Is my usage higher than it should be?

sheramber

Electric kettle?

Electric hob?

Toaster?

Coffee machine?

While small electric appliances don't use much individually, it all adds up.

Check your consumption daily against what is switched on during that time.

sheramber

Gerry1 said:

Why use electricity for the shower when you have water heated by gas?  It's like paying £5 a litre for petrol when it's £1.50 over the road.

if that is what is fitted in the house thye do not have much choice.

It is a rented house so they cannot change it.

Roxburgh_rose

I'm in a poorly insulated rented cottage with electric shower and electric cooker (oil for CH and HW). I mainly work from home and am running a laptop and separate large screen. My partner is an avid gamer and as he only works 4 days a week, the X-Box and screen also get a lot of use.

Our usage averaged around 10KWH per day last winter. We've got that down to between 7 and 8 so far this winter by being very diligent about turning lights off, having nothing on standby - everything gets turned off at the socket when not in use, boiling only what we need in the kettle, shorter showers, greater use of the microwave vs the hob.  

LiamBucknall

Gerry1 said:

Why use electricity for the shower when you have water heated by gas?  It's like paying £5 a litre for petrol when it's £1.50 over the road.

I think it’s electric shower, I’m not too sure? We can turn on water below our boiler on a little display, and I imagine the shower uses electricity but that’s just a guess. 

Maybe setting the water is just for taps / washing up / baths etc so probably doesn’t need to be on for 30 mins a day?

LiamBucknall

aaiiee said:

You don't mention laundry. What temperature do you wash clothes/ bedding at? Do you have a tumble dryer?

2 x 15 minute washes a week at 30c. Occasionally do a 40c wash for bedding but barely do a really hot wash.

Gerry1

LiamBucknall said:

Gerry1 said:

Why use electricity for the shower when you have water heated by gas?  It's like paying £5 a litre for petrol when it's £1.50 over the road.

I think it’s electric shower, I’m not too sure? We can turn on water below our boiler on a little display, and I imagine the shower uses electricity but that’s just a guess. 

Maybe setting the water is just for taps / washing up / baths etc so probably doesn’t need to be on for 30 mins a day?

Turn everything off at the consumer unit, have a shower and see whether it's cold !

LiamBucknall

Roxburgh_rose said:

I'm in a poorly insulated rented cottage with electric shower and electric cooker (oil for CH and HW). I mainly work from home and am running a laptop and separate large screen. My partner is an avid gamer and as he only works 4 days a week, the X-Box and screen also get a lot of use.

Our usage averaged around 10KWH per day last winter. We've got that down to between 7 and 8 so far this winter by being very diligent about turning lights off, having nothing on standby - everything gets turned off at the socket when not in use, boiling only what we need in the kettle, shorter showers, greater use of the microwave vs the hob.  

See myself and my partner are out 10 hours a day which is why my usage baffles me. I do the same with the kettle and only boil what I’m using, things off at the socket too etc 

EssexHebridean

Is your shower in a box fitted to the wall (likely electric), or does it either runoff the taps directly (probably gas)? The third option is that hot water just magically appears through a pip out of the wall - in which case it's most likely gas heated in my experience. From what you've said there is no immersion heater (unless I have missed that) so these are the most likely options. 

Starting point - take a meter reading when you get home this evening, and note it down. Then...
- Check the light bulbs as suggested.
- For the next week, time your showers, limiting them to 5 minutes - you can either use a timer, or a song of a known length playing on a smart speak could be a good option. It might be that if either of you have long hair a slightly longer one is needed here and there)
Daily meter readings taken at the same time would be a good idea - and by the end of the week you should be able to see if this changed behaviour has made a difference.

I'd strongly suggest in the first instance tackling one aspect at a time as this means you can easily rule out things that make a difference, or not. 

markin

50w halogen spot lights soon add up.

6-9kwh is the low to normal range, have you taken daily reading or are you just averaging out a week/month.

LiamBucknall

markin said:

50w halogen spot lights soon add up.

6-9kwh is the low to normal range, have you taken daily reading or are you just averaging out a week/month.

This is based off monthly usage. Trying my best to track it daily. Today we’ve used 2Kwh whilst out the house, just had a shower and nothing changed. Will have a look again after using appliances tonight to see if it’s jumped a lot. Checked the lightbulbs I can access and they’re all 8W or below