Why is my electric bill so high [Merged]

gf3978114

I am new to living alone. 2 bed flat.
I have a smart meter. I dont get a paper bill I top up online when it runs out. 
Storage heaters are off and unplugged, I never have any heating on and use a blanket and hot water bottle. It's miserable but if I use heating my electric runs out after a day. 
Topped up less than 2 days ago and my metre has used about £10.
I have the hot water turned off at the mains and use the kettle for dishes.
Washing machine run once every few days.
Lights turned off at the mains and only turned on sparingly for a few hours at night, I use my flashlight instead.
I dont have a computer yet and charge my phone once a day and unplug it. Kindle about once a week if that.
Electric shower only turned on at the mains when going to use it.
The only thing constantly plugged in is the fridge.
I dont know what I am doing wrong. Is this just how much things cost now?

Krakkkers

Do you know how much you pay per kwh? and how many kwhs you are using.
If its 35p per kwh then you are using maybe 14 kwh per day which seems a lot.
The only high usage item you mentioned was a shower. Are you repaying debt?

gf3978114

Krakkkers said:

Do you know how much you pay per kwh? and how many kwhs you are using.
If its 35p per kwh then you are using maybe 14 kwh per day which seems a lot.
The only high usage item you mentioned was a shower. Are you repaying debt?

I shouldnt be repaying debt. I moved in recently. but citizens advice reckon I may be getting charged for the previous occupants usage?

EssexHebridean

First question - on moving in did you register with the current electricity supplier to the property, and get given your own account number ready for online top-ups? 

gf3978114

EssexHebridean said:

First question - on moving in did you register with the current electricity supplier to the property, and get given your own account number ready for online top-ups? 

Its a temporary council flat they own the account but I have to pay the electric "as a guest" on the website. Not happy about that. 

EssexHebridean

gf3978114 said:

EssexHebridean said:

First question - on moving in did you register with the current electricity supplier to the property, and get given your own account number ready for online top-ups? 

It’s a temporary council flat they own the account but I have to pay the electric "as a guest" on the website. Not happy about that. 

When you top up, does it tell you anywhere what the unit rate and standing charge you are paying is? 

gf3978114

EssexHebridean said:

gf3978114 said:

EssexHebridean said:

First question - on moving in did you register with the current electricity supplier to the property, and get given your own account number ready for online top-ups? 

It’s a temporary council flat they own the account but I have to pay the electric "as a guest" on the website. Not happy about that. 

When you top up, does it tell you anywhere what the unit rate and standing charge you are paying is? 

How do I check that? After saying the balance it mentions something about a cost. £188? But i dont know what that means? If its estimated to cost that much in a month,m

macman

After each top up of £x, how much does the credit on the meter increase by? If less than the value of the top up, then there is almost certainly previous debt on the meter that you are now paying for? Any debt should have been cleared when you moved in.
Tell us exactly what it says 'after the balance', or post a screenshot.
IIUC, you are not paying a supplier, but this is a private sub-meter and you are paying the LL or council for the supply?
Are you getting the £400 EBSS credit payments?

gf3978114

macman said:

After each top up of £x, how much does the credit on the meter increase by? If less than the value of the top up, then there is almost certainly previous debt on the meter that you are now paying for? Any debt should have been cleared when you moved in.
Tell us exactly what it says 'after the balance', or post a screenshot.
IIUC, you are not paying a supplier, but this is a private sub-meter and you are paying the LL or council for the supply?
Are you getting the £400 EBSS credit payments?

I check my metre every few hours and it goes down by a lot each time. I'm not getting any kind of payment, how it works is the council own the electric account by utila and I have to pay on utilas website as a guest.

[Deleted User]

Hi,

so how does Utilia get readings and what do they charge per unit?

Do you have reading when you moved in and one now?

gf3978114

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

so how does Utilia get readings and what do they charge per unit?

Do you have reading when you moved in and one now?

There may be a fault with the metre or something because I cant gauge why its costing me this much. How do i see what its charging me per unit? Its a prepayment metre so i have to put money into it online before it runs out basically