Why are we paying for energy we don't need?

suzannebridges

During the past 12 months, an independent company has been collecting data every 30 minutes from thousands of domestic and commercial properties across the UK. The purpose being to monitor and record the energy supplied and the amount consumed.

There is now enough data from a large enough geographical spread to demonstrate without any doubt that everyone in the UK is being supplied with, and having to pay for, an estimated average of 248v of energy when properties only need 220v.

This means that every home and business is being charged for something that is not only not needed, but is also generating unnecessary heat from our appliances, which in environmentally damaging.

My question is this:
Using this data can we force the energy suppliers to stop pushing the (approx.) 12-15% of energy on us that we don't need but that we have to pay for?
Furthermore, if they have knowingly been doing this for years, is every one of us entitled to a rebate?

JJ_Egan

Not again this 220- 248 v question comes up yearly .

System

Power=A * V
Reduce the voltage and the current will need to increase to achieve the same level of power. we only pay for the watts that we use.,not the voltage.

Bark01

Extra heat from our devices means less spent on heating

JJ_Egan

I suspect this independent company survey is a fake .

dj1471

suzannebridges wrote: »

My question is this:
Using this data can we force the energy suppliers to stop pushing the (approx.) 12-15% of energy on us that we don't need but that we have to pay for?
Furthermore, if they have knowingly been doing this for years, is every one of us entitled to a rebate?

No, because European law mandates that the energy supply is 230v +10%/-6% and 248v is within tolerance. Furthermore the UK's power plants were designed to supply 240v since this was our pre-EU standard, that's not a trivial thing to change...

suzannebridges

It's not an independent survey.
This is ongoing work across the UK by an independent organisation.
The evidence is available for anyone who wishes to see it.

Owain_Moneysaver

Actually the higher voltage (translating into higher watts into the same element resistance) boils the kettle more quickly, meaning less thermal loss over time, so it's actually more economical than a lower voltage.

Cardew

suzannebridges wrote: »

It's not an independent survey.
This is ongoing work across the UK by an independent organisation.
The evidence is available for anyone who wishes to see it.

Why would an independent organisation commission a survey - unless of course it is on behalf of a company selling voltage optimisers?


So if your flawed argument, that reducing our mains voltage from 248v to 220v, represents 'a 12% -15% saving in energy' let us consider the USA.


Much of the USA, and other countries, still have a 115volt mains supply. So by your reasoning the energy conscious! USA save over 50% more energy than us in UK??


Georg Simon Ohm got it right all those years ago!

Smiley_Dan

Bark01 wrote: »

Extra heat from our devices means less spent on heating

That's actually true if your house is built properly. Unfortunately 99% of houses aren't.

macman

Ah, that must be why my 12V kitchen lights cost 20 times less to run than the old 240V ones....isn't it?