Huge Electricity Bills

oldwiring

As the average annual KWH for electricity and gas, according to what I read recently are 3100 and 12500 respectively, I fail to see how in 2013 ,by way of example, you have only used 643 KWH. That's what your figures suggest.

Countryfox

Hm.. I seem to have confused everybody. Let me put it another way. The meter readings on 21st April 2015 recorded usage of 75629 units. The reading for 14th May 2014 was 38704.

75629 - 38704 = 36925. 36925/ 342 days = an average daily usage of 108 units. This compares with a daily average of 53.6 for the twelve months before and with 48.0 for the period since 21st April to yesterday (26th October

I am at a loss to explain the much greater usage May 14 to April 15.

Robin9

What is today's reading ?

Countryfox

Hi Robin. 84512

Robin9

Countryfox wrote: »

Hi Robin. 84512

WOW - 9000 kWhs in 6 months. This was a summer period with a minimal amount of heating - have you got a swimming pool, hot-tub, sauna ?

Time for some details please of your heating - any gas, oil, lpg - if electric is this storage heaters, panel, wet system, single bar fires or convector

I still can't understand your initial posts - these figures look like £ and pence and not kWhs as that would only be whole numbers.

What is your current tariff?

Has your DD been £169 since the start of 2013?

PS Your other post giving an annual consumption of 36,000 would be a annual bill of £4000

st999

Are you reading your meter correctly?
What type is it, digital or dials?

Countryfox

Thank you so much Robin, you won’t realise how your surprise has encouraged me!

Regarding your query first. I do seem to have confused posters! These ARE Scottish Power Kwh figures but they are mathematical averages.

My online account shows usage per day by month (based on customer and estimated readings). So for June 2015 for instance the figures are 1452.07 units in total divided by 30 days to two decimal places, so average units
Are 48.40 units a day. Hope that clarifies!

Re: your other points. Although this is a large house my wife and I are pensioners so no, we don’t have a swimming pool, hot tub or sauna (I wish!)
Our most power-hungry appliance as far as I am aware is a tumble drier.

Our central heating is oil-fired Typically we don’t put it on until November and we turn it off in April. On chilly days heating otherwise is via three 2Kwh oil-filled electric radiators. We try to maintain an internal temperature of 18-22 degrees C.

Hot water is via an immersion heater. We don’t have gas. We do have solar panels

My Tariff is SP’s Online Fixed Price Energy Tariff November 2015

Incidentally your projection is bang on, My DD has been £169 a month for as long as I can remember (I can check if it’s critical) and now SP want to increase it to £430.

To be honest I don’t even know how to progress this matter. Naturally I shall raise it with the SP call centre representative, and formally complain to customer services / ombudsman if necessary but beyond that it sounds a bit lame to just say “my bills are too high”!

Is there some independent expert or specialist I can engage to identify either where I have a fault or where this electricity is going?

Any help, suggestions, advice very gratefully received

Countryfox

Hi, It's a digital meter

System

I confess that I am struggling to understand what this thread is all about. Electricity usage is very simple to calculate as it is nothing more than A - B. Ignore any estimates provided by energy companies about monthly usage. Look back at an old bill (on paper or online) and find an actual meter reading. Use this to calculate your energy usage and cost based on your tariff. If your energy usage has increased then it is down to two things: one, the user or, two, a faulty meter.

Ask your supplier to provide you with the Estimated Annual Consumption (EAC) figure for your property. This is data collected by the industry (data collectors have nothing to do with your supplier) looking back up to 70 years. It is updated each time an actual meter reading is provided. Compare this figure to how much electricity you are actually using.

Countryfox

Robin, I should have explained that we don't try to heat the full house on oil-filled radiators, just the living room and kitchen and not, usually, during the day.

It's a digital meter and I'm monitoring the meter several times a day at the moment. I'll check but I doubt I misread it every time.