Octopus Energy Hike in bills.

Just-asking_4

I have worked out the pumps are costing around £500 per year at the minute, 1 runs the filter over winter for 6 months, then 3 in the summer for 6 months. I do clean them regularly and there is only ever the usual gunk in them. 

BooJewels

My brain doesn't work well with figures and no matter how hard I try I cannot get my head around my electricity issues, so I have checked readings for 7 days and I wonder if anyone can tell me how much energy I am using daily please.

If you remove the leading zeros from your numbers and the decimal point and those decimal digits, it makes it easier to see the actual number to calculate your energy usage, thus:

M  67589
T   67606 = 17 kWh = approx £5.04
W  67623 = 17 kWh = approx £5.04
T   67639 = 16 kWh = approx £4.76
F   67656 = 17 kWh = approx £5.04
S   67671 = 15 kWh = approx £4.48
S   67688 = 17 kWh = approx £5.04  I've used my own Octopus tariff, so yours may differ a little

I know there is a tendency here for people to throw their hands up in horror when anyone uses more electricity than them, but with three pond pumps going and 2 adults using electric showers etc, your usage above sounds reasonable to me - not astronomic enough for you to consider that you're paying next door as well.

I'm living on my own and use 13kWh average per day in summer - but I know and understand my usage - and choose to do things the way that I do, as I work from home and have computers running all day and lights on, as I live in an old cottage with either small windows, or low windows and one side of the house is flanked by woodland, so dark - so have a lot of LED lamps coming on on timers etc., plus a dehumidifier and heater in the cellar.

I'm amused that my pump stone is still remembered!  But Robin makes a valid point - at another property (not my home), a water clearance pump outside had become blocked by a perfectly sized pebble and significantly increased the electricity usage until we found it - when we did, the water in the sump around it was hot!  That was where the electricity was going.  So continue checking your pumps, but in a pond, they're less likely to get a rogue pebble stuck - mine was drawing water from flooding across the garden.

Robin9

Just-asking_4 said:

I have worked out the pumps are costing around £500 per year at the minute, 1 runs the filter over winter for 6 months, then 3 in the summer for 6 months. I do clean them regularly and there is only ever the usual gunk in them. 

Wow  -   you do realise that this is more than some properties consume.

As @BooJewels says  -  not surprised at the size of your consumption and consequent cost

pochase

@sienew said:

I don't know what to suggest other than to get an electrician in to check what is going on. You can't possibly be using the amount of electricity that Octopus are saying you are unless you've got a cannabis farm in the attic or are mining cryptocurrency (which honestly, it isn't impossible that you neighbours have connected to your electric and done that). But otherwise, even if you have lights on, electronics, tv's in every room all day every day... you still shouldn't be using so much electricity.

You are potentially overpaying by thousands of pounds so its worth paying an electrician to come see what is drawing all that power.

No idea where you are getting the idea that there must be problems with the electric setup? The OP is using 17KWh per day, which is 6200KWh per year. It is high, but not ridiculous high, we have seen here people with 12000 to 18000KWh, with no broken meter. 

He is currently using about £1700 to £1800 per year, where do you see him overpaying by thousands? 

OP is saying the three pumps cost £500 per year, so that is almost 1800KWh per year, that he is well aware of, bringing the usage down to about 4500KWh, 50% over average, but far from ridiculous high and worth spending money on an electrician to search for problems.

@Just-asking_4
I have no idea where the £6000 per year at todays rates are coming from. If I use the 6200Kwh even at scary 65p predicted from January I only get to £4200 for electricity.
I don't remember seeing you gas cost and if that is included?

 Regarding your pumps, the current £500 per year is going to be more like £1200 from the current predictions. 

Just-asking_4

Morning. The Gas is around £30 per month at the minute. I do fully understand the pond pump issue, but I just cannot do anything about it during the summer months. I have had the pond for 14 years. It would cost a lot to get rid of it and I wouldn't want to do that. What amazes me is I do know of people with 4/5/6 family members in the same household, who pay less than half of what I do, and it amazes me that 3 pond pumps are the equivalent of an extra 4 family members over a year. When it comes to general household use, at the minute we have the Tv on, that's it. there are a few bits plugged in, in the kitchen like the fridge, kettle etc but It isn't as if we have Blackpool illuminations going on here.

When it comes to wondering if there is an issue somewhere, as I say an electrician came into my house and did something in my electricity cupboard, he was there a little while, that isn't normal is it? Why might he be connecting something in my cupboard for my neighbours house? That is what we wondered. Maybe it might be worth getting an electrician just to see if there is something connected from next door that shouldn't be.

Sea_Shell

Just-asking_4 said:

Morning. The Gas is around £30 per month at the minute. I do fully understand the pond pump issue, but I just cannot do anything about it during the summer months. I have had the pond for 14 years. It would cost a lot to get rid of it and I wouldn't want to do that. What amazes me is I do know of people with 4/5/6 family members in the same household, who pay less than half of what I do, and it amazes me that 3 pond pumps are the equivalent of an extra 4 family members over a year. When it comes to general household use, at the minute we have the Tv on, that's it. there are a few bits plugged in, in the kitchen like the fridge, kettle etc but It isn't as if we have Blackpool illuminations going on here.

When it comes to wondering if there is an issue somewhere, as I say an electrician came into my house and did something in my electricity cupboard, he was there a little while, that isn't normal is it? Why might he be connecting something in my cupboard for my neighbours house? That is what we wondered. Maybe it might be worth getting an electrician just to see if there is something connected from next door that shouldn't be.

I don't understand this bit.

Why can't the pond be decommissioned?   How big is it?  What do you keep in it?   If fish, can they be re-homed?

Why can't you just pump out the pond and leave it dry, or let nature re-wild it?

If it's a "hobby pond" then you need to weigh up how much £££ your prepared to splash on your hobby.



ETA, sorry just noticed this bit...

The only out of the ordinary I have is the Pond, it is massive, I built it 10 years ago, and at this time of year it has 3 pumps running, I have to do that as I have very large koi and sturgeon, so the water has to be pristine, and very well oxygenated or they die. It is 21,000 litres and built up out of the ground so getting rid of it isn't possible as it would cost a lot to dismantle, remove, fill the area etc

Why dismantle it?  Just leave it empty.   

Robin9

Re the electrician and your cupboard   -  some properties have a looped supply cable from the mains in the footpath. It can either go to your cupboard first and then loop to your neighbour or vice versa. Either way you do not pay for your neighbours electricity . He may well be just checking connections.


Comparing with other properties is not straightforward - lifestyles, type of construction/insulation, cooking  - all come into it. My own tariff is particularly good -  a fix I took out 12 months ago  - I wont see the high prices till 2024


Once you take your ponds into consideration you are not that far off "average"

Mstty

Or if cost isn't an issue at least now you know you aren't paying for next doors electricity. Carry on?

BooJewels

@Just-asking_4  - I really don't think there is any need to get an electrician in just yet - it sounds like you're clutching at straws to find a reason for higher than average use.  Do some work first without it costing you money.  Comparing to others is pretty useless as a yard stick too - they might have a lower powered shower or a more modern freezer etc. etc.

I did an exercise recently in a spreadsheet where I went room by room and noted every single thing that could use electricity and its rating and how long a week I might use it, to get an electricity consumption figure and I was generous in my calculations to get a worst case scenario.  The total figure was higher than I actually use, by quite a chunk, so that was a plausibility check that my actual usage was in-line with expectations for my own personal usage and electricity-consuming devices.

It would also be useful for you to learn about what are power hungry items - any device involved with heat - generation of it or removal of it - like kettles, plug in heaters and fridges and freezers are all heavy drain items - modern lighting, not so much.  The overhead LED bulb here in my office gives me the light of an old 100 watt bulb, but is actually only 9 watts (and I bet I could buy one now that's even lower).  I reckon it costs me around £13-14 per year to keep it on all day - not enough for me to be bothered putting it on and off when I leave the room.  I do when I'm out or know I'll be away from it for a while.

So before laying out more cash, do some learning and some sums [be honest] and I think you'll find that you can explain away your current usage.  I calculate, at current prices, your annual bill would be around £1841** - which is £153.42 per month at current prices - so the fixed tariff quoted of over 400 quid per month seems excessive.

ETA:  ** Energy consumption is likely higher in winter - the central heating pump will use some and lights may be on for longer etc. - but your pumps may not be running as much.

MattMattMattUK

Just-asking_4 said:

Morning. The Gas is around £30 per month at the minute. I do fully understand the pond pump issue, but I just cannot do anything about it during the summer months. I have had the pond for 14 years. It would cost a lot to get rid of it and I wouldn't want to do that. What amazes me is I do know of people with 4/5/6 family members in the same household, who pay less than half of what I do, and it amazes me that 3 pond pumps are the equivalent of an extra 4 family members over a year.

What is the combined wattage of all the pumps (and any additional energy by filtration, UV etc.)? Are they all operating optimally? Three 300 watt pumps are using just shy of 1kW of power, £7.20 per day at todays prices, £15.60 per day based on the January estimated prices. There may be significant savings in changing your pumping/filtration system, although you would need to investigate as I am no expert. 

One thing that might benefit a lot though is installing solar panels on your home, 4kw minimum, but potentially more, with your usage patterns you could save a significant amount.

Just-asking_4 said:

When it comes to wondering if there is an issue somewhere, as I say an electrician came into my house and did something in my electricity cupboard, he was there a little while, that isn't normal is it? Why might he be connecting something in my cupboard for my neighbours house? That is what we wondered. Maybe it might be worth getting an electrician just to see if there is something connected from next door that shouldn't be.

You could check, turn everything of, see if the neighbours complain. From my understanding the fish would be fine overnight without the pumps and filtration systems off. You should also conduct a meter sanity test to see where your usage is going.