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Best Supplier/tarif for elderly person only using electricty.

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babyblooz
babyblooz Posts: 1,122 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
Father in law is moving into sheltered flat with gas heating included in the rent so only has to pay for his electricity so we need to work out who he should go with as his supplier.

He uses electric for cooking, kettle, microwave and his TV.

No idea how much his usage will be but guessing it wont be high.

I understand some suppliers have a lower standing charge but charge higher per unit of electricity used but because we dont know how much he will be using its a bit of a guessing game.

Any advice anyone?
:hello: :wave: please play nicely children !
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Comments

  • macman
    macman Posts: 53,129 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Use a comp site with his estimated kWh usage. But Ebico may be worth a look for a low user.
    No free lunch, and no free laptop ;)
  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
    Does the heating include Domestic Hot Water too?

    What about lighting, ironing, laundry, fridge/freezer, etc?
  • I can see this being low consumption. My (state) educated guess would be 1200/yr.
  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
    edited 4 June 2013 at 12:14PM
    I can see this being low consumption. My (state) educated guess would be 1200/yr.

    Care to explain how you came to that annual cost guess, Millie?

    An average dual fuel user on an average standard tariff paying quarterly would only pay £1420 a year according to MSE article.

    http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/you-switch-gas-electricity

    The article explains how to get that below £1200 a year.

    The OP says the gas heating is included in the rent, so I would expect the annual energy bill (excluding what is paid for in the rent) to be a lot less than £1200/yr.

    Edit: Talk about getting the wrong end of the stick - see below! :o
  • bengal-stripe
    bengal-stripe Posts: 3,354 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I can see this being low consumption. My (state) educated guess would be 1200/yr.
    Wywth wrote: »
    Care to explain how you came to that annual cost guess, Millie?

    The OP says the gas heating is included in the rent, so I would expect the annual energy bill (excluding what is paid for in the rent) to be a lot less than £1200/yr.

    I believe, Millie's estimate is about an electricity consumption of 1200 kwh/units per year not about a cost of £1200/yr.
  • Nada666
    Nada666 Posts: 5,004 Forumite
    Cooking and electric shower will be important. I would say 1200 kWh is doable only without showers or cooking. Note that a gas boiler itself can easily use 300 kWh of electricity. Add a fridge-freezer - that's more than half of 1200 already. Sheltered flat so more hours of lighting, older people often like more lights. Things mount up.

    Somehow I think the useage will be close to average rather than not high (that is 2 or 3,000, not 1,000.) Of course it is possible he can economise and scrimp but I would start with an estimate of 2,500 and look at single tariffs at that useage. Depends on how much he cooks it could be substantially more. (Indeed, even if he cooks little but reheats a lot he may use above average cost. The electric hob and ovens is a massive variable.)
  • Wywth
    Wywth Posts: 5,079 Forumite
    I believe, Millie's estimate is about an electricity consumption of 1200 kwh/units per year not about a cost of £1200/yr.

    :doh:I think your are correct! :o
  • Nada666 wrote: »
    Cooking and electric shower will be important. I would say 1200 kWh is doable only without showers or cooking. Note that a gas boiler itself can easily use 300 kWh of electricity. Add a fridge-freezer - that's more than half of 1200 already. Sheltered flat so more hours of lighting, older people often like more lights. Things mount up.

    Somehow I think the useage will be close to average rather than not high (that is 2 or 3,000, not 1,000.) Of course it is possible he can economise and scrimp but I would start with an estimate of 2,500 and look at single tariffs at that useage. Depends on how much he cooks it could be substantially more. (Indeed, even if he cooks little but reheats a lot he may use above average cost. The electric hob and ovens is a massive variable.)


    Make sure that the lighting is low energy, the TV is small and not some huge plasma, the fridge freezer *will* be small, presumably, so not a huge running cost there. I don't see why this can't be 1500/yr (NOT pounds, Wywth :D) with potential for 1200. The OP should start a poll :D
  • DragonQ
    DragonQ Posts: 2,198 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    As Nada666 said, it depends on the cooker. That'd use probably 300-400 kWh a year by itself. Obviously on the whole it makes no difference because what you don't spend on electricity for cooking you'd spend on gas. :p
  • babyblooz
    babyblooz Posts: 1,122 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts
    Hello again, I rang one of the comparison sites and went with Flow Energy, the Thames Fixed tariff so its fixed til next August. Its a one bed flat with double glazing and its on the ground floor,with flats either side and above, so I hope that helps it stay a little warmer.He will use an electric shower but mostly uses the top of the stove for cooking or the microwave.

    It was important for him that its not online as he isnt that keen on using his computer so I gave my email address as a contact and that saved him £1.50 a month for paper bills.

    We will have to see how much it actually costs but it will surely be less than his two bed detached bungalow was costing.
    :hello: :wave: please play nicely children !
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