Should i worry- V low bill

betterlatethannever

I know most problems on here are about high bills, but i'm concerned because my leccy bill is so low.:cool:

I moved into property late Dec 2010 and gave a moving in meter reading- i then provided them with another reading a few weeks back.
I now have an electric bill for just £48 for a quarter:eek: (on dual fuel and gas is £240 with scottish power).

There are 2 adults in a two bed flat. Elec includes washing machine 5+ times a week, x2 showers a day, elec cooker + all the usual others. I'm at home all day too.
We have gas central heating.

Does this sound normal or could there be a problem?

KimYeovil

Yes, you should be concerned. £16 per month for electric cooking and showers seems unreal - even with no cooking you would be hard pressed to spend less than £12 per month (once tier 1/standing charge is included).

It should be straightforward enough to check - read your meter now daily and weekly to monitor your consumption. As you have gas heating your use should not be that much different from winter and you can extrapolate back.

Chances are there is a misreading somewhere - once you have some new reads you willprobably find a more realistic consumption. Look at the opening reads on your bills and the meter numbers to find an anomaly. Of course, it could just be that the bill is estimated despite you providing reads.

betterlatethannever

KimYeovil wrote: »

It should be straightforward enough to check - read your meter now daily and weekly to monitor your consumption. As you have gas heating your use should not be that much different from winter and you can extrapolate back.

.

Thanks Kim.
Its not that easy to read the meter as its actually in the basement of the building, through a shop. So i have to get the shops permission to go through, then down to the basement- although they've been as good as gold, so shouldn't be a problem checking it more often.
The LL took the first reading- with me there. I'll get it checked though as that is ridiculously low.

mattcanary

Is the meter an old-style dial meter by any chance? They are very frequently misread

spiro

Did they use the reading you provided for the bill? Sometimes they fail validation and are not used.

What are the two readings on the bill?

Is it possible there is another meter somewhere else? If the Consumer Unit it in your flat, is it possible to follow the cable back to the meter?

As has been said try and read the meter at say I week apart, during that time log appliance useage i.e. TV 2 hrs per day, Cooking 1/5hr per day. The more detailed the log the better. At the end of the week you can then see whats been used and how many appliance hours have been used. If they dont match this will allow you to contact supplier and report an issue with the meter.

Scottish_Power

Hi betterlatethannever

I agree that this does seem to be a low charge for a winter period. The meter readings are the first area to check, also make sure that the meter serial number matches the meter serial number shown on your statements. Is the meter an old dial meter and maybe being read incorrectly? If not and the reading is displayed in digits, ensure that no decimal numbers or numbers in red are included in the reading. For example, if the meter shows 01234.5, your meter reading is 1234. If the meter shows 123456, then your reading is 1234.

You may also want to check that this meter is recording the electricity within your property. If the electricity meter has a spinning dial you ca check this my switching off your electricity supply at the mains, leave it for a couple of minutes to allow the meter to run down, and then go and check to make sure the meter has stopped recording. I would suggest reviewing all of these areas first to see if the error can be highlighted. Failing this, final checks could be completed by arranging for an independent electrician to come out and check the internal wiring of the property or we can arrange for the electricity meter to be tested for accuracy.

I can look at the account as well for you to see if I notice anything on our billing system. If you want me to check for you just send me an email to [EMAIL="onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com"]onlinecomplaints@scottishpower.com[/EMAIL].

Kind Regards

Colin @ ScottishPower

betterlatethannever

Thank you all for the replies

Yes, the meter is old, but with 5 numbers, not a dial.

Yes, they used my moving in reading (dec 21st) and my recent one (10 march)
The two readings are: 92345 (dec 21st)
: 92855 (march 10th)

There are 3 meters together, in the shop basement- they are 'first floor'(shop) 'flat one' (me) 'flat two' (flat above)
I've checked the meter number to make sure, and yes, i read the correct one.

Sorry Spiro, i don't know what a consumer unit is? when i checked the meter just now, the washing machine was on, the radio and fridge/freezer and the meter was moving round at a steady speed.


SPR- there are no decimal numbers and no red numbers.

I've jus read my meter (18th march) and its 92905, previously on 10th march it was 92855

thank you for all your help- i really appreciate it.
I'll keep doing a weekly meter reading to check it.

KimYeovil

10 kWh over seven or eight days? Neither of you had a shower? You did not do any cooking?

Either you are very smelly and hungry or you have a gas cooker and gas hot water and are mistaking it for electric ones or the wiring is completely mixed up between you and the shop or the meter is kaput.

There are two of you in the flat? Grab your mobile phones and one person stay at the meter and the other person play about with the shower and cookers and a kettle.

betterlatethannever

KimYeovil wrote: »

10 kWh over seven or eight days? Neither of you had a shower? You did not do any cooking?

Either you are very smelly and hungry or you have a gas cooker and gas hot water and are mistaking it for electric ones or the wiring is completely mixed up between you and the shop or the meter is kaput.

.

:rotfl:ty Kim
Nope- we've both showered every day (it must be electric- we have to switch on a switch to get it too work?). I don't cook huge amounts, but its an electric cooker with gas hob- i've used the cooker 3-4 times at least over last 10 days- then theres washing machine,microwave, kettle (lots of use) 2 tvs, pc, radio, hairdryer etc etc..

your suggestions about 2 mobiles is a good one, but i've just been down and seen that the meter wheel is moving at a good pace with the washing machine on. Its starting to look like there maybe a problem somewhere then- but where?

liam8282

Sounds strange, but if the building was originally all one property and converted into flats and a shop, perhaps the wiring could be messed up somewhere?

ie, your using electric in certain rooms but they are wired up to either the shop or other flats electricity supply?

Have you tried asking the people in the other flat what their bills are like?

betterlatethannever

liam8282 wrote: »

Have you tried asking the people in the other flat what their bills are like?

No, i haven't (not sure i want to now,either )

The flat above is all electric but one bedroomed. The shop below is unheated and just has lights etc.

I think you could be correct then about the electrics being done incorrectly when the place was converted. There are a few 'issues' that i've found since moving in and electrics is one of them (dodgy lights that blow within a week of putting a new bulb in is just one of them)

It just seems odd though that the meter was running round at a good pace when i looked at it. I would have thought if the problem was away from the meter, that it wouldn't have turned very quickly.