Sudden leap in electric bill

Phiepho

Apologies if this has already been covered in another post but to be honest I'm very confused as to how electric bills are calculated and would appreciate some help.

I live in a two bedroom flat which is all electric and on economy 7 but we are both out during the day and the usual bill is around £140 in the spring summer and £220 in the winter which I still thought was quite high.

About a month ago I recieved my last quarterly bill for £416! I have lived here for two years and NEVER had a bill like this in the past. However it is not an estimated read but an actual one and silly me didn't keep my past bills, I just paid them and chucked them once I'd seen the money gone out my account.

I have rung up and told them it is extremely high and they have asked me to check my meter reading which I intend to do so. Just wondered if anyone can give me any advice if it has happened to them.

Also, my downstairs neighbour has recieved a similar bill (theirs is for £500) and when they told me i was shocked (they told me prior to recieving this bill) but now I am worried that if we both have similar sized bills than the company might not look at it seriously.

Thanks for any help you might give me.

Cardew

From the information you have given it is difficult to determine why the bill is so high.

However the probable cause is that the last bill(s) used estimated readings and you gradually built up what effectively is a debit balance, and now you have to pay that debt as well as your normal bill.

This happens very frequently and with your neighbour in the downstairs flat having the same problem it is probable that your meters in the flats are not read that often.

Check with your electricity company if your previous bills were based on estimated readings. Your current bill will say if the 'start' readings are estimated. It should give the reading something like

'Reading 01 March 2006 12345(E)' The 'E'' means it is estimated

david29dpo

as above but, does your immersion have its own timer? if so check it tallys with the change over times on the meter. i say this because my moms was not. the immersion heater timer was correct but the meter was running 3 hours slow-!! so at 12.30 the immersion came on using full price electric!! got compo from npower because of this.

Phiepho

On ym bill the start date for the reading was Actual as was the end reading.

Previous bills were estimated but the start was not an estimated reading for this bill and I asked if the previous bills being estimated would have an effect and was told no as it was an actual start/end reading.

I am taking meter readings for the next 7 days now and hopefully will get to the bottom of it, £416 a quarter seems an awful lot for a small two bedroom flat!

irnbru_2

Phiepho wrote:

I am taking meter readings for the next 7 days now and hopefully will get to the bottom of it, £416 a quarter seems an awful lot for a small two bedroom flat!

Which supplier and tariff?

Post the units and charges from the last bill.

Phiepho

Okay I have taken a reading from yesterday evening and one from just then.

Yesterday it read 675619 - LOW
752784 - NORM

Tonight it read 675716 - LOW
752912 - NORM

Could anyone tell me if this seems too high? I'm not sure how to work it out.

irnbru_2

Phiepho wrote:

Yesterday it read 675619 - LOW
752784 - NORM

Tonight it read 675716 - LOW
752912 - NORM

You should only require the first 5 digits, the last in red is not required - does that make sense for your meter?

75291 67571
75278 67561

10 units at night - sounds like hot water tank?
13 units in the day

Usage varies between household and really, only you can decide if you're using to much.

How do you control the hot water - is it on a timer independent of E7 ?

As you are both out during the day, take a reading when you leave and return. You'll know how much is being burned in your absence.

One way too look at it is this:

7 hours of E7, leaves
17 hours at standard. If you're out between 0900-1800 that leaves
8 hours where you burn the majority of 13 units.

Do you know your tariff and supplier?

Phiepho

I know I'm on E7 and my supplier is Scottish Power.

The hot water is on a timer to coincide with E7 as far as I know.

irnbru_2

Phiepho wrote:

I know I'm on E7 and my supplier is Scottish Power.

The hot water is on a timer to coincide with E7 as far as I know.

Best to confirm it so that you know. It doesn't have to be on for the duration of the E7 period. Equally, even if it were it doesn't mean that it's constantly drawing power.

How is your E7 timing controlled? Do you have a mechanical timer or radio-teleswitch?

If you have an independent timer for your hot water it could be out of synch with your actual E7 timings.

Otherwise, creating a usage diary is the only way you'll know for sure where the pennies are going .........

karnevil

my electricity jumped from about £200 a quarter to suddently £700 a quater - and they put up my DD's from £35 a month to £121 a month !!!

I was HOPPING MAD

Turns out the readings were being transposed - I'm still waiting for it all to get sorted out - but have got my DD's back down to £50 a month while its sorted.

May be a similar problem ? Can you check on your bills ?

edited: I have posted my tale in a seperate thread so I stop hijacking yours as it just taken a turn for the worse !

Phiepho

irnbru wrote:

Best to confirm it so that you know. It doesn't have to be on for the duration of the E7 period. Equally, even if it were it doesn't mean that it's constantly drawing power.

How is your E7 timing controlled? Do you have a mechanical timer or radio-teleswitch?

If you have an independent timer for your hot water it could be out of synch with your actual E7 timings.

Otherwise, creating a usage diary is the only way you'll know for sure where the pennies are going .........

I have now done my 7 day reading and it came out as follows

67571 6 LOW
75291 2 NORM

67578 3 LOW
75302 5 NORM

67578 3 LOW
75302 5 NORM

67588 0 LOW
75311 2 NORM

67594 0 LOW
75322 8 NORM

67603 9 LOW
75330 7 NORM

67611 2 LOW
75338 4 NORM

67619 8 LOW
75347 6 NORM

These readings are actually higher than normal during the day as my flatmate has been off work ill. We still have the towel heaters on in both bathrooms, and have used a heater in the living room. I have been in touch and they say it seems an abnormally high bill and are looking into it. It is not a debt build up from previous bills and my water heater is fine and not causing any problems.

I am perservering with it, but I am growing tired of phoning and having to do all the leg work, seems "utilities" are not what their name suggests. Regardless of the outcome I am going to ask for compensation of my time as up to now I have spent upto 3 hours on the phone/checking bills/reading meters.

Any one got any tips or help?