Best ways of cutting energy usage?? Last year 63,000 Kwh Gas and 9,300 electric

k_man

Mstty said:

k_man said:

Mstty said:

Sounds like an immersion is being left on one or more hot water cylinders unless you run a business from home with a lot of desktop machines with monitors etc?

The advice.given so far is good. Start by turning everything off and see if you are still burning lots of gas and electricity.

An immersion heater left on all the time, could use 1 or 2 kWh per day, but not 25kWh!

Computers using this would require 10 - 20 on 24/7.
Or a few crypto miners....

@Jonesy_40 how well insulated is/are your hot water tanks.

For some context, your electric is 3x the average, and gas is 5-6x, albeit your home is larger, an older than most. But if you do have loft insulation and double glazing then something is missing.

Was the Aga gas or electric?

You have to start somewhere if you don't know that 25 kWh is a lot of juice a day. 

The OP already said they had one or two hot water tanks so I was really just trying to start somewhere with where to look and make sure things were turned off and still see if energy is being used somewhere.

I don't think I said it's your hot water tank and some desktops using up 25 kWh🤣🤣 that's just silly but recently some gaming PCs coming up on this board have been using 2-5kwh a day.

We haven't got to the nitty gritty of does the OP and family prefer long showers or baths in the family and the potential that one of the hot water tanks is a 6kwh heating model.

Anyway you seem to know it all so please take over from here after dismissing my start to where some use of kWh may be.

@mstty Apologies, it seems I misinterpreted the following:

Sounds like an immersion is being left on one or more hot water cylinders unless you run a business from home with a lot of desktop machines with monitors etc?

I assumed you meant this was causing the very high usage

Jonesy_40

theoretica said:

What do your two boilers each do?   How are they each controlled?

Do you have smart meters so you can see daily use and get immediate feedback on changes?  How even are your electric and gas use over the year?

What heats the water for showers/baths?

What temperature are the room thermostats set to?  Day and night?

What month did you turn your heating off for the summer?

How often do you use a tumble dryer? (5kwh a time)

When you look at your consumer unit/fuse box - what are the labels?  Any surprises, especially ones with large amp ratings?

What do your two boilers each do? Roughly half the house each, both do upstairs and downstairs.    How are they each controlled? I have two Netatmo smart thermostat which link to each boiler. the radiators have thermo valves but aren't smart.

Do you have smart meters so you can see daily use and get immediate feedback on changes? British Gas are coming to install one on Saturday. OVO Energy have said they can't set one up. How even are your electric and gas use over the year? Up to now a lot of it has been estimated so it's hard to tell exactly - Maybe 4 readings a year. From what I can see, the gas is a lot more from Oct - March.

What heats the water for showers/baths? Vaillant combi eco tec 838 (Each one heats a bathroom)

What temperature are the room thermostats set to?  Day and night? 6am - 8am 19dc. Daytime 16dc. 4pm - 10pm 19dc

What month did you turn your heating off for the summer? Turned all the radiators off in April. Only got around to switching CH off at boiler about a month ago.

How often do you use a tumble dryer? (5kwh a time) twice a week. It's a recent samsung heat pump one which is supposedly using less than 2 kwh a time.

When you look at your consumer unit/fuse box - what are the labels?  Any surprises, especially ones with large amp ratings? I have never had a look. I will and get back to you.

Thank you for your help!

Mstty

Apology accepted, these types of high usage post are always a start somewhere and they branch out to find electric showers in use, ponds with pumps, swimming pools, hot tubs etc

Hadn't even started to get to how many fridges and freezers. Electric bathroom heaters and the list goes on.

Anyway I am sure the OP is well on their way to thinking about everything left on and being used.

Alnat1

My question about kitchen use was because we find we rarely need any hot water from the kitchen taps as we have a dishwasher.

If you don't have a reason for using 40l a day, it's probably not worth heating it. If you do need it, is there any way the kitchen sink could be linked in to one of the combi boiler systems?

k_man

@Jonesy_40
What are your water usage habits?
Lots of baths or long showers?

And are you taking daily meter readings? Makes it much easier to keep track. e.g. if gas is high now, when heating is off, there can't be many causes.

Jonesy_40

Mstty said:

Apology accepted, these types of high usage post are always a start somewhere and they branch out to find electric showers in use, ponds with pumps, swimming pools, hot tubs etc

Hadn't even started to get to how many fridges and freezers. Electric bathroom heaters and the list goes on.

Anyway I am sure the OP is well on their way to thinking about everything left on and being used.

Hi @Mstty, thanks for your reply and help 👍

I have ordered a smart plug which monitors energy usage so will hopefully find out why I'm using so much. Unfortunately nothing exciting like a swimming pool/electric shower/pond/hot tub/electric bathroom heaters!

We do though have an Haier large chest freezer so that will be on my list to check along with the 40litre water heater.

Jonesy_40

k_man said:

@Jonesy_40
What are your water usage habits?
Lots of baths or long showers?

And are you taking daily meter readings? Makes it much easier to keep track. e.g. if gas is high now, when heating is off, there can't be many causes.

My wife and I have a short shower a day (she has cold showers!!!)
My kids share a small bath every couple of days, then a larger one once a week to wash hair. 

Hopefully I can take meter readings when British Gas install a meter on Saturday!

Jonesy_40

Alnat1 said:

My question about kitchen use was because we find we rarely need any hot water from the kitchen taps as we have a dishwasher.

If you don't have a reason for using 40l a day, it's probably not worth heating it. If you do need it, is there any way the kitchen sink could be linked in to one of the combi boiler systems?

Good point. I think the water heater must have been used for the previous family to have hot showers/baths too. I'm going to turn it off and see what happens. Thanks for the help!

markin

I bet the aga would have used 30 to 40k did it have a pilot running all year? But having 2 boilers is not good either, Is the no way to link the piping to get rid of one? It would also mean being able to get rid off the second gas standing charge.

Normal Electric usage would be 6-10kwh, The 40l tank could use 3kwh, So the must be something else, Are you both at home all day 2 computers?

Photos of everything would be very useful.

BUFF

Petriix said:

Bedrooms only need heating for 20 minutes before you go to bed and 20 minutes before you get up.

Perhaps in a modern, highly insulated building but in an old, listed (likely solid walls & high ceilings) & quite possibly detached building I suspect not. Especially so if the boilers are running at the flow/return temps to condense all/most of the time.
(& I say that from personal experience of living in a 1905 built building, although I may take my flow temp. & room temp. a bit lower than most, - 20 minutes prior to getting up just would not cut it in the depths of winter)

I do agree that there is opportunity to sneak the room temp. settings down a bit further if they can all be persuaded to wear a bit more clothing.