# Is my ESB bill unusually high?



## olivia (23 Oct 2007)

Just received my bill for billing period 19 Aug to 19 Oct and I have used 1011 units.  I always have a sneaking suspicion that we are 'leaking' electricity and wonder if this about average for a family of 4 living in detached house using electricity to heat the water and cooking by electricity.  I leave immersion on to sink all the time.  Is there any government agency I can contact for advice (or any other body)?


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## Miles (23 Oct 2007)

Yes you are leaking electricity....by leaving the immersion on all the time. Immersions are heavy enough on power.


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## Thrifty1 (23 Oct 2007)

Take a look here [broken link removed]


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## webtax (23 Oct 2007)

The following should be of help:

www.sei.ie

www.combatclimatechange.ie


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## paddyc (23 Oct 2007)

Also could have a look at this for ideas


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## rgfuller (23 Oct 2007)

Perhaps purchase an Electrisave to help monitor ESB usage [broken link removed]

(I'm not associated with them, though use one myself).


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## Leo (23 Oct 2007)

Maplin have an alternative and significantly cheaper [broken link removed].
Leo


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## aircobra19 (23 Oct 2007)

What results did you notice when using one of these usage monitors?


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## ClubMan (23 Oct 2007)

rgfuller said:


> Perhaps purchase an Electrisave to help monitor ESB usage [broken link removed]
> 
> (I'm not associated with them, though use one myself).


Not much use for measuring the electricity usage of the immersion. Just read the meter to find total usage out. Leaving the immersion on (even just on sink) all of the time is most likely your biggest cost as pointed out earlier. Monitor your meter reading for a few days with it on and then switch it off (or just use it on demand) and see what difference it makes.


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## aircobra19 (23 Oct 2007)

I read somewhere, either here or on boards that leaving immersions on didn't make that much of a difference to people bills, in their experience. I assume where the tank is very well insulated. The idea being that keeping it at temp was almost as efficient as heating a whole tank from cold. I can't see it myself.


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## ClubMan (23 Oct 2007)

As I said - read the meter daily around the same time for a week, half of which with the immersion on full time and the other half with the immersion off or just used on demand and see what difference it makes.


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## Leo (23 Oct 2007)

The meter supplied by Maplin can be attached to the cable feeding the immersion. It's non-obtrusive, so doesn't require connection to the cable, a sensor simply fits around the cable.
Leo


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## Hoagy (23 Oct 2007)

Leo said:


> The meter supplied by Maplin can be attached to the cable feeding the immersion. It's non-obtrusive, so doesn't require connection to the cable, a sensor simply fits around the cable.
> Leo


 
I don't think so. The Maplin unit appears to be same as the Electrisave one, in that they both use current transformers to obtain the reading.

A current transformer will only work on a single core cable, if you clip it on to a twin or three core cable or flex it won't measure anything because the fields cancel each other out.


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## Leo (23 Oct 2007)

You're right, not quite clear from the product description. I guess you could isolate the live feed to the immersion either at the consumer unit or going into the switch, but this isn't necessarily a DIY task.
Leo


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## ClubMan (23 Oct 2007)

Leo said:


> The meter supplied by Maplin can be attached to the cable feeding the immersion. It's non-obtrusive, so doesn't require connection to the cable, a sensor simply fits around the cable.
> Leo


If that's the case then I stand corrected. I assumed that it was a socket based plug-in unit.


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## Luckycharm (24 Oct 2007)

Just bought a load of those energy saving bulbs for the house given Tesco had a good deal on them. Did anyone notice any significant change in their ESB bill after putting them in?


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## ClubMan (24 Oct 2007)

I doubt that lighting would be the major cost in most people's electricity bill to be honest. The benefit of those bulbs is usually long term. Heavier loads such as heaters, immersions, kitchen appliances etc. will normally be the main part of most people's bill.


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## Bob the slob (24 Oct 2007)

When electricity is used to heat, ie kettle, heater, immersion, etc. it uses a lot of energy.


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## rgfuller (24 Oct 2007)

ClubMan said:


> I doubt that lighting would be the major cost in most people's electricity bill to be honest. The benefit of those bulbs is usually long term. Heavier loads such as heaters, immersions, kitchen appliances etc. will normally be the main part of most people's bill.


 
One of the benefits of the electrisave is you can really notice the cost when you leave a set of lights on (if you've entered the unit usage cost).

E.G. I have a 5 x 40 watt lighting fixture, when it's on my baseline hourly cost goes from 2cent/hour to roughly 10cent/hour, so it's effectivly costing me 8cent/hour to run those 5 lights, leave it on for a day and you've used €1.92, so over a 2 month bill period if I didn't turn them off it would cost me €115 or so!

So a 100 or 200watt lighting usage over a long period can far outweigh the cost of boiling the kettle a few times.

Then again having a 1kw electric heater on for 5 hours would cost as much.

The electrisave is useful for understanding effectivly how much electricity individual items use on an hourly basis and it helps you notice when you've left something on which shouldn't be.

PS. Then again I'm a gadget/control freak so perhaps why I enthuse so much about it - a useful gadget!


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## Hoagy (24 Oct 2007)

rgfuller said:


> I have a 5 x 40 watt lighting fixture, when it's on my baseline hourly cost goes from 2cent/hour to roughly 10cent/hour, so it's effectivly costing me 8cent/hour to run those 5 lights, leave it on for a day and you've used €1.92, so over a 2 month bill period if I didn't turn them off it would cost me €115 or so!


 
Doesn't sound right. the domestic ESB tariff at the moment is 14.35c per hour plus VAT @ 13.5%, a total of 16.29c per 1 Kwh unit (1000watt hours)

So 5 x 40 watts = 200 watts which should cost you no more than 16.29/5 per hour, or €0.0326


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## Caveat (24 Oct 2007)

Bob the slob said:


> When electricity is used to heat, ie kettle, heater, immersion, etc. it uses a lot of energy.


 
Yep - kettles are serious.  If it's convenient, try to observe the rotating disc on your meter as you boil a kettle - it increases speed very noticeably.  Blow heaters in particular are a big power drain too.


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## ClubMan (24 Oct 2007)

A kettle may still use a lot less electricity than other appliances on a cumulative/monthly basis.

Only boil as much water as you need. It's easy to boil too much which is a waste.


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## rgfuller (25 Oct 2007)

Hoagy said:


> Doesn't sound right. the domestic ESB tariff at the moment is 14.35c per hour plus VAT @ 13.5%, a total of 16.29c per 1 Kwh unit (1000watt hours)
> 
> So 5 x 40 watts = 200 watts which should cost you no more than 16.29/5 per hour, or €0.0326


 
Good point, maybe i have entered the incorrect unit cost.
Regardless of that 3cent/hr x 24 is still 72cent a day, over a 60 day bill is €43 just with 5 small lights on all the time. I guess energy saving bulbs are definitly the way to go, shame there are no 'real' dimmer versions.


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## eire1977 (25 Oct 2007)

I read somewhere that LED lights are the way to go.  They use very little energy, give good light and can be put on a dimmer switch.  Only problem is, they are very expensive - but hopefully that'll change with time.


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## Hoagy (25 Oct 2007)

eire1977 said:


> I read somewhere that LED lights are the way to go. They use very little energy, give good light and can be put on a dimmer switch. Only problem is, they are very expensive - but hopefully that'll change with time.


 
I think LED technology is in its infancy at present. They're not dimmable, but that isn't much of a disadvantage. They're dim enough as it is.
I replaced two GU10's in my windowless ensuite with two 1w LEDs from B&Q, more out of curiosity than anything else. It's ok at night when you are going from one artificially lit room to another, but in the mornings they look very dull, although we've got used to it. 
Also after only a few weeks one of them has developed a flicker.
I remember in the early 80's when low voltage downlighters came out first, they were very troublesome until the market settled down. I imagine something similar will happen with LEDs.


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