£2100 energy bill

kellybleedinghearts

Hey so a bit of friendly advice needed. My boyfriend texted me and said wehave been hit with an estimated electric bill for £1200 from SSE and he thoughtthat was high so phoned them. They then said it was £2100. Apparently our immersion heater has been on for 24 hours a day - I had no idea.

Long story short it appears we have been negligent and messed up. He haslived in the flat since December 2013 and I only moved in February 2014. He controlsall of the bills but we are both taking responsibility of this and I shouldhave checked everything when I moved in as a tenant. However there is no way wecan pay this bill at the moment. Any friendly advice? we very much understand how much of a 'pickle' we are in to say it lightly.

CashStrapped

Are you sure their calculations are correct first? Did you supply a meter read when you first moved in? Does the kwh used from that time to now equal the amount they are charging you (once you have done the calculation).

What is your set-up in the flat? All electric? Do you have economy 7 and storage heaters or just a single rate and normal electric radiators?

Look at those things I have mentioned too, but bloss0ms post above is the best course of action if they have correctly billed you.

naedanger

kellybleedinghearts wrote: »

Hey so a bit of friendly advice needed. My boyfriend texted me and said wehave been hit with an estimated electric bill for £1200 from SSE and he thoughtthat was high so phoned them. They then said it was £2100. Apparently our immersion heater has been on for 24 hours a day - I had no idea.

Long story short it appears we have been negligent and messed up. He haslived in the flat since December 2013 and I only moved in February 2014. He controlsall of the bills but we are both taking responsibility of this and I shouldhave checked everything when I moved in as a tenant. However there is no way wecan pay this bill at the moment. Any friendly advice? we very much understand how much of a 'pickle' we are in to say it lightly.

Have you been paying anything since you moved in? If so how much? Are you sure the bill is based on the latest readings. Have you been receiving regular bills (even if on estimated amounts)?

The supplier is likely to allow you to pay the large bill off over an extended period if you ask them.

Cardew

There is no way that having the immersion heater on permanently could have run up a bill of that magnitude in 10 months.


Immersion heaters are thermostatically controlled, so when the water is up to the required temperature the thermostat cuts off power; in fact many people leave their immersion on 24/7 as a well insulated hot water tank will only lose around 2kWh a day - and that lost heat warms the house anyway.


In real terms leaving the immersion on 24/7 should not cost more than £50 pa more than having it timed.


Before finding out how to pay the bill, you need to ensure that the bill is correct.


Did your boyfriend take the opening readings when he moved in, and give those readings to the electricity company? Otherwise you could be paying for the previous occupant's electricity.


Are you sure you have read the meter correctly?


Is it a digital display or round dials?


How much have you been paying since December 2013?


What sort of heaters do you have?

MillicentBystander

Still seems like a lot of money to me. OK, the imersion heater has been on 24/7 however the thermostat would have kept kicking in regularly so it shouldn't have actually been consuming leccy 24/7. I would try and get them to check the figure again. If it IS correct then the advice you have already received regarding payment is sound.

Edit: must type faster

WestonDave

IF you've paid nothing in 11 months and you've been using a lot of electricity (i.e. long electric showers, lots of baths off the immersion etc) then £190 per month isn't totally beyond belief. However if you've been paying something each month then as above the immersion alone isn't going to rack up that sort of bill.

kellybleedinghearts

Thanks everyone, useful comments. Really appreciate it.

He took readings when he first moved in and matched it with the inventory.

Its a digital dial and electric heaters which havent been on all summer.

He had one estimated bill between December 2013 and 22nd January 2014 of £181.

Is the bill still sounding a bit too much? Or have we really missed the boat with this one?

Okydoky25

What was the reading when he moved in and what is it now?
Have you paid anything since moving in?

kellybleedinghearts

It was 40118 and now 52102. Paid nothing since January?

Cardew

12,000kWh in 10+ months is high but not stupidly high for an all electric property; and you also don't say the size of the flat/house.


Something however is wrong with the bill if it is £2,100 outstanding and you have paid £181.


There is no way that 12,000kWh can cost that amount(£2281) even on SSE's most expensive standard tariff.

kellybleedinghearts

It's a ground floor two bedroom flat. I've just got back home and checked our introductory letter and it said bills will be sent every three months, the same as the website says but they haven't done that?