The cost to run a 4 bed detached house!

kezibell

Thanks everyone.
I can afford to pay my bill, I logged on because I have just moved from a 3 bed mid terraced to my 4 bed detached and didn't think to ask the vendor how much utility bills were, so to jump from paying around £200 a quarter to £700+ a quarter was a shock. So I wanted to know if this was normal for this size property.
If that is what it will cost to keep my house cosy and everyone can move from room to room without a huge temperture drop, then that is what I am willing to pay.
However, if making a few changes like restricting computer use, not using a tumble dryer, turning off more radiators, etc, will drop my bill by at least £150 or more a quarter, then I would make them and enjoy spending the savings on something else, but if it will only effect my quarterly bill by no more than £50, then I would prefer to stay as I am, in my cosy home!!!

Magentasue

Kesibell, we've moved the other way, downsizing to a three bed mid terraced for various reasons. Not just to cut running costs but also to become mortgage free so that we could work part-time and because of location. In the last few years we've been both working full-time to both unemployed and all states between.

My mission to cut fuel bills was initiated from necessity but I've persevered because I saw we were wasting so much money. Our house is warmer than most but we spend less than our neighbours. Electricity wise, there's not a lot of difference in how much it costs to run each house - our savings have come from changing bulbs, using tumble drier less, using cheapest programmes on appliances and generally being more careful about switching off.

Heating wise, our new programmer lets you set temps for times rather than on and off times and I think that's saved us money. Mostly, because we would often go out and forget to stop the heating coming on.

For me, I'm not prepared to give up my tumble drier. I am prepared to line dry through the summer and use an airer in the winter but I do work part-time so can organise that. Probably wouldn't be so good if I worked full time but I do wash for six of us so that's a lot of washing hanging around if I can't rotate it.

I'd pick your battles - if you can turn the heating down by one degree and not notice or cut back tumble drying, start there. I found daily meter readings helped focus where it was worth making savings. For me, it's about cutting waste rather than comfort and convenience.

dannymccann

If you turn your heating down to 17/18c and you think its too cold, go outside for 2 minutes then come back in

jonnywells

When i had my first Npower bill in jan it was for £650 odd but that was for 6 months usage.

Gas was £400 and elec £250.

I was only paying i think originally £44 Gas / £22 Elec per month Direct D so i owed quite abit (£130) so i have put the gas upto £65 and Elec £35

jackieb

This is my first winter in our 4-bed detached. It's a lot colder than our old 3-bed terrace. We've put double glazing in since we moved but haven't got round to insulating the loft properly - we've had a lot of work to do. I think insulation should have been one of the first things to have been done though..

I just got our electricity and gas bills in yesterday and we're about £650 for both. I pay by direct debit but i'm still underpaid by £230 for one and £130 for another.

I've used my dryer a lot less than in our old place because it's now in the garage and it's not handy. We were never cheap for our bills in the old house either but we were a bit cheaper, and it was a lot warmer - plus the price of gas and electric have jumped a lot.

rhiwfield

Electricity consumption based on the OP's reading is around 29kwh per day and it may be even higher Jan/Feb. Even with lower summer usage to bring average to say 22 kwh (tough given high current usage) per day thats still 8,000 kwh per year, 33% higher than average consumption for a 4 bed house (Energywatch).

We've managed to cut electricity use for a 6 bed house from average 23kwh per day to average15.5 kwh per day by:

• changing to more efficient appliances
• using energy saving lightbulbs throughout and ensuring everyone switches off lights when not in room
• leaving nothing on standby and switching off at sockets when not in use.
• put timer on towel rail
• using outside clothes line to dry clothes weather permitting though we now use tumble dryer more to avoid condensation form drying clothes on line indoors
• trying to be energy efficient when cooking

Using an energy tracker will show you if you have any high usage devices and keeping a daily track of usage will provide confirmation whether you are making savings or not. You may find that its not the high wattgae items like the tumble dryer thats the problem but medium and low wattage items left on 24/7.

As Magentasue said, its about cutting waste, not convenience!

1carminestocky

jackieb wrote: »

This is my first winter in our 4-bed detached. It's a lot colder than our old 3-bed terrace. We've put double glazing in since we moved but haven't got round to insulating the loft properly - we've had a lot of work to do. I think insulation should have been one of the first things to have been done though..

I just got our electricity and gas bills in yesterday and we're about £650 for both. I pay by direct debit but i'm still underpaid by £230 for one and £130 for another.

I've used my dryer a lot less than in our old place because it's now in the garage and it's not handy. We were never cheap for our bills in the old house either but we were a bit cheaper, and it was a lot warmer - plus the price of gas and electric have jumped a lot.

I don't know whether you put it there on purpose or it was because of necessity but this is a great idea IMO. Since ours went in teh garage it's used much much less. It's amazing what ideas you come up with for drying clothes in the house when the alternative is a trek outside to get to the tumble drier!


PS 4 bed semi here and our bills Nov/Dec currently £95-ish gas per month and £45-ish leccy per month. And we are fairly 'careful', I dread to think what our rather reckless with fuel neighbours' bill is going to be!

jackieb

We put it because it's a terribly noisy one and my hubby was fed up with the dust it used to make.The garage isn't attached to the house and when it's cold and rainy and dark you really don't want to go out there!
I bought an airer for over the bath. Our bath has been used once since moving in last June!!

rennysnell

kezibell wrote: »

the CH comes on at around 6.45 am until 9.30 am and then is back on for when my kids come home from school at 3.00 pm until 10 pm. I've turned off radiators in all bedrooms and only have them on in the 2 bathrooms, landing, living area and kitchen. Thermostate in hall is set between 20 and 21.

As many people have said, your costs are largely a function of your usage pattern but, even so, your costs for the above usage pattern look significantly on the high side to me, even allowing it's for the autumn quarter. And I personally think your usage restrictions are excessive - no heating between 9.30 and 3.00? - no heating in the bedrooms? - heating completely off between 10pm & 6.45am? And still you have this cost level? Something's wrong, I think. (.....and I don't think a thermostat setting of 20-21 deg is excessive)

I would suggest a couple of things:

* Get an electricity consumption meter, like Efergy. There are plenty on eBay and, once you've got it all (electricity, that is) sorted out, you can sell it on again. This will tell you just what is using all your electricity - the meter reacts to things being turned on and off.
* Does your family use a shower, or bath? If the latter, that will show up in energy costs (especially, obviously, if you've got a large family), as well as water costs. Heating water, be it in a kettle or in a hot water cylinder, costs.
* Check if your boiler's been serviced. If it's only 5 years old, it should work fine, but only if it's been regularly serviced. With the gas consumption you've quoted, I'd certainly check this.
* Consider fitting a programmable thermostat. (This will not necessarily save you money, I accept, but it will avoid you having wildly fluctuating temperatures across your on/off timings).

Good luck.

cornerstone13

We have a 4 bed detached which is 18 years old. Our gas and electric are £30 each per month - we tart around every year to get the cheapest.

There are currently 3 of us with two older children who live away but come back regularly. The heating is at 18 degrees, we have energy saving light bulbs throughout, nothing is ever left on standby and we don't own a tumble dryer.

Years ago I worked with a girl who was in a similar situation - we had similar houses and similar family size; her bills were 3 times higher than mine and the only difference was that she used a tumble dryer for everything and I didn't.