This is the most painstaking part of the project which needs good
attention to detail.
Step 1.
List every room in the house which has items that
use electricity
Don't forget garages, passages,
outbuildings, gardens and lofts, etc.
Step 2.
For each room list all the electrical appliances
Lights, appliances, computers, telephones, anything else plugged into sockets, permently connected items such as door bells, alarms and water softeners.
Step 3.
For each appliance list:
a. What power is used when on?
b. What power is used if left on Standby?
c. Is the item low (0-1hrs/day), medium (1-4hrs/day), high (4-24hrs/day) usage?
d. What percentage of usage is covered by Cheap Rate electricity?
While it is usually fairly easy to find out the power consumption
of an appliance it is harder to find the standby power consumption,
sometimes handbooks have the information but who has all
the handbooks! I used a cheap (£15) plug in wattmeter
from Maplin to measure both standby and on power. Be cautious about the results for low power items as the meter accuracy below 10W may be suspect if measuring consumption.
Step 4.
For each item decide what opportunities there
are to reduce electricity use
Switching off when not in use, fitting low energy bulbs,
changing how items are connected, fitting time switches,
etc.
Step 5.
Compile the whole lot into a chart for review
Click here for
the initial survey results plus details of changes made
