Temporary High Power Usage

born_again

Just had a look at our bill & 5:00 to 5:30 it shoots up the same. Only thing that comes on then daughter getting up & turning lights on.

Gambler

Just arrived home ready to start investigating via the fuse box but everything is already back to normal.......🤔🤓

Veteransaver

Gambler said:

Just arrived home ready to start investigating via the fuse box but everything is already back to normal.......🤔🤓

Typical. Is there only one pair of cables from your meter to your fusebox, there isn't a Henley block where a pair split off somewhere else is there? Could be going to an out building, or a neighbour or something sort of communal utility, not unheard of for a builder to just connect some communal item up to the nearest house electric supply..

Gambler

I don't think so, house was only built in 2021.

I'm currently sat watching TV with sound bar and full surround sound system, 2 electric blankets on and I'm still below 300W.

I'm just really intrigued now as to what us causing the draw. Lasted 12 hours today.

Really appreciate your help though thanks 

Gerry1

Gambler said:

I'm currently sat watching TV with sound bar and full surround sound system, 2 electric blankets on and I'm still below 300W.

How many flashes per minute on the metrology light at present?

Veteransaver

I'm intrigued that your 0000 to 0600 is so low, surely the fridge freezer would be cutting in and out a few times during the night?
Having a base load of only 30W is more than doable if you discount the fridge freezer but you'd expect one to use about 1kWh a day if not more, so on average that is 41W. And in 6 hours overnight you'd expect it to use a few hundred Wh. Maybe half an hour at 100W or something a few times in that 6 hours.
You say you have solar too, presume no battery at all, even a small one that is doing some random unscheduled charging?
Could it be an electric towel rail that someone is switching on or is on some dodgy timer, or linked to maybe some other switch like a light switch?. Electric towel rails are 200W+ so it would be in the ball park, eg a 400W one cycling on and off?

Ildhund

Veteransaver said:

I'm intrigued that your 0000 to 0600 is so low, surely the fridge freezer would be cutting in and out a few times during the night?

Mine is admittedly probably the smallest possible household (me and a pesky mouse), but my power draw in the small hours is less than 40W. I just grabbed Bright's figures for the night just passed:
  

  
The average 02:00-08:00 was 37W, of which the freezer (measured by Tapo) accounted for 9W. The rest consists of:

• Fridge (not monitored)
• IHD
• Modem/router
• Amazon Echo Dot
• Netatmo indoor climate monitor
• 2 heat/smoke alarms
• 2 Tapo P110
• 4 clockwork timers
• Alarm clock radio
• Cooker and microwave on standby, with digital clocks
• 2 outdoor PIR-controlled security lights
• 3 sundry neon indicators

I expect the fridge accounts for the lion's share of this, but monitoring it is a pain (it has its own socket only accessible by hauling the whole machine out of its slot under the counter, with all the horrors that might reveal). I only acquired the two Tapos yesterday (an impulse buy at £8.99 each from Argos) and spent an enjoyable hour or two working out how to use them. One is currently powering my 60W electric blanket, scheduled to switch it on at 22:30 and off again at 01:00 just in case I fall asleep without switching it off first. 

If anyone's wondering how much electricity a particular device is using, this is an affordable way of finding out, as well as allowing it to be controlled from your armchair (e.g. by shouting at Alexa) instead of grovelling on the floor to reach behind it. My suggestion for this year's stocking filler for the resident geek 🎅

Gambler

Veteransaver said:

I'm intrigued that your 0000 to 0600 is so low, surely the fridge freezer would be cutting in and out a few times during the night?
Having a base load of only 30W is more than doable if you discount the fridge freezer but you'd expect one to use about 1kWh a day if not more, so on average that is 41W. And in 6 hours overnight you'd expect it to use a few hundred Wh. Maybe half an hour at 100W or something a few times in that 6 hours.
You say you have solar too, presume no battery at all, even a small one that is doing some random unscheduled charging?
Could it be an electric towel rail that someone is switching on or is on some dodgy timer, or linked to maybe some other switch like a light switch?. Electric towel rails are 200W+ so it would be in the ball park, eg a 400W one cycling on and off?

No I don't think there is a battery with the solar and towel rails are both gas.

Qyburn

Gambler said:

No I don't think there is a battery with the solar and towel rails are both gas.

Do you mean directly gas fired, or fed from gas central heating system?

Gambler

Qyburn said:

Gambler said:

No I don't think there is a battery with the solar and towel rails are both gas.

Do you mean directly gas fired, or fed from gas central heating system?

Central heating system.