Electric Heating - Does this sound right.

scotlad1980

Hello,

Ok I need some advice to find out whether this sounds correct. Yesterday I got home from work to find that had £1.02 left of my emergency credit. I bought £15.00, £9.00 paid back my emergency and I then had £7.02 credit. I already had been using 1 storage heater but turned the kitchen heater on as we had minus temperatures forecast (it did actually snow today)

When I woke up this morning I had £1.10 in my meter so I had used £5.92 in electricty from around 6pm last night to 8am this morning on Econemy 7. This doesn't sound right to me for just 2 storage heaters and heating the hot water tank.

espresso

You need to read the kWh used on the meter, not look at the diminishing credit. It could well be right as you could easily have used approx 60kWh during the night time E7 rate.

wolvotim

easy i recon.


lets say they're 2kw each so thats 4kw total over 14 hours which is 56kwh at lets say 18p a kwh. That comes to a tenner.

scotlad1980

Yes but the storage heaters only come on off peak and it is only 6.83p per kwh not 18 as you suggest.

Magentasue

So 60 night time units would cost about £4. Then there's the daytime units used from 6pm until the E7 kicked in. How many kwh did you use?

dunloadin

Do you have a key or Token meter?

I ask as if you have a key meter it is possible that a single rate tariff has been sent to your key by mistake: it's easy enough to check if this has happened, just cycle through the meter display...if no date or time are displayed, and you have info for Rate1 and none for Rate 2 then you have a Single Rate Tariff.

If this is the case get in touch with your supplier ASAP and get someone out to reset the tariff to multi-rate and issue a replacement key, as your storage heater elements will be on 24/7.

scotlad1980

dunloadin wrote: »

Do you have a key or Token meter?

I ask as if you have a key meter it is possible that a single rate tariff has been sent to your key by mistake: it's easy enough to check if this has happened, just cycle through the meter display...if no date or time are displayed, and you have info for Rate1 and none for Rate 2 then you have a Single Rate Tariff.

If this is the case get in touch with your supplier ASAP and get someone out to reset the tariff to multi-rate and issue a replacement key, as your storage heater elements will be on 24/7.

I def have 2 rates on the meter, as were are now in GMT the economy 7 kicks in at 23.25 and this is when the heaters come on and then they go off again at 6.25, I have now used £20.00 electricity since Tuesday and it is minus temp here at night just now so I can't switch them off.

scotlad1980

Magentasue wrote: »

So 60 night time units would cost about £4. Then there's the daytime units used from 6pm until the E7 kicked in. How many kwh did you use?

I am not sure, I will do a check over 24hr to see how may kwh is being used, I suppose that will give a better understanding. I will report tomorrow my info.

Current read as of 20:45 on 31/10/08 is:

Total: 12465.18
03540.34 (rate 1 @ 017.79p kwh)
08924.94 (rate 2 @ 08.24p kwh)

Magentasue

scotlad1980 wrote: »

I am not sure, I will do a check over 24hr to see how may kwh is being used, I suppose that will give a better understanding. I will report tomorrow my info.

Good idea! Bit of a shock when I started doing that.

Kaz2904

Must say that when I lived in a flat on meters we used to put £30 on each each month. The electric would just about last for a month but the gas would run out a week or more before payday and then it would be freezing cold and no hot water until we were paid again.
We wished we had more money for gas but couldn't afford it. We used to be wrapped up in blankets at all times inside in the winter. When we went to bed we couldn't move due to the weight of the covers but it was still cold!
It's vile being on pre pay meters isn't it, sorry your're strugling with the cold/cost at the moment.

sassymagnet

see and this is what is annoying its not just the pensioners that need help its the low paid as well.