Scottish Power bill high (not first post about this)

dekaspace1

Or I can just copy and paste, this is July-October

Energy you've used over the last year 1,519 kWh - Day rate
1,582 kWh - Night rate
Estimated yearly costs* (rounded to the
nearest pound) £932

Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
14 Jul 2025 Estimated read: 91028
18 Jul 2025 Actual read: 91052
Electricity units used 24 = 24 kWh
Standard rate 24 kWh x 23.365p £5.61
Standing Charge 4 days x 52.730p £2.11
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
14 Jul 2025 Estimated read: 64176
18 Jul 2025 Removed read: 64176.1
Electricity units used 0.1 = 0.10 kWh
Control rate 0.10 kWh x 21.425p £0.02
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
19 Jul 2025 Installed read: 0
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 436.2
Electricity units used 436.2 = 436.2 kWh
Day rate 436.2 kWh x 28.505p £124.34
Standing Charge 74 days x 52.730p £39.02
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
19 Jul 2025 Installed read: 0
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 294.1
Electricity units used 294.1 = 294.1 kWh
Night rate 294.1 kWh x 13.635p £40.10
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 436.2
13 Oct 2025 Estimated read: 528
Electricity units used 91.8 = 91.8 kWh
Day rate 91.8 kWh x 30.016p £27.55
Standing Charge 13 days x 54.810p £7.13
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 294.1
13 Oct 2025 Estimated read: 356
Electricity units used 61.9 = 61.9 kWh
Night rate 61.9 kWh x 14.624p £9.05
......................................................................................................................................................................... ................................. .................................
Total electricity costs £254.93
What you've paid Credit Debit
28 Jul 2025 Payment £41.00
28 Aug 2025 Payment £73.83
29 Sep 2025 Payment £73.83
......................................................................................................................................................................... ................................. .................................
Total paid £188.66

Qyburn

Nobody cares about pounds, just stick to kWh. 

So just dipping in..

"Energy you've used over the last year 1,519 kWh - Day rate 1,582 kWh - Night rate"

(a) How do you manage just over 50% on night rate,  given you have gas heating?
(b) 3,000kWh a year is perfectly plausible.

dekaspace1

Qyburn said:

Nobody cares about pounds, just stick to kWh. 

So just dipping in..

"Energy you've used over the last year 1,519 kWh - Day rate 1,582 kWh - Night rate"

(a) How do you manage just over 50% on night rate,  given you have gas heating?
(b) 3,000kWh a year is perfectly plausible.

Interesting, I never picked up on that, and going by previous readings my night usage is lower.

QrizB

dekaspace1 said:

19 Jul 2025 Installed read: 0
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 436.2
Electricity units used 436.2 = 436.2 kWh
Day rate 436.2 kWh x 28.505p £124.34
Standing Charge 74 days x 52.730p £39.02
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
19 Jul 2025 Installed read: 0
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 294.1
Electricity units used 294.1 = 294.1 kWh
Night rate 294.1 kWh x 13.635p £40.10
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 436.2
13 Oct 2025 Estimated read: 528
Electricity units used 91.8 = 91.8 kWh
Day rate 91.8 kWh x 30.016p £27.55
Standing Charge 13 days x 54.810p £7.13
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 294.1
13 Oct 2025 Estimated read: 356
Electricity units used 61.9 = 61.9 kWh
Night rate 61.9 kWh x 14.624p £9.05

OK so a couple of things leap out.

• All the "readings" since the smart meter was installed on the 19th of July have been Estimated.
• You were previously on a legacy "control rate" tariff, where you were using very little "control rate" electricity.
• Your current tariff looks more like E7 and charges ~30p for day rate and ~15p for night rate, plus ~55p/day SC.

dekaspace1 said:

Found it, 632 daytime 202 nighttime.  

Your actual readings (above) are very different from your suppliers estimates (528 day, 356 night). You need to submit those actual radings to them ASAP, if you haven't already done so.

Based on your tariff and your actual readings, you've spent ~£270 since your meter was changed.This is a little it less than the £300 I calculated a couple of pages back, but still suggests that your monthly DD needs to be £100 or more.

dekaspace1

QrizB said:

dekaspace1 said:

19 Jul 2025 Installed read: 0
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 436.2
Electricity units used 436.2 = 436.2 kWh
Day rate 436.2 kWh x 28.505p £124.34
Standing Charge 74 days x 52.730p £39.02
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
19 Jul 2025 Installed read: 0
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 294.1
Electricity units used 294.1 = 294.1 kWh
Night rate 294.1 kWh x 13.635p £40.10
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 436.2
13 Oct 2025 Estimated read: 528
Electricity units used 91.8 = 91.8 kWh
Day rate 91.8 kWh x 30.016p £27.55
Standing Charge 13 days x 54.810p £7.13
Standard Online - Monthly Direct Debit
30 Sep 2025 Estimated read: 294.1
13 Oct 2025 Estimated read: 356
Electricity units used 61.9 = 61.9 kWh
Night rate 61.9 kWh x 14.624p £9.05

OK so a couple of things leap out.

• All the "readings" since the smart meter was installed on the 19th of July have been Estimated.
• You were previously on a legacy "control rate" tariff, where you were using very little "control rate" electricity.
• Your current tariff looks more like E7 and charges ~30p for day rate and ~15p for night rate, plus ~55p/day SC.

dekaspace1 said:

Found it, 632 daytime 202 nighttime.  

Your actual readings (above) are very different from your suppliers estimates (528 day, 356 night). You need to submit those actual radings to them ASAP, if you haven't already done so.

Based on your tariff and your actual readings, you've spent ~£270 since your meter was changed.This is a little it less than the £300 I calculated a couple of pages back, but still suggests that your monthly DD needs to be £100 or more.

It still is interesting though that the usage is so high, given what I actually use it should be much lower rather than higher than the average.

And yes already given them the new readings.

The readings are 3 and and a half months after install which would seem I spent £270 in that period so probably around £18 per week would be around £86 per month.

So we need to find out where the electricity is going, 

Going by £ (yes I know people said not to) I am fluctuating between about £1.90-£2.60 per day inc standing charge and it seems to spike in evening especially after 10pm,

I don't know what time the rates change but it does seem to shoot up around 10.30pm or 11pm.

And I am keeping an eye on my usage on IHD and it says about 9p per hour, I don't know if I have a faulty device somewhere or something is coming on a certain time, currently using 227-229w right now.

Random comment, I have a kitchen extractor fan, it sounds like it's on low at all times many people wouldn't even notice it and I forget it's even there, it has a turbo button that when I switch on sounds like a fan heater volume but surely if that was it then the usage would be higher.

EssexHebridean

I asked before but can't see that it was answered - do you still have a water cylinder with immersion heater in the property? 

Robin9

Your original post talked about the removal of the RTS ; looking at the info above (thanks for all this - a big help) gave meter removal reads of 64175 and 90764; and at your recent meter reads of  632 day/902 night and that's summer; with some panel or immersion 1519/1582 is quite possible.

You have also said gas  (with another supplier ) is low. Some figures please
 
 

EssexHebridean

Robin9 said:

Your original post talked about the removal of the RTS ; looking at the info above (thanks for all this - a big help) gave meter removal reads of 64175 and 90764; and at your recent meter reads of  632 day/902 night and that's summer; with some panel or immersion 1519/1582 is quite possible.

You have also said gas  (with another supplier ) is low. Some figures please
 
 

I'm starting to lean towards either some storage heaters (Maybe even just one?) not removed and in fact still connected and working, or an immersion heater still programmed to heat water on a nightly basis... something along those lines is the only explanation for the OP's electric use (and in particular, the overnight use) allowing for what they have said about their lifestyle. 

dekaspace1

EssexHebridean said:

I asked before but can't see that it was answered - do you still have a water cylinder with immersion heater in the property? 

Not that I know of, I have been in the loft and can't see anything, in the old boiler cupboard half is blocked off with a fake panel.

I know though when I run a bathroom tap I hear a tapping sound from above, there is pipes hidden behind a removable panel (which is low down)

Robin9 said:

Your original post talked about the removal of the RTS ; looking at the info above (thanks for all this - a big help) gave meter removal reads of 64175 and 90764; and at your recent meter reads of  632 day/902 night and that's summer; with some panel or immersion 1519/1582 is quite possible.

You have also said gas  (with another supplier ) is low. Some figures please
 
 

I rarely read the gas meter, I just pay £15 per month and I had a £150 credit from a charity about 18 months ago, when I do read it and by my suppliers bills I am about £120 in credit still.

I used the heating 3 or 4 days in total last year, not once this year yet as my flat even in a wet day like today is at 21c.

I did have the pipes changed under boiler last year after one broke that kept coming lose, it was a overflow pipe of some sort I think, I reported it to my HA who sent someone out and said they would come back but then forgot to report back and I had to chase it up about 6 weeks later.

I think the nighttime read was only about 200, the 902 I assume is combined day and night?

Giving some minor usage figures I tested last night, bathroom light is using 25w, kitchen light 40w, PC depending on if it's just browsing or watching Youtube is 85w or around 185w.

Fridge was a strange one, usage dropped about 70w when I turned it off for a few minutes but then usage didn't go up at all for about 30 minutes, so don't know if the fridge was kicking in at certain points.

Bedroom, hall and living room lightbulbs didn't seem to register any real difference i.e so low I couldn't tell.

Sleep Apnea machine used about 40w.

Again this is just using figures of having things on/off for about 3 minutes each.

Also again this morning IHD has lost connection, each time it reconnects is when I notice a huge spike.

Paranoia part of me is saying there is a double socket in meter cupboard one half of which is taped off, the other half does work.

QrizB

If you open the hot tap on your sink and hot water comes out, there must be something heating it.

That could be your gas boiler or you might have an electric hot water tank.

What's the make and model of your gas boiler, can you tell? And possibly share a photo of it?