Electricity usage

middlemarch_2

Hi, hope someone can help. I have been asked to choose a new tariff with my energy supplier but all the options look £1000 dearer than currently. What I need advice for is the average electricity usage for a 3 bed semi with 3 adults. My supplier is calculating this at 5084kw per annum. Gas is ok as is under the average. We don't understand why our electricity usage is so high. We have a dishwasher, a washing machine, a tumble dryer (not often on) no gaming, hot tubs or anything outlandish. Does 5084 kw seem a lot? Or do you think that's just what is is? We are considering asking for a meter check in case our meter is running too high but don't want to do this if in fact I'm being unrealistic and that's how much electricity an average home is using these days. Thanks for any advice.

la531983

Whatever the supplier is calculating is irrelevant. You pay for what you use. Compare the prices of the unit rates and the standing charges.

5084kwh isnt a lot assuming its an electric only property, if you have gas it is on the high side.  You say you have gas so yes, your electric usage is high. 14 units a day on average. Do a sanity check, read your meter now and read it the same time tomorrow, how much has it gone round by? 

middlemarch_2

Hi, yes we have gas for all our heating. Electric is only for normal things. It's just I notice on emails that they calculate typical electricity usage at about 2900 kw. and we are nearly double that. Thanks for the reply.

Gerry1

Welcome to the forum.

Forget estmates, go on hard facts.  Find two meter readings 12 months apart (customer, meter reader or smart) and subtract the earlier one from the more recent one.

Do you have an electric shower?  As electricity costs about four times as much as gas, they work out very expensive.

Netexporter

There is no such thing as the "average" consumer. We all have different circumstances. The average figure is essentially the total power supplied divided by the number of accounts.

Only the individual consumer can determine what they use in a year. They can modify that by changing behaviour and looking for the most energy efficient appliances when it comes time to replace items. The easiest win is to change all the lighting to LED, if you haven't done that already.

If you don't already have a smart meter then getting one installed will help you to see what items are consuming the most energy.

middlemarch_2

Yes we have an electric shower. I guess that could do it then? When I deduct Sept 22's electric reading from Sept 23's reading (smart meter) it's 4609. So don't know why they're saying 5084. Maybe they used another point in the year.

Gerry1

10kW shower, three adults each taking a 10 minute shower daily: 1,825kWh per year.

Get rid of it and your usage would drop to 2,784kWh which is almost bang on the mythical 2,700kW average usage !

[Deleted User]

Hi,

do you use gas for hot water or immersion heater, if immersion, is it on a timer or constantly on?

la531983

Gerry1 said:

10kW shower, three adults each taking a 10 minute shower daily: 1,825kWh per year.

Get rid of it and your usage would drop to 2,784kWh which is almost bang on the mythical 2,700kW average usage !

I dont think I have ever spent 5 mins in the shower in one go in my life, let alone 10.

Do a vast number of people take 10 minutes to get a shower?!

Gerry1

la531983 said:

Gerry1 said:

10kW shower, three adults each taking a 10 minute shower daily: 1,825kWh per year.

Get rid of it and your usage would drop to 2,784kWh which is almost bang on the mythical 2,700kW average usage !

I dont think I have ever spent 5 mins in the shower in one go in my life, let alone 10.

Do a vast number of people take 10 minutes to get a shower?!

Some people shower twice per day...  YMMV.

MattMattMattUK

la531983 said:

Gerry1 said:

10kW shower, three adults each taking a 10 minute shower daily: 1,825kWh per year.

Get rid of it and your usage would drop to 2,784kWh which is almost bang on the mythical 2,700kW average usage !

I dont think I have ever spent 5 mins in the shower in one go in my life, let alone 10.

Do a vast number of people take 10 minutes to get a shower?!

The average is eight minutes, so there would likely be a fairly large amount at ten minutes or greater. Your sub five minutes is well below average. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15836433