Electricity usage seems high

[Lupus]

Can prepaid meters go faulty and misread either under or over?

3 people and we never went over R1500 then the meter broke and they replaced it and our useage jumped to R2200 the next month and there’s no reasonable explanation in terms of our usage. I checked to make sure it’s not some new provider shafting us on the rates, the cost per kWh is the same as before, as per the published rate the COCT gives.

The R value isnt sufficient, what is the kWh you use.

 

[Nerfherder]

Can prepaid meters go faulty and misread either under or over?

3 people and we never went over R1500 then the meter broke and they replaced it and our useage jumped to R2200 the next month and there’s no reasonable explanation in terms of our usage. I checked to make sure it’s not some new provider shafting us on the rates, the cost per kWh is the same as before, as per the published rate the COCT gives.

Did you change over as the winter started ? Its possible it was faulty and that is why they replaced it.

 

[Nerfherder]

Seems high to me. We spend R800 a month (~300 units?), prepaid in Cape Town. We are two people, two gaming PCs, both working from home, used nearly daily. Three heated fish tanks, gas stove, electric oven used often. We have a gas geyser, is the main difference, but it shouldn't make the R1000 difference.

Geyser is 2/3 of your usage so I think it will make up the difference.

This is the problem - people turn off lights to save electricity but its not what causes high usage.

 

[Sinbad]

Yeah but generally the light turns on when you push the switch.

Not strictly true

They also turn on when I ask Alexa to turn them on

 

[airborne]

Did you change over as the winter started ? Its possible it was faulty and that is why they replaced it.

It was recently, end of winter when the higher winter usage should be tapering off

 

[airborne]

The R value isnt sufficient, what is the kWh you use.

As I mentioned the rate I’m paying hasn’t changed so whether I state the rand or kWh value is irrelevant. I can’t remember the actual kWh used over and above off hand but it corresponds with the rand paid, so we are using noticeably more KWh with the new meter and coming out of winter our usage should be falling not increasing.

 

[Nerfherder]

It was recently, end of winter when the higher winter usage should be tapering off

are you on pre-paid

If you are post paid then they don't always read the meter. You get an estimate which is almost always over the actual reading.

 

[Lupus]

As I mentioned the rate I’m paying hasn’t changed so whether I state the rand or kWh value is irrelevant. I can’t remember the actual kWh used over and above off hand but it corresponds with the rand paid, so we are using noticeably more KWh with the new meter and coming out of winter our usage should be falling not increasing.

Not necessarily there might be something you're using, the geyser could be working over, a fan, aircon, oven, something could be using it.
Do you have a backup system running on batteries? As with the bouts of load shedding your batteries will use more power than what you actually used.

 

[AlphaJohn]

Not strictly true

They also turn on when I ask Alexa to turn them on

I fired her, and use google instead.

Cause Alexa only listens in one room, Google listens to us anywhere even when we are not at home.

Edit: We can also tell Google to vacuum one spot, Alexa ignores us an wanna do the whole house.

 

[Sinbad]

I fired her, and use google instead.

Cause Alexa only listens in one room, Google listens to us anywhere even when we are not at home.

Alexa is twins. Also on the phones if we need her.

 

[Lupus]

I fired her, and use google instead.

Cause Alexa only listens in one room, Google listens to us anywhere even when we are not at home.

Yup I use Google now as well and they are always listening. I just need a sensor so when I walk into the lounge it turns on the TV, Xbox and Soundbar instead of me telling them to do it for me.

 

[AlphaJohn]

Yup I use Google now as well and they are always listening. I just need a sensor so when I walk into the lounge it turns on the TV, Xbox and Soundbar instead of me telling them to do it for me.

Oh hell no, we have cats.

Woken up at 3am in the morning with TV and lights when cats have zoomies not my idea of fun.

 

[$m@Rt@$$]

We also average around 650kwh pm. 2 person household with everything pretty much as efficient as reasonably can be. House is air-conditioned which can use a bit and we tumble dry everything.

 

[Lupus]

Oh hell no, we have cats.

So do I, hmmm perhaps a sensor that when a cat walks past it hisses.

 

[Sinbad]

Oh hell no, we have cats.

We have a 4 year old grandchild who think Alexa is the best thing since sliced bread. I am sure even an AI is gatvol of being asked "Alexa how old are you" by now

 

[Lupus]

We have a 4 year old grandchild who think Alexa is the best thing since sliced bread. I am sure even an AI is gatvol of being asked "Alexa how old are you" by now

Can you tell Alexa to self-destruct?

 

[Vorastra]

We're 2 people in the house, spending about R1750-R2k a month on electricity.

Only non electric thing is our gas hob. We have 4 fridge/freezers in the house, network cabinet with a couple of switches, intel nuc's, NVR, etc.

Pool pump and pump on jojo tanks for irrigation

Just for comparison

Edit: Roughly about 500-600kWh monthly

How tf are you running all that at only 500-600kWh a month. We use ~740kWh and don't have half that stuff.

 

[Geoff.D]

Seems high to me. We spend R800 a month (~300 units?), prepaid in Cape Town. We are two people, two gaming PCs, both working from home, used nearly daily. Three heated fish tanks, gas stove, electric oven used often. We have a gas geyser, is the main difference, but it shouldn't make the R1000 difference.

The current (CT) rate for 600 kWh and less, domestic is R2.63 per kWh rounded up.

We are 3 adults and try to stay below 400 units a month. We never exceed 600 units a month, even in winter.

 

[sgs]

2x people. 1x 200l 3kw geyser. 1x pool pump (1-2 hours per day). 1x 12000 BTU aircon (used occasionally in the evenings). 2 fridge/freezers. Dishwasher running every 2 days. Washing machine every 3 or 4 days. CCTV system NVR + Alarm system + security lighting. All LED lighting. Gas hob. Oven used every 3 or so nights. We both work from home (laptops + 2 screens). Also have a home server running 24/7. We use around +- 16 units per day (500kWh/month).

That said, it took a lot of work to get things down to this level. Geyser is usually the main culprit - so start there by setting the thermostat correctly. Also, make sure it is a proper high-pressure geyser and not one of those old copper tanks - those EAT electricitly. Also, when opening mixer taps, make sure it is set to cold and not in the middle - setting it to the middle adds in hot water which uses electricity. (This seems pedantic, but it can make a significant difference and it does add up quickly.)

But other than that, I got a power meter and audited every single appliance in the house to see where power went. Found some unlikely power gulpers. (Like an old HP Laserjet - it goes to sleep, but it still chows half-a-unit a day just sitting there doing nothing.) Measuring is the only real way if you suspect that something is not as efficient as you'd like it to be...

 

[SAguy]

How tf are you running all that at only 500-600kWh a month. We use ~740kWh and don't have half that stuff.

I actually have no idea, we aren't really energy conscious either.
I thought we were spending a lot but seems like R2k a month on electricity is normal for an "average" sized family home.