What should the monthly kEh usage of an electric only flat be?

Sawabawa

My partner and I would really like some reassurance about our electric usage and resulting bill, as we feel like we are going a bit mad! 

We moved into a 2 bed flat in a recently refurbished building in August 2021. The building is not yet complete due to legal action against the previous developers and it has also changed hands. COVID 19 also slowed down progress. Irrespective, the building was let well before it was finished and it has around 50 tenants, myself and partner included.

The flat is beautifully decorated, with modern fixtures and appliances, we were both very surprised and happy we found the property. It is electric only. I struggled to set up our energy bills with a company for a month and a half after moving in, and then did not receive a meter reading for a further month and a half. This is as we do not have access to our meter. We set up our energy bill with electric as the only fuel for the property, for £35 per month and an estimate of 2900kWh annually.  As it stands, from the first meter reading I received and the most recent to date, we have used exactly 4,299kWh in 11 months. My electric account is in debt of £448.60. Is this normal?

The more meter readings I received, the more we cut back on our electric usage. However, it still has not done anything in reducing our readings and subsequent cost.

During winter we never used the radiators at all. We got by with filling 1 or 2 hot water bottles for the day and topping it up as we needed. Usually 1 but 2 in the evening.

The windows do not open, which was not pointed out to us. We did not think to ask as the windows looked like they slid up. In replacement of this, there is a HVAC system in the flat and throughout the building. We imagine this plays into our electric bill, which we did not anticipate. We have avoided boosting the HVAC system, to our detriment as we developed mould in our bedroom at one point in the winter. We would boost the system when cooking, when having showers and leave it on for a period after the showers.

We heat water twice a day, an hour in the morning for a short shower  and to wash dishes throughout the day, then again in the evening for maybe a longer shower and evening meal dishes. We would turn the timer off when we are not in the property, and only the fridge freezer and HVAC system would remain on. We are unable to fully turn off the HVAC system. 

My partner and I have been away from the property for a week or two at a time at points in the year. Christmas, Easter, random points to spend time with family. Myself more-so in the spring due to personal reasons, and so for a lot of the spring there was only 1 person in the flat m, who also works 9am-5pm 3 days a week. 

For the most part when I have been in the flat, I do not use anything aside from my phone or the tv for moderate periods. My partner before he finished university would have used his laptop for the majority of the day.

As the windows do not open, we have avoided using the oven in the warmer months, as well as the tumble dryer. I rarely use the tumble dryer, I instead use a large clothes horse. We only use it if we need particular articles of clothing quickly. 

We also do not have a microwave as we do not have space and so have mostly been having cold evening  meals etc. 

A lot of tenants in my building are experiencing issues with their meters. Some people have been quoted to have used £5K worth of electric in a 6 month period. We have been informed by one energy company who refused to help another tenant that all our meters are messed up. They relayed that they found out when the building was originally refurbished, British Gas installed meters for all the flats, and then the developers asked to add more for additional flats. British Gas refused, and so the developers installed them though the contracted builders. We think this may have led to meters being crossed.

Any help would be appreciated. A lot of energy companies do not know what to do with us. 

Robin9

2900 KWh may be considered OK for electricity where the heating is by gas but that's not what you are doing. think more like 10000 kWh.

Even £35 would have been very optimistic -  think £80/90 at the old rates   - perhaps "50/300 now

It is important that you must have 24hr access to your meter.  

To prove if it's the right meter -  one of you needs to go to the meter and the other the flat. By ther meter there will be aswitch - turn it off - do the lights in the flat go out. If yes its your meter.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

so who provides the meter readings, landlord/caretaker or estimates from BG?

Sawabawa

Robin9 said:

2900 KWh may be considered OK for electricity where the heating is by gas but that's not what you are doing. think more like 10000 kWh.

Even £35 would have been very optimistic -  think £80/90 at the old rates   - perhaps "50/300 now

It is important that you must have 24hr access to your meter.  

To prove if it's the right meter -  one of you needs to go to the meter and the other the flat. By ther meter there will be aswitch - turn it off - do the lights in the flat go out. If yes its your meter.

Yeah we have ensured our meter is ours by turning the meter off, all the electric went off. So we know it’s ours.

The reasoning our letting agent and the building management company offers to justify meter cupboards being locked is for safety reasons. So no one can tamper with them. I think it’s a but excessive as we need access ourselves, but then again, our building has very poor security. And none of them will bother to provide us with a way to access them. 

Sawabawa

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

so who provides the meter readings, landlord/caretaker or estimates from BG?

Building management company, but they were only officially installed February 2022. So prior to that it was a wrestling match for the keys it seems between the letting agency of the majority of the units versus letting agents with fewer units. Complete mess! The building management company not take them for all flats within 7 days of the month, and given upon request. 

Robin9

Have you a Residents Committee ?

Sawabawa

Robin9 said:

Have you a Residents Committee ?

No but we have similar services. I’ve spoken to many of them and they say they can’t do anything. I’ve spoken to the MP, had meetings with city councillors (for multiple issues).  He yeah very little by way of help 

MattMattMattUK

Sawabawa said:

We set up our energy bill with electric as the only fuel for the property, for £35 per month and an estimate of 2900kWh annually.  As it stands, from the first meter reading I received and the most recent to date, we have used exactly 4,299kWh in 11 months. My electric account is in debt of £448.60. Is this normal?

For an electric only flat with two occupants 4-7,000kWh would be entirely normal depending on usage. As an example my annual usage is around 4,700kWh, I live alone in a largeish (115 sqm) two bed flat. I shower at least every day, probably an average of 10 times a week, dishwasher 1-2 times a week depending on if I have had other people round for meals, washing machine a few times a week (cotton clothes, man made fibre clothes, pillow and duvet covers, sheets, towels every two weeks when there is a full load etc.) I cook pretty much every day and I work from home quite a bit. I also enjoy video gaming and working from home can use a lot of electricity depending on what I am doing as I have a high end PC which for video work, or gaming, can draw 600-700 watts. 

Your initial estimate of £35 was unfortunately crazily low, you realistically are looking at around £200 pcm averaged over the year as a minimum, with a cold winter, or just liking the house hotter than usual you could be up in the £300-400 range, that is the unfortunate state of the situation. 

Sawabawa said:
The reasoning our letting agent and the building management company offers to justify meter cupboards being locked is for safety reasons. So no one can tamper with them. I think it’s a but excessive as we need access ourselves, but then again, our building has very poor security. And none of them will bother to provide us with a way to access them. 

That is a poor excuse and they probably do not have a leg to stand on with their reasoning, but some building management companies can be difficult and stupid. What kind of lock is on the door? Usually these are FB key locks due to legal access requirements, you can buy the FB keys from Amazon/Wickes/ScrewFix for £2.