How much should we be using in gas and electricity?

puddy

I have just rung southern electric to check out our yearly gas and electric usage and payments etc.

Our monthly gas average works out at £35 (we pay £38) and electric £50 (we pay £45 and are in £192 arrears)

We live in a semi detached 3 bed house and there are 2 of us. We have the usual electric stuff like telly, computers, combi boiler, OH uses an electric shower, I use the standard shower attachment (cant stand the dribble that is the electric shower). We dont have a tumble dryer but do use a dehumidifier for one day a week (need to look how much this costs). We use green energy lightbulbs etc.

It sounds terribly expensive to me. She said theres no point switching to a fixed rate elsewhere as the rates are 20% more and its 'mere' speculation that the rates will rise, they have no plans to (!). So I thanked her for her help.

Does this sound about right to you, I resent paying out nearly £100pm on utilities (water is extra).

elektra

You will get more answers if you quote KWH instead of £, as everyone is on different tariffs and diff parts of country.

For me, currently apprrox 3500 kwh elec, 12,000 KH gas , 4 bed house, gas central heating

eurmalian

You're really not paying over the odds there I'm afraid. £85 a month is quite standard, possibly a bit under average, unless you're on a really, incredibly cheap tariff.

And the part about rates rising or not is rubbish. Companies can't tell their staff about price rises until they're fully announced to the public, due to stock market insider trading rules, so the person you spoke to is just guessing.

If they actually gave you the advice over the phone that prices may well go up, so moving to another company to go on a fixed rate may well be sensible, then they'd be in a lot of trouble if that call got spot checked. Unsurprisingly, companies don't look kindly on their employees saying anything positive about a move to a competitor...

puddy

the yearly usage amounts were 9937 for gas and 4499 for electricity?

puddy

elektra wrote: »

You will get more answers if you quote KWH instead of £, as everyone is on different tariffs and diff parts of country.

For me, currently apprrox 3500 kwh elec, 12,000 KH gas , 4 bed house, gas central heating

your electricity is a lot lower than ours and ours is a smaller house?