Can someone help me

Chuzzle

HI

Is there anyone out there that would like to go through my gas & Electric bills and see if I can get cheaper elsewhere? I know its a cheek to ask someone else to do it, but I really don't understand the results I get from the comparison sites. Also my DH did look after the bills and when I look online at all our previous bills its a bit confusing as too exactly how much we've used, we also pay a set amount each month. I'd be happy to email copies of our bills if someone would like to help me.

Thanks so much

Magentasue

To get accurate results, you need to know how many kwh you use annually. To help those happy to search for you, post your annual use in kwh if you know it. If you don't, look on your bills/statements - can you see some actual meter readings? They will say actual, (A), read by us or similar. If you have these, post as many as you can with dates.

Also, the first half of your postcode.

McKneff

When i was with Scottish power and wanted to do a comparison i just rang them up, They gave me my annual usage and what the cost was for this.
they were quite happy to help.

I ran the same information in a comparison site and found EDF to be much cheaper.

It really was as easy as that.

Chuzzle

Ok so here are my reading and dates. My post code is IP22 and I am currently on Scottish Power Capped For Free Online for both electric & gas. And we currently pay a set amount of £120 each month by direct debit.

Night is currently charged @ 5.923
Day is currently charged @ 11.334
Standing charge of 13.070
Gas is currently charged @ 3.592
Standing Charge is 11.63
I get a the following discounts
Gas & Elec £2.52
Internet discount £3.78

Here are the readings and dates, I can give you more if you need them.

08/03/2008
Electric Night 453
Electric Day 1153
Gas 4091

31/05/08
Electric Night 1204
Electric Day 2932
Gas 4142

24/09/08
Electric Night 1889
Electric Day 4412
Gas 4169

05/01/09
Electric Night 2706
Electric Day 6531
Gas 4253

14/05/09
Electric Night 3789
Electric Day 9315
Gas 4377

Magentasue

OK, two things.
Firstly, you probably shouldn't be on Econ 7.

Secondly, which of the above readings are actual and which are estimated?

Chuzzle

Hi Magenta

All readings actual.

Magentasue

Looking at your May 08 and May 09 readings, you have:

31/05/08
Electric Night 1204
Electric Day 2932
Gas 4142

14/05/09
Electric Night 3789
Electric Day 9315
Gas 4377

Elec Night = 3789 - 1204 = 2585kwh
Elec Day = 9315 - 2932 = 6383 kwh

Elec total = 2585 + 6383 = 8968 (wow!)

Gas = 4377 - 4142 = 235 meter units

It looks as if you have electric heating - what sort?
Is your gas meter metric or imperial?
What do you use gas for?

Chuzzle

Gas is for gas hob, heating and water (I think - the boiler is gas and I'm sure that heats the water as well.)

Electric is for the oven lighting and tv, computer etc etc.

Considering 4 of us live here (2 adults 2 kids) and during the day 5 days a week we are either at work or school I think maybe our electric useage is a bit high. I do constantly go round after everyone switching stuff off, but DH has an electric heater in his shed - oil filled radiator type and I think that is on all the time. He claims its ok cos it doesn't come on but as far as I can see the little power light is on therefore its using electric??

How do I know if my gas meter is metric or imperial it doesn't say anything on my bills.

Magentasue

That doesn't seem right at all. You use very little gas if you have gas central heating - are you sure those are actual readings?

Your electricity use is very high - we are a family of six with someone home all day and used just over 5000kwh last year. The heater will be a killer - it may not be 'on' all the time because it will cut out when the thermostat cuts in, but in a shed it'll be on a lot, I'd have thought. Also, for some reason, you have Economy 7 so you pay more for daytime electricity than you need to.

Your gas meter will say cubic feet (ft3) or cubic metres on it somewhere.

Chuzzle

I will check the gas meter when I get home, I'm at work atm (ssshhh don't tell no1!!)

I try and do a load of washing overnight but thats all really overnight and we've never had electric heating since we moved in the house 13 years ago it's always been gas heating. We do have a tumble drier but that only gets used in an emergency. We are very good in that we didn't turn the heating on until November and I keep the thermostat at 18c if we get cold then its extra clothes and blankets I'm afraid! And the heating went off at the beginning of April I think, or maybe end of March. Maybe I need to invest in one of those reader things to check our usage? Although the electric meter was replaced last year in February and its now one of those digital meters.

When I look at our bills the readings are either E or C I've listed all the C readings. I will study them a bit more later just to make sure there are no A readings in there that I can give you instead.

Thanks for your help so far, anyhow.

Chuzzle

Just had a thought, we have an electric power shower which is around 12 years old it gets used at least once aday and sometimes 3 times aday, don't suppose that'd make much difference would it?