ma-hoo-sive levy bill

muppetscotland

I recently switched supplier to a slightly cheaper deal so got final account from old supplier. Been paying £104 monthly for gas and electric combined. Never been massively over or under when the bill comes and always let the meter man in or would send my own readings. This latest bill is also based on actual reading.

So imagine my horror when I saw electric was almost 700 in debit! I called old supplier and they confirmed that from November till end February our consumption of electricity increased by 50% We haven't changed anything at all about our lifestyle, if anything we've been cutting back on dishwasher dryer etc last few months to save costs generally . Ironic!

Anyway I've ordered a meter monitor gadget and today switched off all power at the mains and watched as the dial slowed to a halt. Then switched it all back on and it started to turn again. Somewhat crude but I guess that has answered the question of whether anyone is stealing my power? I know this sounds paranoid but really what else could it be?! Any suggestions for where to go from here gratefully received.

Today I checked meter at midday and had a typical afternoon with washing machine on eco cycle and a few lights and radio on. Have used 8 kwh in 4 hours. That sounds nuts to me!!!

Cisco001

Is your previous bills being paid based on estimate?

muppetscotland

Cisco001 wrote: »

Is your previous bills being paid based on estimate?

Hi no, I agree thats an obvious starting point but no we always gave accurate readings.

Worth noting that we were on target till November, after which consumption jumped by half as much again (20 kwh daily to 30 kwh).

CashStrapped

Things to check.

Begin to take daily readings so you get an immediate indication of your current use. Ensure you take a reading the same time each day otherwise it won't work.

If your use is still very high, use your monitor to investigate what is on.

Work out your baseline use with just essentials on. Fridge, freezer, boiler etc.

In addition:

Check the obvious. Ensure you recorded the meter reading correctly.
If you want us to double check, give us your actual meter readings for the last year so we can cross check your calculations.

Out of interest, do you use electric heating? If so what type of heaters do you use?

Robin9

Has your Immersion Heater been left switched on ?

NectarCollector

It has been a very cold couple of months, is your heating gas or electric?