Tips on something that may be eating our energy?

cvp201095

Hi all! 

TLDR; We have a smart metre and what it starts on every morning is completely unpredictable, it's been really high even when everything has been off or really low with everything on. Any tips on something unexpected that could be eating our energy?

For context; I live in a relatively small 1 bed flat which is all electricity (no gas). It's pretty old but the radiators, boiler and boiler pump have been replaced since we moved in. All other appliances are fairly new, too. I managed to get on Eon's Fix 1 Year V11 tariff just before the price cap rise. Current charges are 32.228p standing, 34.419 day, 18.485p night. Our boiler is on a timer that heats our water over night. And we have a smart metre fitted and keep an eye on it throughout the day. On a good day we've been using around £2.80 for the day, an expensive day is around £3.80.

I've noticed massive variations in the reading, and it doesn't really seem to coincide with the measures we take to try and reduce our usage. Last night all switches were off except the fridge, my phone charger and wifi, and the reading started on £1.66! How did I use £1.66 of energy just charging my phone and being asleep?! Yesterday, I forgot to turn off some switches and it started on 70p?!

It just seems completely unpredictable and is making it really hard to manage the price rise. Has anyone come across this before and found something unexpected using a lot of energy? Any tips on how to regulate it a bit more? I haven't put the heating on since the price cap because I don't even want to see how expensive it's going to be and am hoping to move from this flat before we need to next winter (as far as I know the electric panel heaters we have are very inefficient!)

Benny2020

The amount of hot water it has to heat during the night.

[Deleted User]

Don't forget the standing charge as well.

cvp201095

Benny2020 said:

The amount of hot water it has to heat during the night.

Yeah, which I'd understand - but it's so inconsistent? Some days it's circa 70/80p, others over £1.50?! Just seems like a big discrepancy and no measures we take really makes a difference 

QrizB

cvp201095 said:

TLDR; We have a smart metre and what it starts on every morning is completely unpredictable, it's been really high even when everything has been off or really low with everything on. Any tips on something unexpected that could be eating our energy?

Rather than looking at your use in pounds and pence, look at it in kilowatt-hours.

Depending on the type of in-home device (IHD) you were supplied with, it might give you an hour-by-hour display of when you used your electricity. This will help you work out when in the night you are using the electricity and will give clues as to where it's going.

Like others, I suspect the "culprit" is the immersion heater in your hot water tank. The amount of electricity it needs will depend on how much hot water is still in the tank from the previous day.

bagand96

The IHD (the little display that you're reading off) might not always be accurate. As DerwentMailman says it could also depend on when the standing charge is added. 

You may be able to get some more smart meter detail by logging into your EON account online. If you are set up for half hour smart meter reads then you may be able to view graphs of exactly when your energy is being used. 

cvp201095

QrizB said:

cvp201095 said:

TLDR; We have a smart metre and what it starts on every morning is completely unpredictable, it's been really high even when everything has been off or really low with everything on. Any tips on something unexpected that could be eating our energy?

Rather than looking at your use in pounds and pence, look at it in kilowatt-hours.

Depending on the type of in-home device (IHD) you were supplied with, it might give you an hour-by-hour display of when you used your electricity. This will help you work out when in the night you are using the electricity and will give clues as to where it's going.

Like others, I suspect the "culprit" is the immersion heater in your hot water tank. The amount of electricity it needs will depend on how much hot water is still in the tank from the previous day.

Didn't know this about the heater! I did use a lot of hot water yesterday for cleaning - so that would make sense! Thank you! 

[Deleted User]

Are you referring to your in home display? if so it could be your in home display is too far away from your smart meter and its not picking up the signal properly. Try moving your in home display or resetting it.  Me, I dont have mine plugged in!

Some time ago I had a new meter fitted and it was set wrong, it was using economy7 during the day and day time charges over night!

lohr500

Basic checks 1st.

Is the meter inside your flat or in a communal meter box located elsewhere in the property. You need to be sure that the meter you are taking the readings from is actually yours! This may sound crazy but it is not unheard of for meters in flats to have been assigned to the wrong flat.

Find the main electrical consumer fuse box/s for your flat and switch off the main power switch/s. Everything electrical in your flat should then stop working. Check the meter to see if it is still showing any usage. Most smart meters will have an LED which pulses to show the rate of consumption. (Don't confuse the usage LED with ones that may be labelled WAN and HAN. These indicate the communication status to the central network and your in home display unit). The usage LED will probably have something like 1000 imp/kWh printed close to it.

With all the power switched off to your flat at the consumer unit/s, if the meter is still showing usage, then either it isn't your meter or something else is connected to it, using your electricity!!