Huge Electricity Bill

[WireCat]

We've been in this hues a year. Electricity consumption ridiculous.

I have to use the tumble dryer when it's raining/winter as the washing simply doesn't dry here on the racks.

We switch off lights etc.

Where/how can we cut back?

4 bed detached house. Open plan downstairs.

Gas Central heating.

Thank you.

[PigletJohn]

I used 5229kWh in the last year on Electricity (heating is almost all gas). Includes tumble-drier and electric bedroom heater overnight in winter. That would cost about £800 p.a. (£66pcm) which I believe is a bit above average. The gas costs less than that.

Looking at the amount of the bill is usually not much of a guide because they often include estimates, or brought-forward amounts, or the monthly payment is smoothed out over summer and winter.

[crazykat]

I use a tumble dryer for bedding and towels an an airer for clothes. I have a condenser dryer and when its on I pull the airer in front of it which really speeds up the drying time of the clothes. It does take longer to dry clothes in the winter but it saves a fair bit of electric by only using the dryer for towels and bedding which take too long to dry on the radiators.

Similar when the heating is on in the winter, I put clothes on the upstairs radiators as the heat rises during the day so its still warm for bed time even though clothes are on the radiators.

[AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore]

I boil a full kettle of water in the morning for a cup of coffee, then put the rest in a thermos and use it throughout the day, rather than using the kettle over and over.

It also might help to air out the clothes initially overnight and then pop them in the TD in the morning when they won't need as much drying to finish them off.

[ladybirdandsnails]

Alice great tip. I work at home lots so that would save me cash not boiling the kettle loads ! I wash only on 30 unless very dirty, short cycle, fast spin. I hang everything on an airer and finish off in dryer if it's needed. I have tons of cheap school uniform and do one huge wash at the end of the week. I hang bedding and towels over doors in the week to dry if I can't use the line and wash them every 2 weeks. Keep area near fridge cool and don't put hot food in fridge etc

[ItsDinah]

#110 a month for electricity is very.very high. The highest consumption is from electric heaters, tumble dryers,dehumidifiers,washing machines if the hot water is not being fed in from your gas heated supply and electric showers. Electric showers can really run up your bills, They typically cost anything from 30 p to 70p each which sounds OK until you multiply by 4 a day and then by 31 days in a month. Baths or showers run off the gas heated water are much cheaper. I don't have a tumble dryer and discounted the Lakeland heated airer when i worked out how much it really cost to dry clothes. Using the electric shower is banned and our electricity bill is only about a third of yours.

[PigletJohn]

£110 per month would be high if it reflected accurate meter readings for that month only.

However we do not yet know the actual meter readings, or how the bill was calculated.

[specialsubject]

if you have an 8kW shower and pay 15p per unit for electricity, then if my maths is right a 5 min shower costs 10p. 5 mins is plenty of time.

most washing machines and dishwashers are cold feed only now.

if you have a north facing back garden the front must face south. Any space/sun there for an airer?

FWIW I use about 2500 kw/h a year. Electric items are 5 loads washing a week, dishwasher every other day, 5 min shower once a day, lights, TV, computer, electric oven sometimes, microwave, lots of tea but kettle only filled to the level needed.

how much is your electricity per unit? What is your standing charge?

[LL12]

I have been reading a face book page about saving electricity, a lady said that just by switching everything off at the plug when not in use (except fridge/freezer) she has saved £6.65 a week, it might not seem a lot but that's over £300 a year saving just by flicking a switch.

[Fluffycloudland77]

My toaster uses 10w just being plugged in. What's the fb page please?.

[PigletJohn]

how did you measure that?

Does it feel warm?

[Fluffycloudland77]

I had a plug in electric meter, nothing else drew power it's just the toaster.

[PigletJohn]

this sort of thing? And with the toaster plugged in but not on, it drew 10A?

Have you got an RCD Circuit Breaker?

[PigletJohn]

oops 10W I mean

[Fluffycloudland77]

Yes & yes.

Only the fridge, freezer and central heating controller runs all day. Everything else is off and unplugged.

Do you think I could switch the heating control off all day? I only need it when I want heat/hot water but I worry if I switch it off it won't work again.

[PigletJohn]

best not. The controller itself uses hardly any current, it will be either an electronic clock, or, if old, an electric clock driven by a small motor. My Programmable Thermostat (incl timer) is actually battery-driven, and two AA cells last about three years, so electricity usage is negligible.

The boiler and pump will use a small amount of current when running, but nothing compared to the cost of energy.

If the toaster uses measurable energy when off, I think it is defective, either internally, or the cable or plug is damaged. Start saving up for a new one, especially if it has a metal casing.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I'll leave it on then.

I've always wanted a dualit toaster.....

[nannynick]

Anything special about your toaster?

I do not have a toaster, so tried a kettle... pushed W button on the meter, it showed 00 with kettle plugged in but not doing anything.

Heating control - is it a timer? That can be rather handy come the winter when you may need it to turn on heating before you get home.
Is it a thermostat? Is it controlling when the heating comes on based on the room temperature?

[Fluffy40]

I second the halogen oven , and it cooks quicker too.

[PigletJohn]

if you have, or can borrow, a gardening RCD Adaptor as used with lawnmowers, plug your kettle into it and see if it trips. It is fairly unusual for an appliance to have earth leakage, unless it is a watery appliance such as a kettle or washing machine, though heating elements, especially in ovens, can leak as they get old, but this is only when they are turned on. Toaster elements are different so I don't know what might be wrong with it.

[PigletJohn]

kettle? I meant plug your toaster into the adaptor.

[RaisingSteam]

I remember another thread where we conclude the huge electric bills were down to teenagers using the electric shower for over an hour a day. Things that heat are the big consumers so shower, cooker, dryer, immersion or any plug in heater. But it may also be some sort of over correction for arrears or under charging.

[nannynick]

I was just thinking of something that I had to plug into the meter which had a heating element.

I agree with you PigletJohn, if FluffyCloudland's toaster is showing a reading on the meter when not in use, then there is something wrong with the toaster.

FluffyCloudland - why do you want a Dualit? Looks nice I suppose and may last quite a long time with only minor repairs (like a new timer) but costly to buy. Mumsnetters views on Dualit Toasters (thread from 2012)

[Fluffycloudland77]

We destroy toasters. Other appliances live but toasters soon become toast. This one only works on one side....

The heating controller runs the boiler and the water. If its off then everythings off including the boiler. If I wanted to I could program the water to come on for an hour one day then three the next then go off for two weeks.

As it is its used for the heating as and when I need it and the waters only on for 20mins a day.

[Hobnobissupersweet]

That really isn't that big a bill, assuming a large part of it is paying for arrears.
We don't have mains gas ( although our heating runs on tank gas ) so we are not eligible for the cheap dual fuel deals, and our bills are £187/ month.
Everyone is out all day during the week for that as well.

[LL12]

The face book page was called Frugal Homemaking and Living fluffycloudland77