What is the average electricity usage Sept 2012

joe_bloggs1

I have tried to find out what the average electricity usage is to compare mine against it as I don't know if I am using more or less than others
I have electricity only, no central heating and live in Cornwall
Three bedrooms, 4 adults very often someone is in as varied work patterns
Washer, tumble dryer, fridge/freezer
Water by immersion heater on timer around 5 hours a day (showers, washing etc)
We used 12533 units from 1st Sept 2011 to 30th August 2012
Total cost for the year £1295.81 (so £107.98per month)
Is this more or less than most are paying out please?

I have tried all manner of online sites to try and find the information but they are either out of date, to cluttered with hundreds of posts or downright confusing (even the ones on MSE where there are hundreds of posts)

molerat

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=average+energy+consumption

joe_bloggs1

Hi and thank you but I had already said I had searched many online sites

If you have a specific site that gives the information in a way that I can understand I would be pleased to know of it

For example the first return is the Ofgem pdf, this states the average gas *and* electric usage but *not* just electric (I don't have gas)

If the average electricity usage is genuinely 3,300kw per annum that does not say much for my actual usage of 12,533kw does it?

(I was quoting your post but MSE forum won't let me)

molerat

From the link

For households on a time of use tariff, such as Economy 7,
the typical medium consumption figure for electricity is 5,000
kWh

The amount you quote is not too bad if it is your total energy use for an adult family - no gas, coal, wood or oil. The problem with an all electric house is that there are too many variables - types of heaters, various tariffs etc, the only thing that is consistent is that all electric is expensive.

amiehall

I've always heard 5000kw given as an average electric only usage. I can't really give a source for that though. Your usage does seem fairly high but considering there's 4 adults in the house it could be a lot worse. If that keeps your house nice and warm and the bills are affordable to you I wouldn't worry particularly I don't think.

joe_bloggs1

The quote you mention states "For households on a time of use tariff, such as Economy 7, the typical medium consumption figure for electricity is 5,000 kWh, compared to the old value of 6,600 kWh."

I don't have economy 7 and find it hard to equate well over double the usage as being comparable

Either they are underestimating by half or I am using far more than I should, thats the difficulty I am having

Where do they get 5000kw as being an average usage ?

joe_bloggs1

Therein lies the problem, where do they get this 5000kw figure from ?

As to it keeping the house nice and warm, err no, we have no central heating as mentioned and use electric fires but very sparingly, the majority of the time its just add more jumpers :-(

Hence my concern

But thank you for the input

amiehall wrote: »

I've always heard 5000kw given as an average electric only usage. I can't really give a source for that though. Your usage does seem fairly high but considering there's 4 adults in the house it could be a lot worse. If that keeps your house nice and warm and the bills are affordable to you I wouldn't worry particularly I don't think.

Richie-from-the-Boro

DECC only publish dual fuel averages every quarter. Gas makes the electricity you use. Gas is bought & priced on a two year rolling average and is predicted to be 14% higher this winter than last winter. Windmills & Solar just make a profit for other people that you pay for. A typical UK consumer is currently paying £120+ to fund government-sponsored mandatory schemes, that money goes to the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and the loft and cavity wall insulation industry, this particular cost has have more than doubled in the last year and will continue to increase as energy suppliers compete for the limited number of opportunities that will enable them to meet their targets ahead of the December 2012 deadline.

To give you one example of the magnitude of what you are paying for in your leccy bill SSE has seen these costs rise by over £100m in the last year - and that's a £120+ that's got sod all to do with your leccy has it ?

You however are a large user, it is the case that smaller suppliers unlike the big six don't have to fund the majority of DOT GOV's sponsored mandatory schemes and so don't pass on the £120+, although it actually comes out as a £90+ saving not £120+. So you could consider looking to a smaller supplier of your domestic electricity only energy. A large lump of domestic cost is the rising standing charge element which is roughlt 50% related to energy and 50% related to fixed costs, these charges vary [dual fuel again] by supplier between £130 and £257 [VATinc] so you could look to finding a saving on direct debit / ebilling / standing charge / as well as supplier.

If its an older poorly insulated draughty old house occupied all day with 5 hours of a 3kW 200 litre cylinder will heat 1 litre of water by 1oC in 1.3 seconds. Assuming the water in the tank is all from the mains and is at 4oC, and you have a 120 litre tank, the tank needs to rise 51oC. It will therefore take just over 2 hours to heat the tank fully so 5 hours per day must be two and a half tanks of water. In your case 5 hours x 25p per unit x 365 = your annual immersion only costs.

4 adult dwelling in use all day and high hot water usage makes you a candidate for making your home much much more energy efficient, it would work out cheaper in the long run than electric fires & immersion.

joe_bloggs1

Hi Richie

Thanks for your thoughts on it

I appreciate that I, like everyone else is funding the various insulation come solar schemes but also am a realist and there is nothing I can do to alter that, all I can do is try and get a little back in grants etc for insulation

I can't find any other supplier to lower my costs unless I take the risk that prices are not going to rise, and I don't see a drop or static prices being a factor in the near future

I have already maximised whatever savings I could make by DD monthly etc

Is it an old property, well yes, 1850 to be precise, draughty? no, but not well insulated although is double glazed, I am looking into insulation at present to see what if anything I can get in the way of grants to perhaps dry line the walls etc but as you can appreciate old buildings are not as easy to deal with as the new with cavity walls etc

Its occupied by someone most of the time but heating is not used unless it gets very cold, thankfully Cornwall is not normally as cold as up North

Immersion heater is needed mostly for showers etc , there is a thought of putting an electric shower in again I am looking into that buts its all lay out

Immersion heater takes roughly 1 to 1.5 hours to heat the tank, part of the problem is that people work odd shifts these days so there is no set pattern to the hot water needs, so its on a little longer for that reason
They are expensive to run but it does not heat at full pelt for 5 hours, at full for say 1.5 hours then cycle to top it up as some is used, I have it on for three hours in the morning and two in the evening

One couple are moving out soon so can probably make savings by cutting down the times for water heating etc

Anyway thanks for the thoughts, all appreciated

Cardew

12,500kWh in an all electric 3 bed house with 4 adults is very good IMO.

We are told that the average property's consumption is 3,300kWh electricity and 16,500kWh gas.

If we take the efficiency of a gas boiler as, say, 80% that is the equivalent of 13,200kWh of electricity(which is 100% efficient) for heating and hot water.

So substituting electricity for gas that would total an average consumption of 16,500kWh.

joe_bloggs1

Thanks for yours, respect the theory

I was rather hoping someone would chip in and say they had a three bed house and used XXXXXunits to compare to

I suspect I am not the only person in the Country in similar circumstances <g>