Electric cost 1 bed flat - too high?

Norman_Castle

Kezzabell2 wrote: »

I spend about 10 mins in the shower, 15 if I wash my hair, which is every other day.

I spend less than 5 minutes including washing my hair. You might have different bits to me but I doubt they take three times as long to wash. A shower timer might help.

Carrot007

Norman_Castle wrote: »

There would be a saving if the shower used less heated water than the bath.

Yeah I guess there is less water to heat up next time. Depends on heat loss etc though.

datlex

Kezzabell2 wrote: »

I'm currently waiting for Scottish Power to call me back, apparently I'll hear from them in 3-5 days. but wondering if it sounds like I'm using too much electric or if there could be an issue.

I moved into my first flat in Feb 17. Its brand new (an old office building conversation). From day one I've had issues with the cost of my electric! I was lead to believe it would cost around £30 a month, therefore this is what my budget was. However, I'm now paying £69 a month.


*1 bed flat - live alone
*I leave at 7am, get back around 6-7 in the evenings. I have a horse, so I'm out most of the day in the weekend too. why are you heating room from 5:30 if you might not be in until 7?
*I have a shower in the morning and have had a timer put on my hot water tank, so its now only on for 1 hour a day (or 2 if I need a bath at night) Why not have one or other?
*It's freezing cold, the heating is electric, so I'm aware that will cost a bit to run. The living room is on a timer to come on at 5.30pm until 10 - the room is normally around 14.5 degrees when it comes on. it then comes on at 5.30-7am
*My bedroom radiator is on from 8 until 11pm and 5.30-7am again why are you putting it on at 8? when your living room is warm until 10? Reduce it down.
*I've replaced all of my blubs for LEDs.
*I turn everything off at the sockets, with the exception of the broadband (as it controls the hot water) and my fridge freezer.
*I do about 2 loads of washing a week, and use the tumble for about 40 mins, to get the worst of the wetness from my clothes! Used at the correct time a tumble dryer creates warmth.
FONT=Arial]*I have a brand new TV with an A rating![/FONT]
*I have a laptop that I use occasionally, probably charge it about twice a week.


I'm so scared to use my electric because of the cost, even make sure I charge my phone at work, so I don't have to use the electric at home.


Oh and in the evenings I tend to use candles, so that I don't have to use my lights


I keep a spreadsheet of my meter readings and in the summer my average was 7 units per day, in the last 5 days it has gone up to 29 units per day


Also I have neighbours in the building who work similar hours to me, who's meters are half the size of mine, and they are not as careful!


I've been told that a smart meter won't be much help as my meter cupboard is too far away from my flat, so I would have to walk down closer to the cupboard in order to see what the usage is!


I kind of feel like the builders have wired the electrics up wrong and I'm paying for someone else's electric, or the communal lights or something

You could make lots of small tweaks to save a little here and there. Don't pay to heat an empty home. Consider how long it takes for the heater to warm up the place and how long it takes to cool down.

Norman_Castle wrote: »

I spend less than 5 minutes including washing my hair. You might have different bits to me but I doubt they take three times as long to wash. A shower timer might help.

Norman has a point here, it shouldn't take 15 minutes in the shower to wash your hair. 10 mins for a normal shower is rather long too. As for washing hair every other day. Try stretching to every third day you could build up gradually starting every two and a half days - e.g wash Monday morning then wash Wednesday evening then Saturday morning, then Tuesday morning, then Friday morning etc.

matelodave

I can manage to wash all my bits and crevices in around 2 minutes. My wife takes nearly four and she washer her hair at the same time.

Try fitting a flow restricter on your shower - some showers can dump out 10-15lpm which can amount to 150litres in 10 minutes.

Reducing it to 6lpm and showering for just five minutes = 30 litres potentially saving over 100 litres a go.

Anthorn

To the OP:

I only just moved into a one bedroom flat as a single occupant with energy served by Scottish Power. Scottish Power came up with a monthly budget by direct debit of £31.29p for electricity and £26.35p for gas. Central heating radiators by gas and everything else including cooking by electricity. My actual usage for both gas and electricity is roughly the same at £25.00p each per month. So Scottish power's estimate was fairly accurate.

Looks like I have two things which are different. I don't have a hot water tank. My gas boiler produces hot water directly as needed. I also have an electric shower which is set to low flow. It does not actually take much electricity.

Like you I also have a washing machine and wash twice a week. However I dry my laundry outside on rotary lines which are communal for the whole block. So drying is free.

Something that may be relevant is that my kitchen heating is with Dimplex electric fan heaters at wall and floor level and they eat electricity. They make good ornaments because to heat the kitchen I just leave the door open and it's heated by my lounge radiators.

I think that in comparison to my usage you are paying too much for electricity. I'd be inclined to claim that the meter is inaccurate if necessary through Scottish Power's complaints procedure and then Scottish Power would be obliged to test the meter.