your daily energy budget?

B

Bristolboro

Well-known member
Mine's about £3.50 a day (gas and electric) according to the smart meter. This is a 3-bed bog standard semi with 2 kids and a dog (he doesn't use much). So far managed to keep to this amount by being vigilant and using only wood burner in the lounge for heating. I go around turning lights and electrical equipment off (my new hobby). Emerging challenge now is drying clothes in this cooler, damper air. The front room has become a kind of laundry. And the mrs insists on using the dishwasher so I've let go of that one. Got an air fryer, slow cooker and timer for showers.

How are you managing?
 
Bristolboro said:
Mine's about £3.50 a day (gas and electric) according to the smart meter. This is a 3-bed bog standard semi with 2 kids and a dog (he doesn't use much). So far managed to keep to this amount by being vigilant and using only wood burner in the lounge for heating. I go around turning lights and electrical equipment off (my new hobby). Emerging challenge now is drying clothes in this cooler, damper air. The front room has become a kind of laundry. And the mrs insists on using the dishwasher so I've let go of that one. Got an air fryer, slow cooker and timer for showers.

How are you managing?
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I've just got a smart meter last week to save me crawling about in the cupboard under the stairs to take a reading. I can now see how much we're spending, and it looks like being around £6 per day at the moment (not sure if that includes the standing charges).

Doubt I'll actually change my habits as a result of it, but interesting to see the numbers and can imagine the stress if you've a limited budget watching those numbers shooting up (or down if you've got a pre-payment meter).

Edit:- 5 bedroomed house, with 2 adults and 1 baby, both adults working from home most days.
 
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Just over £3 yesterday, two of us in a 3 bed semI, that included two loads of washing and me working from home with computer on all day.
 
Bristolboro said:
Mine's about £3.50 a day (gas and electric) according to the smart meter. This is a 3-bed bog standard semi with 2 kids and a dog (he doesn't use much). So far managed to keep to this amount by being vigilant and using only wood burner in the lounge for heating. I go around turning lights and electrical equipment off (my new hobby). Emerging challenge now is drying clothes in this cooler, damper air. The front room has become a kind of laundry. And the mrs insists on using the dishwasher so I've let go of that one. Got an air fryer, slow cooker and timer for showers.

How are you managing?
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If you're drying clothes in doors I would get an efficient dehumidifier to come on using the sensor so that you don't end up with loads of condensation / potential damp
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
I've just got a smart meter last week to save me crawling about in the cupboard under the stairs to take a reading. I can now see how much we're spending, and it looks like being around £6 per day at the moment (not sure if that includes the standing charges).

Doubt I'll actually change my habits as a result of it, but interesting to see the numbers and can imagine the stress if you've a limited budget watching those numbers shooting up (or down if you've got a pre-payment meter).

Edit:- 5 bedroomed house, with 2 adults and 1 baby, both adults working from home most days.
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It will include standing charges they will get added just after midnight otherwise the amount you see would be wrong by some way for the final bill
 
£2.85 per day- loads of washing, computer, very little TV, no heating, using slow cooker, air fryer and hob only, no main oven, all lights and anything not being used turned off at switches
 
3.5 kW on leccie a day so 1.20 plus 46p charge = 1.66
Gas decided to economise until winter so Sep and Oct not used CH or wall hung gas fire. Have leccie shower so gas currently just for hot water at the sink which is basically the washing up so just SC 28p plus 5p use = 33p ( have turned off combi pre heat hot water option)
total 2.00 ish
Don't have smart meter
 
Good tip about dehumidifier... I'm out in the sticks and paying on average about £3 a day for electric only. Less when we don't use the oven. I've bought a slow cooker and have been turning into my dad by turning things off for years now .... I also paid over £900 for heating oil about six weeks back (no gas grid here)
 
Bristolboro said:
Mine's about £3.50 a day (gas and electric) according to the smart meter. This is a 3-bed bog standard semi with 2 kids and a dog (he doesn't use much). So far managed to keep to this amount by being vigilant and using only wood burner in the lounge for heating. I go around turning lights and electrical equipment off (my new hobby). Emerging challenge now is drying clothes in this cooler, damper air. The front room has become a kind of laundry. And the mrs insists on using the dishwasher so I've let go of that one. Got an air fryer, slow cooker and timer for showers.

How are you managing?
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Out of interest are you burning wood you find / salvage or buying it in?
 
Quick comment about smart meters - make sure in the settings the tariff and standing charge has been updated by your supplier to the new unit rates and standing charges - especially if you changed supplier since the meter was fitted as some of the older smets1 ones don't communicate well with a new supplier and sometimes they need to manually send an update

In October we spent £182.87, of which £139 was elec and £43.87 was gas so £5.89 a day through £4.48 a day elec and £1.41 a day gas. That's two people in a 4 bed detached but I work from home so laptop on all day, games consoles or computer at night, loads of home automation, media server etc but made a lot of adjustments mid October so be good to see the overall change in November although heating may get used more at some point
 
Bout £1.50 a day average excl service charge. Cook meals in slow cooker in big batches and store in containers in freezer so only cook once a week. Don’t use oven at all now. Use washing machine once a week on a full load at 6am to take advantage of cheaper Economy 7 night rate. Also heat boiler over night to make it cheaper. I go to gym 3/4 times a week so have a shower there.

Other than that, rest is just small use of TV and laptop. Not put heating on yet.
 
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Tryasize10 said:
Out of interest are you burning wood you find / salvage or buying it in?
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A bit of both, but mostly salvaging from skips and collecting decent sized logs from the woods down the road which I cut up to dry out. Have a multi fuel burner so lay some smokeless coal down, too, otherwise it seems to eat the logs even though it's a very efficient modern burner. Also occasionally buy a bag of those coffee logs. £7 a bag but burn slowly and create a nice bed. That's my method.
 
Fat_Dragon said:
Bout £1.50 a day average excl service charge. Cook meals in slow cooker in big batches and store in containers in freezer so only cook once a week. Don’t use oven at all now. Use washing machine once a week on a full load at 6am to take advantage of cheaper Economy 7 night rate. Also heat boiler over night to make it cheaper. I go to gym 3/4 times a week so have a shower there.

Other than that, rest is just small use of TV and laptop. Not put heating on yet.
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seems like you've got it sorted. Slow cooker makes a big difference.
 
I know everyone's been saying it a while but can't stress how much difference and air fryer makes. People are keen to call them a fad product but they're best to stay - some frozen foods are even starting to put times on for them. They pay for themselves in no time and no need for a fancy one unless you really want one.

Our oven has been on about 4 times this year.

Slow cookers are great too but both make very different types of food. I'd recommend both - love my slow cooker for big batch foods but air fryer cooks better and nicer than an oven, and really fast. Also great for rehearing leftovers
 
October usage was
£95 Electric
£45 Gas

DD is currently £225, but it’s obviously going to get colder and darker soon and usage will increase. So I I reckon that will see the balance just about break even after winter.

Two of us, modern self build 4 bed house that’s pretty well insulated, both WFH. Dishwasher on most days to my despair, as is the washing machine and tumbler, which to be fair is hard for us to avoid.
 
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