Massive energy usage

soutermon

Hi,

I've looked at my bills for the last year and they are absolutely massive. We have a small 3 bed house which has old thick walls.

Our nelectricity usage for the year was approx. 4,365 kwh, and gas was 1,060 cubic feet (around 34,000 kwh).

Looking at averages online, this is way more than what we should be using, at least for the gas, with high usage estimated to be around 18,000 kwh. We basically don't use the heating for 4-5 months of the year, and have it on timers for when it is colder.

Can anyone recommend anything that can bring this down? Is it possible that something is wrong with the meter and we aren't using as much as it thinks?

I've just had a £1200 bill for 3 months use which is way too much!

Cheers

dunstonh

Our nelectricity usage for the year was approx. 4,365 kwh, and gas was 1,060 cubic feet (around 34,000 kwh).

Estimate or actual readings?

I've just had a £1200 bill for 3 months use which is way too much!

It doesnt sound like too much for the last 3 months. You use the bulk of your heating costs between October and April. You use barely anything outside of those months. So, any bill estimated and projected on the usage during winter months only is going to large.

Hence, why the question asking whether it is actual or estimate

brewerdave

Are you SURE that your gas meter is reading in 100s cu feet? All the meters installed in the last 15 years or so ,are metric (cu m) - your usage would be ~ 11,500kwh if its a metric meter

soutermon

It's from actual meter readings, comparing my initial reading to my current one, just over a year later.

It is definitely in cubic feet, I had to check myself. It does look very old mind you!

Edited to add : just changed my energy suppliers, with USwitch estimating a saving of over £600 a year based on the rate changes coming up, but the almost double amount of gas use still worries me.

Robin9

Do look back on your old bills and find one about 12 months ago with the letter A against the reading and now read your meter today.

It is becoming quite rare for meter readers to visit and if you don't read them no-one else will. When did you last read your meters ?

As you appear to have an imperial meter I assume your meters have not been changed to Smart - even so you should still read your meters.

soutermon

Robin9 wrote: »

Do look back on your old bills and find one about 12 months ago with the letter A against the reading and now read your meter today.

It is becoming quite rare for meter readers to visit and if you don't read them no-one else will. When did you last read your meters ?

As you appear to have an imperial meter I assume your meters have not been changed to Smart - even so you should still read your meters.

This is entirely based on my readings I have given my supplier. I have quarterly bills and provide readings every 3 months.

nigelbb

soutermon wrote: »

Hi,

I've looked at my bills for the last year and they are absolutely massive. We have a small 3 bed house which has old thick walls.

Our nelectricity usage for the year was approx. 4,365 kwh, and gas was 1,060 cubic feet (around 34,000 kwh).

We have a large 4 bed Victorian house without cavity walls & your energy consumption is less than half of hours so it doesn't seem too crazy high.

soutermon

nigelbb wrote: »

We have a large 4 bed Victorian house without cavity walls & your energy consumption is less than half of hours so it doesn't seem too crazy high.

Yikes, that's horrendous! I thought mine was bad enough.

thorganby

soutermon wrote: »

This is entirely based on my readings I have given my supplier. I have quarterly bills and provide readings every 3 months.

Are you sure that you are reading your meter correctly?

If this was your imperial meter what reading would you give to your supplier?

soutermon

Yeah, that's pretty much what ours looks like. Last meter reading was given as 4743, and a year previous was 3683.