High Electricity Usage

Rocker8742

Hi,

Been having issues with our electricity supply since we moved house, we've been here for a year now and we appear to be using a massive amount of electricity compared to the national average.

We're with Scottish power and haven't been on the best tariff but our energy usage for the year is 8037 kWh which compared to the average of 4648 seems madly high.

Bare in mind we are a mid 20's couple living in a small 2 bed bungalow with an economy 7 meter & night storage heaters that are very rarely used as we have a log burner. We do have an immersion water heater but this runs for 12 hours mainly overnight

It just seems like there is way more energy being used than we are using and financially its crippling us as we can't afford to pay the bill. Scottish power are completely useless when it comes to helping out and just want ££
.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

EachPenny

Rocker8742 wrote: »

Hi,

Been having issues with our electricity supply since we moved house, we've been here for a year now and we appear to be using a massive amount of electricity compared to the national average.

We're with Scottish power and haven't been on the best tariff but our energy usage for the year is 8037 kWh which compared to the average of 4648 seems madly high.

Bare in mind we are a mid 20's couple living in a small 2 bed bungalow with an economy 7 meter & night storage heaters that are very rarely used as we have a log burner. We do have an immersion water heater but this runs for 12 hours mainly overnight

It just seems like there is way more energy being used than we are using and financially its crippling us as we can't afford to pay the bill. Scottish power are completely useless when it comes to helping out and just want ££
.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

When does the immersion heater switch on?

E7 gives you 7 hours of cheap electricity, not 12. The aim is to have the immersion heater come on as late as possible yet still run for enough time to heat all the water you need before the end of the cheap period.

If it comes on at midnight and runs until noon, then potentially you are having the heater reheat the tank to replace early morning use (showers etc?), possibly using peak rate electric. This water is then cooling down during the day and will need to be reheated the following night.

You should aim to have the immersion heater switched off before the end of E7 hours, and only turn it back on (manually) during the day if you are running out of hot water.

The average UK electricity consumption includes a very great number of households who have no electric heating... which is going to put you well above average before you even start.

System

EachPenny wrote: »

When does the immersion heater switch on?

E7 gives you 7 hours of cheap electricity, not 12. The aim is to have the immersion heater come on as late as possible yet still run for enough time to heat all the water you need before the end of the cheap period.

If it comes on at midnight and runs until noon, then potentially you are having the heater reheat the tank to replace early morning use (showers etc?), possibly using peak rate electric. This water is then cooling down during the day and will need to be reheated the following night.

You should aim to have the immersion heater switched off before the end of E7 hours, and only turn it back on (manually) during the day if you are running out of hot water.

The average UK electricity consumption includes a very great number of households who have no electric heating... which is going to put you well above average before you even start.

In days past, when I had E7 heating, the cylinder had 2 immersion heaters. One was connected to the overnight (low rate) supply side, and the other (a tank booster) was connected to the normal rate. The lower immersion heater was always selected to ON in the knowledge that it would inoperative during the day. Has E7 system design changed?

Robin9

Rocker8742 wrote: »

...............our energy usage for the year is 8037 kWh which compared to the average of 4648 seems madly high.
.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

The figure of 4648 kwh is for a gas heated property - yours is not.

Is the figure of 8037 an ACTUAL figure or ESTIMATED.

Can you post some readings of 12 months ago, both on peak and off peak, and of today ?

I assume you have been reading your meters regularly - at least monthly - and giving them to your supplier.

kwame41

If you are submitting regular readings are you making sure you are submitting correctly?

You should record Electricty reading in KWH

You should record Gas reading in cubic meters or M3. The supplier then uses a multiplier to calculate KWH usage.

If you are sending the gas reading in KWH by mistake they will still apply the multiplier and your gas usage will be huge (and wrong) as a result.

Just a thought.

Mister_G

kwame41 wrote: »

If you are submitting regular readings are you making sure you are submitting correctly?

You should record Electricty reading in KWH

You should record Gas reading in cubic meters or M3. The supplier then uses a multiplier to calculate KWH usage.

If you are sending the gas reading in KWH by mistake they will still apply the multiplier and your gas usage will be huge (and wrong) as a result.

Just a thought.

Don't think that the OP has gas. (Night Storage on E7)

Robin9

Rocker8742 wrote: »

...................

We're with Scottish power and haven't been on the best tariff .............

Why ? Switching is easy.

PeterGr

Rocker8742 wrote: »

Hi,

We're with Scottish power and haven't been on the best tariff but our energy usage for the year is 8037 kWh which compared to the average of 4648 seems madly high.
.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

If you know you are not on the best tariff, and want to reduce the cost, then switch to the cheapest tariff.


Then target reducing the total kWh, and in particular the peak rate usage. Regular meter readings or an energy monitor to focus in on where you can save.

Rocker8742

EachPenny wrote: »

When does the immersion heater switch on?

E7 gives you 7 hours of cheap electricity, not 12. The aim is to have the immersion heater come on as late as possible yet still run for enough time to heat all the water you need before the end of the cheap period.

If it comes on at midnight and runs until noon, then potentially you are having the heater reheat the tank to replace early morning use (showers etc?), possibly using peak rate electric. This water is then cooling down during the day and will need to be reheated the following night.

You should aim to have the immersion heater switched off before the end of E7 hours, and only turn it back on (manually) during the day if you are running out of hot water.

The average UK electricity consumption includes a very great number of households who have no electric heating... which is going to put you well above average before you even start.

To be perfectly honest off the top of my head I can't remember, its something like 23:00 - 11:00 (will check and confirm though)

Was unaware of the average not including that, however still feel over £120 per month for our house seems high.

Rocker8742

Robin9 wrote: »

Why ? Switching is easy.

I was under the impression that it's not possible to switch if you have an outstanding balance? Which we do, and its not one that's likely to be paid off anytime soon the way our bills are going.

Carrot007

EachPenny wrote: »

E7 gives you 7 hours of cheap electricity, not 12.

Or 8.5 hours in Scotland which the OP may be.


(They also never used to call it e7 up there either, but hey times change!)