Electric Coin Meter costing a fortune

Gerry1

If you each have a 10-minute shower morning and evening, it will cost you £1.31 per day, assuming it's 10kW. A 2kW heater used for 16 hours per day on a 50% duty cycle would brings the total to £4.49 and that's before you've even switched on the cooker, the kettle, a lightbulb, the TV etc. And don't even think of the washing machine and tumble dryer...

All-electric is always bad news.

twhitehousescat

In have come across propertied like this before , the landlord will have HIS master meter in the celler etc , this will be a normal credit type (residential ) paid monthly etc , he will be on a good tariff and standing charge **

he will then have had the house rewired , in order to separate the flats , and installed a coin meter in each one

the cost to residents will be one plucked out of thin air , and a standing charge added

so he will be making profit per unit and many times the daily standing charge

the origin and accuracy of the meters should be questioned (are they still made (new) ?

also cost per unit and multiple standing charged should be questioned

seeing "the bill" might show unit cost and standing charge , but thats to him "in bulk"

I cannot see a way to get your meter checked without causing grief

* one of my mates has recently split his shop , he has now moved upstairs , he has sub meter fitted upstairs

when the shop downstairs gets there bill , he simply pays what us shown on his meter to shop owner and half of s/charge

Gerry1

twhitehousescat wrote: »

I cannot see a way to get your meter checked without causing grief

It's very easy to get an indication. When the meter runs out, unplug everything that can be unplugged, and switch off everything that's hard wired. Find out the kW rating of the electric heater, pop £1 into the meter and run it set to maximum until the meter runs out again.

If the rate is 19.6p/kWh, a 2kW heater should last at least 2 hours 33 minutes.

It's only approximate because the heater may not be exactly 2kW or whatever, the rating will vary depending on the exact mains voltage, and the thermostat may switch it off if the room gets warm enough. (Have the window open !)

But if it doesn't last that long, then it does suggest you're being overcharged.

MovingForwards

Carrot007 wrote: »

As much as OP's sounds too high Yoiut meter is probably broken. £5 a day is low at this time of year unless you live in a cupboard. £7 a week. that just covers the fridge freezer and other background things.

My meter isn't broken, I just don't leave things on standby, only things permanently on / plugged in are fridge, two freezers, washing machine and the cooker / hob, I have the light on in the room I'm in and switch off lights in the bathroom / kitchen when I walk out.

My gas bill has just gone up by £2.25 pm, as Ive had the heating on a bit more than normal, I was paying £16 pm for it. Its a bit cold in Scotland at the moment

RelievedSheff

Carrot007 wrote: »

As much as OP's sounds too high Yoiut meter is probably broken. £5 a day is low at this time of year unless you live in a cupboard. £7 a week. that just covers the fridge freezer and other background things.

I don't think that is the case.

We average £1 per day for electric also and have the usual fridge/freezer, electric oven, electric shower, TV, washer/dryer etc.

[Deleted User]

graceplant wrote: »

We are thinking of asking to see a bill, but don't want to get off on the wrong foot with the landlord by accusing him of any funny business. If we knew the electricity provider, I'm assuming we could find out their unit price ourselves and calculate it along with the standing charge to see if it's legit. Does each provider have a basic unit rate, or does it vary from customer to customer?

Landlord will likely, or should be , on a business tariff.These are different from domestic tariffs in that there can be a degree of haggling with suppliers to get a better rate .
I read meters for British Gas and I do come across some landlords who kept on domestic tariffs when there are multiple flats ..Renting by the room is very popular nowadays so sub meters are also back in use more often .

PennineAcute

Carrot007 wrote: »

As much as OP's sounds too high Yoiut meter is probably broken. £5 a day is low at this time of year unless you live in a cupboard. £7 a week. that just covers the fridge freezer and other background things.

What do you have in your house? Blackpool Immuniations? Are you also heating outside?

I average around £1 a day elec, and (during this colder period) around £1.50 a day gas.

matelodave

PennineAcute wrote: »

What do you have in your house? Blackpool Immuniations? Are you also heating outside?

I average around £1 a day elec, and (during this colder period) around £1.50 a day gas.

Perhaps you do, but if the OP is paying 20p/kwh and heating the place, producing hot water, showering cooking etc, then they'll be using more than 5kwh a day.

If you only pay 12p.kwh for leccy then you'll get 8kwh for your £1, likewise for gas, if you pay 3p.kwh you'll get approx 50kwh for £1.50, so your 58kwh at the OP's rate of 20p/kwh would be costing you £11.60.

You cannot compare your consumption or cost with someone else who pays a different rate, has a different heating system, doesn't have gas and probably doesn't have the same lifestyle either.

We are all electric and even excluding heating I use around 10-11lkwh a day which increases dramatically when the heating is running, in our case up to 50+kwh a day. However we only pay 12p/kw which is £6 or more.

I'll confuse it a bit more - as we've got an Air Source Heat Pump we actually get around 2.5- 3kwh or heat for every 1kwh or leccy that is input, so 50kwh of leccy a day is equivalent to around 120-150kwh of heat, which would set us back about £25-£30 a day at 20p.kwh with direct heating.
Converted to heating and hot water via the ASHP we pay between 4-5p/kw

Andy_WSM

matelodave wrote: »

We are all electric and even excluding heating I use around 10-11lkwh a day which increases dramatically when the heating is running, in our case up to 50+kwh a day. However we only pay 12p/kw which is £6 or more

Good reply.

I am also all electric and if I've used less than £5 a day this time of year then I know it's been a relatively mild day.

RelievedSheff

Which just goes to show how much cheaper heating a home with gas really is!

It has to be very cold for us to get close to using £2 per day on gas!