To not know how to cut down electric? This is surely ridiculous!?

[TotHappy]

Last two bills from E.on have been astronomical. My bill from this month last year was £82. That was on an old fixed deal so of course charges are much higher now - but I still can't believe my latest bill is £145! Since this time last year we've had a baby and come off our fixed deal. The amount of washing in this house (2 adults, 2 kids, 1 infant) is insane so I suppose the tumble dryer and dehumidifier is making a big difference but I don't think I can stop using them without serious mould issues.

Is this normal now and I just have to budget for this? I've just checked the reading myself on my meter and apparently I've used 40 kwh since yesterday! Is that to be expected? Electric cooking here as no mains gas but oil boiler.

How/can I cut down?

Echoing others where your usage is very high. We average 10-11 kwh per day. This is typical over the last 2yrs for us. I work from home on a PC all day, big 4 bed detached, I use the tumble dryer every other day and the dehumidifier is always on.

Do you have a desiccant or a compressor dehumidifier? My Meaco is 5.4p per hour to run but my desiccant is 21p an hour to run.

To speed up the drying process, and so limit the use of the tumble dryer and dehumidifier, use a basic table fan. Point it at the washing and leave it oscillating. We could dry a full load in an unheated cellar in the winter with no dehumidifier in about 6 hours when living abroad. Now, I still use the fan and have a dehumidifier, the washing dries in about 4 hours.

Do you unplug everything while not using? Some appliances are vampires when plugged in and not in use.

Two of us, kids have left home, 3 bed 1903 mid terrace, last 5 days were 6,4,5,4,4 kWh.

No tumble drying but we are on 150 a month now via Octopus.

2 bed flat, 2 adults and 1 teenager.

We average 23 kWh per day. We only have four loads of laundry per week, and that's dried on an airer under a ceiling fan. I'm sure husband's shed drinks the power ... In reality, I think it's the number of boiled kettles, we love drinking tea, especially when I'm WFH 😁

We have at least 2 loads of washing a day, often 3.

why?!

2 adults, 1 teen and 1 muddy-puddle loving dog here. DH does 1 load a week, DD and I are 2 loads (1 light, 1 dark), towels and tea towels is another one and we alternate bedding (one week ours, the next week DD’s). Dog’s stuff max once a week. That’s 6 loads a week. You’re doing 21?!

40kw is high but not obscene if youve had

• the washing machine going loads - we tend to do loads of washing on a weekend and it shows
• tumble drier running
• oven on for a long time cooking a meal
• dishwasher running
• large fridge freezer
• other appliances - hairdryer, microwaves, tvs , & computers, lots of devices charging

I never understand how people get it down to 6kw in a day. We use 15-20 every single day, thats with LED bulbs everywhere, high quality A+ rated appliances, heat pump tumble drier and we try not to use it too much

Electric household with 3 teens and two adults. 3 bed semi. Our direct debit monthly is £120.

Me and two teens in a small 3 bed. We use approx 12kw a day. That's usually one or two loads of laundry and dishwasher. Plus oven, microwave, american fridge freezer, laptops and general lights.
I line dry as much as I can and only use the tumble dryer a few times a month over winter.
Check your fridge or freezer aren't leaking cold, I had that once and it cost ££££.

My combined gas and electric is 60/70 a month, but I have no heating on (house is 7 degrees at the moment), and don't use the tumble dryer. There's no way I could do that with young kids in the house. Putting the heating on for a few hours a day and tumbling a few loads of washing a week I reckon would easily double mine.

I'm all electric. A bad day with several showers and dishwasher on is about 12kwh.

I have solar panels and in the summer when they generate 25kwh a day I can't use it all even deliberately running every appliance I have.

To use 40kwh you are heating water all day or running several large heaters. If not, something is amiss .

Check your meter every couple of hours and look for spikes

Knowing tumble dryers are high cost we wash when we can see a goos weather window coming up. There's only two of us though and we have a garden to dry washing when days are OK. I don't know how easy it would be for you to avoid using the tumble.

Why are you putting wet clothes Infront of the dehumidifier and then tumble drying them? Just tumble dry as I can't see it being more cost effective doing it the way that you are currently doing it.

Are you making sure that you are doing a second spin in the washing machine to get rid of extra water first?

Have you tried seeing the cost of a day when you are all out to check that it is actually you who is using all the electric and that you aren't paying for a neighbour as well?

There’s such a range of costs/energy consumption. This is an example of different dryer costs.

Ideal Home article on dryer type/cost

We have a washing machine, tumble dryer (probably wash 4-5 times a week in average) electric underfloor heating in 2 rooms (on for 3 hrs in the morning and 3 in the evening), an electric induction hob, ovens etc, plus an electric car and over the last few weeks we have used 40-45 kwh (65 one day, not sure what we did that day, but I assumed did a full charge on the car and several loads of washing).

We do use a lot, probably quite a lot more than most, but your 40 kWh seems a lot based on what you say you use?

Leaving the heating off, running a dehumidifier instead... ?????

Opening a window does not cause mould, the opposite

Whack your heating on and leave it on at a steady 16-18 degrees all winter long, 24/7.

And definitely crack the windows to let moisture out. Do you get condensation on the inside of the bedroom windows in the morning? Wipe it up with a dirty sock to get rid of it.

I think you've made a mistake somewhere op.

All electric here, very generous with the hot water, storage heaters and we were 30KWh per day last month when I switched the heaters on for the winter. The previous month was more like 10KWh.

You don't run up that sort of usage with a washing machine and tumble dryer, even if you're using them twice a day. Our usage did noticeably reduce when we got rid of our dryer but not as much as you'd think from the electric airer fandom.

Ok so we have 2 smal children, 1 here EOW, two adults and a dog! One of us works from home pretty much all the time and we average 260/280kw a month so about 9 a day!
We don’t use the tumble drier very often but do often have the heated aider in overnight. Probably 3/4 (big) loads of washing a week as am a bit of a nut with that.
I would go round over the week and not use certain things to identify what on earth is making you use 40kw a day!

That does seem high, how is your water heated? Emersion? They use loads of electric.

Does your tumble dryer condenser unit need rinsing out? I take mine out and run the shower through it. It works so much better when you've done this.

Still can't get why do 3 loads of washing a week

I do 3

Whites and beds

Darks and towels

Dd6 stuff. Mainly pink /colours

Three of us. Dh me and dd6

You have 2 more kids but that doesn't equal 7 times the washing

I have:
Darks
Lights
Delicates (often dark delicates AND light delicates, 2 washes)
Hot wash (towels, pants and socks)

All of the above each time i sort the washing - about twice a week.

Nappies x 3 times a week
Bedding as and when - not every week but at least 2 loads altogether (4 beds + cot).

Depending on how big each pile is when sorted I may have to split it into two. We had trouble with the motor before from overloading the washing machine.