Why such high electricity bills?

Gerry1

The average gas usage is 12,000kWh so if you only have electricity is hardly surprising that your electricity consumption will be about 12,000kWh or more. The problem is not that the consumption is excessive, it's that electricity kWhs cost up to fives times as much as gas kWhs, and that's not going to change any time soon.

As previously suggested, the OP needs to decide whether E7 or E10 represents best value and then to switch to the most cost effective tariff. There is NO magic bullet, you have to make the best of a bad situation. If there were no mains water and you had to shower with Perrier you'd have exactly the same problem.

jk0

Surely you need to make sure as much as possible of your heating is on the night rate rather than the day rate?


You should have the immersion on from maybe 2am to 6am, so you have a full tank of water. This will also help warm adjacent rooms.


You should use the storage heaters. IIWY, keep the outputs shut all the time.


Edit: Just seen your night rate cost. You should be aiming for the highest differential between day & night rate. I pay about 8p for night and 21p for day on EDF.

Gerry1

jk0 wrote: »

You should be aiming for the highest differential between day & night rate. I pay about 8p for night and 21p for day on EDF.

So a tariff with Night 10p and Day £1.00 would be far, far better? :huh:

jk0

Gerry1 wrote: »

So a tariff with Night 10p and Day £1.00 would be far, far better? :huh:

Which supplier is that?

Gerry1

jk0 wrote: »

Which supplier is that?

The Hot Air Party's 'Save the Planet' Eco Tariff.

Miss_Annie

RelievedSheff wrote: »

Have you tried switching everything off in the property and seeing what happens to the meters?

For someone who claims to use nothing in the house you are using a hell of a lot of electricity!

How old are your appliances? What light bulbs are you using?

Yes, did it this morning. Watch the meter for 15mins and nothing flash.

Miss_Annie

Well, we have done everything we possible can.

A part from what has to stay on, fridge, freezer and internet.
As for everything else it will be off until we need to use it, like the tv on an evening, washing machine on a full load only plus low temp, kettle has been cut down so to has the cooking, a sandwich instead of a meal. We are only heating one room for an hour a day. Yes its like living at the north pole but it is what it is. The good thing is we have a roof over our heads so we are thankful for that.

Thank you for all the help and advice, we are very grateful.
With kind regards

RelievedSheff

Some of what you are doing is going to prove counter productive.

Letting the flat drop cold by only heating one room for an hour is going to mean that when you do want to heat it, it will take a long time and a lot of power to do so as you have to heat the fabric of the whole flat first.

Cooking a meal will provide the flat with some heat as well as getting some warm food into yourself.

jbuchanangb

I think you should allow yourself to use the storage heater in your main living room. It will keep the chill off the place. It is much better than using an oil-filled radiator.

Close the output vent when you go to bed, and open it again about 4pm so that you get the benefit in the evening.

If money is really tight, do not be ashamed to go along to a food bank to get some basic stuff.

Carry on reading the meter regularly and keep your spreadsheet going so you stay in control.

somuchindebt

Hope you don't mind me asking but what free standing electric heater would be cheapest to run?