Sudden HUGE energy bill!

Perelandra

Do you have the actual meter readings (not the amounts used, but the numbers that were read)?

FEM71

I have not - unfortunately - kept a log of the figures. (I will be doing this in the future however!)

But both my Husband and myself have had to clear the understairs cupboard for the meter chap (LOL) so they have actually been to read the meter. However on closer inspection of the bills....it appears they have simply put in the estimated figures.....as follows ;


May 2012 – Stated as estimated
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13863515[E] 2129 units

Sept 2012 – Stated asactual reading
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13861838[E] 452 units

Jan 2013 – Stated asestimated
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13861838[E] 452 units

Apr 2013 – Stated asactual
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13861838[E] 452 units

Oct 2013 – Stated asactual
Dayenergy 28051 36783 8732 units
Night energy 28513549 698 units

As you see here the figures are all the same - until the last one. So it is seeming as if it is indeed a catch up bill? I will however be checking round the house once Hubby back at work (off this week) and school is back (October week) for any guilty appliances. I did have a power cut about a month ago which blew my water heater timer, but everything else was ok as I turned everything off and unplugged prior to power coming back on. I now use the water heater manually and very sparingly as I know this is a high power user.......

FEM71

Re above - more information

It is a digital display 2 rate meter. Economy 7.

I used to have the old dial one and this was good to see what made the dial spin like crazy but more difficult now. It has a flashing red light instead. Is it possible my consumption readings have changed since this was installed?

Do people often get hit with a large bill after a year of having a new meter? Maybe the old ones were less efficient. Good heavens - am I running a nuclear power station?

yazgee

I'm guessing there's either an admin error somewhere or they've estimated the readings. check with previous bills and check the meter yourself.

Cardew

FEM71 wrote: »

. Good heavens - am I running a nuclear power station?

If you were, you would be exporting electricity, not importing;)

As stated above:

you have used in 20 months(Feb 2012 -Oct 2013) 15,304kWh day rate and 4,183 off-peak rate. That is below average consumption

However your percentage of off-peak electricity at 21% is far too low for a house using storage heating, and water heating. It should be at least 50% - 60%. You are pretty obviously heating at peak rates.

You need to firstly check at what time your off-peak period starts and ensure that your storage heaters only charge during that period.

spiro

FEM71 wrote: »

May 2012 – Stated as estimated
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13863515[E] 2129 units

Sept 2012 – Stated asactual reading
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13861838[E] 452 units

Jan 2013 – Stated asestimated
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13861838[E] 452 units

Apr 2013 – Stated asactual
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13861838[E] 452 units

Oct 2013 – Stated asactual
Dayenergy 28051 36783 8732 units
Night energy 28513549 698 units

If you look at nearly every reading it has "[E]" after it, on every bill I have ever seen this means an estimated reading. Looks like what you have now received is a catch up bill. That said if the bill showing [E] readings says it was based on actual readings I would make a formal complaint to the supplier. You could argue that you did not checking the readings because they incorrectly described the bill and therefore this catch up bill is there fault.

SwanJon

FEM71 wrote: »

May 2012 – Stated as estimated
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13863515[E] 2129 units

Sept 2012 – Stated asactual reading
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13861838[E] 452 units

Jan 2013 – Stated asestimated
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13861838[E] 452 units

Apr 2013 – Stated asactual
Dayenergy 9945 11588[E] 1643 units
Night energy 13861838[E] 452 units

Oct 2013 – Stated asactual
Dayenergy 28051 36783 8732 units
Night energy 28513549 698 units

This looks even more weird than your normal catch up bill. Not only are the consumption levels the same, but the readings don't change from May 2012 to Apr 2013. Not sure how you can have consumption but the reading stay the same.
Was the meter exchanged before May 2012? (If so it keeps things a bit simpler).

I'd give them a call/email/letter pointing out that these four bills all have the same reading and ask them to re-estimate them based on the Oct 2013 reading (or better yet, an up to date reading you provide).

I think part of the reason the DD has gone up so much is that the system thinks that most of your consumption has come in the last quarter, and that this will be normal from now on. When they recalculate this should drop out and the DD drop to a more relaistic level.

Find out when your off peak times are, and make sure you are not heating the water on peak prices.