Expensive energy bill

AnnaRoberts

Hi all,

I moved into a brand new one bedroom apartment a year and a half ago. I have been absolutely horrified with my electricity usage over the winter months (compared to previous properties). My estimated annual assumption is 5157kw (more than my friends use for a 5 bedroom house).

I am a single occupant and feel I am pretty sensible with my energy use. My heating is only used for a few hours a day max. I have no obvious appliances that would be eating up at my energy like this- I very rarely use my dryer. But seeing as my use is noticeably higher over winter months, I am inclined to think this must be by heating (two small radiators). I have these turned off at the wall unless I am using them. 

My energy provider wasn’t able to provide any support (I have since changed) but did say that they were very shocked at the amount of energy I am using. One bill last month was £300 alone. 

I know that others in my building have also experience similar issues and the energy provider has previously come out to investigate but no problem was found. 

It feels like something must be going wrong somewhere- I just can’t accept that heating one room (occasionally) could be this expensive! 

Any advice around identifying and rectifying the problem would be greatly appreciated!! 

Verdigris

But seeing as my use is noticeably higher over winter months, I am inclined to think this must be by heating (two small radiators). I have these turned off at the wall unless I am using them.

Are the radiators heating from an elctric boiler? If so, that will still be heated even though the radiators are off. An extremely expensive form of heating.

JJ_Egan

What unit rates are you currently paying ?

What tariff are you on now .

[Deleted User]

AnnaRoberts said:

Hi all,

I moved into a brand new one bedroom apartment a year and a half ago. I have been absolutely horrified with my electricity usage over the winter months (compared to previous properties). My estimated annual assumption is 5157kw (more than my friends use for a 5 bedroom house).

Hi,

do you have any actual figures for the last year?

brewerdave

Hot water supplied by immersion heater??? Do you have an electric shower ???

Robin9

Can you read the meter today ?   Take care - look out for the decimal point.

The reading 18 months ago would have been 0000.0 kWh

molerat

^^ Echo this.  I could likely give you an estimated annual consumption as accurate as a suppliers with the aid of a dartboard

You need to check the meter attached to your billing is the one that is actually supplying your flat, many new build metering arrangements are a disaster.

Heating a property with electric is never going to be cheap but it could be made cheaper.  What are your unit rates and standing charges ?

Aylesbury_Duck

I suspect it's just the cost of electric heating and hot water.  I have a friend in a similar position, paying more for electricity as the only occupant of a one bedroom flat than I am paying for gas and electricity for a house of four people.

theoretica

AnnaRoberts said:

My estimated annual assumption is 5157kw (more than my friends use for a 5 bedroom house).

I take it the house also has gas or other form of energy but your flat doesn't?  So not a fair comparison - I expect they use more kWh in total across all energy types.

If your flat was new 18 months ago you probably have a smart meter and can download your usage.  How does your use compare warm to cold months?  Does the hour by hour use reflect when you turn the heaters on?  Are there any peaks or high use patches - what causes them?

Gerry1

Welcome to the forum.

Much more info needed.

Presumably you have no gas, so the room and water heating is by electricity?  That's why it's more expensive than your friends' house, gas is about a fifth of the price of electricity.  No-one heats a house with full price electricity, they'll almost certainly have gas or oil heating.

If you have panel radiators (or any other plug in heating that uses daytime electricity, as opposed to night storage heaters) then nothing else is more expensive.  The best you can do is to make sure you are on the capped Standard Variable Tariff and await the news on 7 February about the new price cap.

Have you done the Meter Sanity Test?

schoolrunmum

I am currently paying £230 per month for electricity alone,in a large 5 bed detached.  That is just for power n cooking,heating is oil and Calor gas. Can't believe I'll be paying over £350pm just to keep the.lights on!