npower

mrs_T

We have a monthly dual fuel a/c with npower and have just had to pay £884.30 to bring our a/c up to date. The bills for the last 6 months means we're spending an average of £185 month on fuel. Is this high for a family of five in a 16 year old 4 bed detached house? We're all out all day during the week so heating/water heating is on for 2 hours in the morning then from late afternoon till mid evening.

Magentasue

Seems high but not unbelievable.

Do you think it should be lower?

mrs_T

Magentasue wrote: »

Seems high but not unbelievable.

Do you think it should be lower?

This will seem naive but I was just wondering where to cut down, most of the bulbs are now energy efficient where I can find ones to fit and I seem to follow my kids around switching off lights but two of them sleep with lights on all night. Washing machine/tumble dryer (at this time of year) is on at least once a day and so is the dishwasher. Our house seems to be made of double skinned breeze block (from what i could see when we had a fireplace put in) so maybe I should investigate cavity wall insulation? Boiler is a potterton and will be the original from 16 years ago when the house was built.

Magentasue

Well, it depends on whether your high DD is due to gas or electricity.

Energy saving bulbs, are, in my opinion a smart idea, but lighting's not where your £185 a month is going. How many kwh of gas and elec do you you a day/month/year?