Is it worth buying a new energy efficient cooker?

Alanp

Just a thought, have you considered changing suppliers?, you might get a better deal if you switch …

Rosa_Damascena

Alanp said:

Just a thought, have you considered changing suppliers?, you might get a better deal if you switch …

As it happens, MSE Martin has a handy switching tool...

goldfinches

I read your original post with interest as I'm a keen cook with an electric oven that is getting on a bit.

Although I live alone the difference between our monthly electricity bills horrified me, you are paying over £100 per month more than I am which simply can't be accounted for by your larger household. 

What jumps out most to me is the condensation being so bad that you need the dehumidifier on all the time as well as using a heated airer to dry your washing. 

Can you tell us a little bit more about what is causing the apparently very high level of condensation in your home? If we can suggest ways to tackle that the end result would be a reduction in your electricity bill.

I noticed that you commented above that you can't leave windows open safely and I did read on another thread here a few days ago that one can use window restrictors to lock windows ajar by a couple of inches, here's a page that shows some types available Window Restrictors | IronmongeryDirect | Same Day Despatch Would any of those suit your home and situation?

TELLIT01

A heater airer is going to create a lot of humidity and that is probably much of the reason the dehumidifier is required so much.  Combine the cost of running both and that will be a large proportion of the bill.  The OP does need to investigate ways of ventilating the property, or at least the room where the heated airer is used.

clanger66

goldfinches said:

I read your original post with interest as I'm a keen cook with an electric oven that is getting on a bit.

Although I live alone the difference between our monthly electricity bills horrified me, you are paying over £100 per month more than I am which simply can't be accounted for by your larger household. 

What jumps out most to me is the condensation being so bad that you need the dehumidifier on all the time as well as using a heated airer to dry your washing. 

Can you tell us a little bit more about what is causing the apparently very high level of condensation in your home? If we can suggest ways to tackle that the end result would be a reduction in your electricity bill.

I noticed that you commented above that you can't leave windows open safely and I did read on another thread here a few days ago that one can use window restrictors to lock windows ajar by a couple of inches, here's a page that shows some types available Window Restrictors | IronmongeryDirect | Same Day Despatch Would any of those suit your home and situation?

Hi , thank you for replying. The windows are open during the day to air the house, no matter what the weather, there are a couple of reasons I can't open them at night, as well as security , one is my neighbours go out very early in the morning at 4am to walk their dogs(don't ask) and they are not quiet, despite me asking them nicely to be a bit quieter at that time. So doors slamming etc tend to wake us up and as I am ill I need all the sleep I can get. We have window restrictors and I have used those at night

but obviously, it does not help with the problem of noise. I use earplugs as well but a noise like a car door slamming is something that does wake you and earplugs fall out. They also have a business( I don't want to go into any more detail here as don't want to identify myself) which means occasionally people are coming and going late at night.

So as soon as we get up in the morning the windows are open. and of course, in summer clothes are dried outside. we have a shower which does make a lot of steam but it has an extractor fan fitted and we have a window in the bathroom although I seem to be the only one who showers with the window open! Teenagers often forget this stuff . One of the bedrooms does not have window at all just a French door and so this is difficult to vent at night, I am looking at having a vent put in the wooden frame. The extractor for the bathroom shower is not great to be honest but must do something I guess, it was replaced a few years ago. I think that the fact that the house has double glazing and concrete floors is probably to blame as like I said it is only three showers at day.

clanger66

YellowCarBlueCar said:

I suspect from what you're saying is that it's the 'low power' but 'on all the time' things which are running up the bill.  The clothes airer at 'only 5p per hour' is £1.20 a day, so £36 of your £126 a month (28%).  The dehumidifier could be using similar (the rating plate referred to above will say how many watts it consumes which tells us the consumption).

I think you need to look at another way to address the condensation.  Dry clothes outside if you can, open windows when you can, and may be look at whole house ventilation systems which push outside air (often from the loft) into your living space. 

Yes I think  you may be right, it is the small things that are adding up.

clanger66

grumbler said:

clanger66 said:

I don't have a smart meter now,

You can buy a clip-on energy monitor. Some are reasonably cheap - especially those that work only with a smartphone, e.g.

Brilliant idea , thank you for that !

MaryNB

clanger66 said:

Hi everyone, I hope I am posting in the right place. I have an old electric fan cooker, it is at least 20 years old but more likely to be older than this as it was here when we moved in. Our electric bill has always been a lot higher than our gas bill despite having gas central heating (gas heats the hot water as well). I do use a dishwasher(I am disabled due to illness) and of course a washing machine. I have a tumble dryer but only use it about once a week in winter and not at all in Summer. Our electric bill is £126 per month, evened out over the year by direct debit, but we owe the energy company over £600, they have been very good about it. I am beginning to wonder if the cooker is the main contributor to the high bill. The fan went on it a few years ago and we had it repaired. We have a small amount of savings which are kept for "a rainy day" so I want to know if anyone else has replaced their old cooker with a more energy-efficient one and was it worth it, did it make a difference to the bills? I was looking at buying the cooker on an interest-free plan etc so we could pay off for it without paying interest.  I don't do a huge amount of cooking, just average cooking evening meal at night and odd cake baking. The problem is we have an old kitchen but cannot afford to replace this, and our current cooker is a "built under" style under worktops with separate hob on top so there is not a massive amount of choice. We also have a dehumidifier running because of condensation in the house and allergies and asthma, it is not running at present in summer as windows are open, it is a fairly new model. I had a smart meter fitted when I was with British Gas and that came with an In Home display unit you plugged in, but when we changed suppliers for a better deal it would not work. I would be grateful for any advice, please

First generation smart meters are being automatically and remotely upgraded to second generation meters and will be able to work with any supplier when upgraded. The programme of upgrading them is due to complete by the end of this year. A clip on one is a good idea if yours isn't upgraded until the end of the year though. 

goldfinches

clanger66 said:

So as soon as we get up in the morning the windows are open. and of course, in summer clothes are dried outside. we have a shower which does make a lot of steam but it has an extractor fan fitted and we have a window in the bathroom although I seem to be the only one who showers with the window open! Teenagers often forget this stuff . One of the bedrooms does not have window at all just a French door and so this is difficult to vent at night, I am looking at having a vent put in the wooden frame. The extractor for the bathroom shower is not great to be honest but must do something I guess, it was replaced a few years ago. I think that the fact that the house has double glazing and concrete floors is probably to blame as like I said it is only three showers at day.

Hi clanger66, I would not have thought that three showers a day would create such an overwhelming problem as you described in your original post. Looking back at your previous messages I can see you've done the sensible thing of going round the house switching everything off as well. 

Is it possible for you to take some exterior and interior photos of your house for the expert damp commenters such as Doozer girl and FreeBear to have a look at to see if they can spot anything on those? Very often people post questions about damp on here with photos and get lots of helpful advice on how to solve the problem, here's an example of the kind of thing I mean. Rising Damp — MoneySavingExpert Forum

I'm suggesting this course as I'm otherwise stumped for helpful suggestions to make but if this isn't something you feel comfortable doing ignore me and keep posting for others to chime in. 

greyteam1959

@clanger66
The rating plate will be a small plate somewhere on your dehumidifier that tells you how much electric it will use.
Might be 2.5 kw or more.
Find it & tell us what it says & we can work out how much it costs you per day.
Does your shower fan have a over run timer ??
By that I mean does it operate for 10 minutes or so after you turn the light off??
If not upgrade your fan to a fan with one.
That could cut out a lot of your condensation.
Also have a look at PIV ( positive input ventilation )
Google Nuaire Drimaster, cheap enough to buy & fit & very effective against condensation.