Electricity going up every month

[Kenny202]

Up until about a year ago our electricity bill normally around 1500 baht. In the 2 or three hotter months it would go to 2000-2500.

Been like that last 3 years I lived here. Last 6 months electricity has sky rocketed firstly to 3500 baht and now 4000 baht.

 

I was an electrician many years ago so decided this morning to go and check a few things. Located our meter and turned all of the circuit breakers off (none of which are marked, not even the main switch). Meter stopped dead so no one stealing our power (we live in a modern estate). Turned the breakers back on and the meter was spinning. Started unplugging things...main power draw freezer and fridge and pretty much the only things on apart from a few power boards with chargers. After unplugging the fridge and freezer meter had slowed but not a lot. I came in and turned off the TV and that seemed to be the thing drawing the most power! Its a 42" LED Samsung, probably about 5 years old. We leave it on pretty liberally too whether watching it or not.

 

Other than that we run air cons day and night but a bit cooler now and don't turn on until lunchtime now. Do a fair bit of washing. I use an oven and microwave a bit but most of our cooking done on gas. Lights mostly LED's. Having said that I don't think the use of these things has increased from normal over the last 6 months. I know the last month if anything power should be down as it is a wee bit cooler now and using air cons less and just with the cooler ambient temps fridges, air cons, freezers etc should be working less.

 

From what I saw this morning the TV is needlessly consuming a lot of energy but on the other hand had the same TV 5 years and I don't think we leave it on any more now than we did before. I will certainly be turning it off when not in use from now on but I thought the LED TV's where pretty cheap to run? Should I turn it off at the point or standby ok?

 

Anyone have any ideas? Could it be possible the meter was faulty? I thought if anything they could run too slow not too fast. I know a lot of guys will come back and say we are lucky, they use 6k plus per month but really when everything is pretty much the same as it has been last three years I can't see why a 100% increase in power? The only new appliance we have is a freezer which I know are power hungry but not that much. Electricity has gone up but only by a fraction.

Edited August 26, 2019 by Kenny202

[PatOngo]

6 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

Anyone have any ideas?

Thailand Wants to Be Southeast Asia’s Power-Trading Middleman

Hang on, help is on it's way!

[Kenny202]

7 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Thailand Wants to Be Southeast Asia’s Power-Trading Middleman

Hang on, help is on it's way!

Great. Straight out the gate with a comedian ????????????

[lopburi3]

If anything like Bangkok up there it has not cooled down anywhere near as much as normal for this time of the year and the real cooling rains are but a dream.  Freezer if not full may be drawing a lot.  Most TV's of LED will not draw that much but older models may have backlight system that if set bright might increase it a lot.  Draw should be listed in operator manual.  But if drawing more than fridge/freezer would appear something wrong.  I would turn completely off - they advise not doing but do not believe life is extended enough to warrant (some use a lot in standby).

[tjo o tjim]

Any hot water leaks?  Water pump stuck?  (Is your water use consistent with previous years?)

 

I would guess most likely issue is in the AC’s. I assume they are inverter, so it is easy for them to modulate up if they are seeing higher loads.  It should pay for itself to have a AC service tech come out and check the units. Or, hose down the evaporator coils yourself, clean the filters, and see if it improves anything. 

[BritManToo]

Aircon uses most electricity.

It's been hot this year, so the aircons will have been running full on, last year they would have been just ticking over most of the time. Stop using your aircon in the day, and just use a fan and open windows if you want to save money.

 

Fridge, freezer and tv cost almost nothing.

Edited August 26, 2019 by BritManToo

[Kenny202]

Freezer is full as is the fridge and not opened very much through the day. I think if there was some issue with the TV itself where it was drawing undue power it would not be working right?

Definitely though just going by eye watching the difference in the speed of the meter rotation this morning it was definitely the main power consumer. I couldn't say it was drawing more than the fridge and freezer as they may well have been cycled off when I checked although a fridge or a freezer I would have thought would have used much more power than a TV 

[Kenny202]

3 minutes ago, tjo o tjim said:

Any hot water leaks?  Water pump stuck?  (Is your water use consistent with previous years?)

 

I would guess most likely issue is in the AC’s. I assume they are inverter, so it is easy for them to modulate up if they are seeing higher loads.  It should pay for itself to have a AC service tech come out and check the units. Or, hose down the evaporator coils yourself, clean the filters, and see if it improves anything. 

The air cons would be the main power users no doubt. They are no inverter but are serviced properly regularly. I rent so I wont be replacing them. Hot water systems we have are the instantaneous on the wall type and we don't use them a lot. They are turned off when not in use.

[lopburi3]

30 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

Other than that we run air cons day and night but a bit cooler now and don't turn on until lunchtime now

Missed that first read - more than one day and night?  Indeed as said above they eat the electric - especially if older models or in need to cleaning.

[timendres]

16 minutes ago, tjo o tjim said:

Any hot water leaks?  Water pump stuck?  (Is your water use consistent with previous years?)

This nailed me a few years back. A water leak in the toilet was causing the water pump to kick on constantly day and night. However, I doubt that would explain the serious increase that you have seen. If you could possibly turn the TV off for an entire month, you could eliminate that from the equation (or not). My first guess is always the A/C.

[colinneil]

Why are some members convinced electric is going up?

Not the case at all, this months bill 657 baht, same time period last year 698 baht, 2 years ago 628 baht.

Also the amount per unit has not increased.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

My electrical bill last month in Malaysia was 17 Ringit = 130 THB (without air-con) . House owner told me his aircon cost 2 Ringit per day per room = 16 THB, seems like the cost for electricity is much higher in Thailand than in Malaysia (My water bill was 3 Ringit for last month, think I use the same amount of water that I was charged around 300 THB for when living in Thailand)!  

[thaiguzzi]

51 minutes ago, Kenny202 said:

Other than that we run air cons day and night but a bit cooler now and don't turn on until lunchtime now.

Off topic, but people like this are the people who cannot aclimatise to SE Asian weather and humidity.

And get ill & sick.

And moan its too hot...

Bar the hot season, Mar-May, there is no need to run aircon day & night.

In fact we live in one of the hottest provinces in Thailand, the only aircon is in the 3 bedrooms and they are only on night time all night in Mar-May, and hardly at all at this time of year.

And daytime is for getting out of the house, not stuck inside in an air con room.

Sorry, carry on.......

[Vacuum]

Anyone who could invent a magnet that works on aluminum, would make millions.

[lopburi3]

6 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Why are some members convinced electric is going up?

Not the case at all, this months bill 657 baht, same time period last year 698 baht, 2 years ago 628 baht.

Also the amount per unit has not increased.

Because most of us are indeed paying more this time of year than in most previous years - it is hot and we tend to use air conditioners more - plus other compressor items will be affected (refrigerator/freezer/water cooler).

[Kenny202]

3 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

Off topic, but people like this are the people who cannot aclimatise to SE Asian weather and humidity.

And get ill & sick.

And moan its too hot...

Bar the hot season, Mar-May, there is no need to run aircon day & night.

In fact we live in one of the hottest provinces in Thailand, the only aircon is in the 3 bedrooms and they are only on night time all night in Mar-May, and hardly at all at this time of year.

And daytime is for getting out of the house, not stuck inside in an air con room.

Sorry, carry on.......

Who said anyone is ill and sick? I never get sick it is simply my preference to have the air con on when it suits me. Some people like heat and humidity some people don't. Going out in the daytime 40 plus degree heat as it's been here up until a month ago maybe your idea of fun but certainly not mine. My post is about electricity usage. I'm not complaining about the heat here. "people like this". Jesus

[Kenny202]

19 minutes ago, timendres said:

This nailed me a few years back. A water leak in the toilet was causing the water pump to kick on constantly day and night. However, I doubt that would explain the serious increase that you have seen. If you could possibly turn the TV off for an entire month, you could eliminate that from the equation (or not). My first guess is always the A/C.

We have a pump but do not use it as pressure here good. Did just have an over the top water bill though due to a faulty ball valve cock in the tank

[colinneil]

3 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Because most of us are indeed paying more this time of year than in most previous years - it is hot and we tend to use air conditioners more - plus other compressor items will be affected (refrigerator/freezer/water cooler).

Yes maybe using more, but the OP states electric going up every month, its not, it is usage.

[Kenny202]

12 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Why are some members convinced electric is going up?

Not the case at all, this months bill 657 baht, same time period last year 698 baht, 2 years ago 628 baht.

Also the amount per unit has not increased.

I don't need to be convinced. It's a fact. My bill has gone from 2500 to 4000 in 6 months and all things being equal apart from an extremely hot summer this year can't understand why. Particularly last month as the temperature back to 32-35 degrees most days and Air con and every other thing usage no different than normal.

[EricTh]

All electrical devices draw electricity when plugged, it is best to buy those multiport sockets where you can push the button to switch off rather than pull out the plug.

 

 

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Yes maybe using more, but the OP states electric going up every month, its not, it is usage.

But it may appear that way as normally it starts going down after April but this year has increased for a lot of us.  Mine is at the 9k mark last two months when normally would be 6-7k

[mike787]

U can either pay, fight it, don't use electricity, or move. This is Thailand farang have no rights or options its a take it or leave it deal... 

[White Christmas13]

to all the guys who are complain about the high cost in the so called nanny states

here is my bill for 2 months I have no gas I cook on electric the hot water is

electric as well I do not have air con just use the heater in winter now and then

and I don't pay for water

[pikao]

1 hour ago, Kenny202 said:

Up until about a year ago our electricity bill normally around 1500 baht. In the 2 or three hotter months it would go to 2000-2500.

Been like that last 3 years I lived here. Last 6 months electricity has sky rocketed firstly to 3500 baht and now 4000 baht.

There is the "Usage History" (consumption) over the last six months written on your electrcity bill. If that has not gone up then prices have

Edited August 26, 2019 by pikao
typo

[timendres]

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

But it may appear that way as normally it starts going down after April but this year has increased for a lot of us.  Mine is at the 9k mark last two months when normally would be 6-7k

That is very interesting. I also noticed that while my bills have dropped as expected, they do seem to be stubbornly higher this year than last.

[CGW]

18 minutes ago, thaiguzzi said:

Off topic, but people like this are the people who cannot aclimatise to SE Asian weather and humidity.

And get ill & sick.

And moan its too hot...

Bar the hot season, Mar-May, there is no need to run aircon day & night.

In fact we live in one of the hottest provinces in Thailand, the only aircon is in the 3 bedrooms and they are only on night time all night in Mar-May, and hardly at all at this time of year.

And daytime is for getting out of the house, not stuck inside in an air con room.

Sorry, carry on.......

Each to their own, after 40 years in SEA I'm pretty well acclimatised, though much prefer to be in a AC house set at 28c which keeps low humidity levels & stops mould and <deleted> growing in the house, keeps bedding and clothing fresh. Bedroom I like cool - 23c is about perfect, fact is the body gets a lot better quality sleep in cooler temperatures.

I never get sick! as I live in a healthy clean environment (hope I'm not tempting fate!) 

Sure you can get acclimatised to some extent but you can't change simple thermodynamics, the body don't like stinking hot weather as it can't cool down, just like an engine is able to cool more efficiently in cooler weather.

I do get out of the house a lot during the daytime, so nice to come back into a cool place and not sit around dripping with sweat, I reckon I have sweated enough for one lifetime having spent many years in stinking hot shipyards & offshore MODU, now is the time to be comfortable ???? 

So yes - I do moan when the weather is "hot" ???? really don't know why it needs to be so hot at times - ridiculously uncomfortable!

[timendres]

21 minutes ago, mike787 said:

U can either pay, fight it, don't use electricity, or move. This is Thailand farang have no rights or options its a take it or leave it deal... 

While this is a great contribution to the discussion, the OP is clearly attempting to explain the issue and whether or not it is related to usage, which speaks to your "don't use electricity" advice. I would be curious to know what rights or options Thai people have that Farangs do not when it comes to electricity bills.

[maxpower]

55 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Anyone who could invent a magnet that works on aluminum, would make millions.

I have one, where do I collect?

[Vacuum]

1 minute ago, maxpower said:

I have one, where do I collect?

Don't know, but put it on your meter (super glue) and check your next bill.

[maxpower]

14 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Don't know, but put it on your meter (super glue) and check your next bill.