Electricity usage increased after moving home

Mindmodic

I moved home, and my electricity usage has gone up.

For a period of 50 days during October 2012 & November 2012, I used 197 kWh of electricity, no gas, so this energy usage included that for the shower, the oven and also the heater.

For a period of 44 days over December 2012 & January 2013, I used 222 kWh of electricity, AND 1017 kWh of Gas.

I'm not concerned about the gas so much, as it's been cold and I've had the gas heating on.

I'm not sure how I can be using more electricity now, than I was before, since the heating, the shower and the cooker are all gas.

Does gas central heating use much electricity to fire up?

DPJames

It's Winter, it's dark, you use your lights more. Durrrrr!

Plus the water will be colder now and will cost your shower more to heat it up, whether it's electric or gas (You've said your shower runs on both (?))

molerat

My CH uses around 50-60 watts when burning (pump, fan, gas valves, zone valves) so yes it does use some but not an awful lot. Your electricity use is well below average, 4 - 5 kWh daily, when the average is around 10 per day.

closed

an average of 210 watts/hour is very low, a big tv could use that on it's own, then there are lights, fridge/freezer, washing machine, ch pump, shower, pc's, gadgets etc.

Mindmodic

DPJames: I cannot imagine that using 1 7 watt light bulb an extra two hours a day during winter will make up for that.

The only other thing that is powered by the electric is my computer, my fridge and the washing machine, and none of which are turned on more often then they were at my previous place.

I did always have low energy usage, I live alone, so only the energy for one person, and didn't have hot water turned on since it was heated by the shower itself in my old place so was unnecessary.

Thing is from what I can tell, the electricity use shouldn't have changed, and should have actually reduced since three of the major uses of electricity, that is the shower, the cooker and the radiator, are now using gas instead of electricity.

wizzards

Get an energy monitor and then you will see. Many utility companies were giving them free. Just search in Google for your suppliers name and the words "free energy monitor" and you might find you can get one free or very cheap.

Then you can switch things on and off and see the consumption go up and down. Beware this can become an addiction if you are the bill payer and see others wasting energy. In your case this will not be the case as you say you live alone.

Have you bought new appliances for your house. Tumble Dryer or other such appliance.

fed_up_and_stressed

Just because you are using the same appliances in your new home doesn't mean you are using them in exactly the same way what i mean is things like tumble dryers being used .. More rooms lights on ..

You say you have 1 bulb a fridge a computer and washing machine .... So you dont own a tv hairdryer etc etc only have 1 light in your entire house .
.. Wow .

Things like your shower use electric and obviously the different shower from your old home will have differing electricity efficiencies.

I think to say that you should be using your electricity in the same way regardless of where you live is sadly a bit simplistic i definately suggest as has been mentioned an energy monitor so you can see where your energy is being used... However there is a lot of stuff powered by electricity people forget about

Mindmodic

fed_up_and_stressed wrote: »

Just because you are using the same appliances in your new home doesn't mean you are using them in exactly the same way what i mean is things like tumble dryers being used .. More rooms lights on ..

You say you have 1 bulb a fridge a computer and washing machine .... So you dont own a tv hairdryer etc etc only have 1 light in your entire house .
.. Wow .

Things like your shower use electric and obviously the different shower from your old home will have differing electricity efficiencies.

I do only have 1 bulb on, I don't have a TV or a hairdryer! I don't leave anything on standby except my modem. The shower is just a tap attachment so is just hot water from the gas central heating, so is nothing to do with the electricity.

Perhaps I'll switch the kitchen light on if I go in there but I turn it off afterwards and this usage hasn't changed from what I used in my old place.

I'll have a look into the energy monitor though.

molerat

Is the hot water from a combi or stored tank, if a tank is there an immersion heater left on ? Are you in a flat or a house, if a flat is it your meter, are you supplying communal lighting ? Outside floodlights ?