How to lower electric usage to reduce electric bill?

[RolandRat]

I have been staying in a small apartment in Bangkok as a budget traveller. The rent and the water fees are okay. But the electricity fees are high even though I have tried to reduce the usage. Any tips that you guys have tried and worked for lowering electricity fees?

[FritsSikkink]

What are you using at the moment.

[KhunLA]

Move to a place that only charges the MEA/PEA rate (<5 baht) would be first choice.   If you cut your usage to minimal, not much else you can do since budget traveler. 

[Jimjim1]

26 minutes ago, RolandRat said:

Any tips that you guys have tried and worked for lowering electricity fees?

Turn it off

[OneMoreFarang]

Concentrate on what consumes the most electricity. Probably the AC and maybe hot water, possibly cooking.

And for the AC: Every degree counts. If you are comfortable with i.e. 26 degrees, then don't set it to 24 degrees.

Maybe set it to a different temperature at night and day. Make sure the AC is clean and works efficient.

And if possible, compare with the neighbors. Because it can always be that your meter counts incorrectly, that someone else is using your electricity, etc.

[scubascuba3]

Lack of info as usual, What's the elec charge per unit? likely that's the real issue. Next thing is minimise AC but you'll be sweating instead

[Njoku]

I was getting charged around 350 a month just to leave my BKK condo fridge on, no aircon no fan and why do you need a fridge on if you only keep water in it? 7b at 7/11...

[daveAustin]

H/W showers, aircon and ancient fridges set on high use most juice. This time of year is a killer for AC, esp in Bkk. Even if you set it to 30-29, it’ll be working hard and will use up a lot if the compressor’s an old thing. Most condos will charge their own rate, prob 8 baht/unit and up. Nowt you can do about that. Consider moving to a condo that sees shade most of the day. 

[Robert Paulson]

Turn off ac bobs your uncle

[itsallmine68]

17 hours ago, RolandRat said:

I have been staying in a small apartment in Bangkok as a budget traveller. The rent and the water fees are okay. But the electricity fees are high even though I have tried to reduce the usage. Any tips that you guys have tried and worked for lowering electricity fees?

Make sure the AC is cleaned (Filter) and running up to par To help close all windows and doors (Check for a close leaks). Close all blinds to keep sun from entering your apartment

[cowellandrew]

Turn every thing off and go to the pub,

This also works in hot countries as you save on heating costs!

😁

[CecilM]

Get inverter A/Cs.

I now use much more A/C and my bill has gone down. 

[KhunLA]

40 minutes ago, CecilM said:

Get inverter A/Cs.

I now use much more A/C and my bill has gone down. 

OP is renting, so keeping the ones he uses now, clean, as stated, better, cheaper option, till moving to a place that charges the MEA/PEA rate, without anything tacked on.

 

Suspect it's just an older building, poorly insulated, if at all, maybe having sun exposure, and old AC units.   Next place, take all those things into consideration.   

 

For those buying, inverters make a huge difference.

Edited May 15 by KhunLA

[Wrwest]

Check if the air conditioner remote has a "dry" setting" appears to consume less electric.

[RolandRat]

20 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

What are you using at the moment.

I am only using an air conditioner and a refrigerator. Plus some lights, of course. 

[RolandRat]

1 hour ago, Wrwest said:

Check if the air conditioner remote has a "dry" setting" appears to consume less electric.

Yes, mine has a dry setting. Does it really consume less electricity?

[RolandRat]

2 hours ago, cowellandrew said:

Turn every thing off and go to the pub,

This also works in hot countries as you save on heating costs!

😁

Haha, very true!

[Jumbo1968]

Change light bulbs to LED ones

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, RolandRat said:

I am only using an air conditioner and a refrigerator. Plus some lights, of course. 

Your aircon can use a lot more or less energy depending on the degree setting. Mine is on 28, friend used to have it on 16.

[Seppius]

is your water heated? turn it off and get used to cold showers, not had mine on for years

[NativeBob]

get a job, perhaps?

[JimTripper]

get a fan

[Kwaibill]

One thing we have done is start using the ”dry” mode on our AC. It causes the compressor to run much less often than ” cool” or ”auto” settings. Also use a rotary fan when the ambient temps are below 30C.

I’ve also heard that keeping your fridge filled with e.g. waterbottles can help. 

Eletricity is so relatively cheap for us compared to what I used to pay in the US that I mostly economise for environmental and my wife’s thrifty nature reasons.

[Sticky Rice Balls]

i shower when i get home as i live on the top floor and can feel the heat as i approach the top floor walking up steps as its the typical cement bldg and holds the heat......i set my ac to 27-30 but may try the DRY mode to pull out the humidity...

 

so after a cool shower i use low setting on fan and cool the room with ac and shut it off after a bit and sleep with low fan to circulate air..also leave window screens open to let air get in/out.....sleep with a cotton sheet or no sheet at all....

 

i dont have a fridge and use minimal lighting...do use my tv for a few hrs at night....used to have bill of 600 bt! i just checked it for this month and its at 480 for 10 days...so should be seeing my bill over 1000-1500..but will try to make some adjustments

 

gonna tinker with DRY mode and see how that goes...as it seems to work the unit with less power....as humidity is the enemy!

[Liverpool Lou]

23 hours ago, Njoku said:

I was getting charged around 350 a month just to leave my BKK condo fridge on

No, you weren't - unless you were being heavily ripped-off on the charge per unit or it was an industrial freezer/fridge.

[Liverpool Lou]

7 hours ago, cowellandrew said:

Turn every thing off and go to the pub,

This also works in hot countries as you save on heating costs!

What heating costs are there to save on in hot countries?

[Liverpool Lou]

9 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Most condos will charge their own rate, prob 8 baht/unit and up.

Most apartments will charge their own rate, most condos, having private owners, will get government rated bills direct from the MEA/PEA.

[Jumbo1968]

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Most apartments will charge their own rate, most condos, having private owners, will get government rated bills direct from the MEA/PEA.

Wasn’t there a law made where if there was above a certain number of condos in a building they could only charge government rates albeit I doubt it’s ever enforced ?

[Photoguy21]

Just out of interest, what is your average bill now?

[KhunLA]

@RolandRat So if your bill is only ฿2000 max, that's 425kWh/units a month, or 14kWh a day.  Not sure that's excessive highly, especially for last month, April.   We were using about 8kWh overnight, 1800-0800 hrs, and that's with a very good inverter AC running, laptop &  TV for 8 hr, and frigs (2).  Then sleeping for 6 hrs w/AC on.

 

That alone is 240 units a month, and no sun, temp outside, not much different than AC'd bedroom, just the lower humidity from the AC making the difference.  Set on 'cool' 27C, low fan, not the dehumidifier setting.  Daytime temps, 35C+ and 2 ACs running (very efficient inverters) and we easily use 25kWh/units a month.

 

That calculation is at the PEA rate.  If landlord charging you more, ฿6 or 7 a unit, then that usage drops considerably, @ ฿7 = 285kWh/units, less than 10kWh a day.  That's pretty conservative use, as when we're not home, the frigs use 4kWh a day.

Edited May 15 by KhunLA