Overnight usage: can't be that high?

  • Edmundo's Avatar
    Level 1
    We (adult couple) live in a small 1bedroom flat, 2nd floor of an old 1930s block. Heating & hot water is provided centrally (ie, our energy usage doesn't cover this), no outside lights etc.
    We have noticed our overnight usage goes up reasonably high when we are asleep. Midnight to 2am is at about 43wH per hour, then it goes up relatively high - from 2-6am, is consistently at ~374wH per hour. Once we get up in the morning, the underfloor heating in bathroom comes on for a couple of hours, lights are in use, laptops, coffee machine,radio etc. So we expect energy to go up, and it does but only goes up an additional 100wH per hr or so.
    Cannot figure out why the power usage is so high in the middle of the night. Ran an experiment: turned the fridge/freezer off overnight two nights ago - made no difference to overnight energy consumptiont. Then last night I turned off the TVbox/internet router at the wall (only ever on standby in any case), phone chargers etc - again, no difference. Double checked the underfloor heating: it's not on in the small hours. Can anyone help? We have no other appliances or other things that would be drawing power. It can't be the standing charge, as I'm talking about electricity used. (We also have gas, but no issues there). What else could I do to isolate the power vampire? All thoughts/advice appreciated.
  • 4 Replies

  • Andy65's Avatar
    Level 47
    Hi @Edmundo

    If it's constant from 2am to 6am then that would suggest a timer. Can you post photos of your meter installation including your consumer unit and anything else close by.

    Hopefully your consumer mcbs/fuses are labelled, you could switch one off at a time to see what circuit is drawing the power.
  • meldrewreborn's Avatar
    Level 91
    @Andy65

    just what I was going to suggest.
    Current Eon Next customer, ex EDF, Zog and Symbio. Don't think dual fuel saves money and don't like smart meters. Chronologically Gifted. If I offend let me know by private message, but I’ll continue to express my opinions nonetheless.
  • Edmundo's Avatar
    Level 1
    @Andy65 thank you! Here's the meter (quite new, as the smart meter stopped communicating with the main meter & it needed replacing). This sits in a cupboard in the hallway just outside our flat's front door. Absolutely nothing else in the cupboard because post-Grenfell focus on safety.
    We are going to turn off a fuse per night on the fuseboard. They're labelled by room (kitchen, bedroom etc), but at least we can narrow it down.
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  • Andy65's Avatar
    Level 47
    Let us know how you get on @Edmundo, a few hundred watts extra over the same time period seems an odd amount to me.