2 months electricity bill = £830

Erenarmstrong

Hi folks,
I live in a 2 bedroom all-electric flat and have done for almost a year now. My flat mate moved out in November and passed the account with Scottish power over to me. He claims our electricity bill was roughly £60/month. At the same time my brother moved in so there are still 2 people in this flat.

The first bill I received was £830 for a period of less than two months. I don't see how it's possible that a 2 bedroom flat can consume that level of power, but I'll give some more details.

We have a pulsacoil A class water heater which (i'm almost certain) is on a timer to run during off peak. The flat has 5 small electric heaters, only one of which was on during this time and only for roughly 3 hours of the day. The flat is empty from 9 - 5.

The water heater has one 3kw on peak and one 3kw off peak heater.

When I received this bill I called Scottish power immediately and had stern words, which resulted in me being rebilled what I thought would be a reasonable amount. But the new bill is over £500.

I've had them out to check that my meter is ok, which cost me £50. They weren't able to install a check meter because there apparently wasn't enough space to do so. Which means that's £50 wasted.

I'm at a loss as I presume they'll force me to pay this bill, and of course I don't want to.

Just looking for some insight into electricity bills and whether or not anyone has had a similar experience.

Thanks.

CashStrapped

1) You need to write down all your meter readings. Not estimated ones, but actual readings. Post them here, and the dates they were taken, go back as far as you can. The bills should be available online if you do not have them. Or ring your supplier and ask for them over the phone.

2) You need to clarify your set-up. Economy 7 and storage heaters that charge at night? Or heaters that come on instantly during the day? How many readings does your meter give? One set of numbers or two?

3) What is your current tariff? Is it competitive? The name and the cost per KWH and daily standing charge is what you are looking for.

You need to ignore what you pay per month by direct debit as an indication of your energy use. This is a red-herring in terms of your actual bill and actual use. The monthly payment is just an estimate.

Your direct debit could have been underpaying for months. Then, after your last housemate left and a meter reading was given, you got an actual bill showing what you had really used for that period.

So, answer the questions and we can help get to the bottom of it.

macman

As above, almost certainly a catch up bill. Why you went straight to the conclusion of a faulty meter is beyond me.
Did you not take a meter reading when your flatmate moved out?

sevenhills

Erenarmstrong wrote: »

Hi folks,
I live in a 2 bedroom all-electric flat and have done for almost a year now. My flat mate moved out in November and passed the account with Scottish power over to me. He claims our electricity bill was roughly £60/month. At the same time my brother moved in so there are still 2 people in this flat.

So it was in his name, now you have it in your name?
You did meter reading when he left, or took his readings as correct?