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Original poster

Fridge freezer costing £20 per day to run?

346 replies

Buttonsluna · 15/11/2021 08:34

Hi there ,

We have just realised our standard size Liebherr fridge freezer is costing us over £7,000 a year to run Shock. Obviously we’ve unplugged it and bought a new one (arriving today), but do you think I can get compensation from the company?

It took us a whole quarterly bill period to realise it‘s been using over 100 KWH per 24 hours. Our bills went up dramatically before that, but we put it down to both WFH.

Basically we now owe thousands of pounds we can’t afford Envy (I feel sick and I’m having panic attack about how we’re going to pay).

As soon as we realised there was a problem when submitting our meter read, we bought a plug to check how much electricity each appliance is using. We were shocked that our Liebherr FF cost £23.50 over a 24 hour period!!!

We purchased it from John Lewis 10 years ago. Is there any recourse for compensation or do we have to suck it up? Is this just what happens when FF break down- is it normal? It seemed to be functioning ok, everything cold/ frozen and no frost or anything.

If you have any ideas please help. We acted as soon as we realised there is a problem so please don’t tell me I’m stupid for not noticing, I am busy working mum and struggle as it is to keep up with all life admin. Obviously I’m checking meter constantly now.

OP posts:
CantHaveTooMuchChocolate · 15/11/2021 12:51

100watts it’s an average light bulb back in the day, I second pp saying it’s not your FF at fault. Whatever you do don’t have your old one removed until you’ve got to the bottom of this. My moneys on a faulty meter or the immersion heater.

As another poster said, try switching everything off and see if your meter is still recording high figures for 15 mins.

burnoutbabe · 15/11/2021 12:51

have you actually

read meter 12pm yesterday
read meter 12pm today
post results here and then times 20p or so for a rough estimate per day.

if it was the fridge/freezer or the immersion I'd expect the usage to be pretty much same across any 3 hour period you measure. So maybe do it every few hours.
If you do it now for a base line 3 hours, then unplug FF for 3 hours to get it without that, youy can rule that item in or out.

I assume no economy 7 or night rates to confuse matters?

K4fkaesque · 15/11/2021 12:53

OP: Please post picture of your electricity meter showing the current reading, along with previous reading from your bill.

You may well be reading it wrong.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Home improvement
Shedmistress · 15/11/2021 12:55

I really think you need to turn everything off except the immersion heater and measure that for half an hour. I can't even contemplate leaving it on 24/7.

Also, revisit the original meter readings from when you moved in, they may have mis typed and are charging you for someone else's use.

You really need to stop panicking and work through this logically.

CantHaveTooMuchChocolate · 15/11/2021 12:56

Oh and if you ordered the new FF online, then you I believe you can send it back unused within a certain timeframe www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/changed-your-mind/changing-your-mind-about-something-youve-bought/

I’d call AO now though and have it returned before it’s delivered personally.

TheLovelinessOfDemons · 15/11/2021 12:58

@friskybivalves pigletjohn is truly amazing.

chesirecat99 · 15/11/2021 13:00

Do you have the meter reading and dates for when you moved in, when the supplier changed, and now? Any meter readings and dates? I think you have got yourself in a muddle with your calculations and setting up the plug thingamajig.

Original poster
Buttonsluna · 15/11/2021 13:00

I’m so stressed out I’m sort I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed so bear with me as I read your posts, I have no idea what it is and can’t think straight/ don’t know what to do. The meter is ticking up .

Electricity bills settled til early October with actual readings. Worked out £185 pcm. I paid a debt last week. Looking at units used since October I’ve done calculations and worried we owe £800. Have not submitted meter reading as I’m so worried they will put up DD and I don’t have the money

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 15/11/2021 13:02

How could you possibly use £800 in a month if you paid off what you owed last month?
What was the reading in October and what is the reading now?

chesirecat99 · 15/11/2021 13:02

Can you give us those numbers, OP, so people can double check your calculations?

Original poster
Buttonsluna · 15/11/2021 13:02

My DH. said he turned immersion off for a full day on Friday and it made no difference to meter readinga, so it’s not that.

OP posts:
LittleOwl153 · 15/11/2021 13:02

Assuming you have a 3kW rated immersion, on a 20A fuse then the figures calculated above hold - so your immersion on full pelt for 24hrs is costing £16.56 max. If it is a 6kW rated then it could be double.

Original poster
Buttonsluna · 15/11/2021 13:03

I’m probably doing the maths wrong as in a panic!!

OP posts:
Reallybadidea · 15/11/2021 13:04

Forget the immersion for now. What were your meter readings?

leafygarden42 · 15/11/2021 13:05

@Reallybadidea
Good point!! I can't believe have an immersion heater on all the time is a 'good thing' either.

Original poster
Buttonsluna · 15/11/2021 13:05

This was the bill where I’d been paying £89 DD then they said we owed £625 debt on electricity. You can see we use hardly any gas.

Fridge freezer costing £20 per day to run?
OP posts:
Original poster
Buttonsluna · 15/11/2021 13:06

We were pay 12p a unit of electricity- now paying 21p

OP posts:
Original poster
Buttonsluna · 15/11/2021 13:08

Right I’ve just recorded a meter reading for electricity now of 43148.7

OP posts:
SeasonFinale · 15/11/2021 13:09

That bill shows 6 months worth of electricity though May to October and both estimated readings.

Chemenger · 15/11/2021 13:10

Immersion heaters are usually 3kW rated. So they cost 54p per hour to run at full capacity. Unless the tank is very poorly insulated, or you use a huge amount of hot water, it will consume much less on average, over the day. So the worst case is £13 per day. If 3kw of heat was being lost by the tank you would notice, that's like having two fan heaters in the room.

Wombat49 · 15/11/2021 13:10

Can anyone else have tapped your electricity supply?

skipperjonce · 15/11/2021 13:10

Respectfully, you’ve calculated wrong. 100kwh over 24hr period is a constant 4.16kw draw. On a 240v system that’s 17.33 amps. The highest rated uk plug fuse is 13amps.

If your fridge was somehow pulling 17.33amps it would blow the plug fuse instantly.

I’d look elsewhere.

Original poster
Buttonsluna · 15/11/2021 13:11

I think I have miscalculated Blush it’s only £175 difference in units. As I said I’m in a panic and obviously not very good at maths. I think I was looking at the first gen smart meter when I did that which was overestimating use by about 3/4 times so that would make sense. I unplugged the smart meter as it was just making me stressed looking at it

OP posts:
Fireatseaparks · 15/11/2021 13:11

You can send the new fridge freezer back. Do you know how? Along add from your previous posts you sound very young and confused about how things work. If you need help sending the new fridge back, ask here.

Original poster
Buttonsluna · 15/11/2021 13:14

@SeasonFinale there is one actual reading on there. I don’t know why they were all estimated. I definitely submitted meter reads within a week of being requested. They were one of these small energy companies and I say can’t get onto account now as went bust. The supplier EDF was the supplier in between the one that went bust and our new supplier Eon

OP posts: