Electricity Cost's

[axistelecomrocks]

Hi as I am quite new to cpap etc I was wondering if anyone knows if cpap users are entitled to any discounts on their electricity bills from the energy companies on the grounds that we have to use more electric for medical reasons than we would normally ?
I am with NPower but I would rather approach them if I have better knowledge on this from you guys and gals.

Thanks

[James @ Intus]

Hi,

I've never heard of anyone wanting to claim such a discount and certainly never heard of anyone having any success with it. Power companies would open a big can of worms if they start doing that, from their point of view. But it would be interesting if you tried.

Problem is that a modern CPAP won't take much more than a traditional light-bulb. It's during they night too, when rates are mostly cheaper.

Take a farily average 1.429 p/kWh (Tigers Fan better check my calculations)

1 night CPAP, 8 hours times 65W = 520W
365 nights = 189,800 W or say 190KW
Times 1.5p = £2.85 running costs annually.

Did I get that right?

It certianly pales in significance compared to a TV, PC, Microwave or heating.

[axistelecomrocks]

Electricity Costs Update

Hi,

I've never heard of anyone wanting to claim such a discount and certainly never heard of anyone having any success with it. Power companies would open a big can of worms if they start doing that, from their point of view. But it would be interesting if you tried.

Problem is that a modern CPAP won't take much more than a traditional light-bulb. It's during they night too, when rates are mostly cheaper.

Take a farily average 1.429 p/kWh (Tigers Fan better check my calculations)

1 night CPAP, 8 hours times 65W = 520W
365 nights = 189,800 W or say 190KW
Times 1.5p = £2.85 running costs annually.

Did I get that right?

It certianly pales in significance compared to a TV, PC, Microwave or heating.

Hi all,

I have now spoken to Npower and they do run a social tarrif for vulnrable people and we cpap users fall into this group.
The vulnrable persons tarrif gives £125 discount per year on both gas and electirc.
Heres their link:

http://www.npower.com/spreading_warmth/Content/Spreadingwarmthtariff/index.htm

Hope this helps others.

[Tigers Fan]

9/10

Hi James

Can't you remember your maths teacher always bleating on about watching the units?

So what do watts x hours / 1000 give us? Yes! kilowatthours. kWHr.

And kWHr x nights? Hmmmm!

Tigers Fan

[GrumpyBiker]

You can work out the running costs of various electrical appliances by using the following formula:
Rating in Watts ÷ 1000 x Time in minutes ÷ 60 = Amount of electricity used in kWh.

Then:

kWh x Cost per unit = Cost of electricity used

(If the wattage is expressed in kilowatts simply use the number given. Similary if the time is expressed in hours, use the number given.)

So we have 65 ÷ 1000 x 8 = 0.52 kwh.

In my area, electricity costs about 11p/kwh, 5p/kwh on econnomy 7.

That gives 0.52 x 0.11 x 365 0r £21 per annum or £9.50 on ecconomy 7.

Andy (an electronic engineer)

[Tigers Fan]

Don't get too excited

That n.power discount is available to those like wot we are AND have a gross annual income of £13,500 or less - if that's you - get excited!

Well done, axistelecomrocks!!!!

Eon call it Warm Assist and you have to be over 60 and receive Pension Credit, then they give 15% discount.

Tigers Fan

[James @ Intus]

I'm a bit confused now. It seems I got the calculation right but had Googled a far too low rate (from British Gas). Substitute my 1.5p for GrumpyBiker's 11p and I come to the same end result as he did.

Either way, it's not a fortune but great if it can be subsidised. Well done for finding out about it. Typical example of "if you don't ask, you don't get".

[Tigers Fan]

It's an electronics engineer thing ....

You got it absolutely right, James, except for pre-war electricity prices.

Electronics engineers just don't get enough lime light, I guess.

Tigers Fan (a power generation and distribution engineer amongst other qualifications and practice: Rtd)