£1000 a quarter for electricity - please help!!

macman

Tell us what tariff you are on-it's clearly stated on your bills.

elrose

i think i'm okay on the insulation front, the tank isnt even hot to touch and it's only 2 years old.

I've started looking at these economy 7 and economy 10 tarrifs and they say they are good if you have a water tank and storage heaters. I do have a water tank but my heaters and panel heaters, not storage heaters so is it worth going for these economy tarrifs just for the water tank? Perhaps i'd be better just sticking the tank on a timer? any advice? thanks again

elrose

Im with EDF energy - on an online saver 7. Last statement averaged 63.13 kWh per day and that was on actual meter readings. That gave me a bill of £295.99. The account isnt in arrears, we do manage to pay the bill every month, just about!!

macman

No one can give advice if you don't answer the questions already posed. Your posted billing is not explained by an immersion heater alone.
E7 rarely works unless you can typically use a minimum of 30% on night rate-you can't do that with underfloor or panel heating

jalexa

elrose wrote: »

i think i'm okay on the insulation front, the tank isnt even hot to touch and it's only 2 years old.

In that case there must be another explanation for the excessive consumption.

macman

How can a 2 year old immersion heater install have been hard-wired in without a switch or timer? I think that the OP needs to look a bit harder to find an FCU inside the cupboard maybe?

elrose

macman wrote: »

How can a 2 year old immersion heater install have been hard-wired in without a switch or timer? I think that the OP needs to look a bit harder to find an FCU inside the cupboard maybe?

there is a switch but no timer. In fact there are 2 switches but one is the booster so we keep that one off at all times. The second one is kept on otherwise we would have no hot water. i now realise that the second one should be on a timer and i have called out an electrician. hopefully that will dramatically reduce my bills. thank you

jalexa

elrose wrote: »

In fact there are 2 switches but one is the booster so we keep that one off at all times. The second one is kept on otherwise we would have no hot water.

That's not quite right. *Probably* the booster switch is connected to a top heating element. A timed hour or so on the booster (only) would give you enough hot water for washing. *Probably* also the other switch is connected to a lower element. Normally that would be connected to a restricted hours (or timed) off-peak supply. Needed for larger uses of hot water such as a bath.

Fit a timer yes but the 55kWhrs/day has not been explained by everything you have said, so something more important for the electrician to investigate.

winelight

If it's two years old it will be well insulated (and this is confirmed by you saying it isn't hot to the touch), and if you don't use loads of hot water then as already has been pointed out the thermostatic control will switch off the mains automatically once the tank is up to 60C (you can't set them higher for safety, nor lower for legionella bacteria, I believe).

I really think the timer won't save a lot. Still worth doing, but it won't make much of a hole in a £300 bill.

As jalexa says you need to look elsewhere.

Is there ever a time when the meter isn't whizzing round? If not then something else is responsible. Anyway, at the consumer unit turn off the circuit breaker for the hot water circuit and see what the meter does then. Is it sill whizzing?

If so turn off the breakers one by one, and you'll pinpoint which circuit it's on. Then if for example it turns out to be the socket ring, then go round and unplug fridges, freezers and everything else one by one.

macman

Until you post your accurate annual consumption, all is speculation, since it's clearly not 55 kWh per day if you are spending £300 per month on current consumption.