New Boiler advice

Terrylw1

Agree with Cardew, you would average out at 32 units a day based on cardew's figure which is very high. However, if all the readings are correct there are less options.

Has there been a meter change over the last 2 years? If so, I wonder if that has caused a billing problem?

If not and you are sure that you are using around 32 units per day, you need to go down the energy efficiency route and look at your appliances.

Sites like the Energy Saving Trust and other you can find on Google search under energy efficiency will help you.

Gemmzie

We've always had the same meter since the house was built. Should it be checked or maintained?

Thanks for your help, I'll have a look. Below are the last quarters bill details if that makes sense to anyone...

Online Energy Saver 2 - Scottish Power
Bill Period Electricity Avg. Gas Avg.
08/07 - 30/09 (85 days) 20 26
18/04 - 07/07 (81 days) 25 38
23/01 - 17/05 (85 days) 44 73

08/07 - 30/09
Electric Charges - £132.10 (+ £11.27 standing charge) = £143.37
Gas Charges - £50.30 + (£8.49 standing charge) = 58.79
Discounts - -£2.32 (for having both) + - £13.97 (online discount) = -£16.29
VAT - £9.29

Cardew

Gemmzie wrote: »

We've always had the same meter since the house was built. Should it be checked or maintained?

Thanks for your help, I'll have a look. Below are the last quarters bill details if that makes sense to anyone...

Online Energy Saver 2 - Scottish Power
Bill Period Electricity Avg. Gas Avg.
08/07 - 30/09 (85 days) 20 26
18/04 - 07/07 (81 days) 25 38
23/01 - 17/05 (85 days) 44 73

08/07 - 30/09
Electric Charges - £132.10 (+ £11.27 standing charge) = £143.37
Gas Charges - £50.30 + (£8.49 standing charge) = 58.79
Discounts - -£2.32 (for having both) + - £13.97 (online discount) = -£16.29
VAT - £9.29

Well you have missed out the important detail which are the meter readings and consumption.

I know you enter the readings on line - but that doesn't mean they are using them.

Also 23/01 - 17/05 I take it is 17/04!

That said if the figures of 44, 25 & 20 for the 3 quarters is the daily average, that is a huge consumption. (7465kWh in just over 8 months)

Are you sure you are not using electric fires or some sort of heating water all the time?

Terrylw1

The meter will be changed under the Recertification programme based on the legally agreed lifespan. They will contact you when it is time as it depends on the type of meter, some older ones can be changed every 25 years.

If those average have come from actual meter readings, not estimates - you need to look at exactly what you are powering as that is very high.

Gemmzie

Sorry the figures were

Electric:
19870 start - 21550 end

Gas:
5514 start - 5713 end

Yes it was 17/04 sorry

Cardew

Gemmzie wrote: »

Sorry the figures were

Electric:
19870 start - 21550 end

Gas:
5514 start - 5713 end

Yes it was 17/04 sorry

Well that really confirms your electricity consumption is huge; about 4 times the UK average.

IMO, as you heat and cook with gas, something is very wrong.

The possibile reasons for this high consumption are endless. e.g.

You are using electrical heating?

You leave everything possible on all the time?

Faulty meter? - not at all common

Someone else(next door) is wired into your supply?(happens in flats)

Street lighting on your supply.

You need to start checking your meter and see if it is moving when nothing is on in the house.

Gemmzie

Right, we are going to do a test next week, turn everything off, check it in the morning and then leave it for the day.

Cardew wrote: »

You are using electrical heating? We have one electric oil heater for our conservatory, father is insistent that it's economical but I'm not sure

You leave everything possible on all the time? We try to turn things off wherever possible and not have anything on standby

Faulty meter? - not at all common Not sure

Someone else(next door) is wired into your supply?(happens in flats) We are in a detached bungalow so I think that's unlikely?

Street lighting on your supply. No idea how we'd check that

You need to start checking your meter and see if it is moving when nothing is on in the house.

Terrylw1

Hi Gemmzie,

Definately do the dial test as Cardew states. Make sure you wait for 10 mins afterwards though to allow the dials to stop.

If you think you are a victim of energy theft, you can check this as it's not that hard. Do you have anything connected to your fusebox that shouldn't be there? It could be as simple as some cables heading out of the property.

Energy theft before the meterv wouldn't be effecting you as it would not make the dials move so it would have to be attached after the meter which means your fusebox.

A further question. Have you had any building work done? Builders are a real pain when it comes to electricity as they just tail into your supply and never tell you. I've seen undreds run up in bills on extensions being built in the past and it's very hard to prove after the fact.

Don't worry too much about things being on standsby, that doesn't use much anyway.

Faulty meter - you won't know that. Only a Standard Load Test (SLT) by your Supplier will do for that. However, if you rule everything else out then it will be possible to tell you if it's likely that your meter is "speeding" and you can then contact your Supplier for the SLT.

Street lighting - it wouldn't actually be street lighting as in the highways ones (thats extremely rare) but it could be communal lighting or say estate gates. Sometimes on new estates a property has the ammenities wired to it but that would be in the contract of sale as you would be lumbered with it for life.

Qustion with it being a bungalow - is anyone disabled in anyway? I ask because sometimes disabled people have lifts and ramps. Now, those things often need 3 phase metering as they use a lot of power in a short time to do the job so single phase domestic metering often won't be enough.

Cardew

You are using electrical heating? We have one electric oil heater for our conservatory, father is insistent that it's economical but I'm not sure

Most conservatories have very poor insulation.

Your Father is incorrect that they are 'very economical' - they ain't!! No electrical heater is any more economical than any other heater.

That heater alone could explain why you used 3740kWh in 85 days last winter(23/01 - 17/04) and 'only' 1680kwh in 85 days in the summer(8/07 to 30/09)

That is a difference of over 2,000kWh in 85 days! As you appear to be paying 9p for a kWh that is a difference of £185 or £15 a week.

Any electrical heater left on a lot in a conservatory with poor insulation will easily use that amount.

If you get one of the Aldi/Lidl meters it will show you. Or switch the heater on when you go out(putting everything else off) and simply check your meter reading as you go out and when you come back.

Gemmzie

Terrylw1 wrote: »

Hi Gemmzie,

Definately do the dial test as Cardew states. Make sure you wait for 10 mins afterwards though to allow the dials to stop.

If you think you are a victim of energy theft, you can check this as it's not that hard. Do you have anything connected to your fusebox that shouldn't be there? It could be as simple as some cables heading out of the property.
Will get father to check it all

Energy theft before the meterv wouldn't be effecting you as it would not make the dials move so it would have to be attached after the meter which means your fusebox.

A further question. Have you had any building work done? Builders are a real pain when it comes to electricity as they just tail into your supply and never tell you. I've seen undreds run up in bills on extensions being built in the past and it's very hard to prove after the fact.
Not by any outside firm

Don't worry too much about things being on standsby, that doesn't use much anyway.

Faulty meter - you won't know that. Only a Standard Load Test (SLT) by your Supplier will do for that. However, if you rule everything else out then it will be possible to tell you if it's likely that your meter is "speeding" and you can then contact your Supplier for the SLT.

Street lighting - it wouldn't actually be street lighting as in the highways ones (thats extremely rare) but it could be communal lighting or say estate gates. Sometimes on new estates a property has the ammenities wired to it but that would be in the contract of sale as you would be lumbered with it for life.
I don't think that would be the case here, we don't have any of that

Qustion with it being a bungalow - is anyone disabled in anyway? I ask because sometimes disabled people have lifts and ramps. Now, those things often need 3 phase metering as they use a lot of power in a short time to do the job so single phase domestic metering often won't be enough.

No we don't have any of that.

I hope the turning it off will answer the question