Really need some serious help with Electric unit use/bill cost (thank you)

Ernie84

IM VERY SONG FOR LONG POST - IM SO DISHEARTEDNED BY THIS THAT ITS BEEN TOUGH EVEN TYPING IT OUT

Hey Folks,

At my wits end here tbh.

Read a few posts here on regarding electricity costs over past 6 months and whilst not surprising, i still feel there is a significant issue in my flat (possible self inflicted)

I live alone and had a 2 month bill for 900e over winter X 2 and the last 8 weeks was 750e.

I'm on the night saver due to previously having storage heaters, but seems to still be lower rate at night than normal tariffs so no point changing

Day units (8 weeks) 1231 Units @ 0.4241 = 522.07e

Night Units (8weeks) 729 Units @ 0.2092 Night 152.51e (obv then plus standing daily charge and VAT)

I know folks with 3 kids in a 4 bed house with multiple devices running, chargers on and winter heater have smaller bills/unit usage.

--------------------------------------

I'm running the following

2 x Rointe electric heaters (which have not been on for 6 of those 8 weeks) HOWEVER one was plugged in and plug switched on?

Laptop for working from home on 24/7 for updates but i didn't think a sleeping com used much?

Desktop com for personal couple hours a night

TV with ps4 for 3 or 4 hours per day

I'm a single male so don't judge next part

2 x showers a week a 1 x use of washing machine

also have a water boiler which heats up water around 2am

------------------------------------------

Looking at a bill i had in summer compared to my winter bill it seemed using these rointe heaters for 4 to 5 hours a day was costing 11e a day (rointe claimed should be no more than 3 or 4 e a day)

But even that doesn't explain why a bill period, with 6 weeks of no heater use, could be so many units still.

Again sorry for long post but guess my questions are this

1. Does this unit use seem high for my situation?
2. Could the rointe heater being off, but plugged in and switched on at wall, caused unit use still?
3. Do laptops being on over night really use a lot ?
4. Anything else i can note or provide?

Allinall

First thing to do before anything else is to check is either the opening reading or the closing one on the bill estimated.

893bet

have you access to the meter? Can you litterally switch everything off and then look at the meter to verify usage has dropped to zero?

Looking at it it seems something is drawing a lot more than expected and you are around double the average 3/4bed house annual useage.

Deagol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058294520/really-need-some-serious-help-with-electric-unit-use-bill-cost-thank-you

I notice no mention of cooking - do you use an electric cooker a lot? Also, kettle? How is shower heated - is it a straight electric shower or are you using an immersion heater to heat a whole tank? I know you said you have a water boiler but not clear exactly how big it is. How do you dry clothes? Tumble dryer?

Basically, anything the produces heat is a big electricity user so those are the things to look at most intently.

Ernie84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120536285#Comment_120536285

Yes, i have access. Would you advise a certain period to monitor - how long does it take to settle if that makes sense?

Ernie84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120536310#Comment_120536310

I don't use tumble dryer and my shower , as with my hot water comes from the water heater/boiler i assume. As if i turn this off for the night my shower it luke warm the next day - possible electric and from boiler?

I do have a fair few cups of tea and use cooker rings twice a day - but doesn't everyone in a way ?

1 thing i did notice is there is a prepay meter on wall next to my fuse box, when i moved in this did confuse me and it did say it had 15e on it - it looks like it powers a fire alarm possibly cos i see no use for, I've never topped it up and it doesn't appear to be doing anything else if even that

who what when

12000 units a year is a lot.

For a single person it's an enormous amount.

Jarhead_Tendler

I'd be shocked if something isn't faulty and using electricity that it shouldn't be. If you set a single person a target to use as much as you it would be hard done in normal circumstances. Them bills are crazy

apache

I'd die if I got a bill like that. Way too high.

bop1977

mrs bop had a problem like this with her apartment. check the meter number on your bill against your actual meter.

mrs bop was being billed for the apartment above her and they got her bill.

phormium

Check first that these are accurate readings and not estimates.

Take a meter reading same time every day for a few days to get an idea of what your daily usage is, try it with over the bare essentials on then try with heaters on, you could even do that over just a few hours to get an idea of what extra they are using per hour. Report back to us on what that shows you!

I have high-ish bills but they aren't as high as yours even at that and I tracked everything for months to understand where it was all being used, mainly nothing major but changed all lights to led, got rid of a very old chest freezer that was using a fair old bit considering the size of it and managed to reduce things a bit. Electric heaters though are costly now with the price of power, I used to use an oil filled radiator a lot in one room during the day.

Ernie84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120536412#Comment_120536412

lolz, this is what runs through my head a lot lol

Ernie84

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120536530#Comment_120536530

yeah these are read metres bills not estimates - i do keep an eye on that.

Ill do something this week where i try to get units per hour or certain things. and post it back in this thread.

TBH you guys have helped though, because i genuinely thought i was going crazy.

Is it best to do:

2 hours - with just lights on

2 hours with laptop and tv/ps4

2 hours with nothing on

2 hours with two heaters on for example

is there a delay effect with metre i need to be aware of ?

phormium

I do 24 hr reading so I read it every morning at 10 (alarm in phone), very quickly you will notice daily increases which could be shower/washing machine etc so I make a note of them on my wall planner with the reading :) Once you know what your base rate or as I call it the house tickover rate is then it's easier to identify extras like the heating.

I have a radon fan and was convinced it was using a lot of power so one day when I was going to be out of the house for most of the day I turned off everything and I mean everything freezer/fridge/clock/radio etc, all standby switches for cooker/oven etc switched off, nothing was on but that blasted radon fan. Noted the time I left the house and when I got back took reading and was then able to work out the exact kw usage of that fan and extend it out to what the daily cost is as it runs 24/7. Turns out it wasn't the huge cost I thought it was but at present rates it's adding the bones of €18 to each bi monthly bill so enough to be obvious!

You could do it as you say if you have the time to dedicate to it but a couple of hours can be hard to pinpoint in watts with small usage items if you have the fraction bits on the meter, impossible I believe with the new smart meter as I think it only clicks over a full unit each time so you don't see the fractional use.

phormium

I also bought one of those thingies you plug the item into and then plug into socket which measures the usage, got the link from somewhere here on boards, that was very handy to establish what things like the freezer/fridge etc use to get a daily cost for them. It identified my old chest freezer as very high usage basically because of it's age. I don't use a kettle much but some people use them to excess especially if you boil a full one every time for one cup of tea!

itrip

Not an expert but you say water heater on at 2am....when does that switch off...you might be better off with immersion on for an hour just before you get up...also electric heating is always way way more expensive than oil....

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120536360#Comment_120536360

If you have access and it's close to your apartment, is it close enough to install an OWL meter on?

https://www.theowl.com/

bren2001

What was your bill/energy usage for the 2 months before this period when the heaters were used everyday (i assume)?

This is either a case of your previous bills being estimated and this is a "catch up" bill OR something is faulty.

For reference, i live in a 3 bed semi with another single guy and our usage is FAR lower. We do have gas heating but still.

TheChizler

If you have a smart meter create an account here and you can see your half hourly average usage. There's a bit of a lag but it'll give you a better idea than a bimonthly bill.

https://myaccount.esbnetworks.ie/Api/HistoricConsumption

batistuta9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538070#Comment_120538070

Does signing up for this change the mcc of the meter?

TheChizler

I don't believe so, why would it? You're just accessing your data which is recorded anyway.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120539857#Comment_120539857

No. This service exists so you can get the info off a smart meter that is still on a 24h MCC.

It takes weeks for them to start giving you the data, though.

batistuta9

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120540112#Comment_120540112

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120540223#Comment_120540223

@TheChizler just trying to find out, Any of the suppliers that offer insights it'll change your mcc to smart, meaning no going back to 24hr. Even EI who offered insights with the 24hr rate changed the mcc. So esbn could do it too

Is that definite @L1011 ? I've avoided signing up to it incase it does. Not sure how much use it is anyway, don't think it's real time either

Furze99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120537454#Comment_120537454

What? I thought the general idea is that we all switch towards electric heating, heat pumps and so on. And away from oil.

To OP, possible someone else is using your electricity and you're paying for it. Big users in your case sound like the electric heaters and water heating/ immersion. I'd be checking them first.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120540556#Comment_120540556

ESB Networks have no ability to change your tariff. Your MCC is not changed. This is the entire point of this portal versus the operators ones.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120540556#Comment_120540556

It provides usage information in half hour slots. It doesn't impact your billing at all.

TheChizler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120540556#Comment_120540556

ESBN are the network operator not supplier, whatever terms you have with your supplier won't be affected. I've signed up and I'm still on a 24hr plan.

It's not real time but you might be able to spot a pattern of high usage with it.

harmless

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120540770#Comment_120540770

Oil is still cheaper for heating but electricity can be better for the environment depending on how the electricity is generated.

The idea is to move to heat pumps in new build that have exceptionally good insulation(energy ratings), when built to spec and used correctly heat pumps should not be expensive.

Rock Steady Edy

Might be worth talking to a neighbour or two to see if their bills are similar and if not, understanding any differences in usage patterns.

If you use Electricity for all your energy needs, it's probably not directly comparable with another home that also uses oil or gas for heating.