Electricity Usage advice

hmontg

Hello - we are trying to work out what is using the electricity in our house. 5 bed house, electric induction hob and ovens /combi ovens x4. Tall fridge and freezer integrated. Washing machine and dryer usual use for family of 5 (aware dryer uses approx 4kwh each cycle). Electric gates. We use 22 kwh of electricity a day average - it goes up by 6-8 kwh overnight every night - the only things on apart from f&f is the mech ventilation which constantly runs and seems to be using 2 overnight (so approx 4 per day) which I think is a lot. I have tried to isolate what the use is by switching off appliances/light circuits and checking meter etc. Meter also checked and working fine. (we live in N. Ireland). Thanks!

MorningcoffeeIV

hmontg said:

I have tried to isolate what the use is by switching off appliances/light circuits and checking meter etc. 

What did you find was using the energy?

Those are the things you will need to minimise/replace if possible.

EssexHebridean

First port of call, how often do you actually use the dryer? 

The ventilation - is the 2kWh “overnight” over roughly 8 hours which would be a fairly standard overnight period? If so then the use is going to be 6 per day rather than 4. 

How old is the fridge freezer - and is it an American style one? 

How is your hot water heated? And are your showers run from the boiler, or are they electric ones that heat the water internally? 

hmontg

Thank you for the replies. So to be honest we haven’t really worked out what is using the 6-8 overnight (8 hours). Ventilation accounting for 2 (I thought it would be more efficient than this?) but the other 4 kwh are unexplained - the only appliances we haven’t turned off is fridge and freezer. They are not american style but individual brand new fridge and freezer. Hot water heated by gas boiler, water tank in attic, also an immersion but this is turned off always. (our gas bill is wild also…I have a separate post on this). All brand new.
I have realised it takes a lot to use kwh, lights/tv etc don’t use much individually. 

hmontg

EssexHebridean said:

First port of call, how often do you actually use the dryer? 

We use the dryer approx 5 cycles per week in autumn/winter months. It’s certainly something we can reduce to minimum esp in summer 

Diddidi

When we had a similar problem (using 50% of our normal energy usage when we were on holiday) we discovered that it was a malfunctioning boiler that was randomly switching itself on. We did the usual tests and were mystified until we caught it on one of our cameras emitting steam. Had it serviced and electricity usage problem went away. 

Tucosalamanca

It's a little confusing with you running two threads.

22kwh per day, what's that £7ish or around £200 per month?
Add in your gas at £500, you appear to be spending around £700 per month.

I'm still on a legacy (cheap) tariff, living in a 5 bedroom home.
We have several gaming PC, aquariums, electric shower and do lots of baking in the electric ovens, as well as using the tumble dryer a lot. We comfortably spend more than £200 each month on electric, often seeing £10 per day on the smart meter.

Our gas consumption however, is rarely more than £100 per month. That's mostly central heating and a little hot water. Even allowing for price increases, your consumption seems huge.

I'm currently taking quotes as the cheap tariff is ending, around £430pm appears to be my future price, I'm currently paying around £330pm.

I think gas is your problem....

kazwookie

hmontg said......................- the only appliances we haven’t turned off is fridge and freezer. ..........

What is left on stand by? ie TV /Sky/ Box games / chargers?

Is / do you have a smart meter? that is left on?

Any thing in the garage  on ie car maint. stuff, battery chargers for drills, mowers, robots, etc left on

Loft lights?

Shed lights?

Empty freezer or similar in the garage running but empty?

Some form of out door kitchen / hot tub or similar on but not being used.

House burglar alarm is that on?

Out side flood lights / motion sensor lights stuck on?

Summer house / greenhouse with an electric heater left on or set to come on when temp gets to 1 degree?

coffeehound

Hi.  With the ventilation system, is it an MHRV?  Do you know what setting it's on?  I think it's usual to run them at a lower level overnight.

Some induction hobs can have a significant passive consumption apparently.  I guess it would be a case of continuing to switch different things off each night as you have been to track down the culprits

Also worth checking that the fridge and freezer are set sensibly:  Freezer at –18C, fridge at about 4C is typical

Veteransaver

Are you sure you haven't left an immersion heater on, maybe on a timer coming on every night? Even a small cylinder could use 3-4kWh heating it back up

Reed_Richards

Before you go to bed, go to your consumer unit, turn off every circuit except the one for your fridge and freezer (check their lights are on) and the circuit for your bedroom lights.  Read the meter and note the time.  Set your mobile to wake you up a bit earlier than usual, read your meter and note the time again, then switch every circuit back on.  Better not do this when it tis particularly cold outside because you will lose your heating for the duration.

That should give you a baseline for how much your fridge and freezer (and anything else plugged in overnight on the same circuit) uses.  Work you way forward from there, turning off different circuits overnight and seeing how much difference it makes.