Excessive electricity consumption 3 Bed House.

[AllowAllGarages]

Any women in the house?

 

[JM2]

Have you got new neighbours?

This !

 

[mikeyd]

I would turn off the main switch in the consumer unit, and check that consumption drops to zero.

If so, then work circuit by circuit, until the one using the power is identified, then work point to point until the faulty / using device is found.

I'll second that. If the meter has a flashing red light, then you should be able to work out quite quickly which circuit is drawing most current.

 

[JBR]

Have you got new neighbours?

I don't understand. Is there a possibility that the neighbours could somehow be using some of the OP's power, or have I missed something?

 

[RF Lighting]

It's not unheard of...

 

[JBR]

It's not unheard of...

Good. Tell me how to do it!

 

[Porque223]

I should be using approx.70 odd units per week but the meter reading is 189 units. I am informed a faulty meter is very rare and a check meter would cost £50 up front from Scottish Power.

How long before your 119 extra units/week equals £50?

 

[mfarrow]

Any house with a shared roofspace or hidden void between upstairs and downstairs (most have the latter) is potentially liable to energy theft by the neighbouring property.

 

[bernardgreen]

I once found a socket on a party wall that was spurred from the back of a socket in the next door house. Both houses were empty so no idea of how or why it happened.

 

[JBR]

Some clever ideas there. The thought of free electricity appeals. Pity we live in a detached bungalow.

I may start digging.

 

[alan333]

I am informed a faulty meter is very rare and a check meter would cost £50 up front from Scottish Power.

My parents had a faulty meter. They proved it by the amount of usage over a year compared to each of the previous 30 years. A new meter was fitted by their supplier, and they were re-inbursed the overcharged units. I don't remember them saying anything about being charged for the check.

 

[JohnW2]

My parents had a faulty meter. They proved it by the amount of usage over a year compared to each of the previous 30 years. A new meter was fitted by their supplier, and they were re-inbursed the overcharged units. I don't remember them saying anything about being charged for the check.

I would expect/hope that customers wouldn't be charged for the check (or, at least, would be reimbursed if they had initially been charged) if the check revealed that the meter was faulty. I guess the problem is that large numbers of people probably wrongly accuse meters of being faulty (hence resulting in overcharging), in which cases it may be unreasonable for the companies to be expected to pay for all those 'unnecessary' checks. It's not all that different from warranties - if a product is returned, or a call-out arranged, in relation to a product which is found to be non-faulty (or misused by the customer), the T&C of the warranty will often allow a charge to be levied.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Porque223]

The US average residential energy consumption is about 9000 kwh/year with houses in the northeast taking 4x this.
What is your consumption per month, summer & winter, in kwh? You might be able to find a website that shows averages for your area. Certainly the utility companies know these averages.

The two of us take about 6000 kwh/year with a gas furnace and gas water heater and the other appliances being electric.

 

[JohnW2]

The US average residential energy consumption is about 9000 kwh/year with houses in the northeast taking 4x this. What is your consumption per month, summer & winter, in kwh?

In terms of overall figures, in 2009, the average total energy consumption of a UK residential home was said to be about twice the figure you mention, namely about 18,600 kWh/year. Climate-wise, I presume that the UK equates to the more northern parts of the US.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Except that in the US a lot is used in the summer for air conditioning.

It's hardly worth having a.c. in a car here.