Ridiculous Electricity Bill

[Deleted User]

You've said that your actual summer usage is around 500kWh per month.

Winter usage could easily be 3 or 4 times summer usage for an all electric property - so estimate 1750kWh per month for the first 5.

Doesn't that equate to somewhere near the "crazy" 9000 kWh that you talk about?

For reference, the OFGEM standard assumption is 12000kWh annual for gas and 3100kWh annual for electricity. Gas is more efficient than electricity for space heating, so that roughly translates to 20000kWh annual consumption for an all electric property.

Windofchange

Deleted_User wrote: »

You've said that your actual summer usage is around 500kWh per month.

Winter usage could easily be 3 or 4 times summer usage for an all electric property - so estimate 1750kWh per month for the first 5.

Doesn't that equate to somewhere near the "crazy" 9000 kWh that you talk about?

For reference, the OFGEM standard assumption is 12000kWh annual for gas and 3100kWh annual for electricity. Gas is more efficient than electricity for space heating, so that roughly translates to 20000kWh annual consumption for an all electric property.

Maybe, but I would say that my winter ended in February when we turned off the central heating at the boiler. If I had been using 4 - 500 kw hours March 1st lets say to now, then that is about 1600 - 2000kw hours. Means that in the three months from November to Feb we used in the region of 7 - 7500 Kw hours. That is what seems excessive.

45002

Windofchange wrote:

Not sure if this in the right place, but please move if not. We moved into a new build rental property in November of 2018. The place is part of 16 other new build flats and houses as part of a new development, and we are the first to occupy this unit. The landlord is the sort who just ignores all your calls, mails, texts etc and hopes you go away. On moving in, he refused to let us have access to the utilities cupboard to check the meter readings - it's all under lock and key, and he said they were doing plant work in there so it's dangerous etc etc. As such, I was unable to get a reading on the electricity meter, but he assured me it had all been zeroed when we all moved in. 7 months later, I alongside the other tenants have finally got access to this area. My meter reading is something like 9000 Kw hours which equates to about £1500, A neighbour got a bill last month for £2600 for the 6 months to date - electricity only, none of us have gas.

I have so far paid £70 for usage from November to April - this was an estimate and not an actual reading. Weird thing is we have smart meters so not sure what is going on there. I am expecting at some point that I am going to get a demand from the utilities company for a lot of money, and I don't know what I can do to fight it? What I suspect has happened is that he has been using the electricity supply for the years that it took him to build all the flats and houses, and actually hasn't zeroed anything. He is then just holding his hands in the air and saying everything is zeroed, your problem.

We had a contractual agreement through right move for a check in and inventory that never happened, so one possible course of action is to sue / take it up with them. What is the process that he would have had to have gone through with the utilities company to zero a meter? Can he just do it and phone them up, or do they need to have come out and have a registered engineer to do it? Assuming a large bill does land shortly, what is my chance of getting this cancelled / reduced? I'm not sure it's even possible to use £1500 of electricity in a small house in 6 months? Maybe with a cannabis farm!?

Are you sure its a smart meter, can you post a picture !

If yes, do you know if its a smets1 or smets2 meter.

https://moneyhighstreet.com/why-not-want-smart-meters-fitted/




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Robin9

Windofchange wrote: »

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' when we turned off the central heating at the boiler. '.

Off at the boiler ?

What sort of electric heating have you got ? Do you have a water filled radiator system ?

[Deleted User]

Yes, then I'd agree - 7500kWh in three months is unusual for something that isn't a large detached house.

Your 1 hour boost function would just run the immersion element for an hour regardless of the system timer - so that's only going to be something like 3kWh each time.

And Robin9 is right, meters don't get zeroed unless they're brand new. All that should have happened is that the meter reading at change of responsibility should have been recorded. Unfortunately, I wouldn't expect any help from the utility if this hasn't happened. They're not set up to believe anything but the numbers off the meter, and they have no responsibility to check that the numbers are sensible. Could be one for the press to have your back on though and aim for something labelled as 'goodwill'.

molerat

If you have an electric boiler feeding wet radiators then you have the closest thing available to a £10 note eating machine !

Windofchange

45002 wrote: »

Are you sure its a smart meter, can you post a picture !

If yes, do you know if its a smets1 or smets2 meter.

https://moneyhighstreet.com/why-not-want-smart-meters-fitted/




...

No idea I'm afraid. This is what we have:

https://www.landisgyr.eu/product/landisgyr-e470/

Windofchange

Robin9 wrote: »

Off at the boiler ?

What sort of electric heating have you got ? Do you have a water filled radiator system ?

Yes, we have a water filled radiator system. The boiler is a huge big thing in its own cupboard, and it has a switch on it that lets you turn off the central heating and only have the hot water running. Well, you could turn that off too, but I have just switched off the radiators, so they are never running.

Windofchange

Deleted_User wrote: »

Yes, then I'd agree - 7500kWh in three months is unusual for something that isn't a large detached house.

Your 1 hour boost function would just run the immersion element for an hour regardless of the system timer - so that's only going to be something like 3kWh each time.

And Robin9 is right, meters don't get zeroed unless they're brand new. All that should have happened is that the meter reading at change of responsibility should have been recorded. Unfortunately, I wouldn't expect any help from the utility if this hasn't happened. They're not set up to believe anything but the numbers off the meter, and they have no responsibility to check that the numbers are sensible. Could be one for the press to have your back on though and aim for something labelled as 'goodwill'.

Thanks for the guesstimate about the hour boost. So, it should have cost about 50p or so per press from what you think? I'm kicking myself that I didn't push harder to get into this utility cupboard when we moved in, but we were excited / busy moving things and we just got on with it. I'm assuming too that the utility company will give zero f***s, hence trying to get onto of things as able now.

Simby

You are running the hot water 24 x 7? If it has a timer you really only need it one for a few hours a day , the water will stay hot for quite a while and the tank should be insulated .