Energy Suppliers

Megahurtz400 · 11 Jun 2022 at 09:06

Troop said:
If you have an on/off switch for the immersion heater, get an electrician to fit one of these .

Horstmann Secure ELECTRONIC 7 Immersion Heater Controller Economy 7

You don't need to be on an eco tariff as it just works as a timer that you set as you want it, plus it gives you a simple boost switch if you need more hot water.

Will save you a fortune on hot water costs.

Link to what we use (timer)

Secure Hortsmann Economy 7 Timer | eBay

Two year back up.

www.ebay.co.uk

Believe I have one already!

https://www.timeguard.com/media/337/TRTD7_Instructs_LR.pdf

If i'm understanding these instructions right, do I need to unscrew the unit and change the "PROGRAM" wheel to "TIMED" and then set a "timed boost" using the instructions?

If so I've never taken the panel off the wall and maybe it's still heating water for 5/6 hours a night?

Troop · 11 Jun 2022 at 09:59

Set the switch to timed. then just program the timer to come on for 1 hour, say 6AM to 7AM every day , job done.
The boost switch is just to boost the hot water for an hour if you have used all the hot water during the day and you need more.

If the water needs more heat just increase the timer setting by +10 min till you find a heat setting you're happy with.

Megahurtz400 · 11 Jun 2022 at 10:02

Troop said:
Set the switch to timed. then just program the timer to come on for 1 hour, say 6AM to 7AM every day , job done.
The boost switch is just to boost the hot water for an hour if you have used all the hot water during the day and you need more.

If the water needs more heat just increase the timer setting by +10 min till you find a heat setting you're happy with.

Perfect, thanks for the advice mate!

Just left the house till tomorrow evening and have made sure everything is switched off apart from the fridge/freezer so can get a baseline reading for roughly 24 hours

chrcoluk · 13 Jun 2022 at 06:03

413x said:
I don't personally see the point in one year fixes. They are so forecastable you are probably not going to be better/worse off.

2 year is also a gamble as it's hoped that prices will come down next year. But... The advice was similar back in October.

Think I would take a 2 year fix if it was less than a 50% rise, cant see prices coming down within 2 years. The decision then would be merely if you willing to take pain for gains later. Some will always go for whats best short term and would have a hard time taking the deal.

I have only been offered since Oct last year 1 year fixes at 40% plus rise.

silversurfer · 14 Jun 2022 at 23:55

I would have liked a 5 year fix way back I would've taken that but I dont think they were ever available and or I missed that offer if it was possible. I tend to agree on 1yr fix now, meanwhile saving money would just be doing something like dont leave the thermostat high when nobody is home, just use it when required. Just the simple things regularly done like that will save more

413x · 15 Jun 2022 at 00:04

silversurfer said:
I would have liked a 5 year fix way back I would've taken that but I dont think they were ever available and or I missed that offer if it was possible. I tend to agree on 1yr fix now, meanwhile saving money would just be doing something like dont leave the thermostat high when nobody is home, just use it when required. Just the simple things regularly done like that will save more

The 3 year fix I got was the longest I found at the time.

413x · 15 Jun 2022 at 00:06

chrcoluk said:
Think I would take a 2 year fix if it was less than a 50% rise, cant see prices coming down within 2 years. The decision then would be merely if you willing to take pain for gains later. Some will always go for whats best short term and would have a hard time taking the deal.

I have only been offered since Oct last year 1 year fixes at 40% plus rise.

I'm not so sure. A lot is going to depend on the war. I think (I hope) the majority of the rise is now here.
I certainly wouldn't be fixing above October 2022's price cap. Where as in October 2021 I did fix slightly over April 2022s price cap.

kona786 · 15 Jun 2022 at 11:49

HungryHippos said:
Standing charge on new cap is like £0.45 per day, and new unit rate is £0.28 if on price cap.

For 30 days you'd be lookin at around £14 for your standing charge for electric.

That leaves £138 for usage.

£138 / £0.28 = 492 kwh of electric usage. That is roughly 16.42 kwh per day if true.

16.42 kwh per day is a lot if you're not there, farming crypto, or using a ton of electric.

Could be your water heater? Does it really need 3 hours? If it's an immersion heater it's basically a big kettle I think!

@Megahurtz400

492kwh is very high usage for one person.

Wife and I live in a 2 bed and we used 250/50kwh peak/off peak so ~300kwh between April and May.

That's us not being frugal either, long showers and cooking often etc. I have long daily 25m showers.

So yeah it must be your boiler timer not setup correctly and you don't need anywhere near 3hrs on especially in summer. 1 hr tops for 2 quick showers a day.

jonneymendoza · 15 Jun 2022 at 13:45

kona786 said:
@Megahurtz400

492kwh is very high usage for one person.

Wife and I live in a 2 bed and we used 250/50kwh peak/off peak so ~300kwh between April and May.

That's us not being frugal either, long showers and cooking often etc. I have long daily 25m showers.

So yeah it must be your boiler timer not setup correctly and you don't need anywhere near 3hrs on especially in summer. 1 hr tops for 2 quick showers a day.

What about when using washing machine and dishwasher? Doesn't that use up the boiler?

touch · 15 Jun 2022 at 13:51

jonneymendoza said:
What about when using washing machine and dishwasher? Doesn't that use up the boiler?

Not likely from the boiler but they will use power to heat water.

HungryHippos · 15 Jun 2022 at 14:00

jonneymendoza said:
What about when using washing machine and dishwasher? Doesn't that use up the boiler?

Most modern appliances are cold feed only and use electric to heat water if needed.

Makes sense because they can self-regulate the water temp and also less plumbing work needed just adding cold water.

Sparx · 15 Jun 2022 at 14:09

jonneymendoza said:
What about when using washing machine and dishwasher? Doesn't that use up the boiler?

No washing machine and dishwashers use a cold water feed only typically, unless it's a really old one that requires a hot feed.

jonneymendoza · 15 Jun 2022 at 22:37

Sparx said:
No washing machine and dishwashers use a cold water feed only typically, unless it's a really old one that requires a hot feed.

Ahh so if you had a water mains outlet/pipe on a outbuilding/summerhouse, you could techincally put youre washing machine there?

HungryHippos · 15 Jun 2022 at 22:55

jonneymendoza said:
Ahh so if you had a water mains outlet/pipe on a outbuilding/summerhouse, you could techincally put youre washing machine there?

Yes you need a cold feed and waste water as well though. Normally waste water would run to sink waste pipes.

Sparx · 16 Jun 2022 at 08:10

jonneymendoza said:
Ahh so if you had a water mains outlet/pipe on a outbuilding/summerhouse, you could techincally put youre washing machine there?

Yes but as HungryHippos states, you'd need a drain for your waste pipe to run to as well.

200sols · 16 Jun 2022 at 08:12

The waste is pumped so you can fix a waste pipe higher and gravity run for some distance to a drain.

Megahurtz400 · 16 Jun 2022 at 08:16

kona786 said:
@Megahurtz400

492kwh is very high usage for one person.

Wife and I live in a 2 bed and we used 250/50kwh peak/off peak so ~300kwh between April and May.

That's us not being frugal either, long showers and cooking often etc. I have long daily 25m showers.

So yeah it must be your boiler timer not setup correctly and you don't need anywhere near 3hrs on especially in summer. 1 hr tops for 2 quick showers a day.

Thanks for the input, I knew it was high.

Think i've got the water heating set up correctly now, we shall see how we go at the end of the month!

robj20 · 16 Jun 2022 at 08:42

Sparx said:
No washing machine and dishwashers use a cold water feed only typically, unless it's a really old one that requires a hot feed.

You can still buy new hot water fed washers as well if wanted.

Sparx · 16 Jun 2022 at 08:59

robj20 said:
You can still buy new hot water fed washers as well if wanted.

Why would anyone bother these days? Less energy efficient, much more expensive to run - and it's harder work to pull a hot water feed in than a cold mains one.

robj20 · 16 Jun 2022 at 09:06

Sparx said:
Why would anyone bother these days? Less energy efficient, much more expensive to run - and it's harder work to pull a hot water feed in than a cold mains one.

Why are they less energy efficient? Gas per kw is still a lot cheaper than electric.