"sweetheart" hotmail.com wrote in message
...
I know this is cheeky but I wondered if anyone would be willing to give me
a "price comparison" for their electric usage?

My house is a large 2 bedroom bungalow. I say large because we have large
rooms and a big kitchen dining room and extra big sitting room as well
as two double bedrooms.

There is no gas main where I am so I use all electric - economy 7

The bill for this last year has come to £1086 . That includes the central
heating last winter.
snip

£270 a quarter for all your needs - heating, light, cooking, all apliances,
hot water - doesn't sound too high.

You don't give any detail about your central heating, so can't comment on
the possible efficiency.

Using a dishwasher is usually more energy and water efficient than washing
stuff by hand.
[Some Anglican bishop got this pointed out to him the other year when he
told people they should save energy and do their thing for the planet by not
using the dishwasher and washing up by hand instead.]

The one thing I might agree with is turning off the immersion heater in the
summer.
If you have an electric shower and a dish washer then there isn't much you
need a hot water tank for.
We have turned our gas boiler off for the summer and don't miss the hot
water.

There are obviously options for using calor gas, oil, or solid fuel to meet
your heating needs but it might take you a while to recoup your investment.

Which has some fairly 'noddy' advice he
http://www.which.co.uk/advice/home-h...ting/index.jsp
This includes:
" * Annual fuel cost for heating and hot water: £870 Economy 7/10 tariff
* Carbon emissions per year: 6 tonnes

These yearly costs are estimated costs based on heating and hot water
demands of a three-bedroomed, semi-detached, well-insulated house (insulated
cavity walls, 270mm loft insulation and insulated primary pipe work), the
efficiencies of typical heating systems and the current average price per
fuel per kWh (as at Sept 2008). They are not derived from actual fuel
bills."

From this it seems your electricity costs are not abnormally high because
they also include lighting, cooking etc.

As has already been said, the best way to save money is to make sure that
everything is well insulated.

HTH

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

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