Smart meter- are we switching the right things off to save?

hamsmith

Hi. Sorry if this has been written before.

Last Saturday,8th sept, I fitted my British gas smart meter after having it two month . I wondered if if was worth using as I have energy saving bulbs, switch off phone chargers at the socket and various power-down devices for the TV and pc. How can I save more when I already follow the suggestions on the British gas website right? All the advice says we waste purely on leaving everything on standby. Without it the bills would be low?
Well I have been surprised to discover just how little the tv really uses on standby but shocked at how much the microwave and kettle uses. And almost had a heart attack when I saw how much the electric shower takes up. Three minute showers are ok for a quick clean before work but impossible for hair washin, conditioner, face wash, legs shaved... X 3 too as have two teen girls too.

Do you think the energy company and the green advice is doing us a dis-service by focusing on the already low used products and indication that shower, kettles and dishwashers are about water consumption rather than KW?

Do you know of a site to give genuine useful advice to get your home energy efficient?

Have you any tips from your own observations?

Joanne.

penrhyn

Heads up, its not a smart meter its an energy monitor. As you have discovered any device with a heating element is power hungry, although how you did not know that is a bit of a mystery. Yes an elewctric shower uses around 9 Kwh but you don't usually have it on for an hour, reduce you time in the shower and the cost will go down. Similarly an electric kettle is rated at around 3 Kwh, so the less you fill it the quicker it will boil and the less power you'll use.
Is you heating gas or electric?
Another power hungry device is an immersion heater.

cutestkids

Hi

Anything that needs to heat up will cost you should see how much our energy meter shows when I am ironing, the kettle as well, I have now got into the habit of just filling the kettle for the amount I need,

I have an electric cooker so this really uses a lot, I actualy use the kettle to boil up the water for the potatoes, veg etc as it is more cost effective than heating from cold on the hob.

A slow cooker only uses the same energy as a lightbulb so I am planning to buy one soon for making soups, stews etc.

The showers is a tricky one but I have seen it recommeded on here that you get your hair and self wet then turn it off while shampooing/soaping/shaving etc, then turn it back on for the rinse off rather than having all the water going down the drain.
Saves the water too important I guess if you are on a water meter.

Although the TV etc is not much per item if you take into account an average family there will be phones being charged, games consoles plugged in charging, more than one TV/Sky box/DVD player on laptops charging computers on etc then it really adds up.

inspirespirit

Interesting thread. Something I always wonder about every Winter is whether it works out cheaper to leave the heating on 24 hours a day on a setting of maybe 15 or 16, or whether to switch it off and night and back on in the morning. Or whether to do a couple of hours morning and night.
I did actually phone my provider and the girl didn't know but she said she always leaves hers on 24 hrs at 15.

penrhyn

The only suggestion I have is since retiring I'm in the house more, so during they day when moving about the heat does not need to be very high. My system has a programmable thermostat in fact I never switch the boiler of however temperature wise I set it at,

7:30am - 9:30 am 18c
9:30am - 6:00 pm 16c
6:00pm - 10: 00 pm 19c
10pm - 7:30 am 15 c

O and there is no rule against wearing a fleece while watching the tv.

inspirespirit

Yours is on all day then Penryhn... I don't have a programmable thermostat (sounds good), and I have a son with chronic arthritis. Think I might go for the average and leave mine on at 16.
I am hoping not to have to switch the heating on until at least October, longer if the weather stays nice.

HappyMJ

inspirespirit wrote: »

Yours is on all day then Penryhn... I don't have a programmable thermostat (sounds good), and I have a son with chronic arthritis. Think I might go for the average and leave mine on at 16.
I am hoping not to have to switch the heating on until at least October, longer if the weather stays nice.

16 is a bit chilly for the evening when sitting down and watching the telly. It's fine when sleeping and when active doing housework but you will feel it when you sit down. I set mine at 12 overnight and 0 during the day (I'm usually out) then put it up to 18 for the evening. It's still a bit chilly at 18 so I cover myself with a blanket when watching the telly.

Kernel_Sanders

hamsmith wrote: »

... shocked at how much the microwave and kettle uses. And almost had a heart attack when I saw how much the electric shower takes up.

Most appliances are marked with the rating in watts or Kilowatts. Why would you be shocked that, say, a 2200W kettle uses 100 times the power of two 11W light bulbs?

Buzby

The reason they concentrate on the low power items, is that (mostly) everyone knows the big draw items - the ones you were surprised about!

The sad fact is that plug-top transformers/chargers are high in number and te incremental effect catch many unawares, especially when folk think they are not bring used.

Energ monitors are pretty good at showing your non-essential usage, and gives you a chance to do something about it.

neilmcl

penrhyn wrote: »

The only suggestion I have is since retiring I'm in the house more, so during they day when moving about the heat does not need to be very high. My system has a programmable thermostat in fact I never switch the boiler of however temperature wise I set it at,

7:30am - 9:30 am 18c
9:30am - 6:00 pm 16c
6:00pm - 10: 00 pm 19c
10pm - 7:30 am 15 c

O and there is no rule against wearing a fleece while watching the tv.

I have mine set something similar but it's only on for an hour in the morning:

06:30 - 07:30 18c
07:30 - 18:30 14c
18:30 - 22:30 19c
22:30 - 06:30 10c

I'd be inclined to knock the temp down to around 10c during the night period, else there's a chance it coming on during the winter months whilst you're tucked up in bed, which would be a bit of a waste. I have a combi so the boiler's never "off" as such but the heating only tends to come on between Oct and Mar with those temps set.

OP, one of the biggest draws of power for me was my old fridge/freezer, I made a huge saving once I got rid of it for a AAA+ model.

Cardew

hamsmith wrote: »

Hi.

All the advice says we waste purely on leaving everything on standby. Without it the bills would be low?
Well I have been surprised to discover just how little the tv really uses on standby


Do you think the energy company and the green advice is doing us a dis-service by focusing on the already low used products and indication that shower, kettles and dishwashers are about water consumption rather than KW?

Joanne.

That point has indeed been made many times.

Most modern TV's have tiny standby consumption, and by 'modern' I mean the last 10 years.

Many complains on MSE about high electric bills, often start 'I don't leave the TV on Standby' as if they believe it is the major savings measure in the house. If the standby consumption is 1 watt(and many are less) left on 24/7 for 365 days it will cost about £1.

Similarly even modern cold fill washing machines have very low electrical consumption.

In fact if metered the water costs per cycle for washing machine and dishwasher dwarf the cost of electricity.

I am surprised at how many people don't have their PC go to standby or hibernate when not used for xminutes.