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Original poster

£10 a day on electricity

109 replies

Spoodee · 17/11/2022 08:17

That's what I'm hitting now. On a smart meter and they won't let me change.

Large family, but small terraced house.
It's so stressful.

OP posts:
RedToothBrush · 20/11/2022 14:18

Spoodee · 20/11/2022 11:53

I also have solar panels!

We have solar.

Wtaf are you doing?! That's insane to be hitting that much with panels. Something is wrong or you really aren't using your electricity wisely.

Are you making the most of them and trying to use the tumbledrier during daylight where possible?

It sounds like you need to go through your house and unplug everything from the wall apart from fridge, freezer and start again.

You must have a hell of a lot on standby when not in use, be in multiple rooms constantly and be using the tumbledrier excessively to be that high.

You need to train kids to unplug / switch off at walls when not using as well as tackling lights.

You'd be better with a dehumidifier or heated dryer or even sticking on the heating if it's the tumbledrier that's the problem.

The last week has been particularly dark where we are so we've barely generated electricity, but that's still a really really high amount for 2 days with solar panels even though you have a large household.

Rustylee681 · 20/11/2022 14:59

I have that mentality now that I don't want to give these utility fat cats all my hard earned money!.I have taken extreme measures to save money and so far it seems to have helped a bit.
Have you tried solar powered lights/light bulbs? or re-chargable ones? I got sick of my kids leaving the lights on all the time.
I bought a stick up strip light from amazon the kind you might find in a wardrobe,only comes on when there's movement.
Also check out solar powered lanterns on amazon. I've got one you can charge via solar power, usb or wind up, not cheap to buy but pays off in long run, in fact i go for anything solar powered these days. I even listen with a solar powered radio.

I even downsized my fridge to a smaller one and only use the larger fridge when I've done a big shop, seems pointless running a larger fridge if its not full up.every little helps I suppose!😊

Athenen0ctua · 20/11/2022 15:11

Have you tried solar powered lights/light bulbs? or re-chargable ones? I got sick of my kids leaving the lights on all the time.
A 10w LED light left on 24/7 will cost less than £30 a year.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Cost of living
lljkk · 20/11/2022 15:21

OP: have you got the vouchers for your (every household gets) £400 subsidy? Have you applied them to your meter?

I ask because a lot of MNers didn't understand how to get their credit slip for that subsidy, they literally thought the invitation-to-apply messages were some kind of scam and deleted the messages.

Just how cold is your home??
How many loads of laundry are you doing each day?

Have you kept the lint filter clean on the tumble drier so it runs as efficiently as possible?

BeyondThinkOfTheOptics · 20/11/2022 15:32

I'm running two vivaria with approx 200w lights in each, and running the tumble drier, and I have two DC who game, and an American style fridge, and my electric is half what yours is! 😮 something is going wrong somewhere - that is a huge amount.

maddiemookins16mum · 20/11/2022 15:39

Crikey. We’re using 5-6 a day (gas/electric). Haven’t turned the heating on yet. It’s approaching £4.50 for today already but I am doing a roast (albeit in the Halogen oven) and have done a washing plus 3 showers (not all for me obvs).

BeyondThinkOfTheOptics · 20/11/2022 15:43

(We also have an electric shower - used at least twice a day, if not four times - and are boiling the kettle for dishwashing to save the gas)

SuperheroBirds · 20/11/2022 15:52

Is your hot water from the gas boiler, or are you using an immersion heater?
It does seem really high to me.l

Beachsidesunset · 20/11/2022 15:52

Are you paying back any debt on the meter?

Winternights22 · 20/11/2022 16:00

Spoodee · 20/11/2022 11:58

Yes 😂

They're run through local HA and we get a call out if they stop working in their database.

Show quote history

Are you sure you get the benefit of them ? I have solar panels. But it gos to grid and council gets the money back on it.

Winternights22 · 20/11/2022 16:10

Could you try and cut back on using the dryer?

I have 4 kids at home . I stopped using the dryer because of the cost. I make sure I wash all their uniform on a Friday after school so it has from Friday night till Monday morning to dry. Then their homes clothes I dry though the week.

Also if you do not have an debt you should question why you can't change from a prepaid meter to a bill. Moyne put in an official complaint

BeyondThinkOfTheOptics · 20/11/2022 16:42

If it helps with the drier, I've been giving everything an extra spin after the cycle finishes, then hanging it up in the living room while a second cycle runs. When the second cycle finishes (and has its extra spin), hang that one up and put the earlier wash in to dry - I have a washer drier btw. This cuts the drying down to about an hour per wash rather than something like three hours.

Dox9 · 20/11/2022 16:57

How do you heat your water and how much hot water does your family use? 5-6 hot baths or long showers with water heated by immersion heater would probably be ££ a day.

Original poster
Spoodee · 20/11/2022 20:50

We have a normal boiler. No immersion heater.

OP posts:
Original poster
Spoodee · 20/11/2022 20:52

Yes I've recieved the first 2 £60ish vouchers directly into my metre

OP posts:
HappenstanceMarmite · 20/11/2022 22:29

Have you checked that none of the neighbours have taken a spur off your supply to power a weed grow? 😬😆

Squiff70 · 21/11/2022 03:16

Spoodee · 17/11/2022 08:44

Yes prepayment with a standing charge daily.

I've air fryers so don't use my oven and that's gas anyways.

Haven't put my heating on yet.

I'm constantly turning lights off.

I use tumble dryer yes, I've kids though. I can't not. And I don't put the heating on so can't dry stuff on radiators.

OP I have two young children (a baby and a toddler) and I haven't used my tumble dryer yet. You need to invest in a heated airer. Yes, they cost money to run (about 8p an hour) but it's infinitely cheaper than running a tumble. I read somewhere that it costs about 80p JUST to switch a tumble dryer on, and that's even before it has been running for a minute, let alone an hour or more.

The heated airer we got was about £110 which is a large outlay BUT washing dries in under 24 hours (even heaver stuff like jeans). Without it, washing just doesn't dry in the house. We put the heating on twice a day for half an hour, just to warm it for the children in the morning and at bath/bedtime.

You can get heated airers which are much less expensive and some even have covers which keeps the heat in, reducing drying time.

NewBootsAndRanty · 21/11/2022 03:19

I read somewhere that it costs about 80p JUST to switch a tumble dryer on, and that's even before it has been running for a minute, let alone an hour or more.
What? You really think it uses two and a half kwh of electric within the first 59 seconds of use?
Think about it for a second.

NewBootsAndRanty · 21/11/2022 03:33

@Squiff70 If you're running your 8p/hour airer for 24h at standard rate, it's costing you £1.92

If you completely dry a load in a 9kg tumble dryer its about 5.34kwh, or £1.76.

sashh · 21/11/2022 05:54

If you can afford it OP I have put a motion sensor light bulb in my bathroom, a friend has put one in his hall.

They cost about £8 which I know is a lot when you are trying to save money but stops the turning lights off problem.

Apparently lighting costs about 15% of the electricity used.

SaffronQuoda · 21/11/2022 07:36

SaffronQuoda · 20/11/2022 10:47

I did 2 washes yesterday and 3 tumble dries as well as one dishwasher - it was 4.45 yesterday. That is high for us as it is normally just over 3 pounds a day.

I don't understand all the figures that people quote about tumble dryers? As per my post 4.45 contained the standing charge, all the usual and 2 washes and 3 tumble dries. To be fair I keep an eye on the dryer but 2 loads were towels which need a fair temp and time.

Itsonlyagame · 21/11/2022 07:39

TimeForMeToF1y · 20/11/2022 09:47

I'm guessing that a heat pad is the most expensive thing to run, things like CCTV and charging phones is next to nothing

Heat pads are only about 15 Watts.

HandShoe · 21/11/2022 10:17

Our cameras were using a huge amount of electricity - maybe try switching one/all off just for a day to see if that's what is causing the high usage?

NotLovingWFH · 21/11/2022 10:38

Using between £2 and £3 a day at the moment for gas and electricity but still on fixed rate from last October thank goodness. Have found that airfryer is slightly cheaper than my oven and cooks quicker so that helps. No 5 hour casseroles this winter unless I get a slow cooker.

Turning off consoles and PCs definitely helps. I have a second fridge freezer in the garage and a huge chest freezer but still average about 4p an hour for a good part of the day or night. LED lights are good, and almost all my washing is done at 30 degrees now. I use my dryer now and then but it’s a good heat pump and not expensive to run.

Have only had heating on a couple of time when we’ve had guests. We just wrap up in blankets and giant fleece hoodies.

We’ve noticed though that now if the heating is on 18 degrees is plenty warm enough and could probably be lower for us so we’re getting used to the cooler temperatures. Always had heating off overnight though and still have windows open.

i don’t know what the solution is @Spoodee but you have my sympathy. £10 a day with solar panels does seem excessive though even with the increased prices.