What's your summer energy use?

[ProDave]

About 12kWh per day all electric.  Less than 2kWh of that is the heat pump heating hot water (heating is off) so average of 10kWh of "stuff" being used per day.  That is the bit I am struggling to reduce but not managing.  In winter the "other stuff" usage goes up a bit, partly due to lighting but probably mostly due to less solar PV helping with it.

 

It just goes to show that heating is a small part of our total energy usage.

[jayc89]

10 minutes ago, ProDave said:

About 12kWh per day all electric.  Less than 2kWh of that is the heat pump heating hot water (heating is off) so average of 10kWh of "stuff" being used per day.  That is the bit I am struggling to reduce but not managing.  In winter the "other stuff" usage goes up a bit, partly due to lighting but probably mostly due to less solar PV helping with it.

 

It just goes to show that heating is a small part of our total energy usage.

 

How much hot water do you heat? We have a 250l tank, it can call for heat for up to 4 hours a day (2 in the morning, 2 in evening). We take between 2-3 showers a day in total and other than washing hands/a couple of pots that don't fit in the dish washer we don't use anything else.

 

Our 12kw a day just to heat water seems excessive...

[Adsibob]

4 minutes ago, jayc89 said:

 

How much hot water do you heat? We have a 250l tank, it can call for heat for up to 4 hours a day (2 in the morning, 2 in evening). We take between 2-3 showers a day in total and other than washing hands/a couple of pots that don't fit in the dish washer we don't use anything else.

 

Our 12kw a day just to heat water seems excessive...

That does seem excessive compared to my usage which is slightly less for a 300L tank and we bathe more than shower (due to young kids, mainly). Do you really need it on for 4 hours? Try 2hr plus 1hr, or 1:45hr plus 1:15hr. What temp is your tank set to? Try lowering it by a couple of degrees. Obviously, you need to trial one change at a time for several days to see what works.
Are your pipes and tank insulated?

What temperature is your output from your boiler set to?

 

[jayc89]

Just now, Adsibob said:

That does seem excessive compared to my usage which is slightly less for a 300L tank and we bathe more than shower (due to young kids, mainly). Do you really need it on for 4 hours? Try 2hr plus 1hr, or 1:45hr plus 1:15hr. What temp is your tank set to? Try lowering it by a couple of degrees. Obviously, you need to trial one change at a time for several days to see what works.
Are your pipes and tank insulated?

What temperature is your output from your boiler set to?

 

 

The stat on the tank is quite flakey (it's only a year old). It says it's below 45 but the temp coming out the taps is 55. Boiler is set just above this at 60. Whilst the pipeline's all neat and tidy some are so close together I can't get any foam pipe insulation around them. I might have to resort to some other type of lagging. 

When I say it's on for 4 hours, that's when the stat could call for heat, I've just checked and it's not currently calling for anything, so it's difficult to say how long it's actually calling for heat for. 

[Adsibob]

3 minutes ago, jayc89 said:

 

The stat on the tank is quite flakey (it's only a year old). It says it's below 45 but the temp coming out the taps is 55. Boiler is set just above this at 60. Whilst the pipeline's all neat and tidy some are so close together I can't get any foam pipe insulation around them. I might have to resort to some other type of lagging. 

When I say it's on for 4 hours, that's when the stat could call for heat, I've just checked and it's not currently calling for anything, so it's difficult to say how long it's actually calling for heat for. 

Do you need 55C water? If not, I’d suggest turning the stat down by a couple of degrees. The boiler might work more efficiently at 65C output. I’m not sure, check your boiler manual for efficiency ratings. 

[LA3222]

1 hour ago, Radian said:

12kWh includes your self generated energy or just your import?

Seems to be the average import. Generation tends to float between 3kWh on crap days and just over 10kWh on good. Just goes to show that even a chappy little system like that has an impact.

 

I intend to cover the garage and sunroom Roofs when built and get batteries so should be around 10kWp plus once done.

[joe90]

53 minutes ago, ProDave said:

About 12kWh per day all electric. 

Ha, just worked my usage out and it’s almost the same as Dave above (and I have no PV , YET!!!) 👍🥳

[ProDave]

59 minutes ago, jayc89 said:

 

How much hot water do you heat? We have a 250l tank, it can call for heat for up to 4 hours a day (2 in the morning, 2 in evening). We take between 2-3 showers a day in total and other than washing hands/a couple of pots that don't fit in the dish washer we don't use anything else.

 

Our 12kw a day just to heat water seems excessive...

300L tank but only heated to 48 degrees by the ASHP.  In summer it gets topped up by surplus PV into the immersion heater, so a lot less needed from the ASHP in summer.

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, Adsibob said:

I empathise! My kids also know how to switch stuff on, but not off!

 

You need one of Blart Versenwald III's off-switches for children. With apologies to the ghost of Douglas Adams.

 

He was supposed to design a race of fanatical superwarriors, and got bored.

 

[Ferdinand]

Just having looked at my Octopus, it says I am using between 2 and 5 kWh of leccy per day.

 

 

Family of one. 200 sqm house. 10kWp solar, which faces 80% E 20% W and is filthy. Away for night of 6/7 Aug, and less sun the last few days. 1 shower per day, usually gas.

 

The Smart Meter app has not detected the gas yet, but I read the meter just for you and it says I have used 1.714 m3 in 3 weeks, which is around 0.7 kWh per day. It was installed and zeroed on July 25th (says the label).

 

[Pocster]

😁😁😁

Edited August 17, 2022 by pocster

[SteamyTea]

4 hours ago, Adsibob said:

my understanding is that by taking temperature readings at different locations within the cylinder (at two or three different heights) it can work out how much hot water is in the cylinder). This is one of its features (and probably the most useful).

It would have to settle for at least half an hour before the readings have any value  assuming it is heated from the base.

[Ferdinand]

1 hour ago, Ferdinand said:

Just having looked at my Octopus, it says I am using between 2 and 5 kWh of leccy per day.

 

 

Family of one. 200 sqm house. 10kWp solar, which faces 80% E 20% W and is filthy. Away for night of 6/7 Aug, and less sun the last few days. 1 shower per day, usually gas.

 

The Smart Meter app has not detected the gas yet, but I read the meter just for you and it says I have used 1.714 m3 in 3 weeks, which is around 0.7 kWh per day. It was installed and zeroed on July 25th (says the label).

 

 

To wrap up, the electric meter is telling me that I have imported 83 kWh and exported 283kWh in the same 3.5 weeks. I am switching to Octopus Outgoing Agile tariff, as I will make some more export payments.

[Adsibob]

1 hour ago, SteamyTea said:

It would have to settle for at least half an hour before the readings have any value  assuming it is heated from the base.

I think it has a diffuser to stop that being a problem:

 

I also heard somewhere that the sensors take temperature readings pretty regularly

and then use a clever algorithm to model what is the most likely amount of hot water left in the tank is. That figure outputs as an approximate value, something like a percentage to the nearest 5% or 10%.  I believe @joth, @Robert Clark and possibly @Dan F have one (or at least did a lot of research into them. Hopefully one of them followed through with their purchase and can give us all their review.

 

[SteamyTea]

Back to summer energy usage.

Last week I used a total of 14.7 kWh (a new record low for me)

68% of that was at night on E7 (so mainly water heating and the washing machine).

From the 1^st May to 1^st August I used 359 kWh, so 3.9 kWh/day.  I cannot remember when I put my new imersion heater timer on, I think it was about 15^th May.

Just had a look after tha date til beginning of August and my daily usage is 3.5 kWh, so a 0.4 kWh/day saving on DHW.  8p/day. Saved £6.25, or close to half the price of the timer.  Result.

[Adsibob]

4 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Back to summer energy usage.

Last week I used a total of 14.7 kWh (a new record low for me)

68% of that was at night on E7 (so mainly water heating and the washing machine).

From the 1^st May to 1^st August I used 359 kWh, so 3.9 kWh/day.  I cannot remember when I put my new imersion heater timer on, I think it was about 15^th May.

Just had a look after tha date til beginning of August and my daily usage is 3.5 kWh, so a 0.4 kWh/day saving on DHW.  8p/day. Saved £6.25, or close to half the price of the timer.  Result.

Wow, that does seem low. What’s your home situation, do you live alone or with others?

[SteamyTea]

12 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

Wow, that does seem low. What’s your home situation, do you live alone or with others?

I live alone.  I did have a lodger once, and once I had beaten her into submission, the annual usage was around 5 MWh, lat year I think I got it down to around 4 MWh.

So far this year (228 days) I havve used 1892 kWh, which is better than I imagined.

I also don't live in the cold, and now I have removated my back door, I should save a bit there (had a 6mm gap and the bottom and the seal had totally failled.

I do try and think about what I am doing, so no use of a tumble dryer, I use a clothes line, not much oven usage, induction hob, cook twice as much paster and sauce as I need, then either 2 minutes mircrowave or eat it cold.

 

I wish my car usage was the same, last week I used arround 270 kWh of deisel to travel 320 miles.  Cost 50 quid.

At least this month I am not travelling the 600 extra miles to see my Mother every weekend.

Edited August 17, 2022 by SteamyTea

[Dan F]

12 hours ago, Adsibob said:

I believe @joth, @Robert Clark and possibly @Dan F have one (or at least did a lot of research into them. Hopefully one of them followed through with their purchase and can give us all their review.

I have one, works really well.  Caveat is that to get the parital "charging" benefits you need to heat tank using small coil at the top.  While this is doable with the Vaillant aroThem isn't not a very efficient way of heating hot water.  I'd need to do some modelling to try to understand the advantages of better COP (not using top coil) vs. advantages of not having to heat full tank.  

[SteamyTea]

10 minutes ago, Dan F said:

I'd need to do some modelling to try to understand the advantages of better COP (not using top coil) vs. advantages of not having to heat full tank.  

About 0.4 kWh per recharge cycle in my case. That is on a 200 Lt cylinder. Not sure what my volume of water usage actually is, 50 to 60 litres of greater than 35°C.

 

I really hate seeing heated water go down the plughole as it comes up to temperature. Probably why I like baths so much, less waste, in my mind, but not in reality.

 

[Johnnyt]

Had my SolarEdge dc coupled battery for a week and temporary immersun dhw divert until SolarEdge unit becomes available.

Only 2 kWh import, which is taking up some of the reaction time for the battery I think.

Screen shot shows you everything.

I’m happy!

 

 

[rh2205]

Last 52 days we have averaged 5.15kWh. All electric house with ASHP. 2 adults one child. Both adults work from home including having clients visit. Wish we had solar panels but I’m not sure we’d pay them back at this usage, maybe we will get an electric car & hot tub and reconsider…

Edited August 21, 2022 by rh2205

[Radian]

58 minutes ago, rh2205 said:

Last 52 days we have averaged 5.15kWh. All electric house with ASHP. 2 adults one child. Both adults work from home including having clients visit. Wish we had solar panels but I’m not sure we’d pay them back at this usage, maybe we will get an electric car & hot tub and reconsider…

Now that's curiously low. Unlike @SteamyTea I bet you don't eat baked beans straight from the tin every day and use candles to read at night 😉 Cooking with COP1 electric every day could easily gobble up half that 5kWh so I'm guessing DHW must use the other half which doesn't leave much for baseload: do you know roughly how many Watts that is?

[SimonD]

18 minutes ago, Radian said:

Now that's curiously low. Unlike @SteamyTea I bet you don't eat baked beans straight from the tin every day and use candles to read at night 😉 Cooking with COP1 electric every day could easily gobble up half that 5kWh so I'm guessing DHW must use the other half which doesn't leave much for baseload: do you know roughly how many Watts that is?

 

Hmmm, would be interesting to have a larger sample size of average normal family consumption rates. I've just noted our first 'normal' month on all electric using induction hobs, excluding DHW and minimal EV (daily average 0.57kWh) due to holidays and we've used a daily average of 12.29kWh for 31 days. Tumble dryer has only used 0.52kWh/day average. We do cook and bake a lot but I'm wondering if this is high for a family of 4. Must get some individual energy monitors on the circuits to see where exactly it's going.

[SteamyTea]

9 hours ago, Radian said:

Watts

It's watts.

 

8 hours ago, SimonD said:

Tumble dryer has only used 0.52kWh/day average

Can cut that out with a £2 washing line.

 

8 hours ago, SimonD said:

EV (daily average 0.57kWh)

That is about what it uses to keep the 'systems' going, without actually going anywhere.

[rh2205]

We use a microwave often for reheating foods slightly more batch cooking than average, we have a 5 ring electric ceramic hob because don’t like induction ones, we use a kettle to boil water for the hob. We have two microwaves, two dishwashers & two freezers (1 oven & grill too)! We haven’t used the tumble dryer this summer, we have a robot mower working all day for 5/7days as big garden (though less so in last 3 weeks as too dry). We have 1 smallish TV but various other pocket sized devices & laptops etc. Probably a bit basic on the tech front no mvhr or other fancy things, don’t use our extractors much. We don’t use candlelight but probably sleep a lot when our toddler sleeps, only 1 caffeine drinker in house!! We have white noise playing 15hrs a day & stereo on for about 8hrs a day. Our DHW is actually somewhere between 1.3-1.5kWh a day I’ve never checked  but can see our overall usage since March falls into this reading, we are not trying to reduce our energy use as such thus have many chargers still on at the switch & don’t put devices to sleep enough, don’t do terrible stuff like leave tv on all day! We went pretty low spec on all our appliances. My husband uses two laptops all day I use one. We don’t vacuum much 😂. To be honest I put this all down to avoiding an induction hob.