Electricity Usage Club

If you know of a way to help save our planet, even just a small part of it put it here. Also if you want to ask how to help, or even if you want to promote your environmental organisation. All goes here.
Post Reply
User avatar
Annpan
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 5464
Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:43 pm
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland

Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 132519Post Annpan »

I have stolen this idea from neeps (shirley won't mind :wink: ) I am sure that other forums must do it too.

So if we put in our electricity usage every Monday so we can follow how much we use, and compare to other peoples usage.

I have never followed my electricity usage and I think doing it together might encourage me.

We have storage heaters in 3 rooms, and a plug in heater for the kitchen, so I'd imagine our usage is higher than average.

We are on ecnomy 7 though... so I'll give 2 readings
1. 14692
2. 05335 (this is the cheaper tariff.... I hate economy 7, note that it is about a third of the higher tariff)
total - 22573



Who is going to join me?
Ann Pan

"Some days you're the dog,
some days you're the lamp-post"

My blog
My Tea Cosy Shop
Some photos
My eBay

eccentric_emma
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 752
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2007 9:09 pm
Location: Central Portugal

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 132523Post eccentric_emma »

It sounds a great idea but I have no idea how to decipher meter readings. Can somebody explain? And to be honest I can only take part if my lovely husband agrees to read the meter weekly - it is so high up that I can't see if even if I'm standing on a chair!
Off grid retreats, rustic cottages, yoga holidays and more in the midst of nature in Central Portugal

http://www.pureportugalholidays.com

User avatar
Annpan
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 5464
Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:43 pm
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 132528Post Annpan »

With mine, I have to press a button (it says 'display' beside it) I have to press it 3 or 4 times for it to cycle through the settings, then it shows the digital display with all the 8s (you know, like the whole display is lit up) then the next press of the button is reading 1, then press again for reading 2, then once more for the total.
But that is an Economy 7 meter, I don't think others are that complicated.
Ann Pan

"Some days you're the dog,
some days you're the lamp-post"

My blog
My Tea Cosy Shop
Some photos
My eBay

Shirley
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 7025
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2005 9:05 am
Location: Manchester
Contact:

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 132535Post Shirley »

:mrgreen:

Take a photo of your meter and we'll show you how to read it, cos we're nice like that :flower:
Shirley
NEEPS! North East Eco People's Site

My photos on Flickr

Don't forget to check out the Ish gallery on Flickr - and add your own photos there too. http://www.flickr.com/groups/selfsufficientish/

User avatar
Annpan
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 5464
Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:43 pm
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 132692Post Annpan »

Woop! just got confirmation through that we are moving onto a fixed tariff rate (I set it up in August before the bog price hikes, but it has taken them this long to sort it) Our Electricity costs have just gone down by about 25% - don't have the figures to hand but it is around that :mrgreen:

Come on who else is going to join in?
Ann Pan

"Some days you're the dog,
some days you're the lamp-post"

My blog
My Tea Cosy Shop
Some photos
My eBay

invisiblepiper
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 688
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:33 am
Location: Scotland

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 132699Post invisiblepiper »

mostly gas here - but will have a go - I think our meter is clockwork though! :wink:
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less travelled by
And that has made all the difference.
(Robert Frost)

User avatar
pumpy
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 773
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 7:37 pm
Location: Norfolk, where the cafe's still shut for lunch!

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 132720Post pumpy »

Can't really say too much, but our Economy 7 timer is on the blink,so we are currently getting cheap-rate electric from 06.15 to13.15. ......oops, i won't tell anyone if you don't!
it's either one or the other, or neither of the two.

User avatar
growingthings
Living the good life
Living the good life
Posts: 396
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:54 am
Location: East Norfolk
Contact:

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 132748Post growingthings »

I will,

we only have electric here, and no heating as the house is heated on wood. My washing machine works rather hard - and seeings as the rayburn that my husband put in the kitchen last weekend isn't connected yet, so does the knackered electric oven i am currently using. I am with a 'green supplier' as we have plenty of turbines round our way - so I accept that my prices can be a bit higher than average - but we don't have a gas bill so thats something.

Lorna x

ellie12022
Barbara Good
Barbara Good
Posts: 119
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:54 pm

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 132993Post ellie12022 »

I took some readings on Thursday 27th, my electric was 45651. (I have gas too). I have used 111 units since 10 November. This will cost about £16.

It is an interesting idea to see how much other people might be paying for fuel bills.

As it is nearly Monday this is my reading as of now: 45677 - 16 units in 4 days (£2.37).

How's everybody else doing?

ellie12022
Barbara Good
Barbara Good
Posts: 119
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2008 7:54 pm

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 132994Post ellie12022 »

Invisible piper - if your dial is between 2 numbers you read the lowest - what you need to watch out for is that they alternate between clockwise & anti clockwise..

User avatar
Penny Lane
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 544
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:35 pm
Location: Wales

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 133001Post Penny Lane »

I'd like to join your club! :flower:

Current meter reading (same as invisible piper's) is 12826.
12465 was the last reading on 27th Oct (ish) so we've used 361 units in 34 days.
That adds up to roughly £48 :pale:
Oh dear!
"It's breaking the circle.
Going to work, to get money, to translate into things, which you use up, which means you go to work again, etc, etc.
The Norm.
What we should be doing is working at the job of life itself."
- Tom Good, The Good Life.

MikeM
Barbara Good
Barbara Good
Posts: 141
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2008 5:41 pm
Location: St Albans, Herts

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 133004Post MikeM »

I'll try and play. Not sure what our usage has been up till now but our monthly DD has just gone down to £4.60.
Today's reading is: 65565.
Hypocrite slayer for hire. So many hypocrites, so little time.

User avatar
Annpan
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 5464
Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2006 2:43 pm
Location: Lanarkshire, Scotland

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 133006Post Annpan »

1 - 14771
2 - 05351
Total -22721

1 - 79 units
2 - 16 units

total 95

This is the first time I have ever followed my weekly usage..... It looks awfuly scarey :( :( :(

Baring in mind that this has been the coldest week, temperatures not getting above 0oC for the last 4 days... and I have had to pull a second plug in electric heater out of the cupboard. I have also hung fleeces at most of the windows and in front of the front door.

My biggest worry is the difference between peak rate and cheap rate is so huge...... I am going to start a new thread....
Ann Pan

"Some days you're the dog,
some days you're the lamp-post"

My blog
My Tea Cosy Shop
Some photos
My eBay

invisiblepiper
A selfsufficientish Regular
A selfsufficientish Regular
Posts: 688
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:33 am
Location: Scotland

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 133008Post invisiblepiper »

OK - starting now cos I've been busy. 62595 - and scary cos I can see the numbers ticking over - and all I have on is the washing machine ( I know - a heavy user of energy).
Thanks for the tip Ellie!
Yes Annpan - its freezing! :icescream: ( sorry - couldn't find an icon for freezing and ice cream is more positive anyway!)
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less travelled by
And that has made all the difference.
(Robert Frost)

kiwirach
Living the good life
Living the good life
Posts: 267
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:40 am
Location: London

Re: Electricity Usage Club

Post: # 133012Post kiwirach »

i shall watch this thread with interest, but cant take part til next year....am moving out of this flat on wed and wont be in a new one til feb/mar time, as going to oz for a month in 3 wks....will be there in 3wks!!.......moving out is a great way to solve the gas and eleccie bills.....:lol:

Post Reply