Electricity usage has TREBLED during lockdown

poddle_2

Hello!  Has anyone else's electricity bill gone up dramatically since the lockdown?  I have three teens and a younger child.  Last year, we were using (according to our last bill) 6kWh per day average and this year, for the same period, it has gone up to 19kWh per day.  I am horrified!  The main reasons, I think, must be: using shower for longer (but this increase of 13kWh represents an extra 1.5 hours a day at full pelt.  Hard to believe).  They are also cooking snacks separately, but using an induction hob so this is fairly low power and quite efficient.  They are on their Xboxes/PC for more hours that is good for them (and they argue I can't turn off the internet to stop them as all homework is done online at the moment), and charging phones, so could this the most likely explanation?  Any sensible suggestions as to how to bring it back down? 

Robin9

6Kwh was certainly as much below average as 19Kwh is above - I assume you're using actual readings and there are no estimates involved.  
Overall has your household budget - petrol, transport, haircuts etc - gone down.?

Martin_the_Unjust

You forgot the kettle, I expect that use has gone up.

.......and tell them to stop cooking snacks!

dogshome

For a family of 2 adults, 2 teenagers and a younger child all useing an Elec heated shower, a daily consumption of just 6 Kwh is unbelievably low, and that is discounting all the other Elec appliances - Check this earlier Bill for Estimated reads.

That said, 19Kw a day seems a lot and could be caused by a faulty appliance, Fridges & Freezers are prime suspects

avoidtheupsidedownbottles

Gaming PCs have typically 600 watt power supplies these days.  The power use will vary, but if switched on all day, that is a significant consumer.  Presumably games consoles are similar.

Grumpy_chap

The first thing to do is to check what your actual demand is per day.  Do this by taking a reading at a suitable time today and then again at the same time tomorrow.  This will give you a 24-hour consumption that you can treat as your base-line.  If your previous 'consumption' was based upon estimated readings and then the actual reading has been entered, that could skew things dramatically.  Doing the 24-hour consumption may be enough to set your mind at rest.

The electronics are all probably low loads and significant energy is really in heating and cooling, so consider the following:

• Space heating
• Air conditioning
• Cooking
• Tumble drier
• Hot Tub
• Hot water / showers / baths
• Kettle / Cooking
• Leaving the fridge door open
• Electric car

Hope this helps, do feedback with what you find.

JJ_Egan

Nope mine is roughly the same .

But i always work from turn everything off and check usage .

Grumpy_chap

How does the OP's lockdown electricity consumption compare with their normal weekend or Easter / half term holiday consumption for this time of the year?  That seems to be the most relevant comparison.

matelodave

Is this "bill" you are talking about based on actual meter readings or some notional guess by the energy company. Your can only tell what your consumption is relative to this time last year if you've got ACTUAL meter readings (both this year and last years) to compare it with.

Our bill has certainly gone up a bit because we are cooking more than we would normally and the oven is being used more (we've been doing a bit of baking as well). We are also using the fridge/freezer in our caravan as well as the one indoors (which is accounting for an extra 4kwh a day - it's not ever so efficient) My wife has been dressmaking so flogging the sewing machine and steam iron a lot more. Several hours a week on Zoom & Skype etc will also bump it up a bit so you need to try and identify what is using it all. 

As others have said, if there are more computers/TVs/game boxes in use for longer than normal. Extra time being spent in the shower and possibly more of them being taken, more tea, coffee, snacks and meals especially if every one is in all day instead of at work, out or at school/college/university etc)

I've been reading my meter weekly for the past 10 years (and still have the records to prove it) and I reckon we were up by around 75kwh in April but as we'd normally be away in May we've already used 100kwh more than our May average (but my wife has sneakily had the heating on which would normally have been off)

poddle_2

Thanks to all the forumites who have responded so quickly and helpfully so far. I'm new to posting so apologies if I need to thank individuals!  To clarify: the low readings of previous years were based on regular meter reads and this bill is a closing balance - again based on an actual reading. 

Two games consoles and desktop PC (plus a laptop and three phones - phones are used simultaneously with the consoles as they 'multitask') are being used for 10 hours a day (I am totally ashamed and saddened to report), which at 600W (suggested above) for the PC and two consoles could account for:

3 x 0.6kW x 12h = 13.8kWh

- a suitably shocking result that could go some considerable way to explaining the hike, although I doubt they all draw that much all the time.

I feel I can discount other usage as I am pretty frugal, we have solar panels and the last three months have been sunny.  We have no space heating - no heating at all, in fact; no air-con, hot water tank or instant electric water heater (just shower and kettle); no tumble drier, hot tub or electric car.  Appliances are efficient; kettle used about ten times a day.

We shall monitor our meter daily from here on and report back.  The biggest difference may be when they return to school, if they do any time soon...

MWT

avoidtheupsidedownbottles said:

Gaming PCs have typically 600 watt power supplies these days.  The power use will vary, but if switched on all day, that is a significant consumer.  Presumably games consoles are similar.

The power supply may be rated at 600W, mine for example is 750W, but the actual power consumption will typically be a lot lower, mine is rarely pulling much over 300W even under heavy use.

I'd suggest looking for the less obvious candidates like halogen spots in the lounge or kitchen or perhaps a plasma TV that is getting more use than usual...