I really need advice on electricity usage please.

aliasojo

macman wrote: »

Sorry, typo, meant AST (Assured Shorthold Tenancy).

Ah, yes. 6 months initially and month to month thereafter.

macman

So you can't be asked to leave for changing your utility suppliers.
Given all the issues described, I can hardly imagine that you'll be wanting to stay through next winter anyway.

WestonDave

So if you have an electric shower, you have to seriously consider whether its worth heating a tank of hot water, just to let it go cold. To put this in perspective when we went from a system boiler heating a tank to a combi boiler just heating on demand, our summer gas consumption dropped by 67%. Would it be possible to do without heating the water and using a kettle for washing up, and the shower for bathing?

Or switch it round, actually use the water you've heated in the tank by putting a shower on the bath taps.

At the moment you are paying for oil to heat a tank of hot water, and then ignoring it and heating another load of water via the shower. If you can cut one or other down - maybe husband has an electric shower in the morning, and you put the water heating on late afternoon to enable washing up and evening baths for the kids.

WestonDave

The other thing is how well the tank is lagged as that will determine how fast it loses heat - if you can see copper its not good! You can buy tank jackets and if there isn't one on there its probably worth asking the landlord for one or even buying one yourself. If you've any old or cheap duvet's lying around putting them over and around the tank will help as well.

The biggest use of energy is always heat so start with making most efficient use of heat and you'll be on your way to cutting costs.

victor2

I'd second that suggestion about the hot water tank. We have an electric shower and gas central heating and hot water. In the summer I just heat the water for 1 hour a day and have the boiler temperature fairly low. With a well insulated tank, that gives us enough hot water for the day. It's convenient to have the hot water for washing hands and dishes that are too big for the dishwasher. On the rare occasion somebody wants a bath, I just switch the boiler on for an hour before to make sure there's enough hot water. Not an issue in the winter as our boiler heats the water tank whenever the central heating is on.
Probably could be more efficient than that if we were prepared to change our lifestyle slightly.

To narrow down where your electricity is going (although it sounds like you know where most of it is going anyway), take meter readings daily for a couple of weeks and note any reasons why your usage may have been high. When coming into a cold house, take a meter reading, wait an hour and take another, then switch on one of the radiators for an hour and take another reading. So long as nobody has used a heavy usage item, like the shower, that will give you an idea what using an electric radiator costs for the first hour in a cold room.