Excessive energy bill - e-on (sainbury's fixed tarrif until 2023) - please advise best steps

PeterGr

What is being said is that "an average" property consumption would be 240 - 250 kWh per month, so if you are using over 1000 kWh per month, you need to track down how & why you are using that much.

wakkaday

Nope 

I have a fridge freezers and a stand-alone freezer  in my house 

Not sure what my neighbour has in their garage they are very recluse 
but you're right 

MikeJXE

wakkaday said:

Nope 

I have a fridge freezers and a stand-alone freezer  in my house 

Not sure what my neighbour has in their garage they are very recluse 
but you're right 

Do you really need both ? They are using energy 24/365 

es5595

Yes, so the reason the direct debit will be increased is because you’ve used much more than you’ve been paying, so you’ve built up a debt on the account which needs to be paid, as well as current usage. 

As others have said, electric usage is very high! Start using your gas central heating, for heating as it’s significantly cheaper than electricity. Whilst an oil-filled is one of the cheapest ways of electric heating, gas is cheaper still! Do you have TRVs on all your radiators? 

Then can you turn off your consumer unit and turn individual circuits back on for an hour, keeping an eye on the meter each time? 

theoretica

wakkaday said:

Yea sorry 2023.

I have only recently started giving them meter readings but it does seem excessive

for example

13/03

61396 - electricity 
14844 - gas

and today 

14/04

62545 - electricity
149091 - gas

Will a smart meter help?
I keep for example my oil heater plugging in although it's on a timer ... could that be draining energy 24-7 etc . I will turn to gas now I think and see if that reduces the cost 

I'm not sure what else it could be

So in a month, you have used 1100 kWh - or about 1.5kWh constantly.  That rather feels like a heater that is on 24/7 somewhere that you have not thought about or don't know about.  Underfloor heating anywhere?  Electric towel rail?  Attic heater?

I would take a few readings daily at the same time - do you use about the same every day?  Turn everything off at the consumer unit overnight or when you are out for some hours (the freezer will be fine, just don't do this when you are adding shopping) and check your meter doesn't move.  Then turn on bit by bit checking you know what each circuit does.

Scot_39

Your last month and last 16 months data are both high.

The press headline cap EPG £2500 TDCV for 2-3, 2-3 bed home  is 2900 kWh electric and 12000kWh cap.

Scale that to 16m - 4000+16000= 20000kWh.

Your 16m data 8144 kWh gas (ave 509 pm ) + 17049 kWh electric (ave 1065 pm )  = 25200kWh. (ave 1570pm)

So 25% higher but not unbelievably excessive.

And may be due to you running at a higher than average room temperature - or a less efficient / insulated home.

PS Are those gas numbers meter or bill kWh numbers ?(*)  or m3 but including the decimal place.

But the balance is really bad - in £ terms as even on fix your paying 26.54 vs 6.95 - that's nearly 4x as expensive per unit (3.8x price per kWh)


Gas CH is normally cheaper - if used efficiently. With radiator valves used to control heat in unused rooms etc.


Last month you still used 600kWh gas - assuming 14901 m3 again - 20kWh /day  that seems a lot if not heating with it at all (* - m3 meter  or kWh bill?).  Even if a combi or gas hot water boiler - have trouble expecting say 1/3rd of that.

That's more than I used any day last month for heating and many days used no heating at all.


You might want to invest in something like a couple of power switch monitors for the fires. Many here suggest TapoP110s.  But not sure how easy these are to use if your not techy.  Around £10.

As to electric c1050 pm is c35 kWh. 

In theory 2.5kW even if thermostat never throttles use for 6hrs + 1 for 1 hr in another room = 7x2.5 = 17.5kW is only half that.

A large but not american style FF might use 0.5-1kWh per day

My summer loading all electric excl shower - averages 5-6kWh inc say 2-3kWh for hot water immersion.



Are there any other abnormal loads - ponds, even small  fish aquariums etc are often  surprisingly high loads that people forget to mention.


A smart meter isn't a magical fix,but a working ihd would tell you your current kWh usage and via app your 1/2 hourly stats that might help you track the nature of ghe drain.

But nothing that couldn't be achieved with pen and paper with a bit of effort.

Ps is your hw gas or electric.  If gas tank / boiler - or combi (heat on flow demand ) ?

Scot_39

As others have suggested - you really need to try and track down usage.

Say regular meter readings if you can manage.

And in particular before after periods of heating non heating etc.

Your new kitchen - how lit ?

Old halogen spots can be over 20W, but upto 50W not unheard of and some larger kitchens have upwards of a dozen. 

And light bulbs in rest of house - you gone fully LED yet.

My parents had a 5 bulb and a 6 bulb fitting in living room/ diner.  They ran for 8 hrs a night in winter- 8x11×60= 5kWh.  The replacement LEDs use sub 1kWh.

Scot_39

As to billing / costs.

Your average usage

1065x26.54
+509x6.95
+30×(26+39)
=£337 pm.

So £140 far too low, and £395 will only clear about £60 of that £1300 debt figure per month.

And in 8 months your fix ends.

wakkaday

Scot_39 said:

Your last month and last 16 months data are both high.

The press headline cap EPG £2500 TDCV for 2-3, 2-3 bed home  is 2900 kWh electric and 12000kWh cap.

Scale that to 16m - 4000+16000= 20000kWh.

Your 16m data 8144 kWh gas (ave 509 pm ) + 17049 kWh electric (ave 1065 pm )  = 25200kWh. (ave 1570pm)

So 25% higher but not unbelievably excessive.

And may be due to you running at a higher than average room temperature - or a less efficient / insulated home.

PS Are those gas numbers meter or bill kWh numbers ?(*)  or m3 but including the decimal place.


m3. Not including decimal place 



But the balance is really bad - in £ terms as even on fix your paying 26.54 vs 6.95 - that's nearly 4x as expensive per unit (3.8x price per kWh)


Gas CH is normally cheaper - if used efficiently. With radiator valves used to control heat in unused rooms etc.


Last month you still used 600kWh gas - assuming 14901 m3 again - 20kWh /day  that seems a lot if not heating with it at all (* - m3 meter  or kWh bill?).  Even if a combi or gas hot water boiler - have trouble expecting say 1/3rd of that.

That's more than I used any day last month for heating and many days used no heating at all.


You might want to invest in something like a couple of power switch monitors for the fires. Many here suggest TapoP110s.  But not sure how easy these are to use if your not techy.  Around £10.

As to electric c1050 pm is c35 kWh. 

In theory 2.5kW even if thermostat never throttles use for 6hrs + 1 for 1 hr in another room = 7x2.5 = 17.5kW is only half that.

A large but not american style FF might use 0.5-1kWh per day

My summer loading all electric excl shower - averages 5-6kWh inc say 2-3kWh for hot water immersion.



Are there any other abnormal loads - ponds, even small  fish aquariums etc are often  surprisingly high loads that people forget to mention.


(I have biorb 60lt aquarium tropical tank on 24-7, also my wife has a hybrid car she charges maybe twice a week, but that's only has a 14 mile range (I get around 9miles) , the car battery has a nominal rating of 7.7 kWh and I'm charging over 3pin , The 10.8kWh battery allows for 14-miles of EV-) 




A smart meter isn't a magical fix,but a working ihd would tell you your current kWh usage and via app your 1/2 hourly stats that might help you track the nature of ghe drain.

But nothing that couldn't be achieved with pen and paper with a bit of effort.

Ps is your hw gas or electric.  If gas tank / boiler - or combi (heat on flow demand ) ?

combi boiler and heat on demand . I don't use the electric shower anymore which I have 

Answered some of above thanks 

theoretica

wakkaday said:

(I have biorb 60lt aquarium tropical tank on 24-7, also my wife has a hybrid car she charges maybe twice a week, but that's only has a 14 mile range (I get around 9miles) , the car battery has a nominal rating of 7.7 kWh and I'm charging over 3pin , The 10.8kWh battery allows for 14-miles of EV-)

So - 8kWh twice a week = 64kWh, small tropical fishtank maybe 100 kWh.  So - given the very rough figures - these could be 10-20% of your electricity bill.