Oct price cap increase likely to push energy bill to over £10k... for a family of 4...

caveman38

MariaAH said:

RobM99 said:

Gasp! A BIG read, this thread but can someone explain - how does a gaming PC use so much electricity when a laptop uses so little? It must produce enough heat to keep the house warm on its own (obviously not!). Puzzled.

This is a week of monitoring son's gaming PC with the TP monitor...highest usage day was 5.4kWh

If we assume the daily average is 3Kw and weekly approx. 20kW. Then at the new 52p per kW projected for October we are talking a tenner a week just for that - frightening. Is that right and what about future projections? BTW I have my Tapo and doing the circuit and costing all the heavy users.

caveman38

MariaAH said:

RobM99 said:

That seems about right then. I think!

And this is the beast using that power...

Does it have a name?

70sbudgie

MariaAH said:

I think we chucked the old smart meter as it was useless and thought at the time BG would give us one. Up until recently the automated response to our request for one was that we were not suitable, and more recently that there is a supply issue. Not helpful.

Was that the unit that you have inside your house? If so, that is just the display unit. The smart meter is the unit that is wired in next to your consumer unit - where you take your meter readings from. Only your electricity provider can change that, so you still have a smart meter (even if it isn't being smart right now). Can you share what model/make it is? You could take a photo of the unit with any writing on it (but don't include the 16 digit no. as that is your MPAN and could be used to identify you).

michaels

Halo572 said:

I haven't read all 41 pages of this, but it would seem to be down to a usage behaviour issue.

And I don't mean a helpful politician/helpful forum poster - reduce your usage comment, more the attitude of probably your sons.

I have a masters in Environmental Management and have been doing my own personal energy management for the past 20 years, my current Summer bill is around £60 for just me, last year it was £35.

Last Winter I was controlling the bills to £120 a month and that was with an average room temperature I wasn't in of 12 degrees.

I do have to consider my wide collection of house plants but they manged OK.

I don't know what I will do if they do not reverse the October price cap, other than pay another £80 a month for 12 degrees.

I am at the point to save I will need to stop using lights, using the TV, cooking, washing clothes, washing up and all the other everyday things that before April were normal throughout history, which is why anyone who says 'reduce' is ill informed and ignorant.  Looking at you daily standing charge.

Like others I can tell what I have used during the day - washing machine, dishwasher, desk fan, TV that puts the meter up more than 'normal'.  I can give you an approximate cost of using them as well.

You definitely need a meter, although you can (could) buy a wireless electricity monitor that connects to the mains inlet cable.  it measures the charge coming into the house through the main cable and works just like a smart meter.  I used this for years until I got a smart meter.

Thermometers in each room also help me, you may need to turn your thermostat down and live in a colder house, I aim for 16 in the rooms I am in and I find that bearable.  Ridiculously I find 18 degrees central heating too stifling.

The difficulty of energy usage is that it is personal, even with my knowledge the only way to really 'help' someone is to go to the property and go through room by room what is in it.  Then it is behaviour of use.

I can only do this for myself and my partner, it becomes impossible for people you don't live with.  They like to keep things plugged in or on for no reason/their reason and will leave TVs/lights on when they aren't in the room.  It takes discipline and - currently - having to give things up.

You can control your/partners consumption but the adult children are very difficult, this is where the black hole will be.

From what you have written your problem is a ball of knotted string, you can unpick it eventually and you will get there but it will take a lot of time and work and no one can really help you.

Guess I am unusual in that I have no control over my partners usage either....

Meter testing little devices 1w 24/7=£4.56 pa

Digital piano 8w
Landline phone 3.5w
Led lit tree 1.6w
AA battery charger 1.5w (same charging or not)

TheGardener

Alnat1 said:

You might have to explain a "ginnel" for anyone who lives south of Yorkshire

Ahh - ok  Well it's a shared passage between 2 houses that usually gives access to the rear of a row of terraces. Whoever gets the bedroom above it (flying freehold) usually has the coldest room in the house!
 
However, In our case though it is a narrow passage between 2 attached brick-built outbuildings with a flat roof spanning the outbuildings to the main house at first floor level creating a covered walkway. Access to the sheds, outside loo, and the back door are all under this flat roof. 
One of the sheds was the coal house - the other general storage but now both used the same way most people use garages - for all the junk they don't want in the house

@MaireAH - the plastic flaps - no, not convinced it's a winner either but the kids are showing some effort to take on board what's happening so I don't want to shoot the idea down - I'll leave it to the dogs to pass judgement on it  . At least its not visible from the road...

MariaAH

caveman38 said:

If we assume the daily average is 3Kw and weekly approx. 20kW. Then at the new 52p per kW projected for October we are talking a tenner a week just for that - frightening. Is that right and what about future projections? BTW I have my Tapo and doing the circuit and costing all the heavy users.

The week in question was 24.3kW for gaming PC, PLUS 10.9kW for aircon/monitors, so 35.2kW...at 52p that is £18 a week or £79 a month! His money not mine!

A NOTE RE THE TAPO LINK MONITOR PLUG: they have been reliable elsewhere, but has tripped my iMac twice now, so removed my one...I know what the iMac uses;

less than 3W when sleeping
45-65w in 'normal' use
85W when on Zoom calls

MariaAH

70sbudgie said:

MariaAH said:

I think we chucked the old smart meter as it was useless and thought at the time BG would give us one. Up until recently the automated response to our request for one was that we were not suitable, and more recently that there is a supply issue. Not helpful.

Was that the unit that you have inside your house? If so, that is just the display unit. The smart meter is the unit that is wired in next to your consumer unit - where you take your meter readings from. Only your electricity provider can change that, so you still have a smart meter (even if it isn't being smart right now). Can you share what model/make it is? You could take a photo of the unit with any writing on it (but don't include the 16 digit no. as that is your MPAN and could be used to identify you).

Ahhhh...did not realise that...yes we threw away the display unit. Here are pictures...is it the black thing clamped around the red cable?

caveman38

MariaAH said:

caveman38 said:

If we assume the daily average is 3Kw and weekly approx. 20kW. Then at the new 52p per kW projected for October we are talking a tenner a week just for that - frightening. Is that right and what about future projections? BTW I have my Tapo and doing the circuit and costing all the heavy users.

The week in question was 24.3kW for gaming PC, PLUS 10.9kW for aircon/monitors, so 35.2kW...at 52p that is £18 a week or £79 a month! His money not mine!

A NOTE RE THE TAPO LINK MONITOR PLUG: they have been reliable elsewhere, but has tripped my iMac twice now, so removed my one...I know what the iMac uses;

less than 3kW when sleeping
45-65kw in 'normal' use
85kW when on Zoom calls

I hope you mean watts and not Kw

strawb_shortcake

Just a thought on the Imac. 

I'm working from home and don't have the luxury of an office so with the children home it's musical chairs when I have meetings. 
I typically unplug my laptop when on calls so could this make any savings? 

Also I also realised if no meetings, I can manage half day without the laptop plugged in but not sure if this makes much difference?

Krakkkers

When you plug it back in it will draw enough power to run itself and recharge the battery, no saving except if the laptop on battery runs in low power mode.