Help me work out how I'm using so much electricity??

[Crazybengalcats]

Hi, I know there are a million threads on this topic and I've read most of them, but I could really do with some help working out why the electricity usage is so high in our household.

I'm with Bulb and the annual estimated electricity usage is 14,000kwh :(

Here's what we have in the house:

Combi boiler

Electric oven and hob - we do oven cook a lot of things and some days the oven is on 2-3 times (we might eat something spicy later in the evening after children have eaten, for example) and each morning we boil coffee on the hob using a coffee pot.

Electric shower (all three children shower daily, 10 mins each roughly, partner most days, me every other day)

Kettle - boiled a few times a day, I do tend to fill it up each time

Toaster used maybe 3 times per week

3 x tvs on standby 24/7, one used for the xbox in our room which dp is on most evenings for a few hours

3 other xboxes plugged in but switched on infrequently

3 x sets of led lights (one in each of the children's rooms) - always on but this week I've started turning them off during the day.

Printer - plugged in and switched on all the time.

Alexa device

Google home device

Many phone and laptop chargers left plugged in and on at the wall

Washing machine - new this year and a rated, plus a tumble dryer - a rated. I do lots of washing (2-3 loads per day), one load at 60 degrees and the others at 40.... only an hour for each cycle though.

Tumble dryer I was using for most loads but have been trying to hang the washing out while it's been sunny recently

Chest freezer and a small undercounter fridge which are both -2 years old.

That's it!

Does anyone know the most likely culprits for the high electricity bills?

We can't get an in home display as we have a 1st gen smart meter so was thinking of trying one of the energy plugs to monitor usage but would like to start with one of the most likely electricity-guzzling appliances first!

Thanks in advance

Oh and 2 x gaming pc that are on standby during the day and used for roblox and Minecraft a few hours each evening

One tip I have, which I just had confirmed yesterday, is unplug or turn off chargers at the wall when not in use as they continue to use electricity even if there's nothing plugged in to them.

Kettles use a massive amount of electricity so I wouldn't fill it up each time you use it.

Stop using your tumble drier now the weather is warmer.

Any more hints gratefully received as I think we're all in the same boat

The kids don't need a ten minute shower

Shorter showers will help.

Stop using the tumble dryer. See if you can cut down the washing a bit. Switch things odd Inc. Chargers if not using them. Stop boiling more water than you need.

That's a lot of things you could cut back on!

Tumble drying uses about 4.5kwh per load. So that could be a quarter to a third of your projected usage

Boiling a full kettle is ~0.2kwh. definitely worth only boiling what you need.

Chest freezer.
Tumble drier

Anything which heats and cools uses a lot of electricity.

Switch off everything you keep on standby at the plug

The gaming PCs could be a lot of it. Two gaming PCs running say 6 hours a day could be 2000 units a year.

Plus the showers. You've probably described £50-60 pm on showering in your OP.

Your usage should drop if you stop tumble drying. Just why when the weather is good? Get everyone over about 10 to take a turn hanging washing out to lighten the load. Plus make sure you only wash clothes and towels when they're dirty not after one wear/use.

Omg you're using tons of stuff you don't need to. Tumble drier, get it on the line, kettle filling, crazy. Why are you washing at 60 degrees? Why so much every day? Everyone have much shorter showers. All those things plugged in, flippin heck. There's tons you could cut back on

My usage per day goes up if I use the oven. I’ve started cooking several things in one go rather than separately at different times during the day. Or use the microwave if I can.

In comparison we have

1 x tv always switched off at the wall. It is usually on 4-6pm and 9-10pm

Fridge, oven, freezer, kettle, microwave, toaster. The last three off at the wall when not in use.

2 x phone chargers only used 2-3 hours a day. Otherwise off, just like hairdryer or hoover.

Fish tank filter+heater on constant.

Kids lamps on for a few hours each evening.

Can't think of anything else. The main difference is the devices I think.

I've just bought one of those plugs and found that the toaster is drawing out electric when not in use so that is now switched off at the wall between uses.
TVs are no longer left on standby.

50 mins worth of showers nearly every day

We hardly ever use our tumble dryer, even in winter. We stick everything on a clothes rack and, if necessary, stick it in the TD for 20 mins to finish off.

Don’t over fill the kettle.

Don’t leave devices on standby.

That amount of wastage is shocking. Bill what you need, cut down on showers, wash at 30, line dry.

BOIL what you need

Our smart meter goes red when the electric oven goes on, we’ve started using an air fryer which leaves the smart meter on green when it’s on.

only an hour for each cycle though

Is this because you are using it on a fast wash? That costs more than the slower, more economical, wash settings.

Wow you have so much you can cut down.
. Tumble drying and showers are the first thing to go.

Why are you washing so much? 5 of you shouldn't make 14-21 loads of washing a week.

Showers, oven and tumble dryer likely to be main culprits. So if your shower is 9kWh then if each day you have roughly 1 hour of showering between you then that's 9x25p (or whatever your unit charge is) = £2.25 per day just on showers.

Why... I mean, OP evidently knows a lot of what must be using lots lekki or she wouldn't add sheepish details (like kettle filling, 60 degree wash, printer on all day, TDing). Why do you do these things?

We are 4 adult size ppl (including teenager who sleeps little so lights on until 2am while he games) & use 1/7th of the Lekki OP does. Even allowing for solar panels, & soap-dodging habits, we must use < 1/5th.

In addition to tips already given - if I do boil more water than I need, I put the extra in a flask. It either makes another brew later, or I add it to washing up water. Makes me feel better about the waste if nothing else!

I'd concur the big ones which are probably fixable most easily are washing machine and tumble dryer. Can you wash less often and on eco mode? Short hot cycles are the worst as they use agitation and heat not soaking. And it doesn't need to be sunny to line dry, anything above 10 degrees and it will help, and finish off on racks indoors.

Then turn things off at mains when not in use.

Then reduce - shorter showers, less time on consols or whatever.

3 loads of washing a DAY??? How many people live in your house? It doesn’t matter how A rated it is, an average family washing machine doesn’t need to be on 3 times a day!