Am I Paying Too Much 9 January at 5:33PM in Energy 3 replies 201 views

Imperial1847

I must admit I don't consider myself to be dim but struggle with how to read/understand energy bills.

EDF upped our monthly payments from £195.00 to £377.00 which is quite a drain at the moment, they are basing the cost on last years use but since then we've had a new boiler, renewed the cavity wall insulation and had TRV's on all radiators and tried to cut down a little. We are currently just shy of £1,200.00 in credit, are we paying too much with the £377.00 and should I try and reduce it?

EssexHebridean

What is it about your bill that you don't understand? You've only really mentioned your Direct Debit amount at the moment, so it's difficult to advise on the bills without some further information.

EDF bill six monthly so when did you last get a bill, and how do your meter readings for the last three months suggest your use is looking? 

macman

Post your annual kWh usage on each fuel and meaningful advice can be give, £££'s tell us nothing. 

Rodders53

£200 x 12 = £2,400 at the cheap 15p leccy, 5p gas rates of last year?  Both have, roughly, doubled.  So £400 may not be unreasonable based on that alone??  It's all going up again in April.

How many kWh on average have you used over the last as many years of consumption records you hold for the old installation and use?
Use that to see if their estimate of use tallies.

Then compare the use this year for each comparable month of the past n years to see if you really have reduced consumption in each month (make a bit of allowance for the weather / outside temperatures if you can).

Last year I was paying £65 to £85 per month for electric only. Now it is £150 less the Govt £66/67 so about the same outgoing.  I'm over £200 in credit but it'll all wash out when the subsidies end and prices go up to gobble up that credit fairly quickly.  Perhaps, unit prices might start to come back down in the summer?  {Optimistic, moi?}
My credit is based on my last meter read and bill for 1st January so up to date on my usage.
I have to buy my heating oil in advance of using it.  The cost of that has doubled as well.

If your credit has energy you have yet to be billed for you'll likely not have much left over anyways?