Can I switch to same provider and get cashback

macman

The gas is bad enough, but your electricity usage is completely crazy: as stated above, it's about 4 times the UK average. Why haven't you addressed this in the 9 years you've been tracking it? Improve the insulation?
Assuming that all your heating and hot water is from gas, there is no way that even a large, draughty and poorly insulated property can use much more than half that amount of electricity, especially with one floor unused. You say you've 'changed the meter'-is this the electricity meter? If not, then get it tested as a priority. If it's found to be accurate, then get a sparky in to investigate. The investment of a few hundred pounds will quickly be recovered if he sorts it, since you are spending £170 a month already.
A few household gadgets left on unnecessarily is not going to explain this level of consumption: it can only be explained by a fault, or by extremely heavy use of electric and hot water heating-which you say is not the case.
Since electricity is 3 times the price of gas, why don't you fix the leaky rad rather than use an oil filled one? That would be a start.

techno12

starfish10 wrote: »

Hello

I am with npower on the standard tariff and pay quarterly. I can save quite a lot if I switch to Spark (but I think it could be false economy from what I have read) next best is npower online and pay by direct debit

Would I be able to get cashback by switching or is it not switching?

Thankyou

This question has been asked loads of times and usually there are replies saying 'no' which is completely untrue. I'm forever having to reply to say that it is possible ;-)

You can get cashback when you change tariffs within NPower IF you go through a comparison site which offers cashback when you use a site such as Quidco.

I've done this for the last 4 years, each time getting around £30. My latest switch was from Sign Online 24 to Energy Online Jan 2014. I did this at the end of October with USwitch (clicking via Quidco) and received £28 cashback at the end of January.

Presumably the companies still pay up to some degree as you're committing to a new contract.

undaunted

What you do is upto you, no telling off from me but I'd have to agree with the gist that you need to either seriously look at ways of reducing that consumption or move!

starfish10

Hello and thanks for your replies

Your posts have made me do something and the thoughts of changing tariff and going on to monthly direct debit just highlights just how huge my monthly payment will be

I have done readings of electric meter from 10.30pm on Thursday I used 10kw over night until 8am in morn!!!

I have removed kitchen oil filled heater that was the culprit even though its on low to take the chill off. I will fix the rad

I have pulled anything thats left plugged in not needed in the last 24 hour period I have used 14kw.

I am going to check all bulbs are changed to energy saving

14kw is still over the average though isnt it. I have ordered one of those monitor you plug appliance into to see what is using

I have a industrial size fridge outside that may be using a lot as it is old

I am getting a monitor, to try and get whole family involved in turning lights off.

starfish10

Hello techno12

I will read terms and conditions on quidco. I rang Npower yesterday and they rang me back while I was out. I just want to get changed. How quick is it to change if you use a switching site.

I was going toask Npower if they would let me have a free smart monitor as I was changing to dd I will see.

techno12

Usually takes about a month.

Just go through Quidco anyway - the worst they can do is refuse. I know there's no small print saying "new customers only"... it just says "£21 for dual gas & electricity switch" on the USwitch page.

This one took a little longer as NPower were flooded with people switching at that time apparently (had to phone them up after a month as I hadn't heard anything and the advisor said that loads of people were switching and that was slowing things down).

They sent me a smart monitor a couple of years ago for free (you have to click on a box online to request it though they may have removed that option now) and it's fabulous. I look at it loads as it's in the lounge, and it's gratifying to see how little electricity I'm using most of the time, and alarming how it shoots up when the tumbler or oven is on ;-)

BTW my idle usage when as much as possible is off (eg if I'm about to go out or overnight and all the lights etc are off) is 120w to 160w - it increases when the fridge freezer kicks in once in a while, so I'm using not much more than 1Kw overnight. Once you get the monitor it'll be interesting to see what your idle usage is..

starfish10

Hello there

I have changed to npower cheaper tariff

I have got myself an energy monitor, my usage when everyone has gone to bed is about 0.350kwh and in the day the average is about 0.60kwh so my usage is about 14kw per day over the last days. I am watching it like a hawk and following everyone pulling plugs out and turning lights off. ( if i can carry on i will have reduced consumption to 5110kw from 12664kw)

The heater in the kitchen has gone and its absolutely freezing through there. I need to get a radiator sorted.

I have now turned attention to the huge gas usage



I have measured the living flame gas fire in living room it used 3.22kwh and I use it from about 7 - 10pm so about 13kw a day but it does add some warmth

between 1.45pm yesterday and 2pm today i have calculated we have used 214kwh of gas it was only on last night and plus this morning until kids went to school and hot water timed for morning and night. It was freezing during day

I know i need to insulate the top floor roof but why is it using so much gas. If the average consumption is so much less. I have now only 2 rads on middle floor, 0 on top floor and 6 on ground floor ( 3 double and 3 single.

if my boiler input is 25.6kwh does this mean this is the limit of power that it will use per hour

What would happen if I turned on all the rads (the ones that go)

I put heat from cold to full on at 2.00pm and read meter at 3.30pm its used 22.4kw in that time. I have turned boiler temp down from full (6) to (4) and water does not heat until 3.30pm so that is not in the calculation.