Electricity Bills

[scraggy55]

I live alone in a two bedroom flat and I am only in the property during the week for one hour in the morning and approximately 5 in the evenings. Its all electric. I rarely use the heating which is controlled manually. I watch TV every evening, and the cooker for between 30 minutes and 1 hour. I use the washing machine only at weekends when do maximum two loads. That is the absolute maximum amount of usage, but my bills are extorsionate. Could there be something wrong with my meter? If this is the case, how would I get this checked? There must be something seriously wrong somewhere for me to be getting such high bills. I don't want to ask my supplier to check it, as I feel they might just say its right so they can keep charging me what they are charging me. I have changed suppliers several times due to this, but nothing seems to help. Any advice?

[factor-fiction]

How much do you pay for electricity?
From what you say i assume electricity is also used to give you hot water.
I would expect from what you say that your bills would be around £500 - £600 a year depending on whether you pay by Direct Debit and whether you use single rate or dual rate (economy7) electricity

[jomifl]

do you read the meter yourself? how long since the last offoicial reading reading? is it a modern digital or an old fashioned? and is it your landlord's meter?
You can check the approximate accuracy of the meter by switching everything off (including the oft forgotten immersion heater) take a reading then turn an appliance, say a heater of known wattage on full for 1hour. and take another reading. Since 1kw for 1 hour = 1unit you can decide for yourself if it is correct. A 2kw heater would use 2 units. The wattage is stated on a plate usually on the back or underneath the appliance.

[craft1948]

If it's all electric I assume you use an immersion heater every day for bathing and washing up..............

[237SJ]

You haven`t got a load of Vietnamese with blacked out windows in the flat next door have you?
You should get the meter checked though. It could be faulty. Do you pay monthly DD? Maybe they`re grossly overestimating your usage.

[factor-fiction]

It would help if we know how much the bills are. I think mine are extortionate too but unfortunately I know mine are correct.
In addition to the immersion heater I expect that some heating is used in winter- even a small one bar fire can be expensive. Kettles use up quite a lot. Is there a computer/xbox? Lights will be used. Is there a fridge/freezer on all day? Is there a tumble drier? It soon adds up

[scraggy55]

My bill is coming out at about £1,000 per year. The meter is only around 4 years old as this property was a new build 4 years ago. There is a fridge freezer on all day of course, and I use one light in the evening, with an energy saver bulb. I do not use a tumble dryer. My hot water is heated through the night. I use a dishwater every 2/3 days.

[factor-fiction]

Well it may be right although it sounds a little on the high side. My power bills are now appoaching £2000 per anum although I have a larger property and there's three of us.
The hot water may account for quite a bit of your bill.
Three questions:
-Are your bills based on actual readings.
-Do you have Economy 7 electricity?
-Do you pay by direct debit?

[scraggy55]

I do read my Meter and give them readings. I do not have Economy 7 electric, I pay by Standing Order. I cannot afford for them to increase my DD every time they feel like it. My last company wanted to increase my DD from £50.00 per month to £117.00 per month. I am the only earner here, and I don't earn enough to pay that much every month.

[hc4361]

How long have you got the immersion set for? An hour should be plenty if you use an electric shower and not baths.

[bednobs]

hiya, you say you are only there during the week, but then that you do washing at the weekends?

[micmak]

Do you realise how much the cost of fuel has risen over the last couple of years. There are two of us in our property and our fuel bills are a lot more than yours. Get someone to check out your meter if you think it is too much.

[JonnyBoy12]

Yes, you are right, your bills are through the roof. How much do you pay per kilowatt hour? We pay 13.99 pence per kilowatt hour, and feel that is too much. How much do the rest of you pay? Our bills total about £500 per year, if that is any help?

[sherrardk]

I think our gas and electric is about £2000 a year now - but we have lights on like it's Blackpool, tv's on all over the place, two fridges and a freezer going, the washing machine is on at least once a day and the house is kept warm when it's cold out.

[gingejbee]

Knowing what other people pay doesn't help at all. If you think your meter could be reading high, ask your supplier to check it - they have to respond to your request positively. No point in anything else until the meter is checked.

[barb1314]

We pay £56 a month for both.(about £670 a year in a tiny cottage for 2 of us) Since last November the electricity Kwh price has increased from 9.2p to 13.2p for us,which I hadn't spotted until I just looked. We saved a little by having paperless billing and get £100 a year discount for dual fuel direct debit. I'd definitely get your meter checked.It sounds very high to me.

[JonnyBoy12]

That is a very steep increase, barb. How small is your cottage, and could we all live in it, and share the bills? How many percent increase is that in one year, anyone?

[cassa333]

Turn everything off including your fridge fredezer and watch to see if the dial still goes round.

Then put everything back on one by one and see what is the worst electric user.

As it is a realative new build you might be on a higher tarrif so if it is possible and appropriate look into changing your provider.

[Old_Geezer]

It sounds high to me, although I paid around £500 combined Elec/Gas last quarter. I have a larger place.
Follow cassa's advice, and be concerned if it is still spinning when all is off.
Then insist on a meter check, although this doesn't always work. In my old place which was empty for a while, I was being changed a large amount when I knew the only use was a few electrical DIY tools on the weekend and a few hours of lighting. Took ages and involved the ombudsman before they decided to drop their claim.
Best of luck, Hope you find something to account for it.