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Are my bills too high respective of my usage?

byb3
byb3 Posts: 188 Forumite
edited 15 July 2009 at 9:12AM in Energy
I moved into rented accomodation (3 bed end of terrace in Cheshire) with my girlfriend and inherited a pre-payment electricity meter and a normal gas meter. I am with npower for both gas and electric.

My most recent electric bill was (split into two pricing structures, as they changed it):

OLD PRICING STRUCTURE:
16/02/09 - 30/03/09 - 339kwh
First 339 at 12.770p = £43.29
42 days @ 17.900p per day = £7.52
Total: £50.81

30/03/09 - 12/05/09 - 337kwh
First 337 at 13.170p = £44.38
43 days @ 5.000p per day = £2.15
Total: £46.53

Sum = £97.34
VAT @ 5% = £4.86

FINAL ELECTRICITY TOTAL: £102.20 for 676kwh
This averages at 15.1p/kwh over the period, at 8kwh/day.

For my Gas Bill (190 days):

10/12/08 - 18/06/09 - 352cm = 3940kwh
First 2966 @ 7.458p = £221.20
Next 974 @ 2.577p = £25.10
Total: £246.30
VAT @ 5% = £12.31

FINAL GAS TOTAL: £258.61 for 3940kwh
This averages at 6.6p/kwh over the period, at 21kwh/day

As far as I can tell, I am doing very well with my electricity consumption at only 8kwh/day.
I am not sure how well my gas compares. I personally think my bills are very high for such little use.

If I extend my housing contract for another year I will definitely get an electric meter installed, I am just unsure how long and how difficult it will be with npower.

Cheers,

Adam
«1

Comments

  • bockster
    bockster Posts: 448 Forumite
    looks pretty reasonable to me, the kwh at least, thats assuming you have gch, the 190 days would run into the colder months.

    or have you got elec heating, so would not show up in the 90 odd days of the elec bill?
    Please note, we've had to remove your signature because it was sh*te!
  • byb3
    byb3 Posts: 188 Forumite
    bockster wrote: »
    looks pretty reasonable to me, the kwh at least, thats assuming you have gch, the 190 days would run into the colder months.

    or have you got elec heating, so would not show up in the 90 odd days of the elec bill?

    I have gas central heating, and did use it reasonably during last winter.

    My biggest costs are the electric shower (9kw per hour) and an old Fridge/Freezer (measured at 2.87kwh/day with one of those meters you leave plugged in).

    Would there be a big saving in switching to a normal meter as opposed to staying with the current pre-payment meter?
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,063 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    Your electricity consumption is good, but your prices are very high.

    Your consumption for Gas is also excellent - although there is a typo and presumably you mean [EMAIL="2966@7.458p"]2966 @ 7.458p[/EMAIL]?

    The reason why your unit prices for gas appears so high is that you are the victim of NPower's 'seasonal weighting'.
  • KimYeovil
    KimYeovil Posts: 6,156 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 15 July 2009 at 9:22AM
    Byb, you may save even more switching supplier. Your gas consumption is low and you could save switching to Ebico. (3.77p per kWh). (If you were using your gas for heating you are not going to recover your seasonal excess by staying with nPower over summer.) Your electricity is also low but is more borderline as to if you should switch to Ebico. Your current average of 13.8p (from change of tariff) is close to Ebico's price (12.6p to 13.8p).

    If you maintain that usage (likely if you managed it this winter) then switching to Ebico seems a no-brainer. You don't even need to bother worrying about the prepayment meter. (But do keep an eye on your usage and don't become profligate when you suddenly see your gas prices shrink.)
  • byb3
    byb3 Posts: 188 Forumite
    Cardew wrote: »
    Your electricity consumption is good, but your prices are very high.

    Your consumption for Gas is also excellent - although there is a typo and presumably you mean 2966 @ 7.458p?

    The reason why your unit prices for gas appears so high is that you are the victim of NPower's 'seasonal weighting'.

    Thank you for confirming my suspicions Cardew, and a good spot on the typo, I missed it twice. Would it be worth my while looking to switch to another provider at this time of the year? I've always been very wary of the vast myriad of pricing structures and 'we can save you £xx' promotions.
  • byb3
    byb3 Posts: 188 Forumite
    KimYeovil wrote: »
    Byb, you may save even more switching supplier. Your gas consumption is low and you could save switching to Ebico. (3.77p per kWh). (If you were using your gas for heating you are not going to recover your seasonal excess by staying with nPower over summer.) Your electricity is also low but is more borderline as to if you should switch to Ebico. Your current average of 13.8p (from change of tariff) is close to Ebico's price (12.6p to 13.8p).

    If you maintain that usage (likely if you managed it this winter) then switching to Ebico seems a no-brainer. You don't even need to bother worrying about the prepayment meter. (But do keep an eye on your usage and don't become profligate when you suddenly see your gas prices shrink.)

    I've just checked out the Equigas website, and you are right the savings compared to my current tariff are significant. Basing on my previous usage of 3940kwh I would have only paid £144.80. That is around £120 in savings! Honestly I had never heard of Ebico before, so I am a bit cautious.

    Are they a well known and trusted company to sign up with? At first looks it appears to be a bit like Utility Warehouse.
  • KimYeovil
    KimYeovil Posts: 6,156 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Splutter±Fume€Cough£

    No they bleeding well ain't like Utility Warehouse. Wash your mouth out!
  • Cardew
    Cardew Posts: 29,063 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Rampant Recycler
    byb3 wrote: »
    Are they a well known and trusted company to sign up with? At first looks it appears to be a bit like Utility Warehouse.

    WHAT!!!!!

    Ebico are non-profit making and up-front with their prices - the simplest tariff on the market.
  • KimYeovil
    KimYeovil Posts: 6,156 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Sorry, Byb, don't run off, Cardew and I will calm down.

    Ebico are trusted. The only reason they are not imitated is that the other suppliers prefer to make their money through obscure obfuscatory tariffs that involve extreme cross subsidies between customers as soon as you veer off the target national average consumption. And unlike Utility Warehouse they do not require you to spend hundreds of pounds (in advance) each and every month on groceries and clothing to receive a competitive price.

    Of course there is also a subsidy between customers with Ebico - but it is relatively transparent and (arguably) more reasonably applied and shared. And certainly with your usage (and if you maintain your current usage) it seems a safe bet.
  • joel10873
    joel10873 Posts: 106 Forumite
    read this with interest, is there a general concesus that n power are not ideal? i have been with them for seven months and they already think i am £768 in arrears despite paying £70 per month for gas and electric and not having had my heating on since may!

    Opinions??
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