Parents in 2 up-2 down cottage: £80 p.m. Electricity bill?

buel10

Hi,

My parents, both retired, live in a rural area in a two up-two down cottage. For the last year or so their electricity bills have been around £80 per month. They only have the usual appliances and don't generally use their tumble dryer (I believe this is a big electricity user) but do have a six year old large freezer outside in a shed. Im not sure what make or model is but they do keep it 2/3 full. Im not sure if this could be the culprit for their high (I thought they are high) bills?

Please can I have some advice on this?

Many thanks in advance.

McKneff

Is 80 the sum total of their fuel bill.
No gas bill.


If so, £80 is pretty reasonable for a couple with the usual appliances.


My total utitlites bill is £110 per month.

daveyjp

How do they cook? Electric shower? These appliances use far more electricity than a tumble dryer and freezer.

buel10

daveyjp wrote: »

How do they cook? Electric shower? These appliances use far more electricity than a tumble dryer and freezer.

Cook on Calor Gas.
No shower, bath using water heated by constant oil/Kerosene burner.

In answer to McKneff, £80 electricity bill only. Heating oil bill and Calor Gas bill are on top of this.

Hope this helps.

Nada666

£80 so say 16 to 18 kWh per day. About double the national average. Not a crazy sum. It is possible a freezer could account for half of the extra 9 kWh - particularly this past warm winter. If it's in a shed then it could be exposed to lots of hot weather without any insulation and use more than the 1 or 2 a modern appliance in a sheltered kitchen would use.

Plus if they are retired there are lots of little things that can mount up - what sort of lights do they use?

Cardew

If electricity is not used for heating/hot water, then the size of property shouldn't really be a factor in electricity consumption.

Do they use an immersion heater at times or are tempted to use the occasional electric heater?

I have a very large and old(15 year?) chest freezer in my garage that averages around 1kWh a day. Surprisingly it doesn't use that much more in summer than in winter.