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Author Topic: Electricity Bills  (Read 7810 times)

Nordsee

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Electricity Bills
« on: February 14, 2015, 12:21:27 pm »

Just got our Bill for last year and got a nasty suprise, it seems in 2013 we used 1840 Units and 2014 this went upto 2486. Now why should that be? We  have all the same appliances as before, except for a larger TV. Now this is always in Standby when not on. It uses 300Watts when on, but I have not got the book for it, as it was secondhand. It is an LG 50PA6500. Power is 240 Volts, consumption 1.25 Amps (which if I recall correctly is 300 Watts.) Any idea what the Standby power use is? Can I Switch the TV off at the wall when it is not used?
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U-33

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #1 on: February 14, 2015, 12:30:49 pm »

My last job for the night is to switch off everything at the wall sockets...tv, satellite receiver, surround sound system, laptops, and my broadband box. Always have done, I got into the habit many years ago and just do it naturally now.


Rich
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essex2visuvesi

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #2 on: February 14, 2015, 12:40:54 pm »

These can be a real eye opener as to where your electric is going

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220940130975
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matphoto

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2015, 01:05:19 pm »

This is useful to know what you are using although it doesn't show which appliance is using it. But you know as soon as you turn something on.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/geo-Minim-Electricity-Energy-Monitor/dp/B00JIMQP6Y
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roycv

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2015, 01:12:51 pm »

Hi Nordsee, only a guess but on standby about 10 watts, not much really.
Bear in mind that electrical appliances don't really like getting repeatedly hot and then cold so a few watts is keeping the TV warm and the repairman away.
Last year when electricity was a bit dearer I worked out a rule of thumb that 1 watt on all the time cost £1.00 per year.  I have a bathroom mirror heating pad of 40 watts which keeps the mirror from misting up.  I decided it was not worth £40 per annum so disconnected it.
I have EON for electricity and they gave their customers a power monitoring meter which registers down to a few watts.  Useful for a quick check of watts on (pun!).
It is bu****ed anyway as my wife leaves her bedroom TV on all night I think it drowns out the noise I make!
regards Roy
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dougal99

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2015, 02:07:57 pm »

here's the manual http://www.lg.com/us/support-product/lg-50PA6500


Some digital TVs consume as much on standby as viewing. I always turn standby off when not watching.
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radiojoe

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2015, 05:27:13 pm »

Most TV's / digiboxes etc, are designed to be left on standby for timed recordings so my TV and TiVo box are always on standby, and it barely registers on my electricity monitor.
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sparkey

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2015, 06:58:57 pm »

 :-)) 5 years ago I changed every lamp in the house for LED lamps gone down from 1500 w to 145 w not only a better light but I have not had to change any lamps since,they say the lamps have a life of 25 years so should  out last me, Ray. :-)) 
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boatmadman

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2015, 07:01:05 pm »

But, how much were the LED lamps to buy?
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sparkey

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2015, 07:17:31 pm »

 :-)) In those days I was still at work as an electrical manager and got a deal off a wholesale rep for £50 for 26 lamps of different sizes,at that time they were promoting them,Ray. :-))   
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tr7v8

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2015, 07:37:03 pm »

Most non-LED TVs use very little power on standby, typically teens of watts. The fire risk if left on is much diminished these days because of different technology. Although they are sensitive to surge so should be run through a surge suppressor.

To calculate divide Watts by 1000 to give kilowatts, then multiply x 8766 (hours in a year) =kWh per annum. Look at your lecky bill & find out the charge per kWh normally around 5-12pence per kWh. Multiply the two & you'll get the cost.  Don't forget your TV will be on 8 hours or so a day so that'll reduce the standby bill by 33%
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dougal99

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #11 on: February 14, 2015, 09:29:07 pm »

If my TV is on for 4 hours a day its a lot. More like 2 on average, not worth the licence really!
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Howard

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #12 on: February 14, 2015, 10:31:11 pm »

I,ve now switched to smd,s  use 80% less Electicity and last 50,000 hours. and whats more last week checked bank statement and found N Power was taking £149 a month out of my bank  when I thought it was only£123 as we are both over 60 so got told we was now on a special rate, and thay had,nt informed me then thay take more out (thay never do) so kicked  up a fuss and told them I was going to the papers and offgen  now am told it will be only £107 a month fixed till may 2016 thats for gas and electricity, so check your bills and what you pay out of the bank if not happy kick up a fuss.
Regards Howard. 
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matphoto

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #13 on: February 14, 2015, 11:22:43 pm »

it will be only £107 a month fixed till may 2016 thats for gas and electricity
Regards Howard.

If I was you I would be looking at changing supplier, we, my wife and I, live in a 2 bedroom bungalow and only pay Scottish Power £53.00 a month for gas and electricity
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NFMike

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2015, 12:08:35 am »

What you pay monthly is only an estimate of what you are likely to use - normally the total for the year divided by 12. It's not a fixed price. You may have a fixed price deal on the cost of units, but the total cost will still vary with the amount you use.
What you actually pay in the end is what the meters say, so after a year or two you may be in credit or debit.

The suppliers will usually try to make your monthly payment a bit high, so they get you in credit and that's nice for them because most of us used to pay quarterly in arrears. They are businesses, you can't blame them for trying.
So you either trust them, or you don't. If you don't then you MUST get actual meter readings (not estimates) at each end of a 12 month so you know what your actual annual consumption is. You can then do the maths to work out your annual bill and correct monthly payments. Anything less and you are letting the supplier do the maths for you.

A side benefit of having fairly accurate annual kWh numbers is that when you go into a comparison website you can put them in instead of the vague "I pay £x a month" or "It's a 3 bed house" and you will then get an accurate idea of what you will pay and how the suppliers compare.

oldiron

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #15 on: February 15, 2015, 03:42:28 am »

The real reason your electricty rates are high is due to the high subsidies paid to "Green Energy"(read windmills and solar plants)  for putting out non dispatchable electricty. If its anything like here in Ontario, your rates are are going through the roof due to Feed In Tarifs to these bottom feeding green energy producers. they get paid whether they produce or not and out rates got through the roof.

John
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malcolmfrary

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #16 on: February 15, 2015, 09:15:01 am »

The real reason your electricty rates are high is due to the high subsidies paid to "Green Energy"(read windmills and solar plants)  for putting out non dispatchable electricty. If its anything like here in Ontario, your rates are are going through the roof due to Feed In Tarifs to these bottom feeding green energy producers. they get paid whether they produce or not and out rates got through the roof.

John
The OPs problem is not so much the unit cost as the sudden large unexplained increase in the number of units consumed.  Both one of my mates and I had a sudden usage increase problem a few years ago - in both cases it coincided with building work.  It took quite some time for the billing to settle, but grittish bas, over the last couple of years, have started to look annually at my account credit and repay a lot of it, along with applying a more realistic guess, sometimes recognizing that there are actual seasons.  I suspect that there has been some legislation, rather than an outbreak of either competence or honesty on their part.
An immersion heater left switched on and forgotten can run away with power, even with really good insulation.
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Nordsee

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #17 on: February 15, 2015, 10:34:05 am »

here's the manual http://www.lg.com/us/support-product/lg-50PA6500


Some digital TVs consume as much on standby as viewing. I always turn standby off when not watching.
Thankyou so much, I knew this Forum would solve the Problem!!
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roycv

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #18 on: February 15, 2015, 10:52:27 am »

Hi, I have been in my house for 10 years now, I used to be on Staywarm but they offered a contract at £65 per month when I moved I thought this was too much and opted for a contract costing £50 or so per month. 

A year ago I was being asked to pay £180 per month same house etc. It seems now to have dropped to less than £100 per month, I am currently debited for £80 pm but that sounds too good to be true.

I regularly check to see if I am with the right contract.  My current contract is one arranged by the local council, they got 22,000 signatures and put the contract up for tender, it went to EON and as I was already with them I opted to change contracts with no exit fees payable as it was still an EON contract.

I went over to LED lighting 3 years ago, my first batch (27 GU 10 80 led bulbs, 2 watts each) had a high failure rate about 30%.  Since then I have moved through the high power 3 / 4 leds per bulb (5 watts) and now favour SMD ones.  No failures over last 9 months.  I buy on the Internet.  It took out 27x 50 watt halogen bulbs,  so nearly 1.3 Kws less lighting.  I also have 18 CFL bulbs, this was because the base fittings were not compatible.
I also took out all the dimmer switches as they were never used.  But lighting in lumens is much the same.  My dining room / kitchen has 10 GU 10's was 500 watts and is used a lot but now is just 30 watts with all lights on.

regards Roy
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Seaspray

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #19 on: February 15, 2015, 11:22:56 am »

If anybody is thinking of switching. try the "Cheap Energy Club"  Martin Lewis's site. Used it for 2 years now. Got great switching deals plus cash back.

I switch all stand by units off at night. Just fridge/freezer runs at night

Here is something I sussed out. You can start your switch with 49 days to go on your current supplier. Its an OFGEM regulation.
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Jonty

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #20 on: February 15, 2015, 12:35:55 pm »

Someone mentioned immersion heaters. Is it, in fact, cheaper to leave it on or have it on a timer? Assuming modern element and well-lagged cylinder.
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roycv

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2015, 03:06:35 pm »

Hi Jonty I would not think there was much in it, taking into account a lot are in airing cupboards doing an additional job.  Not part of your central heating then?
If I read it correctly gas prices are a lot less than electricity prices per KWatt hour, so gas is the economic choice for hot water.
regards Roy
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NFMike

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Re: Electricity Bills
« Reply #22 on: February 15, 2015, 03:26:16 pm »

Someone mentioned immersion heaters. Is it, in fact, cheaper to leave it on or have it on a timer? Assuming modern element and well-lagged cylinder.
Probably cheaper on a timer. Strictly you need to offset some of the savings in heat loss with the electricity to run the timer and amortized capital cost of the timer. But I'd expect you to still come out ahead using a timer.
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