Can I switch hot water on!

Dandytf

Not sure what happened May whenI used over 250 electricity 1. Month.

Previously I was paying approx £50 p/month for a few years.

Only change I know of was I paid to get kitchen sink unblocked -tradesperson used a big industrial like draining machine.

Other change was I switched my hot water economy 7 heater on in kitchen thinking water is being heated up nightly in economy 7 hours via scotttish power.

Taking almost immediate action since massive bill I’ve switched hot water off and only managed to get into a few pounds credit Aug’ end.

I’m usuallly 150 approx in credit before autumn/winter months ahead of switching on storage heaters.

I’m not sure if I can switch on heating over winter to avoid hundreds of pounds debit.

From 2 changes I mentioned.

Which would have been the reason for a massive surge in power usage in March.

1. -switching hot water on.
2 -Kitchen drain machine.

I went from 115 credit to 198 debit.

This has never happened my heating was switched off. Months earlier.
DD set by SC to 55 on my then previous few months usage

markharding557

If you were really paying only £0.50 per month for years then you will have run up a big debt which they charged you (according to your figures) £313 in May.
50p a month is impossibly low, doesn't even cover the standing charge so you haven't had a power surge, it's just your bill catching up.

Dandytf

markharding557 wrote: »

If you were really paying only £0.50 per month for years then you will have run up a big debt which they charged you (according to your figures) £313 in May.
50p a month is impossibly low, doesn't even cover the standing charge so you haven't had a power surge, it's just your bill catching up.

Edited £50 UK pounds per month approx since 2003.

glennevis

The maximum power any machine plugged into a socket could consume is 13 amps which equates to 3kWh or 3 units per hour. So the drain cleaner is not responsible for a significant increase in consumption.

Robin9

You need to look at your meter readings as shown on yiur bills and not £.

Are any of these readings shown as Estimated usually a letter E ? If you are not already in the habit of reading your meter at least monthly start now.

What is your tariff; has a fixed tariff ended and have you been transferred to the company's more highly priced standard tariff.

Look at your old bills and let us know what your actual consumption is in kWh not £

Robin9

This might also be the company playing catch up following years of underpayment.

If the £50 DD was correct years ago - costs have gone up and your DD should have reflected this.

trickytree1963

Best way to work it out:

Look at your most recent bill. It should have your estimated Annual Consumption (EAC)

Multiply day units by tariff

Multiply night units by tariff

Find Daily Standing Charge amount and multiply by 365

The total then divided by 12

This will be your DD just to keep on top of expected use.

Look at amount in debit and credit and add or subtract it from the figure above.

As others have said, regular meter reading is a way of keeping the account on an even keel.

Dandytf

Some initial answers excellent wasn’t the drain machine-thanks.

I’ll find time to over recent bills and unit cost/consumption.

Ive been on SP fixed rate until 2018 or 19.

My DD has since gone up to 75 from 50 or 55 approx.

My concern was tha masssive usage 1 month only-off the chart stuff.

If I had a way to post a screenshot I woul from ipppro

I read meter readings regularly and update via sc.com

I’ll check if a bill was an estimate though I update readings online in time every time.

My usage seriously dropped after the month in question.

I’m a double digit user maybe 10-25 units etc.

Dandytf

March to May 476 used.

Last year 669
This year 1827!

Customer read meter readings which I know anyway.

I’m not understanding this surge between March-May.

I’ll update my meter readings this evening knowing there hasn’t been much increase at all as I have been keeping any eye on meter since this increase.

E.g. since I switched hot water off -I’ve been paying the 75 did as last recommended by SP.


Since that last bill I’ve gone from massive debit to 86 credit.

Hopefully I’ll manage to use storage heating at some point this year.

I’ve never ever experienced a surge like that!

Dandytf

I’m on track since tonight’s reading.

86 credit to massive 5 credit.

75 dd it is then.

Since considering responses I suppose 20 per month rise isn’t that bad since 2003.

Thanks all though I’m still slightly concerned I cant turn on hot water -is it possible its not heating correctly i.e. not using economy 7 at night?

That could be the reason for the surge.

To clarify from sp.com

Autumn 2016 10.73 until per day-987 units
Autumn 2017 23.50 units per day -2162 units -that’s why I’ve questioned what’s changed

macman

You say you are on E7, but you have only posted readings from one register. To make any sense of this you need to give opening and closing reads from both the day and night registers.