Confused about the price cap and energy consumption. Here's the thread for the physics and the maths to help you

[cakeorwine]

I've seen a lot of threads on here with people asking about their energy bills.

So a few basics here - and then I am sure people can add their own.

The price cap is an average expectation of what a household will pay. It's based on typical consumption and can vary between areas.

There is a daily standing charge and a cost per kilowatt hour.

There are figures available on typical energy consumption in a house.

According to Ofgem, the average household in the UK has 2.4 people living in it, and uses 2,900 kWh of electricity and 12,000 kWh of gas respectively. This works out as an average of 242 kWh of electricity, and 1,000 kWh of gas, per month

Electric devices have a power rating - in watts.
Devices that need a lot of power have a high power rating.

If you use a 1000 watt device for 1 hour, you have used 1 KWH of power (1000 watt hours)

That's 1 unit - about 28 pence with the new rating.

If you use the same 1000 watt device for 1/2 hour, that's 0.5 KWH - 0.5 units.

So if you use a 100 watt device for 10 hours, that's also 1 KWH (as it's low power but for a longer time)

Heaters are high users as they are on for a long time. As are immersion heaters.

Gas is different - you need to use a formula to change the volume of gas used from cubic metres into kilowatt hours.

A Smart meter will give you an indication of when there is a high energy demand, but don't forget that a low power device on for a long time will end up using a lot of energy.

So it's the kilowatt hours you need to look at whenever you question your bill.

@thewomanacrossthestreet

Is it true it's cheaper to do a wash on your washing machine at 30/40 than a 60/90 degree wash? I'm glad you've posted this, I get really confused! I only use 9000kwh of gas a year though so I'm chuffed it's 3000kwh under.

For washing machines, you need to check the manual, but washing at a lower temperature usually uses less energy, because you're not heating the water (it's the heating of houses or water that costs, also running air conditioners and fans, including those cooling some PCs that costs).

However, the longer cycles are often more energy efficient, because there's a lot of sitting and soaking, compared with the fast cycles, that work more on adjitation. Shorter cycles often only work with smaller loads too, so another inefficiency to stop doing.

The other thing to consider is to make sure that clothes are actually dirty before you wash them. Don't be one of those Mumsnettters who washes towels after one use and clothes after one wear.

@Galacticat

Yes that is a divorcable offence unless he brings in shedloads via a MN approved DH 'Big Job'. At the very least, he needs a movement sensor in his man cave garage, so the lights go off unless he's actually in there hiding from family responsibilities.

DS and I have had chats about our power shower and the time he spends in there

Yes, showers, especially if heated by electricity, can be very expensive to run. 10.8 kWh is a typical rating. From April, a single daily 10 minute shower costs over 50 pence.

If you have 4 people having daily showers, that's about £65 a month, just on showering. Imagine how much it would cost if showers are longer or more frequent.

@Plump82

We live in a 2 bed flat and I've just checked our gas usage which is around 2400kw. That seems so low!

How do you heat your house?

Flats can be well insulated.

If you have 4 people having daily showers, that's about £65 a month, just on showering. Imagine how much it would cost if showers are longer or more frequent

Probably need shared baths again.

I've got E7 heating in my rented three bed, with an immersion heater for hot water. I paid £260 for December and am dreading the price rise. I have new-fangled (to me, anyway!) heaters which have temperature dials on top and comfort times set. Does it make much difference if I skip a comfort boost, would anybody know?

Do unheated houses not go damp and mouldy? That would be my worry.

I am confused about staying on a tarrif and trying to lock into a deal. I was with sse but it was taken over about 3 months ago by ovo so any deal I was on is now void. Can I do anything to find a cheaper deal?

Can I do anything to find a cheaper deal

I think it all depends on gas prices over the next few months. Martin Lewis discussed this last week - it depends on the October price cap which is linked to the gas price.

I don't think there are enough cheap deals at the moment - none that make it worth swapping to to preempt the price rises.

Does the price cap mean everyone will hit the cap? Can you be under the cap if you reduce usage?

I'm sitting tonight trying to work out what the increase will mean for us...
Can you tell me if I have it right?
We're currently on a fixed rate to April so I'm looking as what the price would be if we were on the variable rate and increasing that by 54%, which is the indicated increase.
Does that sound right?

We're heavy usage on both gas and electric and I think we're gonna be about £400 odd a month 😩

@RedCarHonkHonk

Does the price cap mean everyone will hit the cap? Can you be under the cap if you reduce usage?

No - the cap is the max price per unit (and standing charge). So high and low users pay the same per unit of energy used - but the higher user will have a higher bill as they use more units.

@RedCarHonkHonk

Does the price cap mean everyone will hit the cap? Can you be under the cap if you reduce usage?

It's based on average usage.

It's why you need to know your usage.

www.ofgem.gov.uk/check-if-energy-price-cap-affects-you

The new rates are roughly:

Gas: 7p per kwh plus 27p daily charge (up from 4p per KWH and 26p daily charge)

Electricity: 28p per kwh plus 45p daily charge. (up from 21p per kwh and 25p daily charge)

So reducing your usage will reduce your costs.

These are the price cap amounts from April

We're currently on a fixed rate to April so I'm looking as what the price would be if we were on the variable rate and increasing that by 54%, which is the indicated increase

Have you got an estimated energy usage from your provider?

Providers sometimes estimate how much energy you will use in a year. They can be generous on that estimate though.

That's the only way to know what your costs will be.

@dementedpixie

These are the price cap amounts from April

Plus the increased standing charges

Ah I hadn't seen the standing charge increase amounts

Got it! Thanks for that. So I’m buying more expensive units that are capped. It all depends on how many of those individual units I buy.

I could give up the HRT that will keep me very warm.

Is it cheaper to run appliances at night? I pay a monthly dual bill via direct debit so no key meter or anything.

*Yes, showers, especially if heated by electricity, can be very expensive to run. 10.8 kWh is a typical rating. From April, a single daily 10 minute shower costs over 50 pence.

If you have 4 people having daily showers, that's about £65 a month, just on showering. Imagine how much it would cost if showers are longer or more frequent.*

😬 Omg it sounds stupid but I literally had no idea they were so expensive, I thought it was cheaper than a bath because it heated less water ...

@cakeorwine

We're currently on a fixed rate to April so I'm looking as what the price would be if we were on the variable rate and increasing that by 54%, which is the indicated increase

Have you got an estimated energy usage from your provider?

Providers sometimes estimate how much energy you will use in a year. They can be generous on that estimate though.

That's the only way to know what your costs will be.

I'll be honest. I haven't kept close track of it before now. We've used 1,477kwh electricity and 5,876kwh of gas in the last 2 months.

My last bill was in August and we'd used 7,780kwh of electricity and 2,554kwh of gas between March and August.

I've tried to work that information up to annual figures and used that to inform costs.
I've went with 12,000kwh for electricity and 21,000kwh for gas but I honestly have no idea what I'm doing!

@BigGreen

Is it cheaper to run appliances at night? I pay a monthly dual bill via direct debit so no key meter or anything.

If you have an Economy 7 meter, then yes. If you need to.

Electricity is cheaper at night as we still generate electricity but there's less demand for it.

In the future, it would be great to have some way of storing electricity overnight to use later. Or storing it when we produce more than we need to we can keep it for winter. (See Joseph and his dreams of corn for reference )

I've worked it out wrong looking at the bill. I've used gas for electric and vice versa. Away to look again!

I'll be honest. I haven't kept close track of it before now. We've used 1,477kwh electricity and 5,876kwh of gas in the last 2 months

Average UK electricity use is 2900 KWH per year.....

You haven't got a cannabis farm near you?

@MissOrganisedMe

It should be on your statement. A generous idea of what your company thinks you will use over the year.

The thing is - many people will have WFH so that may increase the estimates companies make.

Fuck, I used nearly 20,000 kwh of gas in only six months. Even if I use less in summer, that's still roughly 30k, so nearly 3 times the average.

Yet my electricity use is bang on average.