Hello,
I registered here because I urgently need advice regarding domestic hot water preparation and hope this is the right place.
My husband passed away four weeks ago, and I need to reduce my electricity costs urgently. At the moment, I pay a monthly electricity advance of 155€ and simply can no longer afford that.
I live in a small, old house, and currently I have a very old 200-liter (53-gallon) water heater that probably consumes a lot of electricity.
The rental agreement was written so that the landlord is not responsible for any modernization measures of any kind, just in case questions arise.
I take one shower daily and bathe once a week. I only have a washing machine and a stove. No dryer, no dishwasher, no microwave, etc. Otherwise, just a PC, television, and usual household lighting (energy-saving).
What would you recommend: an instantaneous water heater (tankless) or an 80-liter (21-gallon) water heater? Money is very tight, so I cannot consider other options.
Thank you and have a nice Sunday.
I registered here because I urgently need advice regarding domestic hot water preparation and hope this is the right place.
My husband passed away four weeks ago, and I need to reduce my electricity costs urgently. At the moment, I pay a monthly electricity advance of 155€ and simply can no longer afford that.
I live in a small, old house, and currently I have a very old 200-liter (53-gallon) water heater that probably consumes a lot of electricity.
The rental agreement was written so that the landlord is not responsible for any modernization measures of any kind, just in case questions arise.
I take one shower daily and bathe once a week. I only have a washing machine and a stove. No dryer, no dishwasher, no microwave, etc. Otherwise, just a PC, television, and usual household lighting (energy-saving).
What would you recommend: an instantaneous water heater (tankless) or an 80-liter (21-gallon) water heater? Money is very tight, so I cannot consider other options.
Thank you and have a nice Sunday.
How much electricity consumption in kWh do you actually have? That seems very, very high to me; it’s hard to believe that it’s caused only by the boiler.
For comparison: we also live as a couple and currently use an electric tankless water heater. Our consumption is 3000 kWh per year. This includes two fairly powerful PCs that are on almost all day, plus all the hot water—including a pressure booster pump that also runs on high voltage.
Our monthly payment is currently 40 euros, and we have to purchase only 1900 kWh per year additionally. That works well for us without any extra charges. So a monthly payment of 155 euros points to nearly four times that amount. That would be almost 8000 kWh per year. I can’t imagine this is solely due to the boiler, but it definitely makes sense to replace it with a tankless water heater. That would probably cost around 500 euros initially (including installation), but with such electricity consumption, it should pay for itself within a year.
Tankless water heaters provide hot water immediately and can be set to the exact desired temperature, which means you don’t waste any water adjusting the taps. A lot of water flows out before you get the right temperature otherwise. Now you simply turn on the hot water, and (in our case) the water comes out at the temperature you want with an accuracy of half a degree.
Still, I would recommend looking for other electricity wasters, because they likely exist for sure.
For comparison: we also live as a couple and currently use an electric tankless water heater. Our consumption is 3000 kWh per year. This includes two fairly powerful PCs that are on almost all day, plus all the hot water—including a pressure booster pump that also runs on high voltage.
Our monthly payment is currently 40 euros, and we have to purchase only 1900 kWh per year additionally. That works well for us without any extra charges. So a monthly payment of 155 euros points to nearly four times that amount. That would be almost 8000 kWh per year. I can’t imagine this is solely due to the boiler, but it definitely makes sense to replace it with a tankless water heater. That would probably cost around 500 euros initially (including installation), but with such electricity consumption, it should pay for itself within a year.
Tankless water heaters provide hot water immediately and can be set to the exact desired temperature, which means you don’t waste any water adjusting the taps. A lot of water flows out before you get the right temperature otherwise. Now you simply turn on the hot water, and (in our case) the water comes out at the temperature you want with an accuracy of half a degree.
Still, I would recommend looking for other electricity wasters, because they likely exist for sure.
I used 6420 kWh in 2014, and so far this year it’s 5420 kWh. Certainly, the old fridge-freezer as well as the washing machine contribute to this, but new appliances are simply not an option.
Otherwise, I live very frugally, rarely cooking to save on electric stove power. I only turn on the TV in the evenings, and the only device running from midday until I go to bed is the PC. Wherever possible, lamps have been replaced with energy-saving bulbs.
Otherwise, I live very frugally, rarely cooking to save on electric stove power. I only turn on the TV in the evenings, and the only device running from midday until I go to bed is the PC. Wherever possible, lamps have been replaced with energy-saving bulbs.
Umbau-Susi18 Oct 2015 20:15Are you sure that no one else is connected to your line and using electricity?
We need about 3000 kWh per year with 2 refrigerators, 2 freezers, 2 washing machines, a dryer, a dishwasher, and a pool pump in summer or a heating pump in winter. In addition, the usual appliances (PCs, TVs, receivers, etc.). However, all lighting is based on LED technology.
Your consumption seems extremely high to me.
Regards, Sylvia
We need about 3000 kWh per year with 2 refrigerators, 2 freezers, 2 washing machines, a dryer, a dishwasher, and a pool pump in summer or a heating pump in winter. In addition, the usual appliances (PCs, TVs, receivers, etc.). However, all lighting is based on LED technology.
Your consumption seems extremely high to me.
Regards, Sylvia
B
Bauexperte18 Oct 2015 20:20Good evening,
I just checked; we consume fewer kilowatt hours per year and certainly have more appliances running daily than you probably do. Besides the usual household devices, we operate two fully equipped offices.
Good luck!
Regards, Bauexperte
Tweedy schrieb:My sincere condolences; I wish you strength to find some sense of normality in your daily life again.
My husband passed away 4 weeks ago
Tweedy schrieb:In this case, I would follow Silvia’s suggestion and have the advance payment lowered; especially since it was originally calculated for two people. Perhaps any assistive devices that were installed are no longer needed?
and I urgently need to reduce my electricity costs. At the moment, I pay a monthly advance of €155 for just myself, and I simply can’t afford that anymore.
Tweedy schrieb:That’s probably true, but it alone doesn’t explain the high advance payments.
I live in a small old house and right now I have a very old 200-liter (53-gallon) water heater that probably consumes a huge amount of electricity.
I just checked; we consume fewer kilowatt hours per year and certainly have more appliances running daily than you probably do. Besides the usual household devices, we operate two fully equipped offices.
Tweedy schrieb:I would recommend a tankless water heater; they are actually better and more cost-effective in older buildings than their reputation suggests. But I would also discuss subsidies and electricity costs with the local social services or welfare office. What do you have to lose? More than a “no” is unlikely 😉
What would you recommend: a tankless water heater or an 80-liter (21-gallon) water heater? Money is very tight, so I can’t consider any other options.
Good luck!
Regards, Bauexperte
Thank you for your kind words and valuable advice. The public agency does not provide any subsidies; they might cover the cost of a tankless water heater or boiler, but not the installation fees, which I cannot afford. The boiler connections are already in place, so I can simply switch the plugs. It seems different with a tankless water heater, as specific wiring is usually required. Maybe I can find instructions online to do it myself.
No additional devices have been connected, so the electrical setup remains the same except for fewer showers, and one TV has been disconnected. That’s about it.
I don’t dare to reduce the advance payment because if I then face a back payment, my electricity could be cut off since I wouldn’t be able to pay it.
How can I find out if someone else is using my electricity? When I turn off the main switch, the meter stops running—I have already tried that. Is there any other way to test this?
No additional devices have been connected, so the electrical setup remains the same except for fewer showers, and one TV has been disconnected. That’s about it.
I don’t dare to reduce the advance payment because if I then face a back payment, my electricity could be cut off since I wouldn’t be able to pay it.
How can I find out if someone else is using my electricity? When I turn off the main switch, the meter stops running—I have already tried that. Is there any other way to test this?
I would suggest connecting an energy meter to the major appliances and monitoring their consumption over a period of time to see how much the refrigerator and others use. Such a meter is not very expensive, and if I am correctly informed, it can also be borrowed from consumer advice centers, although this might be somewhat more difficult in rural areas depending on the location.
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