How many kWh do you use on average per month?

[Mike Hoxbig]

Also looking for a good geyser timer please and some settings

CBI Astute.

CBI Astute Smart Controller - Grey/Black

Buy CBI Astute Smart Controller - Grey/Black Online or Locate Your Nearest Builders Warehouse Store. ✓ Secure shopping ✓ 100% Contactless ✓ Reliable Delivery ✓ Many ways to pay!

www.builders.co.za

Controllable from your phone. A lot of us here running these.

Edit: if you're into Sonoff they have the Powr3, but it's much pricier...

Takealot

www.takealot.com

 

[Dee96]

CBI Astute.

CBI Astute Smart Controller - Grey/Black

Buy CBI Astute Smart Controller - Grey/Black Online or Locate Your Nearest Builders Warehouse Store. ✓ Secure shopping ✓ 100% Contactless ✓ Reliable Delivery ✓ Many ways to pay!

www.builders.co.za

Controllable from your phone. A lot of us here running these.

Edit: if you're into Sonoff they have the Powr3, but it's much pricier...

Takealot

www.takealot.com

CBI Astute

 

[RedViking]

All those in the Eskom 1000's with still no plans or an alternative power supply are going to cry like babies soon.

 

[Snyper564]

Also looking for a good geyser timer please and some settings

I use a geyserwise then I can easily set temps etc too.

But the CBI astute are great.



If battery is topped up geysers are popped on midday to top up. They typically hot enough till morning but if not top up again.

The morning top up is NOT neg with my wife

 

[SauRoNZA]

750-850kW on average over the year.

 

[1am7h30n3]

250-270kWh per month. 3 people. Gas water heating. Gas cooking.

 

[Hd7]

Also looking for a good geyser timer please and some settings

I've gone with CBI astute, alot of people on here use them. DB options as well as smart isolators available depending on your space/convenience requirements

 

[Paul_S]

I've gone with CBI astute, alot of people on here use them. DB options as well as smart isolators available depending on your space/convenience requirements

It's a pity CBI don't make smart circuit breakers that can replace the ones in the DB. From what I've read if you use the CBI Astutes you still require inline, current sensing circuit breakers in the DB to protect the circuit from over-current situations. The Astute just a fancy inline switch.

 

[surface]

270kWh. Four or five people, two households. Gas for cooking and geyser.

Wow. That is quite decent. We have about 600kWh for 3 people, probably more in winter.

 

[Stokstert]

350 to 400 kWh for 2 people.

 

[petum]

Is it cheaper to boil water using a elec kettle or on gas hob?

Egoli gas VS prepaid elec

 

[AchmatK]

Is it cheaper to boil water using a elec kettle or on gas hob?

Egoli gas VS prepaid elec

I saw some calculations a while back and not sure if its still applicable at todays electricity and gas prices.

Kettle wins vs gas as there is a lot of heat lost from gas.

Gas for cooking though I think comes out cheaper as the cooking time is a lot quicker vs waiting for the electric hob to heat up. I'm not sure how induction cooking fairs in this comparison.

 

[Snyper564]

I saw some calculations a while back and not sure if its still applicable at todays electricity and gas prices.

Kettle wins vs gas as there is a lot of heat lost from gas.

Gas for cooking though I think comes out cheaper as the cooking time is a lot quicker vs waiting for the electric hob to heat up. I'm not sure how induction cooking fairs in this comparison.

induction is lightning fast, I just know that when we use gas we complain its slow.

Please note that we do not nuke all our food just things that need to be nuked for example a pot of water for pasta

The rest is at a normal heat setting but with induction its instant

 

[Geoff.D]

Which geyser timer did you get and which times do you set it for?

The one I installed was a simple one ---- The DB board does not allow for anything better.

Hellerman TDDGT

I monitor the geyser element separately with a simple neon light that shows me when the element is on

The timer is set for a 2-hour window, 05:00 to 07:00. The element is never on for more than 30 minutes in that window. It depends on the number of showers.

 

[Johnatan56]

The one I installed was a simple one ---- The DB bard does not allow for anything better.

Hellerman TDDGT

I monitor the geyser element separately with a simple neon light that shows me when the element is on

The timer is set for a 2-hour window, 05:00 to 07:00. The element is never on for more than 30 minutes in that window. It depends on the number of showers.

Timer generally doesn't save power if it's not for multiple days unless you have bad insulation.

Allowing the temp to get too low will also cause issues like legionaires.

-------

Last month I was at 82 kWh since don't WFH every day anymore and due to summer finally properly here, no more lights on till around 8pm, this vs norm previous was around the 100-105 mark. One person household.


Other house is a lot worse though, they're two people generally with 3 when I'm over for stints, average about 700kWh, microwave, fridge, washing machine, dish washer etc. Out of the 80/90s, it's improved a lot since I swapped entire top floor to LED, still need to sort out the lower but need to replace the circuit due to age of the copper, and planning to run fiber through the house at the same time so it's all stuck a bit.

 

[RedViking]

induction is lightning fast, I just know that when we use gas we complain its slow.

Please note that we do not nuke all our food just things that need to be nuked for example a pot of water for pasta

The rest is at a normal heat setting but with induction its instant

Which induction cooker you have?

 

[RedViking]

I noticed people with kids also struggle as they let the little minions get away with murder, costing them those high kWh.

Lights get switched on all the time and left on.
Fridge gets opened every 15minutes and stared at as if it is a Picasso painting.
Hot water tap opened and kept running.


Don't you people exercise discipline anymore?

 

[Jladan]

We use a stupid amount of power, 1200 - 1400 kWh per month in summer and around 1600 in winter. But we also mine and the wife and helper are big users of the appliances. Lastly we have the property lit up overnight so that the wife feels more safe. Family of 4.

Still trying to lower the 24/7 base load though which is 900w with most stuff off. I have a vampire load somewhere I’m struggling to find.

Our solar and backup has reduced our Eskom bill by 2/3

 

[1am7h30n3]

Is it cheaper to boil water using a elec kettle or on gas hob?

Egoli gas VS prepaid elec

I have no numbers to back me up but I think it's cheaper with an electric kettle. The gas kettle takes really long to boil (maybe 2-3x as long as electric kettle).

My feeling is that it might be cheaper to cook on electric vs gas overall, because I use a 9kg gas bottle up in 2 months of cooking (stove top and oven is gas), which works out to R140-R160/month, depending on gas prices and I'm not seeing even that amount of saving on my electric bill since changing from electric to gas.

 

[W@P]

We use a stupid amount of power, 1200 - 1400 kWh per month in summer and around 1600 in winter. But we also mine and the wife and helper are big users of the appliances. Lastly we have the property lit up overnight so that the wife feels more safe. Family of 4.

Still trying to lower the 24/7 base load though which is 900w with most stuff off. I have a vampire load somewhere I’m struggling to find.

Our solar and backup has reduced our Eskom bill by 2/3

Have you posted your system on here yet ?