Electricity usage has TREBLED during lockdown

[Deleted User]

Hi,

just to make things worse, 3 x 0.6kW x 12h = 21.6kWh

Talldave

Nip over to Ebay and grab yourself a Geo Minim energy monitor. They're great for live monitoring of Watts being used.  As others have said, the PCs don't run at full whack all the time, although gaming is probably pretty power hungry. Forget phones/tablets they're comparatively low power.

poddle_2

Thanks MWT, but we're all LED and no TV.  I'll keep checking.

MWT

poddle_2 said:

Thanks MWT, but we're all LED and no TV.  I'll keep checking.

Have have the daily meter readings been looking over the weekend?

They are certainly a good place to start getting to grips with the current consumption levels.

Another option is to get some of the smart plugs you can find on Amazon which include an energy monitor function, you can fit them to anything that uses a normal 3-pin plug and collect data on the power being consumed.

Swipe

The OP doesn't work for Symbio Energy do they?

stewie_griffin

poddle_2 said:

Thanks MWT, but we're all LED and no TV.  I'll keep checking.

When you say no TV, I presume you mean no plasma TV. The 2 games consoles plus TV's could use around 3 units each over 8 hours.

CRISPIANNE3

My energy company seems to think I would use more electricity in these months than in the Winter period. Utter rubbish. My usage is about 350-380kw a month and in the winter about 420 at most.  They have been estimating I am using 50 percent above the figures quoted. I give them a meter read every month and as I have overpaid they then adjust the bill accordingly only to increase again. 

poddle_2

Swipe said:

The OP doesn't work for Symbio Energy do they?

Who are they?! No, just a green-minded single parent with electricity-guzzling offspring!

matelodave

The only way to check your consumption is to read your own meter, yourself, and do it frequently. The bill is no indication of your consumption unless you have actually given them readings (or the smart meter has) and that it accurately reflects those actual readings in the charges.

Anything else is a guess

TBH if you only read your meter once a month (or less) and only send in the readings without understanding them then there's nowt you can do about it because you've already used it and have got to pay for it.

Reading the meter frequently yourself helps you understand your consumption and when you use it and therefore give you the opportunity to do something about reducing it.

Fighter1986

A lot of people in my area are taking up leisure activities, the canal manager has just reopened the canal, my OH and I have just bought a kayak; there were loads of people out paddleboarding and fishing, too.

There's so many cyclists out too.

This seems like a beautiful summer and wonderful opportunity to stop all electricity usage altogether and embrace a wholesome active lifestyle.

You'll save yourself a fortune and both feel and look ten times better after a few months of sticking to it

Our energy usage has dropped to an all time low off the back of this incredible lifestyle the current situation has afforded us. We'll never have this opportunity again in our lifetimes. Take hold of it with open arms while you can.