[WizzyWigg]

Originally Posted by JoeSoap

@meldrewreborn

Wow… 4.5kWh per day total usage? That averages less than 0.2kWh for every hour of the day. My average hourly electricity consumption just between midnight and 7am (according to Bright) is more than that at around 0.24kWh although it gets nearer to 0.3kWh during the summer months. The lowest hour I can find is 0.15kWh in a winter month but that kind of figure is rare. That’s with a baseline usage of two fridges, two freezers, three security lights (two are LED and one is PIR so is normally quite dim) and some AV stuff on standby. Maybe I should unplug that old fridge one night to see what happens.

Yep Joe mine is around 4.5 KWh/day on average. Lowest recorded, when my meters send data, is 0.04KWh between midnight and 7.00am. Only the 2 of us though. One freezer, fridge etc. 3 security lights but they are solar. 2 security cameras. One PIR porch light. Day time we are all electric except heating and water.

[meldrewreborn]

@JoeSoap

do want to borrow my plug in meter to measure those individual appliances? How old are those fridges and freezers? The point is they’re on 24/7 so despite being often considered being “only” a fridge/freezer they probably out consume all the other kitchen/ utility room appliances.

[JoeSoap]

Coincidentally, I have just received an email telling me my DD has to rise by £17.94p per month to £215.09p for the last 9 months of my contract, no doubt to cover my Estimated Annual Usage as worked out by the means posted by @Mailman.

I have used my last year's actual usage, extrapolated using my first two months of this year's usage compared to the same period last year, and applied my considerable credit balance of £700 and future DDs at today's rate (next DD due in one week's time) to work things out for myself. I have predicted that if my DD remains the same as it is now then my account balance at the end of my contract will be £39 in credit. Pretty close to perfect.

With the rise in the monthly DD, I predict my account will be £200 in credit at the end of my current contract.

I can wait until the DD rises and then reduce it by 10% in my online account. If this is allowed to stand then I predict my account would be just £7 in credit at the end of the contract. Pretty much spot on. The thing is, if I reduce my DD by 10%, will they just recalculate using the EAC formula and force it up again?

Using the EAC formula to calculate my monthly DD means my total DD payments in this annual contract will be about £160 more than they would have been if my last year's consumption was used as a guide.

I'm going to allow the DD rise to go ahead in order to build up a buffer against a colder winter (or warmer house) than last year. It will be interesting to see my account balance at the end of the contract. Will it be the £200 credit I have predicted in the bold text above?

Time will tell.

[JoeSoap]

Originally Posted by WizzyWigg

Yep Joe mine is around 4.5 KWh/day on average. Lowest recorded, when my meters send data, is 0.04KWh between midnight and 7.00am. Only the 2 of us though. One freezer, fridge etc. 3 security lights but they are solar. 2 security cameras. One PIR porch light. Day time we are all electric except heating and water.

That would be 0.04kWh in one hourly period, I presume? Hmmm. I used to think 0.2kWh was pretty good in each hour overnight. I have some thinking to do 🤔

[JoeSoap]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

@JoeSoap

do want to borrow my plug in meter to measure those individual appliances? How old are those fridges and freezers? The point is they’re on 24/7 so despite being often considered being “only” a fridge/freezer they probably out consume all the other kitchen/ utility room appliances.

Very kind offer, thank you. I have considered buying one of those meters. Getting to the sockets of the integrated appliances is a non-starter. I could kill them at the wall switch but that would take out both the main fridge and freezer at the same time. The fridges and freezers are all between about 3 and 8 years old I would guess, with the exception of that one larder fridge at the back door in the utility room that is over 20 years old. That's the one my attention is on. Once I see it fairly empty I might just transfer stuff to the main fridge and switch it off one night to see what happens to my consumption.

[WizzyWigg]

Originally Posted by JoeSoap

That would be 0.04kWh in one hourly period, I presume? Hmmm. I used to think 0.2kWh was pretty good in each hour overnight. I have some thinking to do 🤔

Yep that's right. My average, on the recordings I've got, is 0.09 KWh. That's for midnight to 7.00am. Interestingly my own calculated EAC for 23/24 is higher than Next's but saying that I've built in a 10% contingency. It'll be interesting to see who's right 😉.

I wouldn't be surprised if your 20 year old freezer is one of the culprits. 😉

[meldrewreborn]

@JoeSoap

we hear a lot about smart appliances these days but I suspect few have inbuilt energy consumption displays which would help with kitchen utility room energy queries.

[meldrewreborn]

@JoeSoap

the DD amount is factored on forecast consumption and forecast prices and it’s practically always going to be wrong, either too little or too much. As long as it’s balanced with roughly equal possibilities of being over or under then that, to me at least, is fair enough. But evidence suggests that suppliers hold too much customer money across the sector, and that isn’t right.

your solution seems entirely sensible to me.

[geoffers]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

@JoeSoap

we hear a lot about smart appliances these days but I suspect few have inbuilt energy consumption displays which would help with kitchen utility room energy queries.

I can recommend the TP-link Tapo P110 smart plugs - I'm using several to schedule & remotely control various appliances, and as well as very comprehensive scheduling capabilities they also have very detailed daily/monthly/annual energy monitoring functionality.

Excellent value 😁
https://www.toolstation.com/tp-link-...itoring/p11430

[meldrewreborn]

@JoeSoap

Here's my graph of 3 years (nearly) usage in kWh per day.