What is the cause of my high electricity bills

mike1001

Hi, I've moved into a new rented flat and just got my first bill, and it's a wopper!

To double check I've monitored my electicity usage over the last 11 days and I use on average 63.6 units per day, which seems very high. My situation is:

• 2 people in a small one bed flat
• Flat is vacent 8am to 7pm every day, during which time the thermostat is set to zero, all lights etc off.
• In evenings/weekend set thermostat to c. 22 degrees.
• The flat is new build 2 years old. It only has electiricty, no gas. Heating is via two wall mounted radiators, one in the kitchen/living room (approx 14ft by 12 ft), the second in the bedroom which we usually turn down as we stay in the living area. The small hall and bathroom stay cold
• The flat has two large 5ft wide double glazed sliding doors leading outside, one in the livingroom/kitchen, another in the bedroom, and 2 small double glazed windows.
• We have a fridge/freezer combo, oven/hob, a hot towl rail, 1 TV, 1 desktop PC (used a few hours a day), and a washer/dryer combo which is never used for drying.

This is putting my power bill at nearly £200 per month. We've tried turning the boiler off in the morning and back on in the evening, with no noticable effect on the electricity usage.

Does anyone have any idea what could be using up all the power or how I can work out what it is?

Thanks, Mike

Lorian

Turn EVERYTHING off and make sure the meter is not moving (it may creep just a little).

If it keeps moving maybe you are paying for someone else's electricity too....

Garz

Lorian wrote: »

Turn EVERYTHING off and make sure the meter is not moving (it may creep just a little).

If it keeps moving maybe you are paying for someone else's electricity too....

.. or there is another consumer box/device on the property that needs to be turned off also!

Lorian

Garz wrote: »

.. or there is another consumer box/device on the property that needs to be turned off also!

Yes, two would be bad...

Garz

Mike, do you have an electric shower or like me a wife that is obsessed with hair straightening/drying products and leaving lights on?

Garz

Lorian wrote: »

Well that would be the quickest way to turn everything else off, but it shouldn't use any electiricty itself.

What?

mike1001

Tomorrow I'll try turning the fuse box off in the flat and see if it still counts up. I haven't seen any other boxes for the property, the meters are all together and labelled for each flat (I've also check the serial # to my bill and they match). Garz, my girlfiend is pretty good. Probably uses a straightener once a week for 10 minutes. The shower isn't electric, straight from the boiler I think.

Gorgeous_George

I think 22 degrees is rather high. My GCH is set to 18/19 degrees.

How many watts do the heaters use? Are they night storage heaters?

I think it sounds like you are paying for another flat or part of one at least.

GG

Magentasue

How many kwh do you use a day?

Lorian

Garz wrote: »

What?

I'd missread, I changed it.

BallandChain

Just curious Lorian and completely off topic but what does the Japanese writing in your avatar mean?