Electricity Usage Club

[Thurston Garden]

I was just wondering - how much does it cost to charge the laptop as compared to having it plugged in when you're using it?

I would imagine the cost difference to be negligible. My laptop is plugged in to the mains in the office all day so when I get home and switch it on, the battery is always fully charged so there is no need to plug it in. The battery last for 3 hours which is much longer than my attention span

[ellie12022]

Ah, so somebody else is paying to charge it up? Very cunning

[Cloud]

I was just wondering - how much does it cost to charge the laptop as compared to having it plugged in when you're using it?

Not sure on costs, but laptop running on batteries usually run on a lower power consumption setting than when they run from the mains. However, charging the batteries from the mains and then running the laptop from the batteries involves two processes that are not 100% efficient, so the energy lost here might compensate for reduced power mode.

It's possible to set laptops in to reduced power mode even when running from the mains. That might be worth an experiment.

[ellie12022]

That's interesting, Cloud.

[wildbee]

When I moved out of my mum's house I became very thankful of the gift on an electricity monitor and never realised how much it cost to run electrical appliances before.

I have observed that the dishwasher costs 10p to run one short 1/2 hour cycle,
underfloor heating in the bathroom takes 2 hours to warm the tiles and costs 15p/ph,
cooking a roast dinner in the oven for 2 hours costs 54p,
using the washing machine for one cycle costs 25p,
having the tv, lights and computer on costs 5p/ph.

Seeing your money go down the drain like that makes it really easy to remember to turn off what you are not using and stop using things you don't need! I used to keep my computer turned on all the time because I was told they 'like' it but screw that.

Things I now unplug/turn off when not in use;
wireless internet
sky box
tv
computer
printer
lights
stereo

Luxury mod-cons I was impressed by but now realise exactly how terribly wasteful they are;
underfloor heating
dishwasher

I'm currently using an average of 270kWh per month for two people, is that a lot?

[Big Al]

I'm currently using an average of 270kWh per month for two people, is that a lot?

As a confirmed Tightwad I would say your leccy use is ok if you are using the items stated. I use a bit more on average but I have a very poor fridge freezer which eats over 1500 kwh per year.

You can always reduce the amount you use but it becomes a personal issue and only one you can decide on how far to go .

[wildbee]

I think I've got it down as much as I can for the moment without feeling deprived. You're right it is a personal decision, some members of my family are prepared to go without much more than me to achieve a leccy bill significantly below £300 a year ...

[ellie12022]

Hi Wildbee
thanks for your post. I don't actually know how much things cost, but this quarter's leccie bill is going to be about £70.

I must admit I have been very slack recently, but have decided to make an effort again. I am trying to train OH to switch his computer off more often, as he will happily leave it on even when he's going out for a few hours. I also have my laptop on a lot, which isn't good, although I have been putting it into 'hibernation' more often.

Last night I switched tv etc off downstairs at the wall, have been a bit loathe to do it before as our tv is a bit dodgy (the on/off switch doesn't always work). We don't watch as much tv as we used to, anyway.

I have a battery powered LED light as my bedside light at the moment, which is ok, I got it for doing sewing by but haven't done much of that.

[Big Al]

My annual leccy statement came through for the year ending 31.09.11 from EDF and that was for 3404 KWh. 2 people most of the time but the son is home about 90 days a year so the lights are on as he's afraid of sunshine.

Our fridge freezer eats over 1500 kwh a year and needs binning but we have got at least 3 more months of savings yet to replace it.

if we can get a new AAA F/F then that should save about 1200 Kwh so my leccy will be a reasonable 2200 kwh a year. I'm relativly happy about that as we cook on leccy as well but from next year we will be going over to a WFO or wood fired oven in the garden for the vasy majority of the cooking. I would like to get the leccy bill under 1700 without the oven but we also plan, if we can find funding to get solar PV and a wood / multi fuel fire / boiler installed so that will kill off the gas bill of £556 so we will be really happy then [although we will have just swapped the payments to another source for 4-5 years]

Edited to add : getting quotes for a 4kw system and so far the best is a local company with a £9500 price tage. Yes I know that is a lot of money but over the next 25 years I should be able to get around £60k back in FITs all for an extra borrow on the mortgage. I'll keep you up to speed as I know more.

[Potter's Farm]

Have noted the meter reading this morning, will put it on next monday.....just wanted to say, anyone in the Rep of Ireland, ESB do an appliance calculator on their website, its quite handy for working out where savings can be made. Annoyingly, it doesn't have a section for mobile phone/ipod chargers etc. We charge our phone in the car and have never charged it in the house but i wanted to show our 14 year old daughter how much it costs!!

[Big Al]

Have noted the meter reading this morning, will put it on next monday.....just wanted to say, anyone in the Rep of Ireland, ESB do an appliance calculator on their website, its quite handy for working out where savings can be made. Annoyingly, it doesn't have a section for mobile phone/ipod chargers etc. We charge our phone in the car and have never charged it in the house but i wanted to show our 14 year old daughter how much it costs!!

Can you not get one of those energy meters like the owl which shows useage costs in the republic?

[boboff]

I got one of those, but you need access to your "tails" which I don't have! Annoying.

The last three months I have been taking readings and I am using 2430 kwh a quarter according to the last quarter, which I think is allot, £240.

I have been putting in energy efficient fittings, and I turned off the emmersion for hot water, and put it on timed on the lpg boiler. I have three freezers so I am going to have a go at consolidation and turning one of them off to see how that helps.

[Big Al]

I got one of those, but you need access to your "tails" which I don't have! Annoying.

The last three months I have been taking readings and I am using 2430 kwh a quarter according to the last quarter, which I think is allot, £240.

I have been putting in energy efficient fittings, and I turned off the emmersion for hot water, and put it on timed on the lpg boiler. I have three freezers so I am going to have a go at consolidation and turning one of them off to see how that helps.

Bleedin nora boboff.... I use 3204 P A and that's with a knackered fridge freezer that uses over 1300 kwh per year. If i could get an energy effy one I'd knock nearly 1000 kwh off that per year and i cook on leccy!!

Emmersions use a lot as do chest freezers but you might be able to get one of those smart plugs that stop the FF starting up all the time. http://www.intelipower.co.uk/page7.htm There are two in this link about 1/2 way down.

[boboff]

Thank you. I spent yesterday clearing it and making Jam and chutney, and as of this morning it is turned off!
Under worktop freezer next!

[snapdragon]

Haven't looked in this thread before as I was sure being at home permanently our usage would be huge in comparison to workers, however having just received the years account it seems not.

With our redundancy money we invested in a new A+ rated fridge freezer (old fridge was kernakkered and the tub freezer not full) and a new LPG ch boiler (and immersion heater for justincase). Already had low usage light bulbs all round the house, and the kids bought Dragon a flat telly for his 60th which uses less.

But cook every day, use laptop lots, radio on nearly all day, Tv on evenings, sewing machine uses electric too

So last year's total was 2193kWh - and they owed us £50 !! which they said they would put towards next years - HaHa -in your dreams electric company!! Gizzit here!! Now paid in to the bank account