Electric boiler, energy usage and cost per month

Alnat1

Please tell us 40 is a typo and you meant 20C

matt_drummer

You have used much more during the day in March, any idea why?

matelodave

TBH an electric combi boiler is by far the most expensive way to heat anywhere and is compounded by the fact that you've got a two rate energy tariff.

Although leccy might be cheaper overnight its usually far more expensive during the day when you are using most of it. Do the sums. 

The only way to significantly reduce your heating cost is to consider changing the source, either to oil, lpg or even by installing a heatpump, however any of these will incur significant upfront costs.

Storage heaters would probably work out cheaper to run than an electric combi.

I'm guessing that the cost you've shown are your total electricity costs, but for comparison, we live in a detached 1350 sq ft bungalow and are at home all day. We have no gas but we do have a heatpump and the heating is on continuously 24/7, just turned down a bit a night. We supplement it with a wood stove for a couple of hours in the evenings and our leccy bill in January was £411. We have a dishwasher, tumble dryer and washing machine, all of which gets used several times a week.

In fact your leccy costs for the four months you've quoted come to around £3000, ours has cost £1500.

matt_drummer

Assuming much of the electricity use is your heating and that you own the bungalow maybe you should consider an alternative heating source.

An air source heat pump would be an obvious answer, much more efficient, either air to water or air to air.

Either way, you would require a hot water solution, probably a hot water tank, do you have space for one?

Looking at your bills, any capital expenditure would be repaid very quickly.

DaveGDave

Alnat1 said:

Please tell us 40 is a typo and you meant 20C

Hi, the minimum the electric boiler lets us turn it down to is 30 but we have just changed it to the lowest setting. hopefully that makes a difference! 

DaveGDave

matt_drummer said:

You have used much more during the day in March, any idea why?

No this is why we thought there may be a problem with the meter? 

matt_drummer

Alnat1 said:

Please tell us 40 is a typo and you meant 20C

That will be the flow temperature, not the room temperature!

markin

A 7 KWH solar system would help, if you could fit that on the roof.

But an air to water Heat Pump install i think would get you the quickest saving, At a Cop of 2.5 to 3 that means 1 kwh IN and 3 kwh of heat out, Cost around £8K -10K

https://octopus.energy/get-a-heat-pump/


 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Are you 100% sure the heating was only on 2hrs a day, is it a smart controller misbehaving? Is the underfloor heating?

March 2023
Day: 1700.0 kwh
Night: 648.4 kWh

2,348 kwh   / 31 days = 75.7 Seems impossible, 24kwh x 2hrs = 48 kwh, plus 8 for normal house hold, fridge, washer, ect. 


Check the meter number matches the bill.

matt_drummer

DaveGDave said:

matt_drummer said:

You have used much more during the day in March, any idea why?

No this is why we thought there may be a problem with the meter? 

It's unlikely, possible, but unlikely.

March was very cold at the beginning of the month, are you sure you have had the heating on as little as you think?

DaveGDave

matelodave said:

TBH an electric combi boiler is by far the most expensive way to heat anywhere and is compounded by the fact that you've got a two rate energy tariff.

Although leccy might be cheaper overnight its usually far more expensive during the day when you are using most of it. Do the sums. 

The only way to significantly reduce your heating cost is to consider changing the source, either to oil, lpg or even by installing a heatpump, however any of these will incur significant upfront costs.

Storage heaters would probably work out cheaper to run than an electric combi.

I'm guessing that the cost you've shown are your total electricity costs, but for comparison, we live in a detached 1350 sq ft bungalow and are at home all day. We have no gas but we do have a heatpump and the heating is on continuously 24/7, just turned down a bit a night. We supplement it with a wood stove for a couple of hours in the evenings and our leccy bill in January was £411. We have a dishwasher, tumble dryer and washing machine, all of which gets used several times a week.

In fact your leccy costs for the four months you've quoted come to around £3000, ours has cost £1500.

Thank you, I think it might be a good idea to look in to a heat pump, and a wood burner! as it sounds much more cost effective! 

We don't have a tumble dryer as we are to scared of the costs lol but we do run the washing machine and dishwasher