Winter energy use is over? How did you do?

Mstty

In true money saving fashion and high energy prices how did you do over the winter?

Did you manage to reduce your usage as much as expected?

Were you surprised at the cost considering the EBSS and other payments handed out?

So to start it off we used less energy every single month October/November/December/January/February.......except this month February we have just now on the 28th March ticked over our usage March 2022. We suspect this is a relaxing of our energy use this month combined with a very cold couple of weeks at the start of the month and a couple of days recently below freezing overnight.

However we will have used 675kwh less electricity this year come end of this month than last year with the local weather station showing last year and this year were comparable for weather. A 14% saving over last October-Mar.

Total use this year October 2022 - end of Mar 2023 4525kwh at 29.239p(fixed rate) SC 51.62p

Total £1416

Now for the reductions for this year

-£400 EBSS

-£200 AFP (in a non gas mains postcode)

-£194.26 National Grid ESO DFS events

True total for this winter £621.74

Sea_Shell

Can you please tell the weather that winter has finished 😉. Thanks.

Apodemus

"Ne'er cast a clout till May is oot"!

JGB1955

You think winter is over?  I'm not sure the Met Office agree with you.
UK weather warnings - Met Office

SJMALBA

It was snowing in this part of the world last weekend, with frost Saturday, Sunday & Monday...

mmmmikey

Can't give you any figures at the moment - my PC has packed up in the cold

On a more serious note, I put the heaters back to their winter settings this morning

Marvel1

I switched my heating off on Saturday, not coming on now until October/November.

From 1st October 22 to now - my gas usage is 136m3 converted to 1545kWh (https://www.theenergyshop.com/guides/how-to-convert-gas-units-to-kwh)

£197.64


Last year 1st October 21 to 31st March 22 = 2261kWh
£88.28

   

JGB1955

Marvel1 said:

I switched my heating off on Saturday, not coming on now until October/November.

From 1st October to now - my gas usage is 136m3 converted to 1545kWh (https://www.theenergyshop.com/guides/how-to-convert-gas-units-to-kwh)

Mine's near 8,000 kWh and I don't regret a single one of them! (Admittedly I'm paying less than 4p per kWh until September).

mark_cycling00

Apologies for the "alternative fuel" reply:

In march 2022 heating oil supply was in meltdown with no-one able to give a price until the morning of delivery. Obviously it was a very high price. With no "price regulation" things looked grim for winter 2023. It's quite easy to switch a gas power station over to use heating oil and reduce supply even more 

I bought a huge amount of logs and thought at least we could live in the living room over winter.

Topped up the oil in early Oct (£400, 500litrss) with no intention of switching on the heating for as long as we could. We didn't quite do that but set a temperature of 17-18 degrees. Adjusted to this and got through to mid jan. Topped up again (£400, 500litres) then got £200 from government (your grandchildren's tax burden)

So £600 in total. 

I think we cut our usage by 40% though and it was a bit grim at times and living in living room a lot

Alnat1

Annual gas use to 20th Mar 22  10,281kWh  
Annual gas use to 20th Mar 23  7,193kWh      30% saving   

Gas used for heating, hot water, hob cooking

Achieved by turning down boiler temp to 60C, hot water temp to 55C and heating tank for only 40 minutes per day, turning down TRVs in unused rooms and keeping internal doors closed. Thermostat set at 17.5C in living room. Pushed an old cushion up chimney. Bought and fitted 2 pairs of thermal curtain linings for living and dining rooms (cost £60)

Haven't actually paid for any energy since I moved to Octopus last April, costs covered by solar export, £50 sign up credit, government £400, and £111.40 from Savings Sessions. Still £113.42 in credit

dunstonh

Its safer to wait until May before declaring the cold spells are over.  Often March and April can be the coldest months in the year.