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Original poster

How many units of electricity do you use a day?

52 replies

Alwayssupportingdifference · 11/04/2022 11:58

Always a lot of talk about the cost, but I wonder how many UNITS you actually use a day. Do you measure it? We have and it varies between 2 and 13 a day.

2 is when we have been away so that is the baseline when only necessary things are on (fridge, freezers, alarm) and 13 when it is freezing and overcast so solar panels are not in use and I am using an electric heater in my office.

On a sunny day, the average we use is 6 which costs £2.13 per day including the daily charge.

I am looking forward to getting one of those units that measures per appliance as I would like to investigate better where the usage is.

Gas is easier to manage in the summer as the heating is used infrequently and we just use it for water heating, about 4 units a day which costs £3.21 including the standing charge. This will be the killer come winter ths year.

OP posts:
Blondeshavemorefun · 22/04/2022 20:34

worried91 · 16/04/2022 12:25

I've just had a look at my last bill and we pay 0.18p per unit so around £4.50 per day or £150 a month. My provider has just increased my DD to £300 a month though!

18p. Wow. I’m paying 28p

Hallyup89 · 22/04/2022 20:37

Over March, 24 units a day on average for electricity. 5 bed detached with 5 kids and a husband who works from home. It's not good.

MrOllivander · 22/04/2022 21:00

4kwh of electric
27kwh of gas

wonkygorgeous · 22/04/2022 22:35

Ours is huge compared with others. 4 bed house and I'm careful. 20kw a day. Luckily half is solar input so we pay for 10.

Myownpapillon · 22/04/2022 23:36

Using around 8kwh for electric and 4kwh for gas

Overthebow · 23/04/2022 08:51

We use on average 8kwh a day of electricity. 4 bed house with three of us living in it. How are some people using 20+? We aren’t careful with usage and rarely use above 10.

Tynesider007 · 23/04/2022 09:17

We use 4kwh a day during the summer and 5kwh during the winter, 2 adults in a 2 bedroom semi.

Normal usage ilke a big tv in the lounge that is on 6 hours a day, 2 big fridge freezers, washing done about twice a week.

Even at the current " sky high" prices we use less than 2 quid a day of electricity, 50p of which is standing charge.

I know people who will spend that on a take away coffee.

Things like lights and boiling a kettle use so little electricity there is little to be saved by not using them.

TibetanTerrah · 23/04/2022 09:28

I try and keep it between 3 and 4 units a day if I'm careful. I don't have gas, don't use the heating, and a tiny flat with few sockets/appliances. Putting the washing on or trying to batch cook something can throw that out though. My bill is still going to be 50% more this quarter even with my making a huge effort with minimising usage.

Scramblinghealingdreaming · 29/10/2022 21:15

Just wondering if anyone managed to reduce their hills after realising how much we were using. We have done really well but that has been helped by a mild October. Being hyper sensitive about useage has certainly seen us reduce ours!

lljkk · 29/10/2022 21:55

It seems to work out as 1 unit per person per day.
So if we had 4 people, would be 4 units/day.

Athenen0ctua · 29/10/2022 22:06

lljkk · 29/10/2022 21:55

It seems to work out as 1 unit per person per day.
So if we had 4 people, would be 4 units/day.

I don't think you can do it per person. If I was living alone then my usage would not be half of what it is now, to start with the fridge/freezer would still be running the same. Ours is about 3kwh for two people.

RagzRebooted · 29/10/2022 22:12

Average 14kwh a day. 5 people, heavy use.

NewBootsAndRanty · 29/10/2022 22:17

Usually 1-1.5kwh a day - 3.5 if I use my tumble dryer.
Just me living here.

EdHelpPls · 29/10/2022 22:18

10-11 units on average a day, 2 adults home almost all the time, plus 2 kids. Found a bill from 2008 and I used the same amount then with 2 fewer kids. Not much difference between summer and winter either, weirdly.

WormEater · 29/10/2022 22:33

About 10-12 units a day. 4 adults not working from home.
Think it is either 5 or 6 units to keep things running when no one is at home and we have all been away on holiday.

Residentnumber1 · 29/10/2022 23:01

20kwh a day, two adults. Lots of appliances, dw and washing machine on every day, tumble dryer on a few times a week. We are trying to reduce our usage, but difficult to. Gas is virtually nothing as no heating on at the moment and hw on only every other day

ivykaty44 · 30/10/2022 06:15

4.65kw per day on average through October from 1st to 26th

13 days used 54 kw (gas 148)
5 days 26kw. (Gas 63)
8 days 41kw (gas 63)
121 total

thats opposed to 17 august to 13 September 139kw which is 4.96kw per day

so I guess we’re consistent in our usage

gas is 10kw per day average,

thats 2 of us in the house but 3 of us during august

Goldmember · 30/10/2022 06:23

We use an avg of 11kwh per day. I don't think that's too bad, family of 4 lots of gadgets. I wfh so computer on all day, lots of brews.

ivykaty44 · 30/10/2022 06:41

Just checked last year & it was 5.78kw total 162kw over 28 days opposed to 121 over 26 days, for the same time period in September, so our effort to switch plugs off not use tumble drier occasionally is making a difference.

30kw saved is another 6 days usage for us

stayathomer · 30/10/2022 07:01

15.4kwh -2 adults 4 children (but disgusted by it tbh, we’re obviously doing something wrong, I try not to use tumble drier too much and have lights off as much as possible)

ivykaty44 · 30/10/2022 08:33

For those that say they have a lot of gadgets and that is why your electric usage is high, what do you have?

Athenen0ctua · 30/10/2022 08:53

ivykaty44 · 30/10/2022 08:33

For those that say they have a lot of gadgets and that is why your electric usage is high, what do you have?

I was wondering this as well. I thought I was only things like multiple hi spec gaming PCs that used a lot. We have mobiles, tablet, laptop, television, PC (that was built for gaming but old, hand me down graphics card etc), and we are low users.

FormerlySpeckledyHen · 30/10/2022 09:02

8-13 a day. 2 adults in and out WFH and working locally part-time so popping in and out.

Heavy usage day is housework day - hoovering, washing, ironing, occasional tumble dryer, batch cooking.

lljkk · 30/10/2022 13:42

Athenen0ctua · 29/10/2022 22:06

I don't think you can do it per person. If I was living alone then my usage would not be half of what it is now, to start with the fridge/freezer would still be running the same. Ours is about 3kwh for two people.

Show quote history

Depends how much fridge space you need which could be a function of head count... ditto electric shower events, kettle going on, tumble dryer or washing machine., How much electricity each one needs can directly relate to household head count.

Athenen0ctua · 30/10/2022 15:09

lljkk · 30/10/2022 13:42

Depends how much fridge space you need which could be a function of head count... ditto electric shower events, kettle going on, tumble dryer or washing machine., How much electricity each one needs can directly relate to household head count.

Show quote history

I meant it wouldn't be double for two people vs one, or four vs two. Most families of four would not have a fridge/freezer double the size of ours. If I was living alone then I'd have to run the washing machine half full or I'd need a fortnight worth of clothes. It would be less but not half of what we use with two.