Tracking Energy Use on EDF Energy Hub

FilofaxFan

Since receiving notice of the price hikes a fortnight ago, I went on a mission to pre-emptively reduce our electricity consumption (no gas supply).
Here's what I did:

• I got rid of a larder fridge and to leave us with the very small integrated one that came with the flat
• reduced the daily water heating time by 1.5 hours
• only switch on TV, oven, chargers, computer when in use
• use hairdryer every other day instead of daily
• reduced use of tumble dryer to just smalls
• boil kettle less than half the times we were - just fill up a flask, instead of always boiling the kettle.
• only use one side lamp in the evening, instead of 3

I also stopped use the electric heaters completely, which were only used no more than an hour a day anyway and used Calor gas heater for main space. All other
electrical usage is normal.

So I started tracking the energy usage on this Energy Hub thinking I'd see at least some measurable reduction. However, it's not really made much difference at all!
I can see that March 2022 has used the same as April 2021. It just doesn't make sense.

Can anyone comment on this? How accurate are these smart meters? Mine is supposed to read every half an hour (even though there's a 3 day lag on results via the app).

Robin9

Can you give us the KWh consumptions for the two months please ?   Are you comparing like for like ?  What was the weather like last April, were you away, working from home ?

FilofaxFan

April 2021 = 890 kWh
March 2022 = 890 kWh

Yes, like for like. I've not added any additional electrical devices since last April. Heating situation was the same, WFH the same. Cooked the same as usual. Weather, I'm not sure, pretty similar mix I reckon.

I may have used the electric heater occasionally last April and as listed above, the stuff I switched off/stopped using.

Robin9

900 units a month means you are a heavy user -  what form does your heating take ?  As you are only quoting one figure (not two like E7) I am assuming panel heaters of some nature. That's where you real savings are going to be.

Also cut those 20 min showers down to 5

QrizB

FilofaxFan said:

I also stopped use the electric heaters completely, which were only used no more than an hour a day anyway and used Calor gas heater for main space. All other electrical usage is normal.

FYI Calor gas can work out more expensive than mains electricity. (47kg bottles are cheaper than electricity but shouldn't be used indoors.)

pochase

Was the use for April last year estimated or did it come from the smart meter. Very unlikely to have exactly the same 890KWh for two months

What was you usage this year in January and February, just to compare if this has reduced.

Astria

Instead of guessing, I'd buy an appliance power meter - something like a kilowatt clone or similar. I think you'll find things like boiling more water and using a flask will give a very marginal difference in cost, typically the warming up from cold.

Likewise, TV, oven, chargers, computer in standby/sleep typically (for me) use less than 1W. Turning them off at the wall or unplugging them could actually cost more in the long run.

Try using a clothes airer instead of a tumble drier though.

FilofaxFan

This is what is confusing and hugely frustrating me. It feels like we are running bare minimum. I have no idea how we are heavy users. I don't use the electric heaters at all if the temperature is above 14 degrees and even then only for an hour max. This is why I have the Calor gas heater. It heats up the space in 15 mins, as opposed to 2 hours with the electric heaters. In one bedroom I have an oil filled heater on a thermostat set at 15 degrees (to keep the hamsters alive!). This goes off completely between May-Oct/Nov.

In the last fortnight the electric heaters have been completely off - it was 8 degrees inside here a few mornings this week. This is only a 12 year old modern block of flats.

All that I am running now is a small fridge and freezer, water heater 3/4 hour morning and 1 hour evening, about 5-6 loads of washing a week (at 40 degrees eco cycle), a couple of tumble dryer sessions, TV in the evening, wifi box, computer (6 hours/day), phone charger, bit of lighting as needed, hairdryer 3-4 times a week for 10 minutes, oven and/or hob for dinner, 2x clock radios, oil filled heater (as above).

My former house (for 13 years) that was 2000sq ft (it's less than half that area in this flat), used less energy (albeit it was gas and electric).

Robin9

Please get rid of that gas heater -   potential causes of condensation, damp and carbon monoxide.

Read you meter at the same time every day, keep a log of what you were doing, how many at home, what the weather was like.

In your list  - you don't mention baths or showers.

It is your meter you're reading isn't it - not unknown for meters to get mixed up in flats.

FilofaxFan

Astria said:

Instead of guessing, I'd buy an appliance power meter - something like a kilowatt clone or similar. I think you'll find things like boiling more water and using a flask will give a very marginal difference in cost, typically the warming up from cold.

Likewise, TV, oven, chargers, computer in standby/sleep typically (for me) use less than 1W. Turning them off at the wall or unplugging them could actually cost more in the long run.

Try using a clothes airer instead of a tumble drier though.

I suspected the kettle/flask thing wouldn't make a huge difference, but thought it would help incrementally.

How could unplugging things cost more in the long run?

I use the water heater cupboard (it's warmest place) to dry most things, just the tumble for small, light or almost dry items. It's really minimal but necessary during winter.

QrizB

Really, comparing month-by-month isn't a very effective way of assessing recent changes you've made.

It's a few months since I had my electricity with EDF but I seem to recall that I could see weekly, daily and half-hourly readings as well as monthly.

Is your smart meter signed up for half-hourly metering? (It's a setting on EDF's website.)

Also, I would agree with earlier posters who say 30kWh/day is quite a lot, particularly given the March we've just had.

Can you check the serial number of your meter with the one you're being billed for? Are you also able to take @Gerry1 's meter sanity test and confirm that the smart meter is connected to your property and not to a completely different flat?