978KwH usage for electricity - is this good?

DreamerV

I'm a 28 year old in a mid-sized to 3 bed semi-detached house, living alone. From the actual figures I've updated with NPower (which came out cheapest for my usage) they are estimating I will use 978kwH over a full year. I just wondered if this was about average for a single person, or low, or high? I do have the TV on for 4-6 hours a day on average, but don't really use much more electricity than that.

I'm curious more than anything else, but also if I do find out I'm using more than the average person in my position would normally, then I will efforts to use less electricity.

Thanks

Cardew

The average in UK is 3,300kWh pa, so under 1,000kWh is extremely low.

Computer, lights, washing machine, hoover, dryer, iron, fridge, freezer, microwave, cooker????

zagfles

Sounds too low to me, have you checked what you actually use, otherwise you might get a big bill if they've estimated too low for too long.

If you really only use that amount you must be very efficient (or be out all the time ) it's only just over 100W average. That's not much more than my background use with all the lights/telly off:(

DreamerV

Oh yeah fridge is on all the time. I spend a lot of time away from home studying in the evenings, etc, hence not using lights very much. I don't use the dryer, and I have to say I'm more of a shake out my clothes person than an iron person. I don't use the microwave or cooker much (maybe twice a week, induction hob, 10 mins), but do put the washing machine on once a week. I tend to charge my laptop when at the library twice a week (is that wrong?) and at home 5 times a week. Oh, and the shower is electric, but a couple of times a week I have my shower at the gym. I completely forgot about all that! Thanks, I'll try and keep my bill below about 1500kWh and will take NPower's estimations with a pinch of salt so I don't fall short money-wise.

DreamerV

Yeah I'm out the house from 7am most days till at least 7pm, if not 9 or 10pm. I'm home more every 2nd weekend, when my partner is here (using much more electricity than I do). Every 2nd weekend I'm away from home. That would probably explain it. The readings I gave NPower are actual from 30/08/11 till today, but they've estimated for the rest of the yr based on what people use at one part of a year in comparison to other parts of the year. I will make sure not to rely on it as correct!

I had been a bit worried about leaving the switch on the plug on for the tv/sky box, but it seems like it doesn't use much energy if I'm still not using much. My meter seems to go up 3 units every weekday at the moment (sometimes 2).

macman

The main users of electricity are heating and hot water, plus big guzzlers like tumble driers. If you heat and hot water from gas, then your usage should be low-the other items are fairly incidental.
An electric shower and a kettle are probably the highest rated appliances in your home, but they're only on for very short periods.
But your estimated usage is so low that I would be very suspicious of those figures-over what period are they calculated?
3 units is around 30p per day, so that would indicate around the 1,000kWh figure though.

Yolina

I'm in most of the day and am I am quite careful with what I use - electricity is around 1500kwh a year (I've got gas for heating / hot water / hob). I think you're right to budget for a bit more than the 978 but since you're not in much, it might not be far off.

HappyMJ

For me....In spring/autumn I use about 20-25kWh per week so I suppose you could get away with 1,000kWh per year with no electric water heating, no electric space heating, no dryers and so on. Summer mine goes up to about 30-35kWh per week (the fridge/freezer works noticeably harder and I use a fan too) and winter averaging out about 75-100kWh per week peaking at 175kWh one week last December. My meter is currently reading 55kWh for the last 7 days. It's been quite warm for November.

property.advert

I use about 14,500 kWh a year. No gas though.

tim9966

Low. I also live alone, and I used just over 2,000 in a year, which is still below average, but that was with electric water heating. I've now got a gas combi boilers, so I do expect to use less next year.

uptomyeyeballs

Like tim9966, i use about 2,300-2,400 per annum. I do have lots of electrical stuff though, including a frequently used tumble drier, electric shower and big TV, so could probably reduce it to around 1,500 at very minimum. Lower than that? Seems too low to me.