VERY high energy usage but why??

karenann76

Hi everyone,

I am hoping for some ideas/help about my energy usage. According to Britsh Gas my gas usage is 4x the average for a house my size and my electricity is 3x as high.

I have no idea why! We only have a gas boiler and for the last 9 months only the hot water has been on cos the heating was broken. I have been complaining to my supplier for the last 5 years because I think there is something wrong with the meter but they are having none of it.

With the electricity I can understand it a bit more because we have been using an electric heater while the heating has been broken but we switch stuff off and have energy saving bulbs etc.

I am a bit confused but really want to get the bills down and under control before winter. Any help? Suggestions? The loft is already insulated and I have attempted cavity wall 5 times but have had ZERO luck with the contractors.

Thanks

Karen

FairyPrincessk

Hmm...is it all of your energy usage that is 4x as high, or just gas or electricity? How many of you live in the house? We've moved into a house that has a smart meter, and so far, I can pinpoint our biggest drains for electricity, although we don't yet have enough data for gas.

1. the oven. But, anything that generates heat from electricity will be a big drain so your electric heater, hair dryers, etc.
2. the dishwasher. We just moved into a house with one for the first time, so we've been monitoring how much electricity it takes. We're still waiting for gas to compare machine vs. hand, but this does take a lot. If you open it before a dry cycle starts this could help.

These two things single handedly spike our energy usage.

3. We get a minor spike starting first thing in the a.m. that lasts until bed. This is lights, computers, speakers for music etc. We're both working from home this summer but I have to be honest, compared to the above, this barely registers.

That is pretty much all. We have a very low base running cost at night which is the fridge/freezer, any phones that are charging and the router.

We do not have an electric shower, but by all accounts these really eat energy, so if you have lots of people showering maybe try setting a time limit?

I'd probably start by making a list of everything in your house that uses energy. Start with whichever you're most concerned about. Is there anything on that you don't need? Is there anything quite old that you could replace with a more efficient model? Could you try to alternate days when you use something--i.e. only turn the oven on three times a week.

I hope some of these ideas help!

FairyPrincessk

ooh, forgot to say--do you have a tumble dryer that you use regularly?

karenann76

Thanks. We do have a dryer which I use daily. The electric I can understand a bit because of the dryer, heater, oven etc. The gas is 4 times as much, just for hot water though? I think there must be something wrong with the meter.

FairyPrincessk

That does seem quite surprisingly high--however, we have a very new boiler and there are only two of us showering etc. I have had poor success in the past complaining about a meter being wrongly calibrated, I think there is a forum more closely related to energy saving--you might get better advice there are there are more knowledgeable posters.

christineperseus

Ironing is very bad too - cheaper to tumble a load than iron them.

good_advice

Have you been on the comparison sites to see if you are on the cheapest tariff for your area?

How long do you have the hot water on per day? If you have it on all the time that would make a big difference.
Our water heats for 3 hours per day.

FairyPrincessk

christineperseus wrote: »

Ironing is very bad too - cheaper to tumble a load than iron them.

I might have to use this one sometime.:rotfl: No, really, it isnt that I'm lazy... ironing is too expensive! Otherwise I would be perfectly pressed at all times:A

macman

Unless you state your annual consumption in kWh for each fuel then it's impossible to give meaningful advice. Look at your annual statement or bills for it, or ask BG.
Using electricity for heating instead of gas is insane, as it's approx 300% more expensive per kWh. Heating and hot water form the vast bulk of your energy bills-a few energy-saving bulbs won't cancel that out! If it has been broken for 9 months then you've gone through the entire previous winter heating by electricity-so that would potentially add hundreds to your bill. I suggest you get it fixed as a priority.
The other big ticket item will of course be the tumble drier if used daily.
You can do your own test on the electricity meter using a 1000W bar fire or similar for one hour-it should use around 1kWh with everything else off. If you really think that the gas meter is faulty then insist on a change and test-you will only be charged if it isn't. And £60 or so for that is a fraction of the money you appear to be wasting monthly if you are spending upwards of £4K pa on gas and electricity.
Are you on the cheapest tariff?

sonastin

If your boiler isn't working properly, that could be the reason why your gas consumption is through the roof - makes more sense that the thing you know is broken is the cause than assuming the meter is also faulty. Have you had a gas engineer look at the boiler? I'd be making that my priority if I were you - if only to check it is safe if you can't afford the cost of repair/replacement.

Anne_Marie_2

Is it possible that you could switch everything off and check your meters to see if they are still clocking up usage?
Gradually switch items on to clock what is eating up your power.
I know that when our central heating boiler broke, and was using electric heaters, the meter was spinning like mad. Tumble drying also eats up the electric. No idea about your gas usage though.
Might be worth investing in a new boiler before winter sets in, or get the one you have repaired if possible. When ours went, we were advised to replace, as it was quite old and wouldn't be cost effective. I always prefer a combi boiler which heats up the water as you use it, think it's cheaper energy wise.