smart meter

[HolaWeenie]

I'm totally fascinated by the smart meter we just set up. 10p a shower 4p to dry and straighten my hair, and 2p a cuppa.

Just noticed the washing machine is energy hungry. So it got me wondering is there a cheap time of day to do the washing?

Does anyone else have a meter? What do you notice goes through a lot of energy?

[HolaWeenie]

Interesting about the joint, I have a slow cooker so tend to do cheap meat in there, will have to check out how much a slow cooker uses.

[cozietoesie]

You'll find that anything that's heavy on heating fairly rocks through the power - washing machines, tumble driers, immersers - even kettles etc. (Although they're usually briefer. )

What really staggered me, though, was the cost of lighting. (I had a great number of 'dirty' bulbs around the place when I came and they can eat through the pennies, particularly as they tend to be left on for long times.)

[HolaWeenie]

Yes I've spotted the kettle, perfect prep machine etc make it spike, but like you say they're only on for a short while.

Not long moved into this house and our first bill for just shy of three weeks whilst old supplier swapped over to new was £60 for electricity only.

There's some natty colour changing spotlights in a couple of recesses up the staircase and they act as a nightlight for my little boy when he needs a wee, his doorway is right by stairs and as its a new layout I'm worried he will be disorientated so they've been on all night, and it burned through quite a bit of energy, so need to find an alternative, I find the plug in night lights for the hallway not bright enough.

[Upthepaddle]

I got my smart meter fitted a few months ago. I absolutely love it. I try to get below £1.10 spend each day but it's not always possible. I feel like I've conquered Everest when I get below £1

[Fluffycloudland77]

Slow cookers are good for meat joints.

You can get led night lights. You can wash clothes on cold. Sheets need 30.

[Sitoff]

Ohhh where did you get it?

[cozietoesie]

Mine had to be installed by the power company - there's some sort of target to have every consumer using them by a certain date. ( Which I've forgotten, I'm afraid.)

[Sitoff]

Thanks - off to investigate.

[FrikkaDilla]

"sheets need 30" - yuk. That IS cold. I had a friend who washed everything at 30. I stayed with her one week and had to use the washing machine. It was disgusting. Black slime all round the inside door.

Washing clothes in cold water doesn't work well.

[Upthepaddle]

Sheets need 30 Eurgh. My daily shower is hotter than this. 30C doesn't kill anything, just washes off the visible marks. My sheets and towels are always done at 90C and underwear is soaked in a bucket of boiled water before being washed at 40C. All washes have some Zoflora in.

[GiveMyHeadPeaceffs]

We got a "Nest" system to monitor our heating and it's brilliant. Really want one of these energy meters too!

[cozietoesie]

I don't know if this is common to all smart meters but my two (gas and electricity) also communicate their readings directly to the power company so I don't need to read my meters any more - and I can see my consumption on a daily basis historically using the power company app. There's a couple of days lag on the latter but they've been fine so far.

[specialsubject]

devices that generate heat use the most electricity (Science 101).

there is no cheap time unless you are on economy 7 - which isn't worth it unless you use more than 40% of your energy at night. This will change once we all have smart meters.

I do most of my washing at 40 and there is black mould on the washing machine seal. No-one seems to have died yet.

[CremeEggThief]

I'm currently on a pre-pay meter, but scheduled to get smart meters installed in 3 weeks. The pre-pay meter has been an eye opener for me. Electric showers are a lot and the washing machine is nearly as bad as the tumble dryer! I had to buy my own cooker when I moved in, as it's a H.A. property, so deliberately went for an all gas one, once I knew about the meters. It's worked out well.

[cozietoesie]

Yes. People forget that, apart from power to rotate the drum, any cold feed washing machine has to heat up the water inside itself to wash the clothes - and more so in winter when the water coming in from the mains is a bit colder. It's like having a huge electric kettle.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I don't have any mold in my machine seal. I know because I was searching for a collar straightener pin in there.

[cozietoesie]

Me neither.

Do you leave the machine door open/ajar when it's not in use, Fluffy?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Sometimes, not always.

It's a Bosch loggix. One does not get mould in a Loggix

Unlike the zanussi one the ll left for us before we bought the house. It was black inside & stunk.

[PigletJohn]

The washing machine is not as bad as the tumble drier. Although it uses a high wattage, this is only while the heater is getting the water hot. For example ours heats for about 15mins doing a 60C cotton wash (about 8p). More modern machines may use less water so need less energy. The motor uses much less power.

The drier, however, will use about 3kW and runs for more than an hour (at about 32p per hour). Heat-pump driers use much less, but are more expensive to buy.

Our dishwasher heats for 11 minutes for the hot wash, and again for the final rinse.

If you have no gas and heat your water with electricity, it takes about an hour and a half with a 3kW immersion to heat enough for a bath (about 47p).

If you have gas heating or hot water, use it. Energy from gas currently costs about a quarter of the cost of energy from electricity (this month I am paying 2.656p for a kWh of gas, and 10.35p for a kWh of electricity, YMMV)

[cozietoesie]

Thank you, PigletJohn.

[cozietoesie]

Funnily enough, my machine is a Bosch as well, Fluffy. I wonder if Bosch machines don't allow mould etc?

[CremeEggThief]

No mould on my Hotpoint. I always leave the door ajar when not in use.

[cozietoesie]

I do also. It's not purposeful - just the way it happens.