Please Help!!! Fainting over electric bill

newbie2009

Hi there,

My partner & I have moved into a new house (correct meter readings) and just had our first bill from southern electric. We have E7 electric however the 3 night storage heaters we have are switched off and we work f/time and leave the house @ 8am and come back at 6pm night time. The only electric we use is the pc,washing machine,shower & oven etc.

My bill was HUGE for 2 mths. She advised me their cheaper rate is between 12pm and 7am!!!!!! Who gets up at this insane time to do anything?! I was wondering as we can't afford central heating but have open fires could we remove the E7 meter? Or if you change provider do they give you different time slots so I don't have to be a night owl to get the best out of my electric!!!

Any help greatly appreciated!!!!

Magentasue

Night storage heaters use insane amounts of electricity overnight and so E7 works for them - the night hours are cheaper because there is (as you say) less demand from the rest of us. For the cheap rate at night, there is the downside of a more expensive day rate so you will be better off getting rid of E7 if you don't use the heaters. Some suppliers just change you over on the phone and add the readings from both meters together, others change the meter.

Your high bills probably come from immersion heater, electric shower and cooking - how many kwh are you using, and are the meter readings on the bill accurate?

LeeSouthEast

Cook once a week in the oven and freeze for microwave reheating.
Get up early (if work permits) to shower, prior to 7am.
Put the washing machine on so it finishes before 7am or after midnight (if it's quiet enough).

Small ways to take advantage of the situation. How huge is huge? Unless I'm blind you didn't actually post a figure.

Kavanne

I use electricity at this time by putting a timer on my washing machine. the storage heaters are the killers though

Vestra

How much was the bill for how long?

newbie2009

Hi there, sorry it was a lot even though I take on board we don't have gas. And I did consider changing lifestyle but would have to pay money to have washing machine with timer and two surely using a cooking then refresing to uswe with microwave uses electric?! And also it just doesnt fit in wit the lifestyle. Ive looked into removing it the only thing im unsure on is the boiler? I'm not sure if that needs chaning at all or if you simply stop using the heaters and change the meter?


xxx

Magentasue

Who is your supplier? Someone here will know if they change your meter or just add the readings together and charge at a single rate.

When you say boiler, do you mean immersion heater? You should be heating water at night on cheap rate. If you don't have E7, you can put it on when convenient. If you have an electric shower, you may not need to heat a tankful of water every day. Might be cheaper just to boil the kettle on some days.

LeeSouthEast

Don't pay for a new washing machine. Get a heavy duty timer instead (about £13 in B&Q), or just turn it on yourself if you're still up.

Vestra

Magentasue wrote: »

Who is your supplier? Someone here will know if they change your meter or just add the readings together and charge at a single rate.

When you say boiler, do you mean immersion heater? You should be heating water at night on cheap rate. If you don't have E7, you can put it on when convenient. If you have an electric shower, you may not need to heat a tankful of water every day. Might be cheaper just to boil the kettle on some days.

Their supplier is Southern Electric and yes they do need to change the meter but it is free to do so.

Cardew

You still haven't said what you consider to be an 'huge amount'.

With no heating, but using an immersion heater, a consumption of, say 1,000kWh in two months would not be excessive; that could cost as much as £150 on an E7 tariff with most of the units used on the day rate.

moonrakerz

LeeSouthEast wrote: »

Don't pay for a new washing machine. Get a heavy duty timer instead (about £13 in B&Q), or just turn it on yourself if you're still up.

A lot of domestic appliances won't work on a timer now, they have to be started by pressing the "on" button, not by switching on the mains.