Single Person Living Alone - Energy Cost Prediction

FrancisBegbie

Hi everyone,

I’m moving into my new home soon — it’s a block of five houses and I’m in the middle one. The property has an EPC rating of B, so fairly energy-efficient.

I’ll be out of the house Monday to Friday for work, and I shower at the gym every morning, so my water and energy usage should be on the lower side.

I’ve budgeted around £30 a month for water and £130 a month for gas and electricity. Does this sound realistic for a single-occupancy home with light usage?

Also, if anyone has recommendations for which providers to go with (or ones to avoid), I’d really appreciate the advice.

Thanks!

GrubbyGirl_2

That sounds good to me but to be honest as you don't have a history there you might find that the company will set your rate initially and they/you can revise it as you go along.  In my experience the water company will just tell you what you'll be paying initially and it will only be adjusted when a meter reading is taken.  Don't forget to take readings the day you move in - I always take pictures of the meters too

MikeJXE

Fwiw I live in a 1 bed flat EPC B and retired so at home most of the time 

My water is £17 a month 

My Energy Electric and gas is £51 monthly despite my heating set at 18 degrees 24 hours a day 

singhini

My water bill is roughly £20 a month, and my gas and electricity are £20 and £60 respectively. I live alone in a four-bed detached house and I rarely use the heating (ive got a heated blanket for the bed which i prefer rather than putting the radiators on and heating the whole house).

I run the boiler for about 20 minutes and can get warm (not hot) water for showers for two consecutive days.

I’m with Octopus for gas & electric, and I’ve found them good. You won't get a choice of which water company as  the company you’re with depends on where you live, because each region has a designated water and sewerage provider.

Congrats on the new home 👍

GrubbyGirl_2

From what others have said it much depends on whether you want your heating on or not. personally I like mine on so if what you have budgeted is what you can afford then you will be able to be warm.

Jemma01

My water is £20, I think it will increase to £23 soon, but I shower in the morning and after the gym. Electricity won't be useful for you as the heat pump is always on abd heats the whole house regardless of ppl.

It does sound realistic, my previous flat was around 130 in winter, and 60 in summer 

techno12

£130 for gas and electric seems high to me - it's £80 for me, though I am quite frugal (my flat is semi-basement and quite warm, albeit single glazed, so the heating hasn't been on yet this autumn/winter).

Scot_39

Everything comes down to personal use - on those 2 bills - 2 different people in same home will use completely different amounts of water and energy for heating it and their home.
Showering at gym and out at work will cut costs significantly vs those at home all day.  Set your gch thermostats etc appropriately to suit.
Id expect closer to £20 water and sub £100 for energy (i need to be frugal as in all day and have expensive electric heating and cold fed electric shower - but manage £18 and £80.  GAS will be c6p per heat unit (kWh) - my heating rate pushing 20p - in Jan cap.

But Id keep the excess in a kitty for boiler servicing and or gas or other general repairs / work if can afford to for at least a good few months  if buying not renting.

For energy pricing -  standard single variable rate is similar at all suppliers - so  service is an important factor.

If looking to fix - octopus arent always cheapest but their fixes are often free from exit fees - which might be important to you if/when rates drop again - or right now - far less regular events - when govt takes some policy charges off bills as budget for next April.

Several suppliers also offer referral fees where you and the referrer get upto £50  - so think about that too if decide to switch ask friends or family if their supplier does so - see latest mse list here 

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/energy-supplier-rewards-and-referral-scheme


Remember in case you havent done so before general the procedure for energy is

The home will have a deemed supplier - or 2 - gas and electric can be seperate - you will need to register an account with them as soon as you are responsible under rental, lease / purchase. 
Id sign up to just variable rate with them whilst get a feel for use or study market and decide who to go with.
Take and provide them with day 1 readings  - ideally with phone photos kept as proof etc. - you dont want to pay for previous owners / tennants use
If want to swap - you are moving accounts that have to be with the deemed supllier in your name - but you can do so almost immediately - I've paid the deemed supplier as little as 3-5 days sc/use in the past by doing both old deemed supplier and new supplier request on first working day responsible.

See e.g. more formal guide from CA which covers both old and new

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/moving-home-your-energy-supply/moving-home-dealing-with-your-energy-supply/


And as above - dont forget water and water meter - all modern, and overall around 50% homes metered, council tax, electoral role registration and any broadband / phone needs.  And all other orgs you need to notify.

QrizB

FrancisBegbie said:

I’ve budgeted around £30 a month for water and £130 a month for gas and electricity. Does this sound realistic for a single-occupancy home with light usage?

You've had a lot of long and complicated replies so here's a short and simple one.

That sounds a reasonable amount as a first estimate. It's unlikely to be very far away from the actual cost. Once you've been living in the property for a year you'll have a better idea of your actuals and can adjust your budget to suit.

Lorian

Agree it sounds a reasonable starting place, might be a little high but it is really only just the start of winter so typically you'd have some credit at this point.

Archerychick

In a similar housing arrangement mine is on average £65 per month for gas and electric. I also have a hybrid so if you’re not charging a vehicle I’d expect yours to be even lower than that. It’s better to have too much budgeted than not enough though!
I'm with Octopus for energy, using Octopus go and my gas is on a fix.