Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Increased Electric Bill

EricGill
EricGill Member Posts: 2
in THE MAIN WALL
Installed a brand new Lochinvar NKC110 the end of October. I don't use it very much for heat but more for hot water. My electric bill this December showed 105% more usage than last December. I have no idea what I had for a boiler before but it was old and not very efficient. I understand that this year was colder but 105% seems a little crazy. Has anyone experienced this? I am not a plumbing or electrical expert at all so please try to keep the technical jargon to a minimum.
Thanks

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 25,340
    Well... since that boiler isn't electric, and uses relatively little electricity to run... I doubt that it was the boiler change. What else in terms of usage has changed?
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,611
    Have you studied the bill to be sure the charge is based on measured usage for the month. Often the meter does not get read and they estimate usage, only to correct on following month.
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • NY_Rob
    NY_Rob Member Posts: 1,370
    Even with a circulator running that boiler is probably drawing under 50 watts. If it ran for 12hrs/day that would amount to .6kWh per day. At the national average of 12 cents per kWh it would cost you 7.2 cents/per day or $2.16 per month in electricity costs.

    It's not the boiler.....
  • EricGill
    EricGill Member Posts: 2
    I'm thinking it has something to do with the wiring of the control panel. I plan on calling my electrician but I do need to look at my bill closely.
  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 25,340
    EricGill said:

    I'm thinking it has something to do with the wiring of the control panel. I plan on calling my electrician but I do need to look at my bill closely.

    Unlikely. After all, the power has to go somewhere -- and there's nowhere in that boiler for it to go.

    Do take a look at the bill, and figure out how many extra KW you are really looking at (not how many extra dollars, how much actual power). And then start looking around for where that power might go.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,577
    The electrician could measure the current draw on the circuits in your breaker panel.
    Are there any small electric space heaters being used?
    Maybe it’s the Pair of Teslas in the garage using all the juice.—NBC
  • lchmb
    lchmb Member Posts: 2,997
    How many xmas light's did you have up?
    kcopp
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,918
    Dying to know the real answer to this one. That would be a lot of Christmas lights!!!
  • Leonard
    Leonard Member Posts: 903
    edited February 2018
    Typical for meter reading date to varies a few days month to month, maybe more if a holiday/weekend. Check that bill for last month isn't for only 3 weeks and this one is for 5 weeks

    Is it a single family home? Tenant tapping in maybe. Grandma's house was turned into 2apts, had a tenent tap into other apt's phone line when he wanted to make long distance calls.

    What's your KWH usage for the month, if small some flood lights left on outside might do it

Categories