Advice needed on electric bills - Npower

Leanne84_2

Hi
I live with my boyfriend in a small 2 bed flat. We have electricity only and it is provided by npower. We have to pay £147 per month direct debit. This seems very high to me? Or is this normal and it just this high because we don't have gas? We work full time and switch things off.

There is a fault with our electric in that the circuit with the sockets and shower and oven on keep tripping. Our landlords maintenance company still hasn't found the reason or fixed it. Is it possible that a fault in the flat could be making our bills high?

Thanks!! Leanne

McKneff

Do you read your bills properly and check the calculations.

Do you check your meter readings on the actual meter.

Must admit, it does seem a bit high.

Leanne84_2

We were paying £35 a month last year when we first moved in and then it changed this year. The new DDs are based on the winter 3 month bill which said it was an actual meter reading. I don't have access to the meter as it is in a locked cupboard outside of the flats.

KimYeovil

Well that explains why it is £147 - you are not using £147, you are also paying a catch-up amount. £35 is far too low for an electricity only flat. You need to gain occasional access to your meter or at least look more closely at your bills to see what your readings are.

Premier_2

Leanne84 wrote: »

... I don't have access to the meter as it is in a locked cupboard outside of the flats.

Do you mean a cupboard like this?




If so, any good hardware shop should be able to provide a cupboard key.

If not, ask the landlord for a key as you have an obligation to be able to provide the supplier with access to their meter if requested.

Leanne84_2

Oh ok - npower set the DD up as £35, surely they would've known that wouldn't be enough. I would have rather paid less over a long time than £147 a month now, it is a lot out of my budget. Do you think they will automatically make it a lower payment once I've paid any repayments or would I have to request that myself.

Yes it is one of those cupboards, I have asked for a key in the past but not been provided one. I will get one myself.

Thanks for your help.:j

macman

They will adjust it as necessary, but it's up to you to check your bills against the actual meter readings and provide revised readings if necessary. That way your DD's will reflect your actual consumption averaged out over the year.
£35pm is ridiculously low for an all electric flat.

notbritishgas

Leanne84 wrote: »

Hi
I live with my boyfriend in a small 2 bed flat. We have electricity only and it is provided by npower. We have to pay £147 per month direct debit. This seems very high to me? Or is this normal and it just this high because we don't have gas? We work full time and switch things off.

There is a fault with our electric in that the circuit with the sockets and shower and oven on keep tripping. Our landlords maintenance company still hasn't found the reason or fixed it. Is it possible that a fault in the flat could be making our bills high?

Thanks!! Leanne

The oven should have its own seperate supply not connected to the ring main for the sockets. If the shower is a fully electric one then that should also have its own seperate supply.
If you really have sockets and oven and shower on the same supply then no wonder it keeps tripping.

macman

Makes you wonder what that qualifications of the 'maintenance company' are....sounds like a fire waiting to happen. OP, you need to get a competent and qualified electrician to check this out ASAP in your own interest. The way you've described it, the shower installation is completely in breach of the regs, and highly dangerous.

Leanne84_2

Our landlord uses a very unreliable maintenance company who hasn't managed to work out why but yesterday he did say it might be the hob or oven tripping it - which didn't make sense because its never tripped it when we've been using the oven.

I don't know much about electrics but when you look at the fuse boxes there is one set with sockets, oven, shower and something else, and one set with lights and heaters; so i presumed that yes, the oven, shower and plugs are all on the same one, maybe i am wrong. When the electric trips, everything in that first set goes off.

Leanne84_2

I have repeatedly said to my landlord that I am worried about a fire, because it trips at least once a week. Thank you for all of your advice.