We visited a client today who called us because they had received a very high power bill. High power bills have two main causes – incorrect meter reading and high use of power. In this case the meter reading was correct.
We found a number of problems, all caused by penny pinching at the installation stage. The property is a small 2 bedroom unit and the main heat source is a 2000w electric panel heater. The heater is just too small. A heater this size is fine for a bedroom or hallway but not large enough for a whole unit. This means that the heater is running constantly because it never heats the space enough to turn off the thermostat.
The second problem is that the heater is running on the normal power tariff of almost 28 cents per kw/hour instead of the Hydro Heat tariff of 17 cents. In order to access the Hydro Heat tariff you must have at least a 3.5kw heater in your main living area. Ok, so let’s install a bigger heater.
Well the third problem is, the original heater is wired in what we call 1.0 mm square wiring, which is the smallest cable size, and is usually used for lighting circuits. Using this tiny cable has probably saved the installer about $8.00 on this job. Fitting a 2000w panel heater has probably saved around $250 on the cost of a more suitable heater.
The original owner probably went with the cheapest quote, and they got exactly what they paid for.
To rectify the situation requires buying a new 4.5kw fan heater, wiring a new circuit to the switchboard and upgrading the circuit breakers and main switches to comply with current regulations for a total cost of around $1,400.00
The sad thing about this situation is, even though the occupant is spending a fortune on power, they are not even warm, their home is still cold!
This is a great example of how trying to save money can cost you a fortune. If you have electric heating, you need to make sure it is suitable for the area you want to heat and that it is connected the the best value tariff.
If your electric heater is eating your money, and you are not sure which tariff it is connected to, give us a call on 6331 4711 and we’ll be happy to check it for you.
