I'm at the end of my patience - HELP!

CeePeeBee

Guys

my gas and electricity usage seems stupidly high. I am unsure if it's our usage or the tariff. We're moving to EDF from npower but the following is my problem:

Electricity Usage:

15/1/2011 - 14/3/2011 = 2836 = 119kwh @ £0.163 + 2717 @ £0.1275 = £365.42!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What on earth! We have an electricty monitor from npower and it tells us that even on ther worst days we are spending £3 per day. That's a worst case scenario of £90 a month which would be approx £180 for the period above and not £365. Now Gas!

Gas Usage:

15/1/2011 - 22/3/2011 = 7014 kWh = 1531 @ £0.07173 + 5483 @ £0.02518 = £247.88

So for 2 months we're looking at a bill of £600 odd. We have £100 off for DD payment but still...I'm seriously sitting here crying. I feel so helpless by this.

Can somebody tell me if the tariff is just stupidly high or if the usage is stupidly high? The electricity doesn't seem to tally to our ACTUAL usage based on the Monitor (I know it's not accurate but still!)

Our Gas is only on a few hours a day (timed Heating & Hot Water)


PLEASE HELP!!!

lollypops29

I am in the same position, have just received a 700 pound bill for 4 months, gas alone, only me and hubby in house and we are by no means extravagant with the heating, its a nightmare, going to switch but no idea who to, eagerly await others repsonse!

KimYeovil

Your gas price is fair enough (apart from the extra £40 per month standing charge over winter months). Your electricity price is 30% higher than it would be on a cheaper tariff. Are you on a standard tariff?

Having your heating on 'a few hours day' is normal - it does not really warrant an 'only'. Why do people keep saying that?

Gas usage is fair enough for heating, cooking and hot water. But what is causing your very high electricity consumption?

penrhyn

You seem to have used around 3000Kwh electricity in three months, I use 2000Kwh in a year. Say 30 Kwh/day, have you got any power hungry appliances that would account for that usage?

moonrakerz

First thing to do - throw the stupid monitor as far away as you possibly can.
Second. Read your meters every day, they have to be accurate by Law.
Thirdly. You say you are moving supplier, have you been under-paying on your DD and this is the "catch up" bill ?

If your daily use tallies with your bill, take note of what electrical appliances you have on.
Forget the "TV in standby" rubbish - if you are using the amount of electricity that your bill implies that is being used by something producing HEAT.
Immersion heater, Electric heaters, Electric cooker, excessive use of tumble drier.

CeePeeBee

Thanks for your suggestions. I can tell you EXACTLY what I have running and none of it is out of the ordinary of excessive.

TV is on a lot as we have my step-son at home during the day. Freeview box also. Wireless router, another TV and freeview on standby. Microwave, fridge freezer on and that's about it!

Nothing shocking.

As for Kim and Lolly's "replies" - are you seriously saying that £125 per month for gas is acceptable and ordinary?

The major problem I will have is finding out WHAT is using the Gas/Electricity if I see a big change from day to day.

I know it's rare but I have heard of meters being faulty....ours seem very old! I'm also thinking of spending some money (that I haven't got by the way) on getting our gas and boiler setup serviced?

Any more ideas?

DUTR

moonrakerz wrote: »

First thing to do - throw the stupid monitor as far away as you possibly can.
Second. Read your meters every day, they have to be accurate by Law.
Thirdly. You say you are moving supplier, have you been under-paying on your DD and this is the "catch up" bill ?

If your daily use tallies with your bill, take note of what electrical appliances you have on.
Forget the "TV in standby" rubbish - if you are using the amount of electricity that your bill implies that is being used by something producing HEAT.
Immersion heater, Electric heaters, Electric cooker, excessive use of tumble drier.

CeePeeBee wrote: »

Thanks for your suggestions. I can tell you EXACTLY what I have running and none of it is out of the ordinary of excessive.

TV is on a lot as we have my step-son at home during the day. Freeview box also. Wireless router, another TV and freeview on standby. Microwave, fridge freezer on and that's about it!

Nothing shocking.

As for Kim and Lolly's "replies" - are you seriously saying that £125 per month for gas is acceptable and ordinary?

The major problem I will have is finding out WHAT is using the Gas/Electricity if I see a big change from day to day.

I know it's rare but I have heard of meters being faulty....ours seem very old! I'm also thinking of spending some money (that I haven't got by the way) on getting our gas and boiler setup serviced?

Any more ideas?

Check the monitor is set to a £/kwh rate that is as close as possible to your npower charge, I had one of these monitors from BG, and to be fair, it shows I use £76.71 in 3 months, I used to pay £27 per month and it was reduced to £26 and I'm slightly in credit from August :j

KimYeovil

CeePeeBee wrote: »

As for Kim and Lolly's "replies" - are you seriously saying that £125 per month for gas is acceptable and ordinary?

Yes, it is. The national average over an entire year is about £85 for both fuels on the cheapest tariff. Say £65 gas £20 electricity. Most people use more than double their average gas amount in a winter month (closer to three times.) So £125 (including £20 npower seasonal premium) is entirely reasonable and is well below average.

3500 kWh is not particularly high for a winter month. It is possible you are being charged for an imperial meter where you have a metric meter. Have you checked for that?

mattcanary

Is this bill a catch-up one, ie: was the start reading on this bill estimated? If it was, then your usage was probably been under-estimated previously, meaningyou have paid too little in the past.

Probably nothing to do with being on the wrong tariff or your meter being faulty.

spiro

Agree with previous posts was the start reading on this bill an E(stimate) and the end reading an A(ctual)? What about previous bills, where they based on estimated readings? If so this is a catch up bill because you have not checked previous bills and phoned your supplier when the estimated reading on your bill isn't within a few units of the actual reading.

In terms of your elec bill, you have been billed for 2836kwh which is only just under the OFGEM annual average of 300khw for a YEAR. :eek:

CeePeeBee

Both the Gas and the Electricity have come from Actual readings I have provided them. We already went through the "catchup" phase when we were presented with a bill for £880!!! So then to have this hit us is rather troublesome to say the least.

We're going to take Gas and Electricity readings each day just to monitor the usage. As a test yesterday following my OP I went to the trip box and turned off everything but our alarm system...all lights, and sockets (apart from downstairs so the monitor worked)etc......unplugged my office and then looked at the monitor. There was obviously still some electricity being used but the Monitor (with our tariff set at 16pence) showed an hourly usage of 1pence based on the kWh being used......after turning back on some bits and pieces, computer, tv, freeview, sockets etc....our garage, it went to 5/6......and idled....so whilst I know you can't believe these monitors completely, it seems to mirror what I'm doing in the house?