the immersion is off? I am assuming you have, but assumptions are dangerous


EDIT: the other thing that springs to mind is that energy is simply expensive! There are only two of us, out most days, and indeed I stop away from home 2nights a week and my energy bills are well above £140 a month DD. (and I am more inclined to rug up and light a real fire than whack CH on all the time. )

There is no gas in my flat. I don't know if the boiler is old one or not;( all in know is that it is a big tank one with timer and a switch to turn to on and off.

bris

Using an immersion boilel is like using a kettle. A kettle is small but put it on and see the meter speed up 10 fold. Now think of the boiler as a huge kettle, when you put it on the meter speeds up 10 fold for much longer because you are heating the water up from cold. After you turn it off and use all the hot water the process starts again, this is very costly.
I know things vary depending on use but it can, which has already been stated, be much more economical to leave it on, this means the element only has to kick in for a very short time to maintain the tempeture of the water.
Unfortunately for the op this seems to be the only means of hot water, this type of system is expensive to run but not necesserily faulty. I'm surprised it's only £42 pm tbh.