Is this high usage?

matelodave

How often are you reading your meters - I'd be doing it at least once a week to get an idea of my energy consumption to see when it's getting used up.

You'll only be able to do something about it when you know when it's being used and what is using it all. keeping records rather than just guessing is the way to do it.

As suggested, get an energy monitoring system so you can see what's happening. This is mine http://www.energyhive.com/dashboard/dave (we are all electric so it's easy)

Others are available that will monitor your gas as well. When you can see it you can do something about it

You could also look at this, it relies on you reading your meters weekly, ideally on a Monday morning and it will record and analyse your data referring it to the temperature profiles for your area (called degree days) and can give you a measure of the efficiency of your heating system v the weather. http://www.piliogroup.com/home-monitoring/ (it's a project thats been formulated by Oxford University)

Dont forget that there's lots you can do to save energy, shorter showers, shallowr baths, fit flow restrictors on taps & shower heads.

Dont run water down the sink when washing stuff inclusing you, try using cold water instead of hot (every time you sun off the cold water to get the water hot, you leave the same amount of hot sitting in the pipework to get cold)

Only use your washing machine, dryer or dishwasher with full loads, they cost the same to run whether empty or full.

Turn electrical stuff off at the wall when it's not in use, dont leave it on standby. That includes computers, printers, x-boxes and the like. We even turn the cooker, washing machine and dishwasher off as they all have touch controsl, so use energy when just sitting there waiting for a command.

reeac

northernsoul wrote: »

Usage can vary a lot depending on where you live. I am trying to save money so I am sitting here in lounge at 15C with the kitchen at 14C. It is currently 9C outside. In the evening I put the lounge fire on at low (5p / hour) and close the door. The lounge then reaches 19C.
The last 12 months to date I have used electricity 1561kWh and gas 6237kWh, but this winter I am trying harder to reduce my bills (last winter I had the gas central heating on at this time but I do not remember the temperature). My rule now is if the outside temperature goes below 5C I will put the central heating on but I don’t know if I can continue to achieve this as it feels quite cold.
By comparison in 2012 when I had lodgers (again I don’t know if it was a warm or cold year) I used 5134kWh electricity and 20248kWh of gas !
So, obviously, where you live and what you are prepared to do, makes a lot of difference.
When people quote figures I wish they would say which area they live in. The difference between south and north is vast, and makes a lot of difference to the cost.
Oh, to add, I live in a 3 bedroom terrace house. About 110 square yards.

It's not so much where you live but rather whether you own enough sweaters to be able to sit around in 15C temperatures.

tiredredhead

Thanks for the ideas, I already have a smart monitor which has not highlighted and high usage. Except obviously boiling kettle or using toaster but this is for a few minutes at a time a couple of times a day at most.

I've started reading the meters at least once weekly and have a spreadsheet to compare the readings on.

I am alone in the house currently and my smart meter is showing as using between 420-437 w currently. Obviously have my computer on, fridge, freezer and the standby's on the main TV etc.

Not sure what a normal base line would be for a home with a few appliances running.

I have wondered if the freezer is taking extra electric as It has broken down so many times in the last year. This results in the motor working harder to try and freeze the top section. The repair man just keeps clearing the ice internally and then saying lets see how it goes. Different repair man each time though. Last time I took pictures to prove to them next time how bad it gets.
We shower instead of bath, I shower with my husband as well ( a habit from escaping from teenagers for a chat) so that further saving money. I use eco washes on DW and WM (not sure what a half load is, haven't seen one for so long). Hang washing online only softening some items in the tumbler for a few minutes at most.
Now that I am moving supplier I am hoping a smart meter might be more forthcoming as Sainsburys were not good in this area.

I'll try doing a day by day check on the monitor for now to see if I can identify spikes.
Thanks again.

glennevis

"Not sure what a normal base line would be for a home with a few appliances running."

Well my base line is 125W with the usual fridge, freezer, TV on standby, phone chargers, led lighting etc. I know when I've left the garage light on because the fluorescent tube is 60W so the monitor reads about 180W in that case.

If you have an energy monitor it is simple maths to find out which appliance(s) is/are the culprits. Switching the freezer off for a minute to take a reading won't do any harm. Repeat for each appliance in turn.

matelodave

Whilst on holiday my daily consumption is about 2.6kwh. The fridge is switched off, the freezer is running together with the Sky box, router, energy monitor and a couple of poweline adapters.

Normally in the summer we use around 7kwh a day which includes cooking, hot water, TV, computers,printer, fridge, freezer (both large uprights), sky box, the router and other computer stuff.

That can increase up to around 10-12kwh/day when it's washing day using the washing machine, dryer and perhaps the dishwasher.

In the winter when the heating is running it can get up to 50kwh a day if it's cold, wet and windy.

As Glennnevis says, I know exactly wha'ts using energy by looking at the monitor so I'm aware of stuff being left on when it shouldn't be.

Kerry16

Hi,

I live in a one bedroom flat which has dual fuel electric heating, what would the average usage be for the year?

I think I am away above average at about 7000 per year

Robin9

Can you give a breakdown day/night please ?

Night time use wants to be about 40% over the year to make E7 beneficial.