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Energy costs. Oh dear.......

Making your money go further
BullDog
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#511703

Postby BullDog » July 4th, 2022, 7:50 pm

funduffer wrote:
BullDog wrote:
funduffer wrote:
BullDog wrote:
Stompa wrote:But doesn't that give the consumption for the entire house? Are you just measuring the consumption with the washing machine on, then subtracting the consumption (for a similar period of time) with the washing machine off?

Between 00.30 and 04.30am there's the selected appliance and the fridge + freezer. We can see the consumption over night and we can see for each 30 minute time slot what the draw is on the meter. So, overnight we can see when the washing machine turns on and off and we know from previous nights when only the fridge + freezer were running what to allow for them. So, it's not like a performance test that you'd run for a contractual requirement! But for understanding domestic power and cost, I think it's enough to persuade us that running the white goods on the delay start timer is worth the inconvenience.

It might be enlightening if other members here could post their findings from running their appliances and see what they find. FWIW, the three white goods, washing machine, dishwasher and heat pump drier are all modern appliances made by Miele. How Miele stacks up against other brands energy consumption I have no idea.


Hi bulldog, we also have the Octopus EV tariff from Sept 2021 (15p daytime, 5p between 00:30 and 04:30). We have also started running the dishwasher, breadmaker and washer in the overnight cheap period (as well as charging the EV when we need to). It is a great tariff, and hats off to Octopus for getting this working, provided of course you have a working SMETS2 smart meter.

I must admit your usage from the dishwasher/washer does look high. We have relatively new white goods, a Bosch dishwasher and a Miele washer. Compared to nights when we run nothing we only add 2kWh or so when we run a couple of these appliances. We do use the Eco cycles, which may make a difference.

The car charging is wonderful. You can add >100miles range in the 4 hour period overnight equivalent to about 1.25p a mile, which is incredible. A petrol/diesel car running at 50mpg and paying £2/l for fuel would be paying 18p a mile or so. It meets all our local motoring needs, without much daytime charging. We have solar panels as well, and export maybe 2/3 of our output and currently receive 4p per kWh for this from an OVO SEG. I like to think we are selling power to the grid in the summer/daytime for 4p, and buying it back overnight at 5p. So really the power at night is only costing us 1p per kWh. This would be 0.25p a mile for the EV!

It will be interesting to see how these sort of tariffs evolve as EV usage builds up, and competition increases.

FD

Thanks. I am doubtful about the accuracy of the wireless monitor that is fed remotely from the smart meter. I think it's just indicative rather than accurate. Presumably, the actual meter itself is accurate and that's what gets fed to the supplier.

Bulldog, you can cross check it against the actually usage shown in your Octopus bill. If you open the bill and scroll down you should see all the half hourly usage data. This is the data Octopus have read directly from your meter.

Thanks for that. We're just waiting to migrate across to Octopus soon. That's useful to know.

Stompa
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#512800

Postby Stompa » July 8th, 2022, 6:25 pm


BullDog
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#512814

Postby BullDog » July 8th, 2022, 7:46 pm


Indeed. Makes the 1970's with rubbish piling up in the streets, British Leyland on strike again and a three day week because of the miners strike look like luxury. Almost.

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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513359

Postby MrFoolish » July 11th, 2022, 8:39 am

I just got a request from my energy company to send them new meter readings. Doesn't seem long since I last sent the numbers. Is now a good time to be sending new readings?

pje16
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513363

Postby pje16 » July 11th, 2022, 8:49 am

MrFoolish wrote:I just got a request from my energy company to send them new meter readings. Doesn't seem long since I last sent the numbers. Is now a good time to be sending new readings?

I just send mine on the last day of each month
No harm in sending it though

Dod101
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513364

Postby Dod101 » July 11th, 2022, 8:51 am

pje16 wrote:
MrFoolish wrote:I just got a request from my energy company to send them new meter readings. Doesn't seem long since I last sent the numbers. Is now a good time to be sending new readings?

I just send mine on the last day of each month
No harm in sending it though


Why not get a smart meter? It will do it for you.

Dod

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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513366

Postby pje16 » July 11th, 2022, 8:53 am

I am anti the nanny state
and am old enough to do my own readings :D

MrFoolish
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513368

Postby MrFoolish » July 11th, 2022, 8:58 am

Dod101 wrote:
pje16 wrote:
MrFoolish wrote:I just got a request from my energy company to send them new meter readings. Doesn't seem long since I last sent the numbers. Is now a good time to be sending new readings?

I just send mine on the last day of each month
No harm in sending it though


Why not get a smart meter? It will do it for you.

Dod


A smart meter would serve me no useful purpose. I know which appliances consume a lot of energy so I turn them off when not in use. And my old meter has a spinny wheely thing for real-time information.

Sending the readings is very little hassle. Was just wondering if there's an optimum time to do it given prices are on the rise.

pje16
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513372

Postby pje16 » July 11th, 2022, 9:08 am

MrFoolish wrote:Sending the readings is very little hassle. Was just wondering if there's an optimum time to do it given prices are on the rise.

Anytime...
giving a higher reading before a price rise is naughty, to say the least :D

servodude
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513414

Postby servodude » July 11th, 2022, 11:38 am

pje16 wrote:
MrFoolish wrote:Sending the readings is very little hassle. Was just wondering if there's an optimum time to do it given prices are on the rise.

Anytime...
giving a higher reading before a price rise is naughty, to say the least :D


Very easy to misread a digit though; that's why smart meters make sense from the point of view of an operator.

;)

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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513529

Postby TUK020 » July 11th, 2022, 6:24 pm

DrFfybes wrote:
kiloran wrote:
DrFfybes wrote:You're assuming petrol is going to stay at these levels. Last weekend I used more than 5L mowing the lawn (I tipped a 5L can in and it used it all). No Mow May might yet become Jungle June and "just ignore it dear" July.

Paul

What???? :o A 5L can keeps me going for most of the season, for a lawn area around 30m x 25m. Is your mower a 5 litre V8? Or does it have a fuel leak?

--kiloran


About 3/4 Acre, and as it has been left to get taller than the dog, the hopper was full every 2 min so lots of trips back and forth to the tipping areas. Probably 4.5 hours in total, though normally it takes about 2 with the faffing around the fruit trees.

My mate has a few sheep. I wondered about asking to borrow one, but they'd eat the borders as well.

Paul

Get a decent mulching mower. About 15 years ago, I got a John Deere mulching mower (expensive) for my birthday at my request. It changed a 2 hour effort (about 1/3 acre) into 45 mins. No tipping trips. Weed & Feed lasts much longer. I get about 5-6 mows out of a 5L can - at least a month at peak growing time, longer at this time of year. If the grass is very long/wet, you just go over it twice (second pass is very quick).

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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513972

Postby Maroochydore » July 13th, 2022, 11:08 am

pje16 wrote:Anytime...
giving a higher reading before a price rise is naughty, to say the least :D

Technically, according to Martin Lewis, it's fraud. However I did it last increase and will do it again now.
I have a spreadsheet with my readings on. I have 'true' readings and 'declared' readings.
I increase my declared readings by 10% each time. Once the new rate is in effect I reduce my 'declared' readings by around 10% each month so as not to draw attention to a sudden fall, until parity is reached.
Some may say "not worth the effort" but I feel I'm doing my bit to save so cash.

Dod101
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513989

Postby Dod101 » July 13th, 2022, 12:13 pm

Maroochydore wrote:
pje16 wrote:Anytime...
giving a higher reading before a price rise is naughty, to say the least :D

Technically, according to Martin Lewis, it's fraud. However I did it last increase and will do it again now.
I have a spreadsheet with my readings on. I have 'true' readings and 'declared' readings.
I increase my declared readings by 10% each time. Once the new rate is in effect I reduce my 'declared' readings by around 10% each month so as not to draw attention to a sudden fall, until parity is reached.
Some may say "not worth the effort" but I feel I'm doing my bit to save so cash.


Yes you are cheating the supplier. Good luck with that. I am more concerned about the oil price than electricity. For that I will be buying 2000 litres next time and need to try out my crystal ball. No cheating there.

Dod

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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#513993

Postby pje16 » July 13th, 2022, 12:51 pm

Maroochydore wrote:
pje16 wrote:Anytime...
giving a higher reading before a price rise is naughty, to say the least :D

Technically, according to Martin Lewis, it's fraud. However I did it last increase and will do it again now.

In my book it is theft
hope you sleep well :lol:

xeny
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#514093

Postby xeny » July 13th, 2022, 5:45 pm

Maroochydore wrote:Some may say "not worth the effort" but I feel I'm doing my bit to save so cash.


Classy.

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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#514099

Postby Maroochydore » July 13th, 2022, 6:20 pm

pje16 wrote:In my book it is theft
hope you sleep well :lol:

It's not theft because a) I'm paying for my energy and b) I'm paying in advance so the supplier has my money for product not yet supplied.
I sleep very well knowing I'm quids in.

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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#514100

Postby Maroochydore » July 13th, 2022, 6:22 pm

xeny wrote:
Maroochydore wrote:Some may say "not worth the effort" but I feel I'm doing my bit to save so cash.


Classy.

Thank you, I think so. Guess you're just sore because you didn't think of it. It is Living Below Your Means after all.

Itsallaguess
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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#514101

Postby Itsallaguess » July 13th, 2022, 6:39 pm

Maroochydore wrote:
pje16 wrote:
In my book it is theft

hope you sleep well


It's not theft because

a) I'm paying for my energy

and

b) I'm paying in advance so the supplier has my money for product not yet supplied.

I sleep very well knowing I'm quids in.


But how can you be 'quids in' if it's not theft?

Maroochydore wrote:
It is Living Below Your Means after all.


You could perhaps ask the site owners to open a more accurate 'Stealing Your Means' board though?

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#514105

Postby Bminusrob » July 13th, 2022, 6:55 pm

Some interesting thoughts on whether it is right to mis-declare meter readings. However, I have a curve bal to throw in at this point, particularly for those people who think it is wrong or fraudulent to mis-declare.

My electricity supplier sets the amount by which they want to direct debit me each month. I supply them figures every month. For the whole two and a half years I have been with my current electricity supplier, I have been in credit, generally by three hundred pounds or more. I would be even more in credit, but when I eventually got fed up of the amount I had overpaid, I phoned them, and asked them to return my balance. They returned some of it, but said that it was their policy not to return the last amount equal to one month's direct debit.

So, the curve ball is this. I have paid in advance for electricity I have not yet used. Is it now OK for me to mis-declare my meter reading, so that my balance is reduced to zero, before the price per unit is increased?

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Re: Energy costs. Oh dear.......

#514110

Postby Itsallaguess » July 13th, 2022, 7:06 pm

Bminusrob wrote:
So, the curve ball is this. I have paid in advance for electricity I have not yet used.

Is it now OK for me to mis-declare my meter reading, so that my balance is reduced to zero, before the price per unit is increased?


I think the simple point is that where energy-unit prices change, then it's only right to provide accurate meter readings when requested, so that the energy companies can charge you correctly for the energy you've used, set against unit-prices for when you've used them.

Not doing so is being fraudulent in one way or another...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess


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