EDF say we use 12,000kwh/year, wildy over average?

SuzTheRebel

Please could anyone advise what I need to do in this situation?
Our online fixed tariff luckily comes to an end this month so we could move but I am worried something is so very wrong.

Family of 5, 4 bed semi-detached house using both gas & electric on an EDF smart meter.  We turned off the in-house display as it was so depressing not being able to workout what made it go up so much before anyone even woke up in the morning.  They want to raise DD up to £212 per month as we have a £135 debit on the statement. DD is currently £175 and clearly not enough.  I really don't understand it.

The average semi house is apparently using between 4000-7000kwh per year, we are on 11,900kwh.

Am I being delusional in thinking we aren't using that much or are there any secrets to finding out what's causing it?  We have a standard combi boiler, central heating which is always off after April ish, underfloor heating in two rooms which is also off unless absolutely necessary in winter.



Thanks

AlphaBetaNegan

Nothing unusual about that 12000 kWh pa figure if it’s based on actual meter readings and the meters are working correctly. 

QrizB

That 4000kWh number you quote is for electricity only, I think, not for electricity plus gas.

There are four of us (two adults, two kids) in a 3-bed semi. We have mains gas CH and HW, electricity for all the other stuff. Before I had solar I was using about 4000kWh/yr of electricity and 11000kWh/yr of gas.

What tariff are you on? How much each, electricity and gas, have you used in the past year?

Gerry1

SuzTheRebel said:

The average semi house is apparently using between 4000-7000kwh per year

Assuming you're referring to gas, those figures are wrong.

SuzTheRebel said:

we are on 11,900kwh

That's almost exactly the Medium use figure for gas given in Ofgem's Typical Domestic Consumption Values so there's nothing to worry about.

Has the smart meter gone dumb but you haven't been giving meter readings each month? If not, that's the problem: you haven't been paying your way so the DD has to go up twice, once to reflect your actual use, and then again to claw back the arrears.

Or perhaps you've just used more than expected because it's been during a cold winter in lockdown?

SuzTheRebel

I am SO sorry everyone, I have confused you all AND myself, which is why I need help, please forgive me!

Let's split this down a bit.

These are copied from the bill:
GAS Annual consumption (based on estimates) 11,904 kWh Your usage this bill 8,541 kWh This period last year 6,486 kWh

ELEC Annual consumption (based on estimates) 9,417 kWh Your usage this bill 5,815 kWh This period last year 5,003 kWh

5th December - 10th June Your charges for this period (including VAT) £1,377.85


How does that appear? If totally normal please forgive me for wasting a thread on here, just wanted someone else to cast an eye over it.

Thank you

MWT

The electricity usage is high but certainly believable with underfloor heating, assuming that is electric?

Similarly do you have an electric showers for example, as with 5 of you in the house it is easy to run up a big bill with frequent of long showers.

Gerry1

Forget estimates, deal with facts.

Your electricity is suspiciously high and your gas suspiciously low.

Are you using instantaneous electric showers, an immersion heater, convectors, oil filled radiators, electric underfloor heating?  All will waste lots of money if you have gas.

SuzTheRebel

MWT said:

The electricity usage is high but certainly believable with underfloor heating, assuming that is electric?

Similarly do you have an electric showers for example, as with 5 of you in the house it is easy to run up a big bill with frequent of long showers.

Thank you, no it is not electric showers.  
hmm I am now wondering if the electric underfloor heating in the kitchen/diner Dec-Mar is very very costly actually. I will have to work on those timers a bit more!

Gerry1

SuzTheRebel said:

MWT said:

The electricity usage is high but certainly believable with underfloor heating, assuming that is electric?

Similarly do you have an electric showers for example, as with 5 of you in the house it is easy to run up a big bill with frequent of long showers.

hmm I am now wondering if the electric underfloor heating in the kitchen/diner Dec-Mar is very very costly actually. I will have to work on those timers a bit more!

Yes, it is extremely costly.  No, you don't need timers, you need to remove the fuse.

niktheguru

Gas usage seems absolutely fine. Electricity use is on the high side. I use 6500kwh a year with an EV. 
You need to try and identify what you are using electricity for in the house. A good starting point is looking at your consumer unit (fuse box) and seeing what is labelled there. As has been noted perhaps the electric underfloor heating may be a culprit. Also, we are assuming your showers are heated by the gas combi, but if you have separate electric showers they will be contributing to it too. 
Go around the house and look at every switch and every electrical appliance and try and see what they are for and how long they are on for.
You could use the IHD which you packed away as a guide. If its a decent one it'll update every 30secs showing you how much energy you are using at any one time. turn things off sequentially and see what brings it down most (or start with everything off and turn things on gradually)

Let us know how you get on.

macman

Do you also have CH rads in the kitchen/diner as well? If so, then that is the main cause-it'll be around 3 times more expensive to heat on single rate leccy than using mains gas.