Average consumption Econ 7

Dominicman

Just wondering if anybody knew what the average consumption is on economy 7 electricty per year?

Reason I ask, is i think my meter is faulty as i have apparantly used 7144 Kwh in 7months being a student wtih only using computer and tv and essentials such as cooker, fridge etc.

Furthermore the caretaker of my meter box wont let me in as its "healthy & safety" is it against the law to not allow me to see this box for myself?

Swipe

I'd say my parents are around average use. They use around 16000kWh in a 3 bed bungalow with 6 storage heaters and an immersion heater

macman

How do you think anyone can answer that question if you don't give some info about the size of the property and how it is heated and hot-watered?
If you don't have storage heaters, then why are you on E7 anyway?
Which months does the 6-month bill relate to?
Yes, you have a legal right to inspect and read your own meter, enforce it.

Dominicman

sorry, its a 2 bed apartment, with storage heaters and hot water immersion tank, i hardly ever use hot water but the tank is always on

Starrystarrynight

In the last year I used around 4500 kwh at the day rate and 900 at the night rate. There are 2 of us in a 1 bed house, but our heating is gas.

penrhyn

From what I recall when I lived in a 2 bed, Storage heater heated flat I'd estimate around 15,000 - 20,000Kwh per annum on the E7 low rate.
That was with 4 storage heaters, having a totall rating of about 12Kw.

Immersion heater timed to only come on during cheap rate.

macman

Dominicman wrote: »

sorry, its a 2 bed apartment, with storage heaters and hot water immersion tank, i hardly ever use hot water but the tank is always on

So you are wasting a lot of money by doing that. You should be heating the immersion only during the E7 night hours. All the other hours it is heating are charged at E7 peak rate. The main immersion circuit should be wired to the E7 circuit, and the boost switch only to the 'normal' circuit.

Dominicman

the boost switch is never off, so what you are saying is i should only turn the other switch on before i go to bed?

penrhyn

The boost switch should only be used if you run out of hot water during the day.

Is the main feed to the immersion on the E7 switched supply?

macman

In addition, the boost switch only heats the top part of the tank, so never produces a very large volume of hot water. You are using the immersion entirely the wrong (and expensive) way around.
Get a timer fitted to the E7 side and run that say from 5am to 7am daily, then use the boost manually for 30 mins or so if needed.

Swipe

macman wrote: »

In addition, the boost switch only heats the top part of the tank, so never produces a very large volume of hot water. You are using the immersion entirely the wrong (and expensive) way around.
Get a timer fitted to the E7 side and run that say from 5am to 7am daily, then use the boost manually for 30 mins or so if needed.

The above assumes a tank with dual elements. If the immersion heater is only single element the boost will also heat the whole tank. I came off economy 7 and use my boost to heat a whole tank of water as required.