PLEASE HELP Regarding immersion heater and electricity

JAN.1026

G_M wrote: »

Why do you NEVER answer the questions people here trying to help ask you?!!!!



There have been many other unanswered questions which makes helping you very difficult.

Oh.. Sorry, I should answer it clearly.. Yes, i gave them the reading, and they also have sent someone in to read it again and made sure the meter that they read is the one for
Our flat. And the previous bill seems to have no problem.

after they confirmed that it is correct reading, then I asked electrician to have a look if anyone steals our electricity, which the answer is no. So I rang scottishpower again, they then carried out a meter test by putting an additional one beside it, which is still there now.. They came yesterday and got the new readings from both and compared, the result is that the reading is correct and the meter is normal.

ILW

If the readings are correct and nobody is stealing your electric, then there must be something or a number of things in your flat that are using all that electricity. It is impossible for an immersion heater to stay on full power 24 hours a day (you would have the tank constantly boiling) so there must be something else. Check out what heating you have and make sure you havnt got the oven on all the time.

G_M

OK so:
The meter is tested and works.
The meter does not move when everything switched off, so there is no one stealing electricity.
The meter does not move when everything is switched off so there are no other hidden electrical appliances in the flat using electricity.
The meter has been read and the bills are based on an accurate reading
The flat's central heating is electric, but appears to run off a hot water/radiator system (unusual), but is not used.
The water is heated by emmersian heater which may/may not have a fault.

Have you looked at and checked the original meter reading when you moved in? If this was not checked there is a possibility you are being asked to pay for the last tenant's electricity!

As we are all running out of ideas (us on the forum, you OP, the agent AND the electrician) it may be time to change the emmersian heater in the tank.

I advise you NOT to do this yourself, but to ask the agent to get it done. If they are reluctant, offer to pay for the replacement heater. They cost betwen £10 - £20. eg see prices here.

JAN.1026

G_M wrote: »

OK so:
The meter is tested and works.
The meter does not move when everything switched off, so there is no one stealing electricity.
The meter does not move when everything is switched off so there are no other hidden electrical appliances in the flat using electricity.
The meter has been read and the bills are based on an accurate reading
The flat's central heating is electric, but appears to run off a hot water/radiator system (unusual), but is not used.
The water is heated by emmersian heater which may/may not have a fault.

Have you looked at and checked the original meter reading when you moved in? If this was not checked there is a possibility you are being asked to pay for the last tenant's electricity!

As we are all running out of ideas (us on the forum, you OP, the agent AND the electrician) it may be time to change the emmersian heater in the tank.

I advise you NOT to do this yourself, but to ask the agent to get it done. If they are reluctant, offer to pay for the replacement heater. They cost betwen £10 - £20. eg see prices here.

I have not read the reading when I move in but I have been living here for 3 years now so I think it is not what causing my high bill..

Thanks for the advice ! I will speak to them tomorrow and see how they say!!!

MANY THANKS to you all who tried to help as well!!

Manual_Reversion

To the OP:

Don't be put off by anyone here: I'm sure everyone is trying to help, but it's sometimes difficult to do so without very specific information.

To other posters:

Let's be mindful that the OP is from another country, could be here without any support, English is not their native language, particularly technical and specific words used to describe very uninteresting heating systems that may not exist where they come from.

To the OP (again!):

I wouldn't expect too much help from your letting agent. They make no money by helping you with your electricity problem so probably won't bother, or just give you generic answers to make you go away. Similarly with electricians etc., if they can't find anything broken that they can fix or replace then their incentive for work has disappeared and they won't be interested in why your bills are high.

Do you have native support in this country?

Given that 79 units per day is huge, can you plan a shower/wash routine that allows you 24 hours of immersion heating switched off at the wall, and see what your electricity use is without it, even just for 24 hours?

You have also said (I think!) that with the immersion heater off your units doubled?

LAST POINT: We lived in a place a couple of years ago with a gas-powered central heating system. When we went away over the winter we turned it 'off'. But it had a system that you couldn't stop, it kept working to stop the (water) pipes freezing during the winter. I think our gas bill was about £120/ month. You say your bill went crazy from three months ago. Maybe your electric system stays on even when 'off' to protect freezing pipes? Are your radiators warm even with heating 'off'?

clairecymru

When I first moved in my flat. I had abnormally high bills (compared to my old flat which was of a similar size). Turned out the energy company had all the meters mixed up with the flats in building. They wanted to charge me for the gas and electric usage of the show flat. I had to get the energy company to come out and prove to them that they had the wrong meter for me by turning everything off and showing them that the numbers on the meter that they had for me was still moving. They finally fixed the problem and now my bills are back to £45 a month.

huangdi

might be a very silly question for the OP, and excuse if ive missed something. I have same type of combi heater as the OP in my one bed flat.

Does the OP have economy 7?

the reason i ask is if it is set to ON, the timer will heat the water at night for a few hours every day no matter what. is the correct time displayed on the timer switch and its not heating the water constantly due to a timer issue?

i found the manual for my combi heater online, and managed to work out how to use it. a couple of times my bills was high, so i checked the thermostat was set to the correct temperature. turns out, the timer had changed itself, and was heating water at the wrong time of day.

normally u can reset the timer, by pressing all buttons at the same time. this will allow u to reset the time etc. i can manually set 3 seperate ON/OFF phases so i have it on for one hour when i get up, then 1 hour when Mrs H gets up :T.

so technically, i do not bother using the economy 7 anymore. just 2/3 hours a day. my bills are 35-40 in the summer, 65 in the winter(all electric)

have u looked at the manufacturer of the combi boiler to find a manual? is it an OSO by any chance?

G_M

huangdi wrote: »

might be a very silly question for the OP, and excuse if ive missed something. I have same type of combi heater as the OP in my one bed flat.Not a combi.

Does the OP have economy 7? Already answered. No.

the reason i ask is if it is set to ON, the timer will heat the water at night for a few hours every day no matter what. is the correct time displayed on the timer switch and its not heating the water constantly due to a timer issue?

i found the manual for my combi heater online, and managed to work out how to use it. a couple of times my bills was high, so i checked the thermostat was set to the correct temperature. turns out, the timer had changed itself, and was heating water at the wrong time of day.

normally u can reset the timer, by pressing all buttons at the same time. this will allow u to reset the time etc. i can manually set 3 seperate ON/OFF phases so i have it on for one hour when i get up, then 1 hour when Mrs H gets up :T.

so technically, i do not bother using the economy 7 anymore. just 2/3 hours a day. my bills are 35-40 in the summer, 65 in the winter(all electric)

have u looked at the manufacturer of the combi boiler to find a manual? is it an OSO by any chance?

But good idea re manufacturer. Is there a manufacturer name on the boiler? Let us know.

JAN.1026

ILW wrote: »

If the readings are correct and nobody is stealing your electric, then there must be something or a number of things in your flat that are using all that electricity. It is impossible for an immersion heater to stay on full power 24 hours a day (you would have the tank constantly boiling) so there must be something else. Check out what heating you have and make sure you havnt got the oven on all the time.

Thanks! The electrician tried to switch on and off those fuses and it is the boiler one that cause the meter runs so fast:)

Oven is not on as we don't cook and the socket switch is off all the time when we are not using it:)

JAN.1026

ILW wrote: »

If the readings are correct and nobody is stealing your electric, then there must be something or a number of things in your flat that are using all that electricity. It is impossible for an immersion heater to stay on full power 24 hours a day (you would have the tank constantly boiling) so there must be something else. Check out what heating you have and make sure you havnt got the oven on all the time.

G_M wrote: »

But good idea re manufacturer. Is there a manufacturer name on the boiler? Let us know.

Good idea! Will let you all know later!