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Thread ID: 122790 2012-01-13 00:12:00 Daughters power bill keeps gonig up - What to do ? Digby (677) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1253746 2012-01-13 17:09:00 She is in Tauranga, on the main Road to Auckland near Omokoroa. Digby (677)
1253747 2012-01-13 19:11:00 She hasnt got a hydroponic garden growing has she? Grow lights and extractor fans consume a fair amount of power. (NOT speaking from any personal experience). j/k :p

Should be able to get a rough idea by watching how fast the meter is spinning and turning off appliances one at a time maybe?
Iantech (16386)
1253748 2012-01-13 19:18:00 What sort of hydroponics are you talking about - lettuces ? capsicums.

He he.

No she is just a single mum with a tv, dvd, fridge, oven, microwave, oil fin heater, toaster, jug.
Digby (677)
1253749 2012-01-13 19:45:00 Oil fin heater! Does she use it often? I've heard that they can be horrendous on power usage. Bryan (147)
1253750 2012-01-13 19:48:00 Our last one was $97.68 for 362 KWhours for two people. Mercury doesn't do units any more. Though having a smartmeter means that you can use the same amount for two months but there can be a $30 price difference especially in the winter as you get billed peak load if the supplier upstream screw the retailer.. It's instantly passed on to the end user..

My mother-in-law lives in Tauranga and her bill is always way higher than ours about $150 / month..
paulw (1826)
1253751 2012-01-13 20:16:00 We ditched Trustpower last February. Best move ever for us. Changed to Mercury and kept paying the same as we were paying to Trustpower by AP and built up a $500 credit by November. Now having a power bill holiday for 3 months! Jester (13)
1253752 2012-01-13 21:29:00 Read the meter one night at 8pm and again the next morning at 8am (if those times don't suit either way wont matter) but DO NOT use any hot water over that period... the next night, do the same thing but switch off the power to the hot water cylinder.

This should give an indication as to whether the hot water cylinder is on continually during the night over that period of time (reasonably easy to work out how many units are being used, cost, etc by using the two readings as comparison) .... if it's leaking anywhere, you may have cold water out of the hot tap in the morning. Well insulated, non-leaking, cylinder should still have reasonably warm water left in it.
SP8's (9836)
1253753 2012-01-14 05:43:00 She is in Tauranga, on the main Road to Auckland near Omokoroa.

I might be going to Judea early next week if it is any help. Contact through private messages.
tut (12033)
1253754 2012-01-14 06:39:00 Grab Tut if you can, if not Talk to the landlord first. But. Definintely get it looked a by a proffesional. To many guesses & what ifs here. She is a woman on her own, you are confusing & scaring her, (If she is reading this thread).

As an ex electrician I have been involved in this sort of troubleshooting in the past. It is definitely an eyes & hands on exercise. Not one that I can do here from my lazyboy amchair. PJ
Poppa John (284)
1253755 2012-01-14 07:37:00 Grab Tut if you can, if not Talk to the landlord first. But. Definintely get it looked a by a proffesional. To many guesses & what ifs here. She is a woman on her own, you are confusing & scaring her, (If she is reading this thread).

As an ex electrician I have been involved in this sort of troubleshooting in the past. It is definitely an eyes & hands on exercise. Not one that I can do here from my lazyboy amchair. PJ

My thoughts exactly PJ which is why I offered. As you say not possible from the armchair. I like to spend my remaining tme on this earth trying to help people to run up some credits in case the creationists are right. LOL
tut (12033)
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