Apparently the 'average temperature' for last December was the coldest
for a hundred years, at minus 1 deg C instead of an expected plus 4
deg C.

As we are told that turning down one's central heating by 1 deg C can
save 10 percent of heating costs, then December's low must have
ratcheted up the energy bill by some fair amount, possibly 50 percent
at a first guess.

This is our first December in this house, so I have no idea what might
have been a normal figure to compare to, but the gas meter readings
for that month say we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

TF

On Jan 7, 8:57*am, Terry Fields wrote:
Apparently the 'average temperature' for last December was the coldest
for a hundred years, at minus 1 deg C instead of an expected plus 4
deg C.

As we are told that turning down one's central heating by 1 deg C can
save 10 percent of heating costs, then December's low must have
ratcheted up the energy bill by some fair amount, possibly 50 percent
at a first guess.

This is our first December in this house, so I have no idea what might
have been a normal figure to compare to, but the gas meter readings
for that month say we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

TF

We used approx 1200kWh for december, that's for a mid terrace using
gas for cooking and heating. We do however have an electric heater in
the living room which we only use for short periods and we went away
for a week. This is up approx +25% on november.

Philip

Terry Fields :
I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

Electricity: -14% (no idea why)
Gas: +21%

--
Mike Barnes

On Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:57:58 +0000, Terry Fields wrote:

Apparently the 'average temperature' for last December was the coldest
for a hundred years, at minus 1 deg C instead of an expected plus 4
deg C.

As we are told that turning down one's central heating by 1 deg C can
save 10 percent of heating costs, then December's low must have
ratcheted up the energy bill by some fair amount, possibly 50 percent
at a first guess.

This is our first December in this house, so I have no idea what might
have been a normal figure to compare to, but the gas meter readings
for that month say we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

TF

Very rough figures, somewhat obfuscated by extra curtains and some
insulation, about 22% more.
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

On Jan 7, 8:57*am, Terry Fields wrote:
Apparently the 'average temperature' for last December was the coldest
for a hundred years, at minus 1 deg C instead of an expected plus 4
deg C.

As we are told that turning down one's central heating by 1 deg C can
save 10 percent of heating costs, then December's low must have
ratcheted up the energy bill by some fair amount, possibly 50 percent
at a first guess.

This is our first December in this house, so I have no idea what might
have been a normal figure to compare to, but the gas meter readings
for that month say we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.


I'm too scared to take a gas meter reading. I suspect I'll be rogered
rather thoroughly when my direct debit is next reviewed.

--
Halmyre

On 7 Jan, 08:57, Terry Fields wrote:
Apparently the 'average temperature' for last December was the coldest
for a hundred years, at minus 1 deg C instead of an expected plus 4
deg C.

As we are told that turning down one's central heating by 1 deg C can
save 10 percent of heating costs, then December's low must have
ratcheted up the energy bill by some fair amount, possibly 50 percent
at a first guess.

This is our first December in this house, so I have no idea what might
have been a normal figure to compare to, but the gas meter readings
for that month say we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

TF

We're on bottled gas. 4 bottles, replaced two at a time when they run
empty. At the height of a "normal" winter, we replace a pair every 2
to 3 weeks. During December they were only lasting 8 days. In December
we spent £400 on gas. Hence my questions in another thread about
woodburning stoves ;-)

Cheers
Richard

On 07/01/2011 08:57, Terry Fields wrote:


... we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

We used 3498 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on the edge of some fields.

Dec' 2009 was 3017 kWh. Curiously our electricity usage was 12% less
than last December.

--
Reentrant

In article ,
Terry Fields writes:

Apparently the 'average temperature' for last December was the coldest
for a hundred years, at minus 1 deg C instead of an expected plus 4
deg C.

As we are told that turning down one's central heating by 1 deg C can
save 10 percent of heating costs, then December's low must have
ratcheted up the energy bill by some fair amount, possibly 50 percent
at a first guess.

This is our first December in this house, so I have no idea what might
have been a normal figure to compare to, but the gas meter readings
for that month say we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

I started collecting accurate data on 12 Dec, so I can't compare with
previous years. So far, it looks like this...

Date heating on call for heat hot water burner on Energy Cost
(HH:MM:SS) (HH:MM:SS) (HH:MM:SS) (HH:MM:SS) (kWh) (£.p)
12 Dec 10:33:48 10:33:48 0:00:00 3:59:33 72.26 2.53
13 Dec 15:17:49 14:30:30 0:00:00 5:17:41 95.82 3.36
14 Dec 4:52:23 4:52:24 0:29:59 2:04:51 37.66 1.32
15 Dec 14:54:36 13:56:48 0:00:00 5:05:26 92.13 3.23
16 Dec 8:53:33 8:17:56 0:00:00 3:04:34 55.67 1.95
17 Dec 13:53:13 13:53:11 0:29:59 5:12:46 94.34 3.31
18 Dec 13:03:51 13:03:51 0:00:00 4:42:42 85.27 2.99
19 Dec 15:10:46 15:10:45 0:00:00 5:14:06 94.74 3.32
20 Dec 13:24:55 13:24:56 0:59:59 4:35:32 83.11 2.91
21 Dec 17:10:20 16:11:10 0:30:03 4:20:59 78.72 2.76
22 Dec 14:16:28 12:57:07 0:29:59 4:02:45 73.22 2.57
23 Dec 20:32:29 16:37:36 0:14:57 4:55:49 89.23 3.13
24 Dec 4:43:40 4:43:38 0:00:00 1:28:12 26.60 0.93
25 Dec 7:26:22 8:14:02 0:00:00 2:55:59 53.08 1.86
26 Dec 11:05:53 11:05:54 0:00:00 3:10:22 57.42 2.01
27 Dec 0:00:00 2:14:37 0:00:00 1:24:06 25.37 0.89
28 Dec 6:42:36 7:48:17 0:29:59 3:17:18 59.51 2.09
29 Dec 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0.00 0.00
30 Dec 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0:00:00 0.00 0.00
31 Dec 0:00:00 1:20:43 0:00:00 1:07:24 20.33 0.71
1 Jan 0:00:00 1:46:02 0:00:00 1:23:13 25.10 0.88
2 Jan 0:00:00 2:34:27 0:00:00 1:59:05 35.92 1.26
3 Jan 0:00:00 3:41:46 0:00:00 2:34:00 46.45 1.63
4 Jan 8:18:44 10:15:16 0:00:00 4:38:52 84.12 2.95
5 Jan 18:14:15 14:00:03 0:29:59 4:54:09 88.72 3.11
6 Jan 19:33:22 12:07:27 0:29:59 4:24:17 79.72 2.79

House was empty for about 8 days hence you can see "call for heat" time
when heating wasn't on, which is the frost protection kicking in. Also,
there are periods when house was empty when heating came fully on, as
the frost protection in the house was not keeping the attic above
freezing.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On 07/01/2011 08:57, Terry Fields wrote:

Apparently the 'average temperature' for last December was the coldest
for a hundred years, at minus 1 deg C instead of an expected plus 4
deg C.

As we are told that turning down one's central heating by 1 deg C can
save 10 percent of heating costs, then December's low must have
ratcheted up the energy bill by some fair amount, possibly 50 percent
at a first guess.

This is our first December in this house, so I have no idea what might
have been a normal figure to compare to, but the gas meter readings
for that month say we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

TF


We used 30% more gas (for CH & HW)compared with December '09 - but 13.5%
*less* electricity.

The increase in gas usage is what I would expect because the heating was
on for a lot longer and we also supplemented it with the gas fire (which
is less efficient) quite a lot. I can't explain the *reduction* in
electricity usage - but other people seem to have reported the same
thing. Curious!
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On 07/01/11 12:05, Roger Mills wrote:

We used 30% more gas (for CH & HW)compared with December '09 - but 13.5%
*less* electricity.

The increase in gas usage is what I would expect because the heating was
on for a lot longer and we also supplemented it with the gas fire (which
is less efficient) quite a lot. I can't explain the *reduction* in
electricity usage - but other people seem to have reported the same
thing. Curious!

Turned off the lights and went to bed early? Having bought a new duvet
in September I have probably saved quite a lot of gas by not having the
heating on overnight at all this winter.

Not sure of my gas consumption so far this year as I only tale a reading
and calculate a comparison when the quarterly bill arrives (Nov-Feb)


--
djc

In article ,
Roger Mills writes:

We used 30% more gas (for CH & HW)compared with December '09 - but 13.5%
*less* electricity.

The increase in gas usage is what I would expect because the heating was
on for a lot longer and we also supplemented it with the gas fire (which
is less efficient) quite a lot. I can't explain the *reduction* in
electricity usage - but other people seem to have reported the same
thing. Curious!

Snow is very reflective - less lighting?
If the gas consumption is something like 10000kWh and the electricity
consumption is 400kWh, then it's insignificant anyway.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Terry Fields wrote:
Apparently the 'average temperature' for last December was the coldest
for a hundred years, at minus 1 deg C instead of an expected plus 4
deg C.

As we are told that turning down one's central heating by 1 deg C can
save 10 percent of heating costs, then December's low must have
ratcheted up the energy bill by some fair amount, possibly 50 percent
at a first guess.

This is our first December in this house, so I have no idea what might
have been a normal figure to compare to, but the gas meter readings
for that month say we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

TF
we went for the bunker option, and turned the heating way down, using
wood and occasional selective bursts of CH to heat specific rooms when
needed. We actually have used LESS.

Usage 2010
Gas 2706 kWh, electricity 554 kWh, total 3260 kWh.

Comparison with 2009
Gas 126%, electricity 108%, total 122%.

Without fairly modest 35 kWh of solar generation, the electricity
would have been at 112%, and overall 124%.

Chris
--
Chris J Dixon Nottingham UK


Have dancing shoes, will ceilidh.

"geraldthehamster" wrote in message
...

We're on bottled gas. 4 bottles, replaced two at a time when they run
empty. At the height of a "normal" winter, we replace a pair every 2
to 3 weeks. During December they were only lasting 8 days. In December
we spent £400 on gas. Hence my questions in another thread about
woodburning stoves ;-)

You need a ground source heat pump, some can get grants if they are elderly,
disabled, etc.

On Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:57:58 +0000, Terry Fields wrote:
I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

Just as a FYI (and I don't have 2009 data unfortunately) December
averaged at -12C over here, and our usage was about 4700kWH - around
2000kWH of that on the electric heat and the rest via the propane furnace.

cheers

Jules

"Terry Fields" wrote in message
...

Apparently the 'average temperature' for last December was the coldest
for a hundred years, at minus 1 deg C instead of an expected plus 4
deg C.

As we are told that turning down one's central heating by 1 deg C can
save 10 percent of heating costs, then December's low must have
ratcheted up the energy bill by some fair amount, possibly 50 percent
at a first guess.

This is our first December in this house, so I have no idea what might
have been a normal figure to compare to, but the gas meter readings
for that month say we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

TF

4300kWh gas 4bed + converted garage (bedroom) detached near fields (only one
garden between us) Range cooker +Heating old boiler - in all over the period
sometines 2 adults and teenager rest 2 adults 2 teenagers and 2 kids -
someone please make me feel better :-)

On Fri, 07 Jan 2011 08:57:58 +0000, Terry Fields wrote:

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

Burning oil but I have taken weekly tank level readings going back to
2000. For the 28 days covering December, sometimes late Nov or early
Jan depending on when the weekends were the following is the number
of cm of oil used:

2000 22.5
2001 25.75
2002 26.0
2003 22.25
2004 19.75
2005 21.5
2006 21.5
2007 18.0
2008 25
2009 24.5
2010 23.5

December '10 was pretty cold (lots of ice days and lows -10C or so)
but not windy. It is the wind that really cools this place out.

Each cm of oil is about 25l so we burnt 580l or so of oil in Dec '10
that's about 5800kwHr of energy.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 07/01/2011 08:57, Terry Fields wrote:

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

We averaged 72 Kwh per day in December 2009 and 92 Kwh per day in
December 2010 i.e. 28% more

--
Mike Clarke

On Jan 7, 8:57*am, Terry Fields wrote:
I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.


Electricity - practically the same
Gas - up about 16%

On Jan 7, 8:57*am, Terry Fields wrote:
Apparently the 'average temperature' for last December was the coldest
for a hundred years, at minus 1 deg C instead of an expected plus 4
deg C.

As we are told that turning down one's central heating by 1 deg C can
save 10 percent of heating costs, then December's low must have
ratcheted up the energy bill by some fair amount, possibly 50 percent
at a first guess.

This is our first December in this house, so I have no idea what might
have been a normal figure to compare to, but the gas meter readings
for that month say we used 3600 kWh, for a four-bed detached house on
the edge of some fields.

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

TF

I ordered a fill of oil during the first week of December and
deliberately reduced the running periods and temperature for the
downstairs zone when I was advised delivery could be two to three
weeks. Consequently we went to bed earlier as the upstairs heating was
still on the normal pattern and as a result we used less than last
year. two and a half weeks later the oil was delivered so at Christmas
the normal pattern was restored but we had more people in the house
giving off heat. Our electric usage will probably be lower due to not
having lights on as late downstairs in the evenings but I didn't take
any readings

Terry Fields wrote:

I'd be interested in any figures people might have for their December
energy consumption, compared to the previous December.

Many thanks to those that replied.

There was quite a variation in the figures, ranging from two who's
consumption was lower in December, to one that might have been as much
as 50 percent higher.

Most figures fell between 16 and 28 percent increase, so all in all a
figure of 22 percent might represent the mean value.

I can now make two estimates of the yearly gas consumption here,
having moved in some four months ago.

If the December consumption of gas was 22 percent high at 3660 kWh,
that suggests a 'normal' December figure of 3000 kWh. From three years
of figures from my previous property December's gas consumption is
16.1 +- 0.7 percent of the annual total. On this basis the 3000 kWh
figure translates to an annual one of 22732 kWh.

Another measure has been to plot actual gas consumption over the last
four months against the same four months at the previous property.
This gives a straight line with a slope of 1.83 and an R^2 of 0.94
(pretty well correlated). The last year's consumption was 12817 kWh,
so multiplying this by 1.83 suggests an annual figure of 23455 kWh.

The mean of these two figures is 23100 kWh, and at 4.07 p/kWh the
annual bill looks like being £940. This is a four-bed detached house
on the edge of some fields, I think I recall seeing an average for
this type of property of 26000 kWh.

Once again, thanks to all who replied. Even with the price rise in a
couple of day's time, I look like coming in at under a grand for gas.

TF