All electric flat - ridiculous monthly bill!

mr97_

I moved into a rented property 6 weeks ago, it is all electric (not E7.)  I obviously asked for my meter reading on the first day (locked basement) was met with every excuse you can think of down to the basement being flooded! I filed a complaint with the letting agency and like magic they appeared, just a picture - I didn't get to see them myself but the serial numbers do match up. After I submitted the reading to British Gas, I was told that the usage between the reading submitted the day before I got the keys (which I didn't submit nor see) is about £300 of energy over the course of 37 days. My issue is: I have never ever turned the heating on. I work in an office 8-5 5 days a week and the only appliances I use are the oven/hob and the washing machine. I know energy prices are outrageous right now but it does not seem right to me that the usage can possibly be that high for use of a washing machine, daily shower and oven. 

Obviously my landlord is being absolutely useless, I've tried citizens advice and I'm just about ready to pull my hair out. My landlord has obviously put me in a position where I can't prove that I didn't use this energy. 

Before I put all of my energy into kicking up the worlds biggest fuss with both British Gas and my landlord could people give me an idea of what their usage/bills are for an all electric property? 

For reference I live in a small one bedroom studio and as I say hardly use the appliances!

Thanks in advance  

EssexHebridean

It sounds horribly like you have been stitched up with picking up the pieces from a falsely low reading given before you took occupancy. without having seen the actual figure yourself on moving day though, I'm not quite sure how you are going to be able to do anything about it. 

How is the water heated? If by an immersion heater have you checked that this hasn't just been burbling away to itself 24/7 as that could have used a fair bit of electricity over that period...so definitely worth a check. 

My February electricity cost on E7 was £138 - that includes heating and hot water plus regular appliances etc (mostly on the overnight rate) but not cooking as we use gas for that. 

I'd suggest that you DO need to push the point about seeing the meter yourself, and if you do, and you think it might be a "single opportunity" thing then before you go down to look at it, turn everything you can think of on - oven to heat, heating, and put the kettle on to boil just before you head to the meter - that should at least mean that you can be confidence that the meter you re show definitely IS yours as it will be the one going crazy! If you are shown one with the red light just giving an occasional sporadic flash then that might indicate a crossed meter problem. Unlikely if the serial numbers match, but still worth double checking.

Assuming the meter is an old style dumb one it could be worth getting a smart meter appointment booked? 

Robin9

Describe your heating system to us please ?  Is it underfloor, simple panels or the magic dust ones,  or a conventional water radiators with a great big tank ?

In olden days £80/£90 was about par  so today £300 quite possible.

Can we have the meter readings  in kWh (not £) and read the meter again.


Can you also do a sanity test -  switch off at the consumer unit by the meter and check if the lights go out in your flat.

[Deleted User]

Welcome. Sadly, no energy supplier is going to accept evidence of other property use as the basis for amending a bill. Every property has different characteristics - not least, insulation.

You became responsible for the property on the day that your letting agreement started. Was the property empty between lets? Is it possible that the landlord is trying to get you to pay for the period when the property was empty but the heating was left on?

If the start reading on the BG bill agrees with that given to you by the landlord, then you cannot raise a dispute with BG. Any dispute that you have is with the landlord.

Sorry if this isn't much help.

EssexHebridean

Robin9 said:

Describe your heating system to us please ?  Is it underfloor, simple panels or the magic dust ones,  or a conventional water radiators with a great big tank ?

In olden days £80/£90 was about par  so today £300 quite possible.

Can we have the meter readings  in kWh (not £) and read the meter again.


Can you also do a sanity test -  switch off at the consumer unit by the meter and check if the lights go out in your flat

OP has said that one of the significant problems is that they can't get access to the meter. This is why I've suggested a "spin" on the sanity test if they can manage to arrange to actually get let in to see it on a single occasion.

brewerdave

How long do you shower for ? Once or twice a day ? Electric showers are notorious for  eating leccy, as are induction hobs!

TheElectricCow

First step will be to get more readings and data together, ideally whatever you’re able to find out about these readings from when you first moved in is likely to be your best place to focus your efforts. You may be able to help your case by working out exactly what you’re average use is now to help show that their figures seem to be way off, but I’m not sure that alone would prove much.

As much as explaining to them that the claimed use seems too high or it being  more than than other people’s use for similar properties, unless that can be back up with facts and data, BG probably won’t take much notice as they can’t rectify a wrong bill based on assumptions (other than their own estimates).

But for the sake of your own personal comparisons, my own all electric flat use with minimal heating has come to £600 for the year. Assuming we’re equally low users that would suggest your bill is unreasonably high, but that’s such a big assumption to make due to the number of variables involved in property and lifestyle that I wouldn’t rely on it at all. 

It may also be good to very thoroughly check your home appliances especially for things like immersion heaters or timed heating which may be left on unknowingly consuming large amounts of power.

daveyjp

Without proof the open reading is correct there is little you can do.

If you have the photo of the meter as a file there should be data available revealing when it was taken.  Right click on the photo and click 'properties'.

Raxiel

brewerdave said:

How long do you shower for ? Once or twice a day ? Electric showers are notorious for  eating leccy, as are induction hobs!

Agree on the shower, but induction hobs are no worse than any other electric hob, better in fact as they are the most effective at getting the heat into the pan rather than the surrounding environment.

Gas hobs are cheaper because gas is cheaper, but they're pretty wasteful relatively speaking.

Electric ovens can be pretty power hungry for the amount of work they do, but still not likely to be more than 1--2 kWh per meal

mr97_

Robin9 said:

Describe your heating system to us please ?  Is it underfloor, simple panels or the magic dust ones,  or a conventional water radiators with a great big tank ?

In olden days £80/£90 was about par  so today £300 quite possible.

Can we have the meter readings  in kWh (not £) and read the meter again.


Can you also do a sanity test -  switch off at the consumer unit by the meter and check if the lights go out in your flat.

I don't think I can do a sanity test as I don't have access to the meter? Or should the consumer unit be in my flat? (sorry if that's a silly question but I am only 20 and have just moved out on my own!)

They are simple electric panel heaters. 

Usage from 17th Jan (01795Kw) to 26th March (02593Kw) - thank you for replying!

mr97_

mr97_ said:

Robin9 said:

Describe your heating system to us please ?  Is it underfloor, simple panels or the magic dust ones,  or a conventional water radiators with a great big tank ?

In olden days £80/£90 was about par  so today £300 quite possible.

Can we have the meter readings  in kWh (not £) and read the meter again.


Can you also do a sanity test -  switch off at the consumer unit by the meter and check if the lights go out in your flat.

I don't think I can do a sanity test as I don't have access to the meter? Or should the consumer unit be in my flat? (sorry if that's a silly question but I am only 20 and have just moved out on my own!)

They are simple electric panel heaters. 

Usage from 17th Jan (01795Kw) to 26th March (02593Kw) - thank you for replying!

This was supposed to say 26th Feb!