Dreading Winter can't switch economy 10

Ids61

HI Folks
Don't know what to do for the best, my monthly direct debit for electric is now £190 per month for electric.
We are on economy 10 with Sse 0.07 per kwh off peak & 0.14 peak.
We use an electric boiler to heat our radiators in the winter.
No Gas.Our cottage is fairly large, old with solid stone Walls.
I have looked to switch online and called providers.
Eons online product would actualy be cheaper at 0.09p ish per kwh.
Eon suggested I ask my existing company to change my meter. Rather nervous of this. Use an iPhone app to log usage, this shows that most months of year we use about £43 per month.
December 2010 this shot up to £480. Will have to be colder this winter, as cannot pay any more for electric.
I think Storage heaters would be cheaper? !
I would find it hard to find the money to change anything though.
Any advice I thank in advance.

jalexa

Ids61 wrote: »

my monthly direct debit for electric is now £190 per month for electric.

Use an iPhone app to log usage, this shows that most months of year we use about £43 per month. December 2010 this shot up to £480

I'm afraid there are no easy (as in cheap) solutions. However your post doesn't indicate that you have fully embraced "energy efficiency". Where does the iPhone app get its usage information from? You say "most months are £43". How many *exactly*? So, December was £480, what about the other (non £43) months? It's difficult to give meaningful advice without more complete data.

How many rooms? How many rooms have radiators from the electric boiler. BTW is it a storage boiler or an instant boiler? How many of the radiators have TRVs fitted? Reflective foil behind if fitted on an external wall? Less iPhone perhaps and more thermometers would give better data. How warm do you (try) to keep the rooms? Perhaps fewer rooms need the radiators on. Could you use cheap to buy radiant heaters in intermittently occupied rooms? Does the main occupied room have a thermostat? If so what temperature do you set? Is the house occupied during the working day?

Insulation is not easy (as in cheap) in old solid wall constructions but have you explored the easiest energy efficiency options such as draughtproofing and loft insulation? Access to insulation grants?

I do not think it is a gimme that storage heaters would be better because they are particularly poor in poorly insulated solid wall constructions. No form of electric heating is cheap unfortunately. Fractional savings from switching (even if it was possible) will not make much difference.

Food for thought.

Ids61

Thank s for the reply jelaxa,
The boiler is a instant boiler, thermostat is in living room set on 18.
Have full data which I will post up, I have tried to control our bills, I have a energy meter.The loft is insulated, no money to change windows etc, particularly as conservation area.
Grants?? Do they exist.
Thanks

savemoney

I feel for you OP, I dread Winter too especially as I have had two increases this year and my income is actually dropped let alone increase in inflation

Only thing I can suggest is check energy saving trust site for up-to-date grants

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Easy-ways-to-stop-wasting-energy/Energy-saving-grants-and-offers/Grants-and-Discounts-Database

Next year there are grants for home owners where you get a loan and only pay back on energy you save through insulation measures etc

savemoney

The only other thing I suggest is lag and insulation what you can doesnt costs that much I believe you can get 3 rolls of insulation for £3

3 Rolls of Loft Insulation for £3 @ B&Q



Also wear plenty of layers of clothing 2-3 layers rather than one thick layer, the air tapped acts as insulation

Premier_2

Ids61 wrote: »

HI Folks
Don't know what to do for the best, my monthly direct debit for electric is now £190 per month for electric.
We are on economy 10 with Sse 0.07 per kwh off peak & 0.14 peak.
We use an electric boiler to heat our radiators in the winter.
No Gas.Our cottage is fairly large, old with solid stone Walls.
I have looked to switch online and called providers.
Eons online product would actualy be cheaper at 0.09p ish per kwh.
Eon suggested I ask my existing company to change my meter. Rather nervous of this. Use an iPhone app to log usage, this shows that most months of year we use about £43 per month.
December 2010 this shot up to £480. Will have to be colder this winter, as cannot pay any more for electric.
I think Storage heaters would be cheaper? !
I would find it hard to find the money to change anything though.
Any advice I thank in advance.

Sorry, but how is 9p less than 7p?

Here's some info about SSE Economy 10 and how to make the most of it

http://www.21stcenturyheating.com/assets/files/E10%20Leaflet%20Customer%20SE(1).pdf

jalexa

Ids61 wrote: »

Thank s for the reply jelaxa,

Have full data which I will post up, I have tried to control our bills, I have a energy meter..

Sorry if I'm preaching things you already know, but I partly post for others...and I hope to find out about electric boilers on E10:).

I think the first piece of advice (and its cost-free in its effect) is to scrutinise very very closely the hours that E10 is delivering "cheap rate" energy. If you don't know you might need to ask your supplier. Then make sure that you are satisfied the fitted timer is actually delivering the tariff hours. Is it radio-controlled (or tele-switched)?

Then you need to understand the excess cost in using full price electricity for the boiler. BTW how is that switched-in? How are you aware when the boiler is using full price electricity (if that is possible)? I guess my point might be that if you have to use full price electricity maybe a radiant heater would be more effective at the same electricity cost.

I think the key to controlling costs is not temperature but time. A "programmable stat" in the main room would work wonders by allowing to you to set different temperatures at different times. OK, I realise you don't want to spend money but think about the effect. Maybe one of the grants in the other post might help.

Richie-from-the-Boro

The prob is not the E7 / E10 / water / electric - but the fact that the cheap stuff is not stored. What the O/P has is leccy @ 100% eFF over water & pipes radiating loss & transport & pumps, and the probability that the tank is not E7 / E10 compliment with only a top end stat & element.

Given the poor insulation and lack of financial access to anything other than what is already there - leccy, the comment made on the in-affordability is something the O/P should reconsider !.

Rather !, the consideration at a £150 a pop to store the cheap leccy .. .. you know one this year one next year etc, can the O/P afford not to improve their existing circumstance.

* You both live in one room for most of your waking hours, a 3 kWh storage rad is about £150 [ ask a council worker, he will prolly give you 5 free ones to save travelling to the dump with them ] put just one in that main room and your costs will drop considerably.

Till then _ _

* Use the max leccy you can with your current E10 from midnight till 5am / 4 till 8 / and 10 till midnight - and stay off it outside those hours.

________________
Most people can triple the thickness of their exiting loft insulation free. even under the CONdems its still free to many - how old is you mother - go~grab~a~grant - O/P

spiro

There are 2 other options for your windows; (1) Put cling film across them (seen this posted elsewhere) or (2) get some sheets of perspex the same size as the whole window frame and put this up (just double sided tape to frame). Both will help reduce heat loss.

Also depending on your front and back doors put thick curtains across them to keep draft/cold out and keep heat in.

victor2

Some good suggestions so far.
I would guess that your £43 monthly usage is for a month without heating and £480 a particularly cold month. So, unless you are paying off an existing debt, the £190 per month should cover a typical year. If it is based on last winter's usage, then it could be a little high as we hopefully won't have such a harsh winter this year.
By this time last year, I already had my central heating on, so am currently using less energy as it's not on yet.
Double check that your boiler timer does match your economy 10 cheaper rates. With the main living room thermostat at 18, that is not particularly warm, but are there radiators elsewhere you could turn right down, but not switch off?

JC_Derby

Can you get free solar panels?