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Original poster

How do we use twice as much electricity as the average house?!!?

115 replies

truthlemon · 15/03/2021 13:58

I'm just messing on checking new gas/electricity suppliers and I've just worked out what our annual usage is...

665 cubic ft gas pa
7645 kWh electricity pa.

Now according to my Googling we are currently using TWICE the average electricity of a family of 4 in a 3-bedroom house. I am forever turning lights off after the kids and DH but what is eating the electricity?!

If you are a family of 4, how much is your electricity per year?

Our heating is gas (new boiler last year).
We have 3 bedrooms.
Work from home during day so regularly boil the kettle. We run the dishwasher once a day on average, maybe twice during homeschooling.
We have an electric oven which is probably on once a day. Have the usual Alexas in bedrooms. Lights and lamps all have LED bulbs. TV on in evenings only.

However, I do lots of washing. 1-2 loads a day, sometimes 3 - is it the washing machine?! Oh, and we have a robovac who is always plugged in, plus a heated dryer which is used during winter (but no tumble dryer).

Is there something obvious I am missing here?

OP posts:
Original poster
truthlemon · 15/03/2021 13:59

Oh, forgot the electric shower. That is on about 4 or 5 times per day, but we are generally very quick!

OP posts:
ServeTheServants · 15/03/2021 14:00

Do you have an immersion heater? If so, check it’s not on a timer, and coming on unbeknownst to you.

namechangemarch21 · 15/03/2021 14:03

I would second this. We moved into a flat and I had a big fight with the new energy provider about the direct debit they were trying to set up based on previous usage until at one point I mentioned it was a flat and they stopped dead. The previous occupant had left the immersion on constantly. She was using (and paying for!) the same amount of electricity in a two bed well-insulated flat as you would in a four bed detached house. I basically found and reset the timer and reduced the bills to 1/3 of what they had been.

MoltenLasagne · 15/03/2021 14:03

Are you sure you're definitely using that much and its not a fault? We've recently had a massive hike in bills and discovered our fridge freezer is malfunctioning and using way more electricity than it should. We got one of those plugs where it tells you energy usage.

We did also discover though how much energy our laptops and monitors are using which was quite scary - definitely costing us a lot to be wfh.

Original poster
truthlemon · 15/03/2021 14:04

Thanks serve , no immersion heater. so that's not it. I thought I was quite careful too Confused

OP posts:
namechangemarch21 · 15/03/2021 14:05

Oh having said that- three loads of washing a day for four people?! I genuinely don't know how that is possible. Do you know how your washing machine is rated? That or the electric heater could also be culprits if its on a lot some of them can be very inefficient.

Do you have one of those plug-in metres?

Ifiwasadaisy · 15/03/2021 14:05

You do 1/2/3 loads of washing a day as a family of four?! And run the dishwasher twice? That’s quite a lot over average I suspect.

I also suspect the average is based on children out at school and parents out at work - you’ll be using more energy all being home over the various lockdowns. You won’t be on holiday or going to restaurants etc which would all drag the “pre covid” average down as well.

Original poster
truthlemon · 15/03/2021 14:06

Ooh a magical plug you say?! That's what I need. Point me in the right direction please @MoltenLasagne

OP posts:
Original poster
truthlemon · 15/03/2021 14:07

Our fridge freezer is a bit naff, but it's not that old and I always choose A rating appliances. I am currently trying to solve a (fridge) condensation problem so it could be that...

OP posts:
Original poster
truthlemon · 15/03/2021 14:09

@namechangemarch21

Oh having said that- three loads of washing a day for four people?! I genuinely don't know how that is possible. Do you know how your washing machine is rated? That or the electric heater could also be culprits if its on a lot some of them can be very inefficient.

Do you have one of those plug-in metres?

The washing is largely due to bed-wetting, one extremely messy child and a dog. I only ever wash at 20-40 degrees though. I'll check the washer rating too.
OP posts:
Magnificentmug12 · 15/03/2021 14:09

That’s a lot of washing!!

Probably where all the money is going. You don’t need to do it that much for a small family.

If you had 6 kids then I could understand why you are doing 1-2 loads a day.

What are you even washing? Does everyone in your house change a couple of times a day? Even if they did clothes are not dirty after being worn for only 2 hours.

NeedToGetOuttaHere · 15/03/2021 14:09

I don’t think you’re washing is helping. It sounds like you are doing the double the average for a family of your size.
How much does your bill cost each month? How does it compare with ore lockdown?

QforCucumber · 15/03/2021 14:10

Our gas is 6350kwh/ yr and electric is 2831kwh/yr

That's the last 12 months. 2 adults, 2 kids, I've been on maternity leave so lots of being in the house over the last year too.

Original poster
truthlemon · 15/03/2021 14:11

@Ifiwasadaisy

You do 1/2/3 loads of washing a day as a family of four?! And run the dishwasher twice? That’s quite a lot over average I suspect.

I also suspect the average is based on children out at school and parents out at work - you’ll be using more energy all being home over the various lockdowns. You won’t be on holiday or going to restaurants etc which would all drag the “pre covid” average down as well.

Dishwasher is only twice a day during the recent homeschooling. That's 12 meals a day so not all that usual I wouldn't have thought. It's certainly calmed down significantly now the kids aren't eating us out of house and home.
OP posts:
Magnificentmug12 · 15/03/2021 14:11

If it’s bed sheets that’s still only 1 wash a day. Where are the other loads coming from?

We do,

Blacks and towels- twice a week
Colours 1 a week (we wear mainly black)
Whites 1 a week

Bed sheets go in with the blacks, colours or whites.

Magnificentmug12 · 15/03/2021 14:12

Dishwasher twice! I think it’s clear why bills are double, your using more than average very clearly.

NeedToGetOuttaHere · 15/03/2021 14:15

We’ve used out dishwasher twice a day since lockdown started. I remember dating to my DH that’s what we are going to do, I don’t want any moaning about it. We went from 3 meals a day in the house during the week to 11 meals.

Twickerhun · 15/03/2021 14:17

We are a similar family to you, 2 adults both WFH now, 2 children, 3 bed house. Very similar to you plus a ma mouth amount of washing permanently needing doing. We use 3,301 whatsits of electricity a year so yes you are using twice what we do

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 15/03/2021 14:18

Electricity is mainly used by things that heat up so don't worry about chargers and the like as they use next to nothing

Do you have smart meters?

ExcusesAndAccusations · 15/03/2021 14:18

Heating water is what eats energy. Lights, TV etc are chicken feed by comparison. Getting water up to 30/40 degrees for two washes and four showers a day will do a lot of damage.

Original poster
truthlemon · 15/03/2021 14:19

Pre lockdown was the same more or less. The heated rail is meant to be efficient - 6p hour or something.

We don't have a smartmeter.

OP posts:
safariboot · 15/03/2021 14:20

I bet it's the shower. Heating water takes a lot of energy, and showers can't really go for low water use like modern dishwashers and washing machines do. Electric showers tend to be about 10 kilowatts. Half an hour total per day - so that's just 8 minutes each - and that could be 5 kWh. Times 365 days is 1800 kWh. It might be less if the shower doesn't draw full power.

Do you have a non-electric shower you can use instead for a week or two and monitor your power consumption?

Original poster
truthlemon · 15/03/2021 14:20

Dishwasher is A+++. Washing machine is A+++ too.

OP posts:
ExcusesAndAccusations · 15/03/2021 14:21

But get yourself a smart meter of some sort and do some experiments. It’s possible that a random appliance you’ve never thought to mention is left plugged in or has a fault and is heating up.

TheBigBaboon · 15/03/2021 14:25

I pay £50 every 3 months.

3 bed house with washer, drier, dishwasher and electric cooker.

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