Unexpectedly high energy use

GoingAlone123

Hello all, 

I'm looking for some advice about my energy usage, please. 

I am currently with EDF Energy on their Standard (variable) - E7 tariff. I have started looking at possibly changing because of the standing charge increase and when I typed my annual usage figure into Octopus' website I realised that my usage figures are considered 'high'. The figures I have are day: 3,371 kWh and 3,201 kWh.

Those are estimates provided by EDF Energy but I also have a smart meter and have checked the Hub. I haven't been with EDF for a full 12 months yet but looking at the Hub it seems I used roughly 745 kWh in colder months, 500 kWh in milder months and then around 250 kWh in summer months (no heating on). 

I live alone in a one-bedroom flat. My night tariff only applies to the one storage heater I have and the immersion heater. They are both on timers. I work from home but am in the office a couple of days per week. I do use a tumble dryer occasionally (no space for drying clothes in such a small space!). 

Does anyone have insight as to why my usage might be so high, please!? 

Thank you!
Jess

ArbitraryRandom

That's higher than expected for a 1 bed flat with a single occupant - I'd suggest there's three things that you can check: 

1. Are you being billed correctly (based on actual readings, with the serial number of the meter matching the serial number on the bill and double checking that is actually the meter for your property)?
 
2. Is there anything using electricity that you're not aware of/when you're not expecting it to? (Turn off everything you're aware of and check the meter to see if it's still registering use/double check your NSH/immersion are coming on and going off at the right times and not topping themselves up) - people have found underfloor heating or lightbulbs in the attic or that they were being billed for the cleaner pluging the hoover in a socket in the hall...  

3. and finally, check for appliances using more power than you think, such fridges or freezers with a failed/always on compressor. You can get a smart monitor (plug) online for around £10 and you leave it on the appliance for a period of time (say 24 hours) to identify where your energy is actually being 'spent' on a daily basis. If there's a large amount you can't account for then this is a good way to systematically track it down. 

Alnat1

How long is the immersion heater on for each day? Does this provide hot water for a shower/bath or do you have an electric shower?

markin

Summer use 8 per day isn't that terrible.

What size is the place, Rating, and annual energy stated on the EPC? 
https://find-energy-certificate.service.gov.uk/find-a-certificate/search-by-postcode?lang=en&property_type=domestic

GoingAlone123

ArbitraryRandom said:

That's higher than expected for a 1 bed flat with a single occupant - I'd suggest there's three things that you can check: 

1. Are you being billed correctly (based on actual readings, with the serial number of the meter matching the serial number on the bill and double checking that is actually the meter for your property)?
 
2. Is there anything using electricity that you're not aware of/when you're not expecting it to? (Turn off everything you're aware of and check the meter to see if it's still registering use/double check your NSH/immersion are coming on and going off at the right times and not topping themselves up) - people have found underfloor heating or lightbulbs in the attic or that they were being billed for the cleaner pluging the hoover in a socket in the hall...  

3. and finally, check for appliances using more power than you think, such fridges or freezers with a failed/always on compressor. You can get a smart monitor (plug) online for around £10 and you leave it on the appliance for a period of time (say 24 hours) to identify where your energy is actually being 'spent' on a daily basis. If there's a large amount you can't account for then this is a good way to systematically track it down. 

Thank you for these very helpful tips! I will give all of this a go and see if I can work out if there is an appliance causing the problem. I have a feeling it is to do with the immersion heater or storage heater (or both!). 

GoingAlone123

Alnat1 said:

How long is the immersion heater on for each day? Does this provide hot water for a shower/bath or do you have an electric shower?

The immersion heater provides hot water for shower and bath, no electric shower. It is on a timer to be on only at night when the night tariff applies. I've recently changed it from the midnight to 6am timer to 3am to 6am. I'm trying to work out if I can still have enough hot water for the day if it heats up for a shorter time. But if I'm honest I don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to the immersion heater! 

GoingAlone123

markin said:

Summer use 8 per day isn't that terrible.

What size is the place, Rating, and annual energy stated on the EPC? 
https://find-energy-certificate.service.gov.uk/find-a-certificate/search-by-postcode?lang=en&property_type=domestic

Thanks for the link! It is 47sqm, rating is D and annual energy: 

"Heating this property

Estimated energy needed in this property is:

• 3,402 kWh per year for heating
• 1,648 kWh per year for hot water

Primary energy use

The primary energy use for this property per year is 354 kilowatt hours per square metre (kWh/m2)."

It also says the immersion heater is very poor. 

I've had a new storage heater installed since moving in (to replace the old one). 

FreeBear

GoingAlone123 said:

Alnat1 said:

How long is the immersion heater on for each day? Does this provide hot water for a shower/bath or do you have an electric shower?

The immersion heater provides hot water for shower and bath, no electric shower. It is on a timer to be on only at night when the night tariff applies.

Is there a thermostat on the tank to turn the immersion heater off when it gets up to temperature ?

And how well insulated is the tank ?

When I had a hot water tank (heated by gas), I would only put the water on when it was bath night. Hot water for washing (faces & dishes) came from boiling a kettle - This cut energy consumption by about half over the course of a year, also helped by turning the thermostat down a few degrees.

Spoonie_Turtle

GoingAlone123 said:

markin said:

Summer use 8 per day isn't that terrible.

What size is the place, Rating, and annual energy stated on the EPC? 
https://find-energy-certificate.service.gov.uk/find-a-certificate/search-by-postcode?lang=en&property_type=domestic

Thanks for the link! It is 47sqm, rating is D and annual energy: 

"Heating this property

Estimated energy needed in this property is:

• 3,402 kWh per year for heating
• 1,648 kWh per year for hot water

Primary energy use

The primary energy use for this property per year is 354 kilowatt hours per square metre (kWh/m2)."

It also says the immersion heater is very poor. 

I've had a new storage heater installed since moving in (to replace the old one). 

To be fair EPC assessments are pretty subjective and lack nuance, although the overall rating tends to give an idea of whether it's well insulated or difficult to heat. 

AFAIK it says an immersion heater is poor because it's directly using electricity to heat the water, which is much more expensive than gas (even on E7 night rate) and only 100% efficient (whereas a heat pump should be about 300% efficient).  But it doesn't have to be dire if you only heat up as much water as you need, rather than e.g. heating an entire tank every night if you don't need to.

However based on that energy estimate for heating and hot water, if the annual figures are correct then you're only using ~1500kWh on everything else including WFH and cooking, which I don't think is especially high.

You have one storage heater - does that heat the whole flat?  Or do you have any supplementary heating for winter?

[Deleted User]

Hi,

your 'estimated' day/night usage is about 50/50, do you have any actual figures for 12 months, might have to dig out pre EDF usage.

E7 usage should be about 30/70 maybe even 20/80, your day use seems high compared to night, are you using panel heaters or direct heat during day?

Alnat1

We only heat our tank for 40 minutes a day to 55C and have enough for a couple of showers and a bit left for cleaning.  We do have a fairly modern well insulated tank though.

Try an hours heating for a few days and see how you get on.