Electricity bill seems very high

HappyMJ

I'd say annual usage of 5500kWh is very good. Now you have used a bit more it seems to you quite a shock but 8000kWh per year for a partially electrically heated property is still very good. The national average of 3300kWh excludes heating and hot water as in a normal house that would be provided by gas of which that averages 16,500kWh.

The estimate they have given you March 2011 is far too low. The averages they use are based on previous usage. As your previous usage was March to September 2010 they were summer months. They have a chart they use and that chart assumes that your property will be heated by gas and not by electricity.

I don't see any problem at all. You've just used a bit of extra heating over the winter which as we all remember December 2010 was freezing cold for the entire month.

marcus_h

Happy - the house does not rely on electricity at all for heat/hot water. There is only an electric back-up device (which has never been on, so far as I am aware), and we run the heating from a fuel-oil tank. So we used 8000 kw/h for lights and appliances etc.

Keith - thanks for the advice. I would get one of the elec company's engineers out first, but intend to do exactly as you say, and monitor this. Quite busy at the moment, so thought it would be a good first step for them to look into it.

Btw, any recommendations as to which energy monitor to try?

jalexa

marcus_h wrote: »

Would Atlantic send an engineer out to see if there is a problem?

To go back to your OP, you are entitled to challenge the accuracy of your meter but if you do and it is found to be accurate you will have to pay a charge (and be no further forward). Search "meter accuracy" on the Atlantic website and you will get a link to the applicable Terms and Conditions clause.

Up to you, but I still get from your posts that you don't yet have a handle on your consumption. My suggestion was daily readings for a week (initially).

If you'd taken that advice you would soon have 1 or 2 readings to post. And you would get more meaningful advice. Apologies if I have missed something.

keith1950

Hi, sorry if I misunderstood you, it's just that I have previously heard that having an energy company check things out is chargeable if there is deemed to be no fault. So I was just advising that you eliminate all possibilities before risking getting stung with a fee.!!

I have so far had 3 energy monitors:-

A BG one which was fairly basic.

A Scottishpower one which was slightly better .

Currently using an EON one , which is manufactured by 'currentcost', which is quite comprehensive.

It monitors:-
Actual current useage kwh.
Actual current useage cost.
Last days useage kwh'
Last weeks useage kwh.
Last months useage kwh.
Time.
Temperature.
Graphs showing useage in last evening/night/day.

It also has a large clear screen.

marcus_h

Thanks Keith - I will try one of those.

Jalexa - it has used 26 units in 2 days. Thanks for the info regarding the potential charges - I will look into that. On Monday, I will go through the house and progressively switch things on and off to see what usage I observe.

macman

You already have a very accurate (well hopefully) monitor installed-your own meter.
9 out of 10 people who post on here about 'unexpectedly high bills' jump to the conclusion that their meter is inaccurate. Probably less than one of those does turn out to have a faulty meter.

jalexa

marcus_h wrote: »

it has used 26 units in 2 days.

That's more like it. Keep it up.

OK, 13 units a day isn't particularly "frugal" neither is it "profligate", though looking at your OP I sense you *think* you are careful with the "lecy" but perhaps without understanding what uses what. BTW do you use oil or electricity for cooking? Apologies if you have said.

I don't see from your billing data that "it has all gone wrong in the last year", so I don't see a recent change in the meter accuracy (which is not the same as saying it isn't "inaccurate"). Though still "unlikely".

You didn't concede much electrical use in your OP but Brewerdave challenged you on washing machine and dryer use. Did you answer that? Apologies again if I missed the answer.

furndire

Do you cook with electric - oven? Was the washer, tumble dryer on over those 2 days. While you are taking meter readings, I would try & take note of what items you have used through the day. Do you have a fridge, freezer which is cutting in a lot?

marcus_h

Yes, cooking is with electricity (fan assisted oven, ceramic hob thingy). We use the washing machine on 40 degrees only, and very rarely use the dryer. There is a big fridge.

I don't think that we are frugal, but we do try and take care.

The 'all gone wrong in the last year' stems from the differences between the first and second year. The first year saw 5500 consumption (over 13 months, in fact, so the annualised usage is closer to 5000 over 12 months, really) while this last year has seen 8000 used between the Sept 2010 reading and today (so that is less than 12 months - 10 1/2 - 11 months). There has been no new appliances in that time, and in fact we have been home less during the last year than the previous. So its a little confusing.

macman

So what is your annual consumption between now and this date last year (or the nearest reading date to a year ago that you have)?