Excessive Electricity Bills

[jjwet]

I know this is a long shot but I hope that somebody in the Forum can help me with some technical advice. I live in Cyprus at the foot of the Troodos Mountains and for some unexplained reason my electricy bills are far more than orther expats in similar circumstances. I have a washer, one 3 Kw convector heater (which is only on in the evening for a max of 3 hours), normal white goods and a electric cooker. Many of my friends in the area have the same items as me and similair usage, but also have such things as electric dryers, yet their electricity bills are less than half mine.

The only difference between us is that my meter is approximately 100 yards away from my house, secured to the forth electricity pole from my house. There is no question of anyone "tapping off" in the tail to my house because there are no buildings close to me and anyway with overhead transmission wires it would be obvious. My question is this - Could the 100 yards of transmission wire (on my side of the Meter) be causing some sort of load for which I end up paying for?

I complained to the local electricity Board and all they did was come to my Meter, strap a 1Kw fan heater to the meter and compare the rotations against their wrist watch! After a minute they said the Meter was OK. I am not sure of the accuracy of this type of test, nor at the time did I mention to them my concerns at the distance between my house and the meter (quite simply because I didm't think of it!).

Are my concerns valid or am I going off at a tangent?

Many thanks - and any advice gratefully received!

 

[Taylortwocities]

You may be better off posting this in "Electrics Outside of UK" as someone there may have direct experience of your environment.

But there is one universal truth. The 100 yards of cable will not provide an additional load that you re paying for. In fact, the long length will introduce some resistance that will reduce the current drawn through the meter.

The only possibility is that someone has connected somewhere along that 100 yard length, or has tapped off your supply inside your house. But you say that cannot have happened.

What I would do is to get a second-hand electricity meter. (search on eBay for Electric Meter) they cost about £15-20.
Fit that at the house end note the readings on both and do a compare with the meter on the pole over a few days.
If there's a difference, reposition your meter at the pole end (keep it dry!) and then you'll have something to talk to the lekky company about!

 

[Stoday]

What is your tariff?

I haven't worked in Cyprus, but I have worked in nearby Lebanon. Their tariffs were vastly different from ours in the UK. In the Lebanon, theft (so called "non technical losses") were in the order of 30%. To minimise the cost of theft, the tariff kWh rate was set as low as possible (to the marginal cost) and the remaining revenue requirement met by standing charges. Standing charges were based on floor area of the premises and some other parameters that I've forgotten.

It could be that you are being stung with high standing charges.

 

[plugwash]

First things first as stoday alludes you need to find out the actual reason for the discrepancy in price. See if you can borrow a bill from one of these other expats and compare them. Find out whether the bill claims you are using more units or whether thisre is some other reason for the price difference.

Assuming the bill does claim you are using more units then the next step I would take would be taylortwocities step of adding your own meter at the house end. This will let you determine how much energy is dissapearing (a little will due to volt drop as you use power but if lots is dissapearing that way you have a problem) in the supply cable and will make it more conviniant to work out where the power is going in your house.

Also get some kill-a-watt style meters and put them on things like the fridge. IIRC dying fridges can use a lot of electricity as they struggle to keep food cool.

 

[big-all]

your electric fire could be using 63 units a week or 270 a month on its own
how do you heat your water ??

 

[westie101]

As the meter has a moving disc, try switching all the power in the house off, check the meter to see if it is moving, if so there is a problem between it and the house.

 

[jjwet]

your electric fire could be using 63 units a week or 270 a month on its own
how do you heat your water ??

Thanks Big-All, I heat my water through solar panels and an emersion which is rarely switched on.

My bills are double many of my friends, yet from what they tell me, they use their equipment far more than I do. Comparing bills shows that I am using double the units that they do - and I can't understand why because I am frugel with my heating and white good usage.

 

[jjwet]

As the meter has a moving disc, try switching all the power in the house off, check the meter to see if it is moving, if so there is a problem between it and the house.

Thanks, this was one of the first things I did. The meter stopped completely.

 

[big-all]

whilst tumble dryers kettles irons cookers washing machines and dishwashers are high draw items they are in use for a small amount off time so will use between 0.5kw and 3kw a day

how many computers games consoles and tvs have you on and for how many hours a day
do you use low energy bulbs??