twice the electric?

[Two_Sheds]

I haven't actually tried having a shower off a combi-boiler system, but suspect it would be a right swine to balance the temperature, so you'd be wasting hot water then as well.

We have a combi, and the shower is almost instant (hot water)

Why is it wasting hot water?

[Hilary B]

We have a combi, and the shower is almost instant (hot water)

Why is it wasting hot water?

Taking running-water time to get the right balance between hot and cold. It would be imposible on our combi, because the hot water tends to cut out after a couple of minutes anyway!

[Capsid]

One more thought came to mind. Do you have an electric immersion heater for hot water, that may have been switched on permanently somehow? I'm guessing not if you have a combi heater.

[Two_Sheds]

Right, so I took 6 months readings, and was getting up at midnight to switch on the dishwasher, wash machine, charge the phones, radios, batteries etc.

After 6 months we'd barely saved any money: our Econ 7 still only accounted for 10% of the bill.
So, I phoned elec company and she blithely said "Econ 7 is really only worthwhile if you have electric night storage heaters"

The chap has just been to change our dual-rate meter for a single rate, and we've changed to a cheaper tariff. So, fingers crossed for some savings (although the new unit has already used 8 units since the chap left 5 mins ago )

[Polly Fouracre]

Bringing up my children in the South-West of Ireland I had no electricity. We managed very well without it. Why, now do I need a fridge, a freezer(or two) a computer, an electric kettle, an electric cooker, an IRON for heaven's sake! a microwave oven, even though I know it's doing us no good,and Jim can't live, apparently, without a Large T.V.
Life really shouldn't be so complicated!!

[womble]

Right, so I took 6 months readings, and was getting up at midnight to switch on the dishwasher, wash machine, charge the phones, radios, batteries etc.

After 6 months we'd barely saved any money: our Econ 7 still only accounted for 10% of the bill.
So, I phoned elec company and she blithely said "Econ 7 is really only worthwhile if you have electric night storage heaters"

The chap has just been to change our dual-rate meter for a single rate, and we've changed to a cheaper tariff. So, fingers crossed for some savings (although the new unit has already used 8 units since the chap left 5 mins ago )

You need to use your portable plug-in electric meter and find out what each thing you use is costing you to run. Leave it on each thing for a reasonable amount of time. Then work out in KWh's how much it used. After that you can work it out in money.
It should have different settings which show different things.

I'm not sure which type of meter you have now, but I've only seen the older analogue type, where you can see it going round. The usual thing is to switch everything off and check it's still not going round, if it is, you have something you don't realise is using power.

You should realise that some things hardly ever use much power, mobile phone chargers etc, it's the big things that use the power. And electric showers that have already been mentioned, have a 15 min shower twice, is going to be alot more than a 5 min shower each.

You may have some old equipment which is using far more than it's fair share.

[Two_Sheds]

I had no electricity. We managed very well without it.

I know! ... and I try to be green, but just having the power off for 30 mins had us twiddling our thumbs No laptop cos the hub was off, no sewing, no coffee, I couldn't dry my hair, the breadmaker stopped...

You need to use your portable plug-in electric meter and find out what each thing you use is costing you to run..

I tried. I can't work out the maths

[womble]

I tried. I can't work out the maths

It's not difficult, you need to read your portable electric meters instructions, there should be a setting on it which shows the total amount of KWh's used.
So plug it into the TV (for example) leave it for a week and see how much it has used.
If it's used 2 KWh's, then they are about 12p each(ish), so 24p.

If your electric portable meter isn't showing you the right things, get one that does.

[Two_Sheds]

It's not difficult

It never is, if you know how to do it

kwh as shown by my meter reader:
chest freezer: 0.03-0.14
TV: 0.11
laptop: 0.48
iron: 0.19
sew machine: 0.02

The prices are: 17.6p and 11p day rate, 5.3p night rate

Do I multiply 0.02 (sewing machine) x 17.6p to find out how much per hour? (if so, that would be 1p for 3 hrs sewing? TV is 0.11 x 17.6p = 2p an hour?)

[womble]

It never is, if you know how to do it

kwh as shown by my meter reader:
chest freezer: 0.03-0.14
TV: 0.11
laptop: 0.48
iron: 0.19
sew machine: 0.02

The prices are: 17.6p and 11p day rate, 5.3p night rate

Do I multiply 0.02 (sewing machine) x 17.6p to find out how much per hour? (if so, that would be 1p for 3 hrs sewing? TV is 0.11 x 17.6p = 2p an hour?)

As I said, you need to find the setting on your meter which shows total amount of power (KWh) used.
Then it depends how long you have left it plugged in for.

If you leave it in for one day and the amount of power used is tv 0.11, then that's 0.11 x 12p (as a rough amount of cost per kwh)
That's the cost of running your tv for a day. Then it depends how often it's been on over that day, which is why I like to leave mine for a week, to even out.

You're not on a night rate anymore, you just said, so your costs will have changed.

[Brengirl]

So sorry TS that things have got out of hand. If your charges are wrong then your current supplier will have to sort them out. What I really want to know is it only you who is charge of household expenses? My OH has never been much bothered so I don't care much now these days either. A bit like swings and roundabouts and "you cannot win them all" scenario. Just keep smiling and it will all go away.....

[Two_Sheds]

Not out of hand Bren, just really annoying. We aren't wasteful, yet our bills are astronomical.
Yes, I do the bills. Mr TS would just put them all in a drawer, unopened (he did before he met me: as an eg, he'd paid £400 in direct debits for a phone he didn't have)

[buzzingtalk]

I'd be chuffed with a lekky bill of £33 for a month in winter...my gas and lekky bill combined is around £200 a month in winter

Tell me how you do it so cheap!!!!!!!!! Mind you theres 6 of us living here all with laptops, everyone rags the washing machine (quarter full of course ) and no one turns lights off

[northepaul]

I'd be chuffed with a lekky bill of £33 for a month in winter...my gas and lekky bill combined is around £200 a month in winter

Tell me how you do it so cheap!!!!!!!!! Mind you theres 6 of us living here all with laptops, everyone rags the washing machine (quarter full of course ) and no one turns lights off

I think you answered your own question there, Buzzingtalk

I pay £48 a month leccy on DD _ I have a chest freezer and electric shower, which are the main culprits, plus currently we have the electric fire going for a while in the late evening when the central heating turns off as its so damned cold.

So, we do two loads of washing a week, on 30 degrees, family of 3 (sometimes 4)
OH has a shower everyday, and although I try to limit to 5 mins, in this weather it takes that long to warm up!
Electric fire - about an hour a day.
Comps - pretty much all day
TV - in evening
Breadmaker - every other day (approx 4 hours)
Kettle - 7 times a day ish only full to where needed.
Lights - we use the eco ones, and always switch off when not in use.

We're on a water meter too so have double the worry with the shower/washing machine etc.

Hope that helps in some way

[Snadger]

To make sure my meter reading is right I send in a closeup photograph of the meter!
Leccy board are quite happy and it saves on any misreading!