Electric usage has quadrupled, what to do?

Smodlet

Thanks for that, Kayleighb1. Right, if you had a smart supplied by Eon, it is no longer smart since you switched supplier, as you know. All the more reason to take control of meter reading as EDF cannot see them unless you provide them/they send a reader to your home. (Nag, nag)

If EDF's agents are incapable of reading a meter, any meter, they surely must be incompetent, I would have thought. If you have not already raised a formal complaint with them, I suggest you do so today. Yes, if you have used energy you have to pay for it but the confusion, inconvenience and possible financial hardship they have caused needs to be addressed. If you cannot come out of this with at least some compensation, I would be very surprised. Tip: If you decide to do this, don't accept the first amount they offer; escalate the complaint at least one level and get more.

I recently raised a complaint with nPower and asked for £25 compensation purely because their online accounts (all of them, not just mine; they told me) were showing incorrect usage figures in kwh. The £ were correct. I did not allow them to close the complaint when it suited them because the figures were still wrong and were so for a month so, after a set period, the complaint went up one level automatically.

In the end I was offered £50, twice what I had asked for. At this point, they closed the complaint and the next day, miraculously, the figures were correct. I know they were correct because I know my average usage without having to look; I read the meters every month and work it out. (Wake up at the back, there! )

HTH and please let us know what you decide and how you get on.

Kayleighb1

Ok thanks I think I will make a complaint about the gas and ask them to investigate the electric.

Robin9

Do it in writing - not by phone, not by email or the website.

Mark letter COMPLAINT - keep to the facts

Smodlet

Phone works for me, every time. Kb1, your choice.

Kayleighb1

So between 11am yesterday and 5pm today (gave up on time with kids utter torture) there was 5 kWh used. All plugs off only 2 fridge freezers left on.
Does that sound about right?

simonineaston

Just as a comparison, I use roughly 1200KWh every year at my mid-terrace, two bedroom town house, built in the 1900s... although I would call myself a light user (as would the supplier, judging by the comparison charts they include on my account pages).

S0litaire

Kayleighb1 wrote: »

So between 11am yesterday and 5pm today (gave up on time with kids utter torture) there was 5 kWh used. All plugs off only 2 fridge freezers left on.
Does that sound about right?

Only thin it can think of is what are the settings of the fridge/freezers?

If they are set too low then the pumps will be running constantly trying to lower the temps, wasting energy.

If they are not opened very often you can turn the settings up a bit.

Also take a look around the garage...The sneaky side of me is wondering if a neighbour has somehow plugged something into your garage's power line and using it for free ;-)

Kayleighb1

Neither are set high, both around 3 on a 5 scale.

One fridge is 7 one is 3 years old. Both a rated at time of purchase, no faults since. Both freezers full.

No way a neighbour could have taken power via the garage it is attached to the house with only 1 double socket.

So does 5 kWh seem like a lot for that time with no occupants/most plugs off?

Robin9

Yes 5kwh is quite reasonable

ChaunceyGardiner

Robin9 wrote: »

Yes 5kwh is quite reasonable

Even if the fridge and freezer were running with their doors wide open they could hardly consume almost a kilowatt per hour between them.