Using over 28000kwh a year, how to reduce and energy cost anxiety

SuperExcelMan

 My husband takes 40 minutes showers which I don't know if that can change. I spend a lot of time nagging about that but he says that's the one pleasure of life he should get for working hard. The hot water tank is gas heated though. 1.5 hours in the morning and an hour in the evening. Its a Worcester 216l capacity

Forget all other advice, and start on this. 40mins is excessive, 8 times what it needs to be. 

Take a gas reading. Take a reading a week later. Put him on 5 minute showers for a week, take another reading.

i remember a lady who was broke on one of the MSE forums because she always bought her husbands cigars, he had worked hard, it was his one true pleasure. He was selfish too 

Mstty

SuperExcelMan said:

 My husband takes 40 minutes showers which I don't know if that can change. I spend a lot of time nagging about that but he says that's the one pleasure of life he should get for working hard. The hot water tank is gas heated though. 1.5 hours in the morning and an hour in the evening. Its a Worcester 216l capacity

Forget all other advice, and start on this. 40mins is excessive, 8 times what it needs to be. 

Take a gas reading. Take a reading a week later. Put him on 5 minute showers for a week, take another reading.

i remember a lady who was broke on one of the MSE forums because she always bought her husbands cigars, he had worked hard, it was his one true pleasure. He was selfish too 

Don't forget all other energy saving advice. Very poor response.

However for anyone in the household unwilling to turn down the thermostats and reduce shower time. Just point out the gas bill alone will be £300 a month from October if the household doesn't start looking to reduce usage👍 it may be £320 from Jan 2023 if the current predictions run true. If you as a household are happy spending that sort of money on gas alone of course that is also a choice.

Alnat1

Hopefully someone who is better at maths than me can work out how much a 40 minute shower costs and you can try and scare your hubby into being a bit quicker.

20ish for heating is a bit higher than most of us on these forums have the heating. 18C and put a jumper on is the usual, a few very brave souls say 14C.

SuperExcelMan

Mstty said:

SuperExcelMan said:

 My husband takes 40 minutes showers which I don't know if that can change. I spend a lot of time nagging about that but he says that's the one pleasure of life he should get for working hard. The hot water tank is gas heated though. 1.5 hours in the morning and an hour in the evening. Its a Worcester 216l capacity

Forget all other advice, and start on this. 40mins is excessive, 8 times what it needs to be. 

Take a gas reading. Take a reading a week later. Put him on 5 minute showers for a week, take another reading.

i remember a lady who was broke on one of the MSE forums because she always bought her husbands cigars, he had worked hard, it was his one true pleasure. He was selfish too 

Don't forget all other energy saving advice. Very poor response.

However for anyone in the household unwilling to turn down the thermostats and reduce shower time. Just point out the gas bill alone will be £300 a month from October if the household doesn't start looking to reduce usage👍 it may be £320 from Jan 2023 if the current predictions run true. If you as a household are happy spending that sort of money on gas alone of course that is also a choice.

It’s not poor advice. It’s clear what the fault is. Why should the wife and kids have to suffer for his selfishness.

Once they have his shower figures, then they can follow some of the excellent advice above if they want.

I’m on a cheap fixed rate until April next year, and I wouldn’t waste money like that. 

markin

You will always use more than average as a detached and bungalow, Insulating the loft will help, but having an open con/sunroom is a step back and needs to be sealed off or be very high quality glass.

Mstty

Alnat1 said:

Hopefully someone who is better at maths than me can work out how much a 40 minute shower costs and you can try and scare your hubby into being a bit quicker.

20ish for heating is a bit higher than most of us on these forums have the heating. 18C and put a jumper on is the usual, a few very brave souls say 14C.

Approx £1.50 per 40 minute shower for water alone given 12l a minute..one of those showers a day every day for a year £550 in water alone. Wonder what the OP water bill is like?

480l will also drain the tank even with mixed cold so that another full tank to heat. Not sure what a tank costs to heat in gas kWh?

I may have that wrong happy to be corrected

BoyMumItalia

Thank you for all the tips. My husband's approach to this is to bury our head in the sand and pretend there's not a price hike happening but I am the worrier. I HATE surprises! I would rather do all the research and then get him onboard.

k_man

Mstty said:

Alnat1 said:

Hopefully someone who is better at maths than me can work out how much a 40 minute shower costs and you can try and scare your hubby into being a bit quicker.

20ish for heating is a bit higher than most of us on these forums have the heating. 18C and put a jumper on is the usual, a few very brave souls say 14C.

Approx £1.50 per 40 minute shower for water alone given 12l a minute..one of those showers a day every day for a year £550 in water alone. Wonder what the OP water bill is like?

480l will also drain the tank even with mixed cold so that another full tank to heat. Not sure what a tank costs to heat in gas kWh?

I may have that wrong happy to be corrected

To heat 210l of water is around 15kWh.
So could be upto about 5000kWh per year (assuming it is a full tank used and heated every day).

But for scare tactics/encouragement we could use these figures to add another £2 ish per day/shower (at predicted Oct rates)

So £3.50 per shower 

Mstty

£1277.50 to cover one person's long 40 minute shower for the year in water and hot water costs😅

Thanks @k_man

theoretica

You say the thermostat is at around 20 - is that constant?  Turning it considerably lower overnight can be a big saving, and turning it down when you are all out.

Do you have a bath?  Usually, showers are advocated as being more money saving than baths, but in the case of 40 minute ones...

What order do you use hot water in?  If you cut down the length of time the hot water was heating would it be your husband who ran out of hot water or the rest of the family?