Help with electricity

Norman_Castle

costing 16.203p per unit

This seems expensive to me. I pay 14.5p as a low user. Higher users will pay less per unit.

grahamc2003

BeckyC2be wrote: »

Hi, I'm wondering if anyone could give me some advice, I moved into a two bedroom flat on the 28th of october and I've taken a meter reading today and we've used just over 1500units of electric - costing 16.203p per unit, I've worked this out to be £250 for one and a half months electric. This is more then my parents 4 bed house and more than the in laws 4 bed house. we have an emersion water tank and electric heaters (not storage ones)

What I'm wondering is - is there any way we could have used this much? and if there is - is it the heaters or water tank?

any advice would be greatfully received, thanks

Firstly - yes, it's easy for you to have used that much with an immersion heater on 24/7 and electric heaters. Furthermore, it will always be expensive to do that, however, you could cut your bill quite a bit by going on a cheaper tariff - 16p/kWh is a high rate (are you sure it's not your tier one rate, with a cheaper tier 2 rate after a certain number of units?) Your tier two rate shouldn't be more than 13p ish imv.

If not insulated, your immersion will be costing you a lot (if the heat loss is 1kW, then it'll cost you about £3 per day even before you use any water), if very well insulated, much less. Whether insulated or not, I would just turn the immersion heater on for 30 minutes before I need the hot water.

You heating will be the main cost, especially if you like your place warm or hot, and especially if you like all your rooms heated most of the time. The max cost per hour will be (using your figures, which may be incorrect) 16p times the kW rating of your heaters (i.e. if you have 3 heaters rated at 2kW each, making 6kW in total costing a max of £1.06 per hour). It's a maximum amount because the heater will cycle on and off - the ratio of on to off will depend on the insulation/windows etc, and the thermostat settings if you have them on your heaters or elsewhere.

victor2

BeckyC2be wrote: »

Thank you Victor2, I didn't even think to do that, then I can see for myself how much everything is! and thank you also for spelling immersion correctly for me! I should have really checked how to spell it before I posted!!

You're welcome! Takes a bit of effort to figure everything out, but you'll end up with a much better understanding of how you're using electricity.
As already mentioned, make sure your hot water tank is well insulated. If it could use extra insulation, consider something like this from B&Q. It will fit most tanks and at £3 isn't going to break the bank. It's currently on a "3 for 2" offer, although what you'd do with 3 I'm not entirely sure.

Given your very light usage of hot water, you could only switch it on when you'll want a significant quantity of hot water. Still, a timer could be useful. The one referenced by jalexa has a boost option, so you can just heat the water for an hour on demand and the timer will switch it off when done. Eliminates the risk of you forgetting to turn it off. Would need to be installed by a qualified electrician though, so equate that into the price.

jalexa

victor2 wrote: »

Still, a timer could be useful. The one referenced by jalexa has a boost option, so you can just heat the water for an hour on demand and the timer will switch it off when done

Even better, 15 or 30 minutes can be selected with that model.

pothole50

You could if you can locate it turn the thermostat down to the lowest setting on the immersion, that way if you should leave it on it wont be burning away the kw as much.

toolmaker28

jalexa wrote: »

A range of timers are available, though as a tenant that may not be practicable.,

Why use a timer for the immersion when everyone has a timer on their mobiles, seems expensive and will need an electricain and landlords permission to fit.

BeckyC2be

Thankyou to everyone who posted. Apparently I have economy 7 and the electric is 16.203p is during the day and it goes down to around 14p through the night - not that we use it during the night. We have only just switched as we have only been in the flat for a month and a half, is it worthwhile looking to switch again (or are we in a contract now?I know i could just read the letters but just wondering if electric is usually contracted?)

Thanks again to everyone who posted

P.s We've just turned the immersion off and I'll put it on for half an hour every few days to make sure it keeps working right

jalexa

BeckyC2be wrote: »

Apparently I have economy 7 and the electric is 16.203p is during the day and it goes down to around 14p through the night

Something not right there. Typically E7 night rates are about half the day rate.

Also E7 is unlikely to pay unless you have at least one storage heater.

Richie-from-the-Boro

- ""14p through the night"" - is high to extortionate, who are you with and what tariff are you on ?
- ""not that we use it during the night"" - is a mistake, that's where the cheap stuff is !
- - the timer others speak of is irrelevant, its out of your control, it is controlled by your leccy company !
- - you must have space heating in addition [should be storage] to water heating, what heating do you have ?

NOTE1: the timer others spoke of was before you declared you were on E7.

NOTE2 : if your water .. .. but not heating is on E7 you are on the wrong tariff, you need to use at least 40% of all of your electric energy on the night rate on E7 in order to break even.

NOTE3: you are using the manual [ day rate ] over-ride on your immersion heater.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

BeckyC2be wrote: »

Thankyou to everyone who posted. Apparently I have economy 7 and the electric is 16.203p is during the day and it goes down to around 14p through the night - not that we use it during the night.

Doesn't sound as though you are on E7, more like your first so many units each quarter are at 16.203p and then drop to 14p.

In your first post,

'I've taken a meter reading today and we've used just over 1500units of electric'.

If you are on E7 you will have two readings Day/Normal and Night/Low, at different rates.

As already said, if you are on E7, and your day rate is 16.203, then the night rate should be about 6p.

Have a look at this.