Excessive energy bill

c-m

I moved into a flat at the end of December. I received my first electricity bill a about two monthly later which was estimated at £55.

Now I've supplied a reading and my bill is over £600. They claim I've used over 4,000 units between 14th Feb - 17th May. Of these 3,500 were daytime units.

That seem's neigh on impossible for a one bed flat, and someone who works 9-5 5 days a week.

The electricty is used for a shower a day. Cooking (about 40mins a day), and two night storage heaters one of which is broken.

Am I correct in thinking that something isn't quite right here?

comeandgo

When you say you have used 4,000 units between Feb and May is that using the estimated reading at Feb or did you supply then with an exact reading?

notbritishgas

Edit, completely rewritten as original was rubbish.

The first estimated bill was too low I think, £55 for 2 winter months is not a lot.
So the latest bill would be a catch up bill paying for some of the electric used in the first 2 months as well as Feb to May usage.

c-m

The start is an estimate.

I never supplied meter readings, the letting agent was supposed to take of that, as they setup my account with the current energy supplier.

c-m

The problem is the daytime usage. The heating only powers on at night. There are two large switches that read on peak and off peak.

Only the off peak switch is turned on.

I'm at work during week days so it's not as if anything is left on other than essentials.

notbritishgas

c-m wrote: »

The start is an estimate.

I never supplied meter readings, the letting agent was supposed to take of that, as they setup my account with the current energy supplier.

I am afraid that could be the reason.

You could try talking to the supplier to see what the closing reading was from the last tenant. But without firm actual readings you may be on a loser.

c-m

fortunately I know the previous tennent.

The day reading was 18275 on 22nd December

The final day reading for 17th May is 22176

That's a massive amount of daytime usage considering I'm not there during most of the day.

In between these periods I had an estimated bill for £50 which has been paid.

comeandgo

The 4,000 units have been used since you moved in, not since Feb. Its the fact you did not update the estimate you got which was £55, thats the one that was wrong

comeandgo

Though, as you say 4,000 units for less than 6 months is a very high usage - we are 10 units a day and are a four bedroom house with retired pensioner at home.

Wywth

Have you checked the registries are not transposed.

To expect to use just 500 kWh (about £30) for storage heating over the very cold period of 14th Feb - 17th May doesn't seem right to me.

Edit: Oh, and get onto your LL to get the other NSH fixed. You're paying for it - it's the LL's responsibility to ensure it works (once he is aware of any fault)

c-m

Doing a test now. It looks like at some point in the last year or so the night and day usage got transposed.

Phew.

Thanks for the help