Help needed on extremely high electricity bill

Gerry1

Please post photos of the opening reading and today's reading and that should quickly sort it out.

You are also on a needlessly expensive tariff, especially if that price doesn't include VAT.

rjmachin

Gentlegiant said:

Based on my calculation it equates to about 14,500kwh usage from Dec 2018 to date. But BG are claiming in the bill sent today that I have used 13719Kwh between May-Dec 2020

However, remember that the Bill you received in Dec 2019 was estimated.  BG estimated that bill based on no actual readings.  Now that they have an actual reading, they have billed for what may say May-Dec 2020, but is highly likely to cover the estimated period of Dec 2018 - Dec 2020.

For example, BG may have billed based on an estimation of 100kwh per month, but had you provided meter readings monthly, it may have been 500kwh per month.  This would have enabled an adjustment to your payments a lot earlier to not have resulted in a big bill after 2 years.  These are just example figures to demonstrate.

Penelopa.Pitstop

Probably because previous estimates were too low. It's not really usage from May 2020, it's difference between estimated reading in May and actual in December. 

You didn't take regular meter readings, so you were not aware, that you're using way too much electricity, than expected. You would notice it straight away, if you checked your meters.

Either something is using a lot of electricity in your property or meter is faulty. I suggest checking meter every day at the same time and see what's daily usage and start switching off things to see what is using that much power.

If you have hot water tank, it could be electric heater in it, switched on all the time.

Gentlegiant

Gerry1 said:

Please post photos of the opening reading and today's reading and that should quickly sort it out.

You are also on a needlessly expensive tariff, especially if that price doesn't include VAT.

First image : taken when we moved in 
Second Image: Taken tonight

I says “Electricity VAT at 5% on the bill not sure what that means 

Gentlegiant

Penelopa.Pitstop said:

Probably because previous estimates were too low. It's not really usage from May 2020, it's difference between estimated reading in May and actual in December. 

You didn't take regular meter readings, so you were not aware, that you're using way too much electricity, than expected. You would notice it straight away, if you checked your meters.

Either something is using a lot of electricity in your property or meter is faulty. I suggest checking meter every day at the same time and see what's daily usage and start switching off things to see what is using that much power.

If you have hot water tank, it could be electric heater in it, switched on all the time.

Thanks indeed for responding. The hot water tank runs off of the gas meter which is seperate. I have also posted below the meter readings from when I moved in and what it is tonight. Except I am bad at maths, My calculation puts my usage around 145000 from Dec 2018 to date 

Gentlegiant

rjmachin said:

Gentlegiant said:

Based on my calculation it equates to about 14,500kwh usage from Dec 2018 to date. But BG are claiming in the bill sent today that I have used 13719Kwh between May-Dec 2020

However, remember that the Bill you received in Dec 2019 was estimated.  BG estimated that bill based on no actual readings.  Now that they have an actual reading, they have billed for what may say May-Dec 2020, but is highly likely to cover the estimated period of Dec 2018 - Dec 2020.

For example, BG may have billed based on an estimation of 100kwh per month, but had you provided meter readings monthly, it may have been 500kwh per month.  This would have enabled an adjustment to your payments a lot earlier to not have resulted in a big bill after 2 years.  These are just example figures to demonstrate.

Thanks, but regardless of estimates the Kwh per day even for this rdiculuos bill has been set at 16.956p so using that and the pictures of the meter readings posted below, it still doesnt add up

Gerry1

You've only shown one set of readings.  You need to Press the Cycle Display button to show Rate 1.

And why are you on Economy 7 when you have gas?

If the 16.956p figure has come from the bill, you'll have to add 5% VAT to get the true figure that you're paying.

Gentlegiant

Gerry1 said:

You've only shown one set of readings.  You need to Press the Cycle Display button to show Rate 1.

And why are you on Economy 7 when you have gas?

If the 16.956p figure has come from the bill, you'll have to add 5% VAT to get the true figure that you're paying.

Here is the only reading for rate one on the meter. Regarding Economy 7 I have no idea what that even mean. Also, using rate 1 and 2 how can I calculate my usage from when I moved in till date? 

[Deleted User]

Gentlegiant said:

Gerry1 said:

You've only shown one set of readings.  You need to Press the Cycle Display button to show Rate 1.

And why are you on Economy 7 when you have gas?

If the 16.956p figure has come from the bill, you'll have to add 5% VAT to get the true figure that you're paying.

Here is the only reading for rate one on the meter. Regarding Economy 7 I have no idea what that even mean. Also, using rate 1 and 2 how can I calculate my usage from when I moved in till date? 

Economy 7 is a tariff that charges a different price for electricity depending on the time of day, and it's used for all-electric properties which are heated using storage radiators. The way it works is that the storage heaters are warmed up during the night using off-peak electricity that is supplied at a special cheaper rate, then during the day the heaters release the stored heat. The problem for you is that you don't need E7 because you have gas to heat with, and the daytime rate on E7 is higher than on an ordinary tariff. If you're metering 7500 kWh PA that's a lot, an average property would be less than half that, and a small one nearer a third if the heating is by gas. I'm alone in a 3 bed semi with gas CH, and my usage is around 2500kWh PA even with an electric shower and cooker. To calculate your total usage you need both rate 1 and rate 2 readings for both now and when you moved in, your bill should be showing you separate unit prices for each rate.

Gentlegiant

jack_pott said:

Gentlegiant said:

Gerry1 said:

You've only shown one set of readings.  You need to Press the Cycle Display button to show Rate 1.

And why are you on Economy 7 when you have gas?

If the 16.956p figure has come from the bill, you'll have to add 5% VAT to get the true figure that you're paying.

Here is the only reading for rate one on the meter. Regarding Economy 7 I have no idea what that even mean. Also, using rate 1 and 2 how can I calculate my usage from when I moved in till date? 

Economy 7 is a tariff that charges a different price for electricity depending on the time of day, and it's used for all-electric properties which are heated using storage radiators. The way it works is that the storage heaters are warmed up during the night using off-peak electricity that is supplied at a special cheaper rate, then during the day the heaters release the stored heat. The problem for you is that you don't need E7 because you have gas to heat with, and the daytime rate on E7 is higher than on an ordinary tariff. If you're metering 7500 kWh PA that's a lot, an average property would be less than half that, and a small one nearer a third if the heating is by gas. I'm alone in a 3 bed semi with gas CH, and my usage is around 2500kWh PA even with an electric shower and cooker. To calculate your total usage you need both rate 1 and rate 2 readings for both now and when you moved in, your bill should be showing you separate unit prices for each rate.

Thanks for taking time to explain.. Unfortunately I dont have the readings for  rate 1 when I moved in. If I call BG will they have this? Also, judging by the usuage in the rate 2 at 14000kwh from when I moved in, is it safe to assume the Rate 1 usage at around 10000kwh as well as a guide to calculate? I am so confused i dont even know what to do.
Since I have gas separately and I use the heater on gas, does this have any effect on the bill?