Extremely high energy bills for 1bed flat - Looking for advice

ElenaGeorgieva

Hello everyone,

I live in a 1 bedroom flat, 1 person occupancy, and have received extremely high energy bills so I am looking for advice on how to fight this with the energy companies.

I moved into my current property in September 2018 and gave the meter readings to SSE, they estimated my cost per month for electricity only and I set up a direct debit going out every month. Last year, I decided to change the energy supplier and gave my meter readings to my new supplier which passed them on to SSE for the final bill. When the bill came through, SSE told me I owe them £2,071.58 for 12 months of energy use. This is a very high amount for a 1 bedroom flat.

Now my current supplier tells me that I owe them £1,480 for 9 months of energy use.

I work full time and am not home between 7.30 am and 8 pm every day so my heating is on a timer and is off for the 11 or hours I am not home.

The energy company arranged for a check meter to be installed which showed that the electricity meter is working OK. I also had an independent electrician coming in and saying that there is nothing out of the ordinary and it is impossible for me to have used so much energy.

Has anyone experienced such/similar situation?

Thank you in advance.

SnowTiger

Yes.  Hope that helps.

ElenaGeorgieva

I'm sorry, what should help, there isn't anything previously.

ElenaGeorgieva

SnowTiger said:

Yes.  Hope that helps.

I'm sorry, what should help, there isn't any previous comment.

Gerry1

Welcome to the forum.

You need to think in kWh not ££, and to send monthly meter readings.

If you are all-electric and are using full price electricity for heating and hot water then it will be extremely expensive, especially if you are on a poor choice of tariff.  Apart from getting the lowest cost per kWh (how much are you paying now, inc VAT?) there's not much you can do apart from changing to clever storage heaters such as Dimplex Quantum and switching to Economy 7, or moving to a place with GCH.

You also need to send monthly meter readings, or you're likely to experience bill shock.

Sorry, that won't be the news that you want to hear, but that's probably how it is. Instead of paying as little as 2p/kWh for heating and hot water, you're probably paying 15p/kWh, so the bills will reflect that. 

ElenaGeorgieva

Gerry1 said:

Welcome to the forum.

You need to think in kWh not ££, and to send monthly meter readings.

If you are all-electric and are using full price electricity for heating and hot water then it will be extremely expensive, especially if you are on a poor choice of tariff.  Apart from getting the lowest cost per kWh (how much are you paying now, inc VAT?) there's not much you can do apart from changing to clever storage heaters such as Dimplex Quantum and switching to Economy 7, or moving to a place with GCH.

Sorry, that won't be the news that you want to hear, but that's probably how it is. Instead of paying as little as 2p/kWh for heating and hot water, you're probably paying 15p/kWh, so the bills will reflect that. 

Thank you, Garry! When you say 15p/kWh, do you mean 15 pence?

Gerry1

ElenaGeorgieva said:

Gerry1 said:

Welcome to the forum.

You need to think in kWh not ££, and to send monthly meter readings.

If you are all-electric and are using full price electricity for heating and hot water then it will be extremely expensive, especially if you are on a poor choice of tariff.  Apart from getting the lowest cost per kWh (how much are you paying now, inc VAT?) there's not much you can do apart from changing to clever storage heaters such as Dimplex Quantum and switching to Economy 7, or moving to a place with GCH.

Sorry, that won't be the news that you want to hear, but that's probably how it is. Instead of paying as little as 2p/kWh for heating and hot water, you're probably paying 15p/kWh, so the bills will reflect that. 

Thank you, Garry! When you say 15p/kWh, do you mean 15 pence?

Yes, that's probably roughly what you are paying if it's single rate.

If you don't have gas it's like showering with bottled water because you're not on the mains, or running a car on lighter fuel because you can't find a petrol pump.

ElenaGeorgieva

Gerry1 said:

ElenaGeorgieva said:

Gerry1 said:

Welcome to the forum.

You need to think in kWh not ££, and to send monthly meter readings.

If you are all-electric and are using full price electricity for heating and hot water then it will be extremely expensive, especially if you are on a poor choice of tariff.  Apart from getting the lowest cost per kWh (how much are you paying now, inc VAT?) there's not much you can do apart from changing to clever storage heaters such as Dimplex Quantum and switching to Economy 7, or moving to a place with GCH.

Sorry, that won't be the news that you want to hear, but that's probably how it is. Instead of paying as little as 2p/kWh for heating and hot water, you're probably paying 15p/kWh, so the bills will reflect that. 

Thank you, Garry! When you say 15p/kWh, do you mean 15 pence?

Yes, that's probably roughly what you are paying if it's single rate.

It still doesn't seem right to have a bill of more than £2,000 plus the £400+ I've paid during the year. A 3 bedroom house doesn't use such amount of energy let alone 1bed flat.

Gerry1

That's why they use GAS !  Yes, they probably use more energy, but they can buy it four or five times cheaper.

tim_p

What was the meter reading you gave to SSE in 2018, what was the reading when you changed supplier 9 months ago and what is the meter reading now.

ElenaGeorgieva

Gerry1 said:

That's why they use GAS !  Yes, they probably use more energy, but they can buy it four or five times cheaper.

I was on a fixed tariff and specifically asked is it will be cheaper or more expensive so the energy companies told me it will be cheaper.