Problems with npower-electric bill seems very high

loulou123

Am living in a small studio flat, with all electric. Electricity wise, i use the oven to cook daily, washing machine twice a week, tumble dryer twice a week, vey minimal hot water which comes from the shower to save me putting the bolier on whenever possible. I use mostly engery saving bulbs etc. Oh and i have night storage heaters (2) which i use in winter-but wait until its really cold to do so.

Just over a year ago i switched my electric from Southern electric to npower. With southern electric i was paying £41 a month and never went over in the course of a year, as during the summer i paid off what i had used in the winter.

Npower orginally set my direct debit up at £30.00 per month (telling me i could pay less as there electricity was cheaper) and when i got the 1st bill i had gone WAY over by about £400.00. I paid this off and they advised me i increased my DD to £45.00 which i did.

Just got my bill for this period and again £180.00 over, so they are now advising me to increase my direct debit to £81 per month. This seems alot for someone living on there own in a VERY small flat, who is careful with electricity.

Have electricity prices really increased by this much over a year (meaning that id be in the same position now with Southern Electric.)

Ive worked out my yearly usage and its approx 5685 units and put this into a price compare sight and its saying British gas will cost £40 per month to cover this amount, so im confused.

Please help!

Cardew

Presumably with Night Storage Heaters you are on an Economy 7(E7) tariff? There wouldn't be any point in having storage heaters without E7

Annual usage of 5685kWh is not of much use to calculate expenditure unless you know how much of that is on the E7 night rate.

Electricity hasn't gone up much in a year - but NPower are very expensive for electricity.

loulou123

Yep on E7 taffif. Aprox 2000kWh of the 5685kWh is on the nightly rate. But this bill in from the 8th December 08 to the 8th October 09, so doesnt quite cover the whole winter period (which is only time i have night storage on)

Checked all my old bills, going back to 2005 and dont appear to be using any more electric than before, (although it varies by a couple of hundred units over the years, it remains pretty much same.)

Think im going to have to swap from npower then, as they do seem very expensive.