Is it possible to use 850kwh electricity in a month?

mac.d

I am trying figure out some electricity readings for someone who has just switched supplier and can't understand how they've used so much electric in the past month.

30 March reading: 10521 kwh
27 April reading: 11365 kwh

They are fairly high consumers of electric (approx 5000kwh per year in a 3-bed house), but while their two most recent bills show they've used around 1200kwh in each three month period (all smart meter readings), the first non-smart meter reading that's been taken since they switched supplier last month shows they've used 844kwh. In one month, more than double what is normally used, and that averages at around 27kwh per day. I have got them to check meter readings yesterday and today and they've used 13kwh.

Apart from checking the readings regularly over the next week or so, any advice? Any idea why they can have used so much? I know they had new fire & smoke alarms fitted not long ago but nothing else has really changed and we're struggling to figure out why this big jump.

bsms1147

Are they all actual meter readings or were any of them estimates?

Is it an all-electric household?

matelodave

We can get through over 1000kwh a month if it's cold enough, so yes it's possible.

You really need to be reading the meter a bit more frequently and ensuring that the bill readings are actual readings and not estimates (they should have A next to them if actual, C if given by the customer, E if they are estimated and D if they are deemed).

Don't ever rely on the smart meter readings being used, some energy company still dont do it properly. Read the meter yourself and check that it's correct. Dont use the IHD unless you know that it truly shows the actual meter reading.

You need to ensure that the final reading from the old supplier is the same as the start reading form the new one and that you are sending in regular meter readings yourself otherwise the energy companies will just guess (they call it an estimate) and they can be miles out.

Robin9

mac.d wrote: »

.............................

30 March reading: 10521 kwh
27 April reading: 11365 kwh

................................, the first non-smart meter reading that's been taken since they switched supplier last month

Whose readings are these - your friends or the suppliers ? Do they have the letter E or A From your post you have appreciated that the meter is non-smart. That means that it no longer sends readings back and the supplier is estimating.

As Matelowdave has said take your own readings

dunstonh

Is it possible to use 850kwh electricity in a month?

In December we used 2039 and we don't have electric heating.

In one month, more than double what is normally used,

If the heating is electric then you would normally expect the cold months to use the most. Although March-April hasnt been that cold.

Do they have immersion heaters? Do they leave them on all the time?
Do they have Economy 7 heaters on a normal tariff?
Are the readings estimates or actual?
Do they have modern LED bulbs in (that use 2w-4w. older LED use 10-12w. Old lights could use 100w). When we moved into our house, none of the bulbs were LED and some had 7 bulbs at 100w each. I lowered our use by half by moving to modern LEDs.

Talldave

dunstonh wrote: »

In December we used 2039 and we don't have electric heating.

Do you know what's eating most energy as that does seem thirsty? I'm in a large-ish property with electric oven, big OLED TV, dishwasher & washing machine (but no electric shower usage) and am on target for 3,600 kWh for the year.

mac.d

They have gas central heating. There is no problem with previous bills nor estimated readings. The readings are all shown as smart meter readings on bills, and although the final bill from previous supplier shows an estimated reading, it's 50 kwh of a difference from the actual reading. The two readings I posted are actual readings directly from the electric meter.

They have stayed in this house for a number of years and their two most recent bills show they used approx. 400kwh per month in the past 6 months. This is in line with their normal usage, maybe even a little less as its during winter.

So what I am trying to figure out is how can they have used double the amount of electricity than usual in April, for no obvious reason?

dunstonh

Do you know what's eating most energy as that does seem thirsty?

Yes. I have it pretty much as low as I can get it for the time being. It's running around 1570 units a month at the moment. I am almost certainly not similar to the OP in size or use and I was being a little cheeky by answering the question as asked. i.e. no context. We have some pretty heavy draw items.

So what I am trying to figure out is how can they have used double the amount of electricity than usual in April, for no obvious reason?

Has a child (or curious adult) pressed the immersion heater switch by accident? (surprisingly common).
Have they monitored their smart meter? They should now look at their daily usage and also look for spikes when things are turned on.

What is their idle cost with nothing turned on except the essentials? Usually around 1p to 4p an hour.

Ideally, they want to analyse their usage to see if there are things creating this level.

mac.d

Hot water and heating are provided by gas so its not that. Lights, TV, games consoles on a lot, shower, washing machine & tumble dryer used daily but that is the norm. The only changes have been they've started to cut the grass etc and new mains fire & smoke alarms fitted by housing.

I'll try to do some more investigating but I'm struggling to think what has changed in their admittedly high usage to make it double this month, and indeed what could possibly make it jump so much as the big uses of energy (heating & hot water) are provided by gas?

Benight

In excess of 1kWh/hour?

Impossible I would say on a domestic tariff :cool:

Get onto Ofgem!

matelodave

Benight wrote: »

In excess of 1kWh/hour?

Impossible I would say on a domestic tariff :cool:

Get onto Ofgem!

Dunno where you are coming from - stupid statement