📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Why high electricty usage

1356789

Comments

  • On-the-coast
    On-the-coast Posts: 651 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    And the big one… an electric car!
    also, new fishtanks, vivariums, or a few external halogen security lights. 
    A failing central heating pump stuck to “on” can eat a lot of continuous watts too. 
  • Petriix
    Petriix Posts: 2,297 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    This is one of the situations where a smart meter IHD would be invaluable. Ideally your would look at the continuous usage while you switch each circuit in your consumer unit off and on again to narrow down the offending item. You can do similar by watching the meter itself (either look at the speed of the flashing light or the spinning dial) but it might not be so obvious.

    I'd be reading the meter every few hours to see if it's constant usage or more sporadic. An extra 200kWh in a month is ~ 275W constant load so not insubstantial. Something like a big TV on all the time or a freeze door left open. Maybe an electric radiator left switched on in the shed... 
  • All heating is gas so it would not effect my electrity readings
    My electricy usage last month was 232 kwh and this month was 457 kwh

    Note: My highest electrity usage last year was in December which was 279 kwh
    I went to both B&Q and SrewFix stores to purchase an energy monitor but both didn't have it in stock. Therefore ordered off Amazon and it should arrive sometime today. 
    In the mean time whilst waiting for the energy monitor to arrive did some tests. Keeping everything the same, I then lowered the refrigerator temperature down from 2.9 to 2.4 

    Now my average daily usethis last month was about 14.7 kwh but by just lowering the refrigerator temperature in the     next day average was down to 9 and the next day was 6 
    So thinking issue most likely refrigerator trying to get to desired temperature and struggling to achieve for some reason.
  • All heating is gas so it would not effect my electrity readings
    My electricy usage last month was 232 kwh and this month was 457 kwh

    Note: My highest electrity usage last year was in December which was 279 kwh
    I went to both B&Q and SrewFix stores to purchase an energy monitor but both didn't have it in stock. Therefore ordered off Amazon and it should arrive sometime today. 
    In the mean time whilst waiting for the energy monitor to arrive did some tests. Keeping everything the same, I then lowered the refrigerator temperature down from 2.9 to 2.4 

    Now my average daily usethis last month was about 14.7 kwh but by just lowering the refrigerator temperature in the     next day average was down to 9 and the next day was 6 
    So thinking issue most likely refrigerator trying to get to desired temperature and struggling to achieve for some reason.
    Lowering the fridge temperature will INCREASE your energy use. Most fridges are usually set to 4’ C
  • All heating is gas so it would not effect my electrity readings
    My electricy usage last month was 232 kwh and this month was 457 kwh

    Note: My highest electrity usage last year was in December which was 279 kwh
    I went to both B&Q and SrewFix stores to purchase an energy monitor but both didn't have it in stock. Therefore ordered off Amazon and it should arrive sometime today. 
    In the mean time whilst waiting for the energy monitor to arrive did some tests. Keeping everything the same, I then lowered the refrigerator temperature down from 2.9 to 2.4 

    Now my average daily usethis last month was about 14.7 kwh but by just lowering the refrigerator temperature in the     next day average was down to 9 and the next day was 6 
    So thinking issue most likely refrigerator trying to get to desired temperature and struggling to achieve for some reason.
    I would be very surprised if that small of an adjustment to the temperature setting on the fridge would make that degree of difference, but it’s certainly not impossible. I would definitely stay on the lookout for other causes though.

    If it is the cause that would suggest there’s a potentially quite a serious fault with the appliance that warrants immediate attention, as nearly 9kWh would be quite a concerning amount of wasted heat energy being dumped into the room the fridge is in. That would be roughly the equivalent of boiling an electric kettle for 3 hours every day.
    Moo…
  • Alnat1
    Alnat1 Posts: 3,903 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    If you've set the fridge to maintain a lower temperature it will use MORE energy trying to keep the fridge cooler. Try setting it at 4C-5C which is normal for a domestic fridge.
    Barnsley, South Yorkshire
    Solar PV 5.25kWp SW facing (14 x 375) installed Mar 22 
    Lux 3.6kw hybrid inverter and 9.6kw Pylontech batteries 
    Daikin 8kW ASHP installed Jan 25
    Octopus Cosy/Fixed Outgoing 
  • Alnat1 said:
    If you've set the fridge to maintain a lower temperature it will use MORE energy trying to keep the fridge cooler. Try setting it at 4C-5C which is normal for a domestic fridge.
    I think you misunsterstand. It is nothing to do with 4C
    The fridge has a freezer dial up to 5 ( with 5 being the coolest) I had originally set it around midway. I then adjusted the dial so it was less cold 
  • All heating is gas so it would not effect my electrity readings
    My electricy usage last month was 232 kwh and this month was 457 kwh

    Note: My highest electrity usage last year was in December which was 279 kwh
    I went to both B&Q and SrewFix stores to purchase an energy monitor but both didn't have it in stock. Therefore ordered off Amazon and it should arrive sometime today. 
    In the mean time whilst waiting for the energy monitor to arrive did some tests. Keeping everything the same, I then lowered the refrigerator temperature down from 2.9 to 2.4 

    Now my average daily usethis last month was about 14.7 kwh but by just lowering the refrigerator temperature in the     next day average was down to 9 and the next day was 6 
    So thinking issue most likely refrigerator trying to get to desired temperature and struggling to achieve for some reason.
    I would be very surprised if that small of an adjustment to the temperature setting on the fridge would make that degree of difference, but it’s certainly not impossible. I would definitely stay on the lookout for other causes though.

    If it is the cause that would suggest there’s a potentially quite a serious fault with the appliance that warrants immediate attention, as nearly 9kWh would be quite a concerning amount of wasted heat energy being dumped into the room the fridge is in. That would be roughly the equivalent of boiling an electric kettle for 3 hours every day.
    I agree. Unless the fridge door is left wide open, there is no way a fridge is going to use more than 1kWh a day:



  • Alnat1
    Alnat1 Posts: 3,903 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    Stick a thermometer in there to find out what the actual temperature is.

    You don't want to keep the fridge at too high a temperature or food will go off quicker. Chucking away spoiled food and replacing it will cost you more than keeping the fridge 4-5C.


    Barnsley, South Yorkshire
    Solar PV 5.25kWp SW facing (14 x 375) installed Mar 22 
    Lux 3.6kw hybrid inverter and 9.6kw Pylontech batteries 
    Daikin 8kW ASHP installed Jan 25
    Octopus Cosy/Fixed Outgoing 
  • Krakkkers
    Krakkkers Posts: 1,300 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Second Anniversary Name Dropper
    Keep checking your daily consumption on the meter, its unlikely that the fridge is to blame but not impossible but there would be a lot of heat coming from the motor/pump if that were the case.
    Did you find a hot water tank/immersion?
    Are there other people in the house?
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 351.4K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.3K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.8K Spending & Discounts
  • 244.4K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 599.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 177.1K Life & Family
  • 257.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.