Electricity Help

Nikki19912022

born_again said:

500kW seems a lot unless you are using a lot of hot water.

2 bed bungalow electric used last month 209.0 kWh this includes 2 WFH. We do have gas for water & heating but that came to a massive £19 last month. 

Is this a electric shower? Or is it taking water from the tank? 

5 Hours to heat water seems a lot. Is there anyway to turn the temp down on tank or a timer that would allow less time on?

Hi, This is what I am worried about, it feels like it is high and I just dont understand why when so much is switched off. It isnt an electric shower no. I switched it down today to just 2 hours to heat the water, thats when I found out that although its an economy 7 heater, the smart metre is a normal one. 

TheMilkmansDad

Can I ask that you've checked the meter is yours? Have you got access to the meter? Could you do a meter sanity check to be sure?

Nikki19912022

TheMilkmansDad said:

Can I ask that you've checked the meter is yours? Have you got access to the meter? Could you do a meter sanity check to be sure?

Hi, Sorry I am new to all of this, and have no clue what a meter sanity check is? If you can guide me that would be great. There is a piece of card next to the metre that has the same box number etc on it. Someone also suggested about any communal stuff being linked to it. I dont know if that is a possibility or not either. I have only really looked into all of this since Tuesday finding out what everything means. I thought switching everything off would do the trick but clearly not. 

[Deleted User]

Hi,

so, how many units used since Tuesday?

Do you have readings for last week/month, before you started switching off?

TheMilkmansDad

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78850409#Comment_78850409  -link on here re the meter sanity test

Robin9

For an electrically heated flat 7,-8,000  KWh   is about par for the course. Whether or not you should be on E7 is a matter for discussion. Typically you need to use 30-40 %  at night so perhaps 4500 day, 3000 night.  Water alone won;t give you that  -  you would need storage heaters but I suspect you actually have panel heaters which you are switching on when you need 

In the Summer using 2/3 units midnight to 7 am is also about par for the course - fridge/freezer etc..

I'm suspecting that your hot water is on all the time ?  Does it have a controller with times and on/off buttons/switches ? Can you give us the manufacturer possibly Horstman  and model please

Nikki19912022

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

so, how many units used since Tuesday?

Do you have readings for last week/month, before you started switching off?

Hi, 

I have monthly readings from beforehand, but not weekly as I didn't start it then. 

From 4pm on Tuesday to 4pm Wednesday it went from 8542 to 8552. That was with me switching all but the fridge and heater off for 7 hours. Plus I was out for a couple of hours so switched everything off too.

Yesterday, I then switched water from 5 hours to 3, and then reading 24 hours later is 8560, so already 2kw less. I also did washing last night, which I didn't Tuesday, so it could have potentially been even less. 

This is why I do think it is the immersion heater. 

Nikki19912022

Robin9 said:

For an electrically heated flat 7,-8,000  KWh   is about par for the course. Whether or not you should be on E7 is a matter for discussion. Typically you need to use 30-40 %  at night so perhaps 4500 day, 3000 night.  Water alone won;t give you that  -  you would need storage heaters but I suspect you actually have panel heaters which you are switching on when you need 

In the Summer using 2/3 units midnight to 7 am is also about par for the course - fridge/freezer etc..

I'm suspecting that your hot water is on all the time ?  Does it have a controller with times and on/off buttons/switches ? Can you give us the manufacturer possibly Horstman  and model please

Hi, 

It is Secure ELECTRONIC 7 Immersion Heater Controller Economy 7. 

Thanks 

Robin9

In the bottom Left Hand corner select OFF and see when you run out of hot water

Coffeekup

Nikki19912022 said:

From 4pm on Tuesday to 4pm Wednesday it went from 8542 to 8552. 

Yesterday, I then switched water from 5 hours to 3, and then reading 24 hours later is 8560, so already 2kw less. I also did washing last night, which I didn't Tuesday, so it could have potentially been even less. 

This is why I do think it is the immersion heater. 

Your clearly very frugal, and you know your numbers which is good.

I think you could well be right it's the immersion heater. I'm not the best person to comment on E7 and immersion heater's as it's been years since I had one. However when I did have one (20 years ago) I remember it costing a chunk of money to heat up the water for a bath for 2 people and having barely enough hot water left for washing up. 

So how much hot water do you use and at what time do you mainly use it?
If you're having a E7 meter fitted and if I can recall correctly you would ideally have the immersion kick in during the cheaper rates of E7 to heat the water for a couple of hour's or how ever long it takes to heat the tank, then use the water within a few hours of it being heated. 
Then if more hot water was needed at a later point during the day I would manually flick the switch to heat some more water. Very costly (I say costly but energy hungry is better suited)

Maybe immersion heaters have changed somewhat in the last 20 year's. Personally I would figure out how long it takes to heat that tank of water so your not using electricity unnecessarily with the thermostat kicking in and out to keep that water hot, (but this could have changed). Don't have the set above 60*C as your using energy unnecessarily to heat something past a point it doesn't need to be heated.

Back to your energy supplier quote.... if your opening read on 18th of August last year was 1552 and your current read almost 11 months later is 8650 that's 7,100 units, averaging 645 a month..... (Winces)

The good thing is it looks like your paying more attention to your usage and you'll come in around 300kwh this month or under. I guess it'll be the same for the August, September and October. However keep an eye on your usage and you'll know if your usage shoots up something is out or winter is here and you'll have this heaters on.

However with the price rise in October, a kWh of electric is expected to be anywhere up to 44p a unit.
Your already being more frugal with your usage. But let's say 500kwh used a month from November to March (5 months) and 7 months of using 250kwh.
Will give you a yearly usage of 4,250kwh * 44pence = £1,900 + a the daily charge £100ish a year, +5% vat another £100. 
Total for the year £2,100, or £175 a month on a non E7 tariff, I'd expect it to be cheaper on a E7 tariff.
Cut back on your usage it'll be cheaper, use more it'll cost you more.

As for your previous 11 months usage, it's high and you may never get to the bottom of it, focus on the way forward now.