March to be coldest month this year?

Mstty

I have noticed usage is up on March last year and it's been consistently cold across the UK.

We had great savings over last year Oct-Feb but suspect we will use a fair bit more this March than last year.

Alnat1

There was definitely a mini heatwave for around a week towards the end of March last year. I remember I left hospital on 23rd in a t-shirt and shorts (leg in plaster) It then turned colder for a few weeks, we had the heating on well into April

Sea_Shell

Just checked my records.     10th March last year, we used 16kwh of Gas.    Yesterday we used 63 !!

Just a little bit different.  


and yes, it does show low gas use at the end of March 22.  Lowest (for us) being 5kwh on the 23rd.    So just the HW.


We weren't on holiday either. 

chubsta

As I woke upon this morning to find the thermostat showing it is 8degrees indoors you may be right! A couple of weeks back I got the shorts out for the first time this year to walk the dogs and we now have a slight layer of snow outside - don't you just love the British weather!

Shedman

Looking back at my Hive data which shows the (averaged in some way?) highs and lows for each day then the first couple of weeks of March last year were warmer, in particular the overnight lows didn't drop anywhere near as far staying around 6 to 8°. And as Alnat1 says there was a lovely warm spell in the last 8-10 days with highs of 15 - 17 showing on the app (which probably translates to 20°-21° peak) during the day.   

We used just over 1400 kwh of gas last year (down 40% from previous March) but, unless it warms up again, my energy recording app is predicting we'll be back over 2,000 again this year sadly.

And yes the first week of  April last year did turn chilly with some minus overnight figures showing but then warmed again.  But I must have turned tight  as we had just come of our fixed rate deal, and turned the heating right down as we were down to 800 kwh that month 😅

pensionpawn

According to 7 years of data from my solar panels, so far this March is firmly heading towards the bleakest ever by a country mile. The weather forecast until at least 23rd doesn't suggest this is going to change. Payback for a mild(ish) winter...?

Mstty

776kwh Electricity used March 2022. As of yesterday 335kwh Electricity used in the first 10 days of March 2023.

Looking at long range forecast I can see us getting near to 1000kwh of Electricity.

I am going to have to crack down on usage again as we have slipped the past month. With all the payouts received winter was no where near as bad as it could have been.

Infact cheaper than last winter by a long way so we have grown a little complacent.

Time to stamp that out!

[Deleted User]

Mstty said:

I have noticed usage is up on March last year and it's been consistently cold across the UK.

We had great savings over last year Oct-Feb but suspect we will use a fair bit more this March than last year.

Yes Oct-Feb have been really good months for reduction in gas usage particularly but March has bucked the trend for sure.  Last year I used 700 kWh gas in March and if things don't improve sharpish, I'm on course for 1100 kWh gas if this keeps up. 

Swipe

I'll take a cold March over a cold Jan or Feb any day as the stronger sun / solar gain helps out massively in my house.

Scot_39

Mstty said:

I have noticed usage is up on March last year and it's been consistently cold across the UK.

We had great savings over last year Oct-Feb but suspect we will use a fair bit more this March than last year.

Daily average - all electric - 50% higher so far this month than 22 - and havent actually read data - for the last 2 days.

Early Dec cold snap wiped out any Oct / Nov savings cf 2021 for me. 

Mar to date - already wiped out Feb savings cf 2022 as well.

BBC's forecast here -6 /-7 from before midnight.

Popped the loft hatch couple of inches last night - had frozen pipes when forecast lows higher than last nights and still got a cold water tank up there - pipes insulated but run exposed above loft insulation - luckily thawed OK - perhaps a bit paranoid now.

Where I grew up certainly older home lofts had full sarking boards - not just felt and tiles like current place.  A lot less drafty on a windy day or night.

victor2

Certainly colder than last year where I am: