Parents' £80 Elec. bill p.m, surely too much?Emersion heater maybe?

[bankhater10]

Hi everyone!

Great news, my mum is now taking a reading from both the Owl and the meter every morning at 9.30am. Just for the record, the first meter reading was 18 'units', would that be 'Kilowatts' please?

[dx100uk]

yes kWhrs same as the owl readout.

[bankhater10]

Thank you dx100uk, you have been extremely helpful in my battle with the bill!!

[verycatchy7939]

Electricity units are usually already stated in kilowatt-hours, so the electricity kWh's figure is ready to use.

 

Gas units need to be multiplied by 31.3 to convert from the units used according to the meter, to kilowatt-hours. Then the gas kWh's are ready to use. This is a rough estimate and the exact conversion details are below. (Or, for rough figures, multiply by 100, then divide by 3). (To convert gas units to kilowatt hours: gas units used x imperial to metric conversion factor (2.83) x volume conversion factor (1.022640) x calorific value (39.7) divided by kilowatt hour conversion factor (3.6) = kilowatt hours used.)(This is the same as: gas units used x 31.3 = kilowatt hours used)

If you have a metric meter, you do not need to use the imperial to metric conversion factor (2.83). In this case, the rough estimate is to multiply the metric units by 11 instead of 31.3.

 

However that suggest the you parents summer usage is 9 units perday so over a 91.25 day billing cycle that would =821 kwh/units x 14p(av cost)=£114.94 summer use. you really need to factor 30% on top of summer use to cover winter use so i suggest you parents bill may be for winter £149.76.

So i suggest your parent bills maybe for a year £542.24. all calculations are not inclusive of 5% vat and standing charges. you parents usuage is per week £ 10.08 with out vat or stg charges. I think you need to get a credit meter fitted take and DD reduce your cost and get some discounts.

[Surfer01]

We are a couple in a bungalow and have an electric shower and hot water heated with electric as we do not have gas and our daily consumption averages 14 units which is a bit high. We suspect the fridge is on its way out, but we also do washing about 3 times a week. Obviously we have a modeern electric cooker which helped bring down the cost.

Once you have worked out the average over a week, you will then need to find out which appliance is using the most units. I suspect that 18 units per day is a bit on the high side but could fit in with a £80 bill per month if the cost per unit is £0.14. Maybe that should request the supplier to move them onto an E10 rate. This is the cheap rate for hours 12am - 5am, 1pm - 4pm and 8pm - 10pm. This will then allow them to do clothes washing during the day and anything else that uses more electric than normal. This rate is not published in an search engine or by the supplier.

[verycatchy7939]

We are a couple in a bungalow and have an electric shower and hot water heated with electric as we do not have gas and our daily consumption averages 14 units which is a bit high. We suspect the fridge is on its way out, but we also do washing about 3 times a week. Obviously we have a modeern electric cooker which helped bring down the cost.

Once you have worked out the average over a week, you will then need to find out which appliance is using the most units. I suspect that 18 units per day is a bit on the high side but could fit in with a £80 bill per month if the cost per unit is £0.14. Maybe that should request the supplier to move them onto an E10 rate. This is the cheap rate for hours 12am - 5am, 1pm - 4pm and 8pm - 10pm. This will then allow them to do clothes washing during the day and anything else that uses more electric than normal. This rate is not published in an search engine or by the supplier.

 

14-18 units a day for all domestics is really good seeing as you have no gas supply. E7 or D1T may benfit you but i wouls ring up you energy supplier and ask then to doa D1T analysis for you.

[Surfer01]

I am been in the electric industry for several years, however I have not heard of D1T analysis and neither has any of my collegues. Please explain thanks.

[verycatchy7939]

basiclly is a calulation to see if an E7 or D1T is in your favour. Kind of predicting how TSW will function and manage usage. Npowers web has that tool on it or there customer services will do it. i know they did for me yesterday and i work in the industry as well.70/30 is the typical split but they go in to greater detail they can predict any split basis now.As a side note tha thow they bill TSW issues.

[nottslad]

Economy 7 usually only works out better for those with storage heaters or similar; at least 45% of your energy consumption needs to occur during the off-peak times to benefit. If you don't meet this requirement, Economy 7 will cost you more due to the higher day unit price being charged.

 

Not all suppliers support economy 10, but the same principal as E7 applies. You may also need to pay for the meter exchange as it would be "non-essential"

[verycatchy7939]

thats why its important to do the analsys and choose you suppier carefully.usually 70/30 split will save you money.But a word of warning timeswitch error in this type of meters abound.so you need to check you bil every billing cycle.

Storge heater usuae a kind of E7 that records heat non heat and other usits as well as day. Thnkfully this is being phased out.

Meter change cost depends on your supplier some eg e-on are doing ti for free on a green tariff.

[bankhater10]

Hi, please can i verify that if the Owl reads more units than the meter of, say, a period of 24hours then my parents are being undercharged? And vice-versa?

[verycatchy7939]

i would say either the owl what ever that is or meter is faulty.

It needs a kettle test which is you switch off everything that is electric then take ameter read on the meter and that owl thingy.

Switch the kettle on let it boil then swich off reapeat you readings see if the difeerent between the mtr and owl start and end readings are the same.

I suspect it the owl as it a un certified peice of junk really but it coudl be useful as a guide, not ammisible in court of law as an accepted device.

If you think there mtr faulty take a read every day for 7 days and hit the electric compnay with it.

[dx100uk]

the owl is only a 'guide'

if you move the clamp a bit it will read slightly more /less

 

what kind of sets of reading are you getting?

 

dx

[bankhater10]

Hi dx,

im sorry for this hassle, dont worry i will be finished with all this soon+my parents can move to a nice normal meter with direct debit payments and paperless bills with eon and i will not have to keep coming on here and picking everyone's brains. The help i have received is much appreciated!!

Ok, in answer to your question, here are the readings so far:

Sun 9am Meter:22575 Owl:455

Mon 9am Meter:22593 Owl:475

Tue 9am Meter:22613 Owl:497

Wed 9am Meter:22629 Owl:497

 

So it seems that in 24 hours they use an average of 18 units/kwh(going by the meter, not the Owl)

Just to clarify, the heat lamps i mentioned are not in use at the moment, off the top of my head i can tell you that the biodisk (turns human waste into water) is on 24 hrs a day as is the pond cleaner, plus the two fridge freezers and the one chest freezer and the rest are the usual TV, Video, DVD player and Sky Box on standby etc. and the usual lights on during the day and pc running all day.

 

Interestingly (i thought), i got my mum to give me readings of 9pm every night so far too so i can tell you what they use per night:

Mon 9pm Meter:22607 Owl:490

Tues 9am Meter:22613 Owl:497

 

Tues 9pm Meter:22624 Owl:510

Wed 9am Meter:22629 Owl515

 

So they use about 5/6 kwh per night. (That's the biodisk, pond pump and fridge-freezers and chest freezer on permanently plus the usual on standby)

 

What do you think of these figures please?

[dx100uk]

adctually the owl and the pussy cat arent that far apart

 

i would think the majority of the power is being dne by all the fridge freezers - 3!

 

you know you can get these saver plugs you can put on them,,,did i mention that earlier....

 

dx

[bankhater10]

Yes you most certainly did, my friend! The things i shall be doing are:

1, switching to eon direct debit paperless billing

2, getting those saver plugs

3, buying them energy saving/efficient bulbs

4, Get them to switch off all the appliances on stand by overnight

[verycatchy7939]

nothing worng with the meter all readings fall in line and it kinda supports the 19 units per day i forecasted. It all about getting them off the pp talking to e-on.

Are they in reciept of pensioner tax credits if sl e-on may put them on a low social tarriff

[Surfer01]

I would check around first on some comparison sites before committing myself to E-on however at all costs avoid Npower and BGAS. We are on the Scottish & Southern social tariff which is a good rate and I have found their customer service to be the best by far. In addiotn, they have a scheme whereby if your fridge/freezer is old they replace it for a nominal £50.

[verycatchy7939]

npowers sol 19 is the cheapest on market. you just have to put with av customer services mmmmm though choice. Scottish and southern horriffic customer service i been fighting them for 2 year cos they billing me for ameter that sits next door.

[bankhater10]

Hi again! Thanks for the advice, i shall certainly shop around and see what the best bet will be!

Here's a few questions if i may-

My parents have 8 eight lights in their house which i shall be buying replacement energy saving ones for. Please can anyone give any opinions on are there any particular brands i should buy/steer clear of?

Also, how much energy do they save?

 

Also some good news is that today i found out that pond pumps (that oxygenise the water) are fine to be switched off as long as they are on 8-10 hours a day which means my dad's doesn't have to be on 24hrs a day(he has agreed to this too!). :) Please can anyone recommend any decent timer switches so that i can put his pond pump on a timer?

Many thanks so far-Bankhater10

 

Ps- the useage over the week has still averaged out at 18kwhs(it used to be much more)! Im hoping to get this down with the pond pump reduced from 24hrs to 9 hrs(using the timer switch), using energy saving light bulbs and using the energy saving plugs on the freezers that dx100uk mentioned!!

[bankhater10]

Hello. Please can i ask a question?

I was looking at low energy lightbulbs and i see that a 7w low energy bulb is equivelant to a 35w 'normal' bulb, my parents have 60w 'normal' bulbs but i cant seem to find the equivelant low energy bulbs?

The bulbs i was looking at are here:

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Light-bulbs/GE-Candle-Bulb-Energy-Saving-SES-7w/invt/0244476?htxt=2ETQhJd8X0S7IY%2BeqPNk3dBTdjyk4O6dvpNiABwBKiiNatIDz5fRu7hEZTx839RZv6jq2p%2BmQVGL%0AcRuA%2Bk3lBw%3D%3D

 

Would you say that this is the best option timer for the pond pump:

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Extension-Leads+Timers/Wilko-Segment-Time-Switch-24h/invt/0142473?htxt=7puobqUTOlXRUVXPt5abv7tcmeigVZ8sQgVFm14rVYraV83b4n4zEmqSyhw0bFpAIOvnA%2BRQUNYQ%0AdBSE2kxFjQ%3D%3D

 

Finally, would this be a good option so that my parents could turn off some appliances and not others overnight?

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/Extension-Leads+Timers/Wilko-6-Way-Extension-Lead-Individually-Switched-2m/invt/0187196

[nottslad]

Have a look at http://www.eonenergy.com/At-Home/Going-Green/?WT.svl=3

 

and supermarkets tend to have some good offers with lightbulbs too.

 

If they're still signing up for EON they are doing a campaign called Energy Fit, which gives a free energy monitor when you have dual fuel and pay by dd

[bankhater10]

Hi,

Just a quick one to dx100uk- Im afraid those brilliant looking Fridge/Freezer plugs from Sparks seem to be out of stock! What a shame! No idea where else i could get any? As for the fridges, am i right in thinking that the energy saving ones are 'A' rated?

 

Ps- i have googled those plugs but they are now very expensive!! DOH!!

[Heckler]

Computers can be quite heavy users... it does depend on the specs and the amount of time used... But 2 PC's left on 24/7 can be using as much as 7-8p an hour.

 

If I leave both mine on... one is a quite powerful desktop and the other a low power HTPC (media centre) they user between 6-8p per hour depending on use and that's with the CPU power saving enabled.

 

Tumble driers are huge electricity hogs, and using them for an average of 30-60 mins a day can cost 50-80p.

 

British gas offer a free energy monitor, I got one about 6 months ago and was shocked at how much I was using... just monitoring things and seeing what my use was like has allowed me to reduce my electricity costs by 20% so far.

[dx100uk]

the more 'a's the better

we use these

 

http://www.greenhealthwatch.com/goodslifeworks/goodsenergysavers/esswsavaplug.htm

 

dx