Npower first bill very high - please help - storage heaters?

notgotaclue_2

Hi Guys

I'm in a studio flat with one storage heater supposed to be Economy 7.

Other than that I have a small fridge, have a computer and TV only used evenings and both totally switched off end of evening.

I don't use the emersion heater - but have a shower I use each day. Washing-up is done twice a week using 2 x boiled kettle.

I have an electric cooker used 4 x a week and a steamer used most evenings.

My bill has arrived for 21.01.08-14.03.08

Night - 1520 KWh first 1520 at 4.220p £ 64.14
Day - 11718 Kwh first 121 at 22.100p £ 28.74
next 1017 at 12.700p £129.16
TOTAL £220.04

I have had my storage heater on because I thought as it was on economy 7 - it would be cheap overnight - and have had the settings on low for both input and output.

Looking at the bill - it seems it's not running off economy 7 at all!!

I've switched it off and am sitting in a coat for warmth and hiding under two duvets during the day and wearing wolly socks!!

Does anyone have any ideas on why the storage heater (I'm guessing it's that as I'm not here during the day - and don't run anything during the day) - is not using Economy 7.

The storage heater is a Dimplex XL-n.

Thank you.

espresso

notgotaclue wrote: »

Hi Guys

I'm in a studio flat with one storage heater supposed to be Economy 7.

Other than that I have a small fridge, have a computer and TV only used evenings and both totally switched off end of evening.

I don't use the emersion heater - but have a shower I use each day. Washing-up is done twice a week using 2 x boiled kettle.

I have an electric cooker used 4 x a week and a steamer used most evenings.

My bill has arrived for 21.01.08-14.03.08

Night - 1520 KWh first 1520 at 4.220p £ 64.14
Day - [strike]11718[/strike] 1138 Kwh first 121 at 22.100p £ 28.74
next 1017 at 12.700p £129.16
TOTAL £220.04

Typo corrected.

I have had my storage heater on because I thought as it was on economy 7 - it would be cheap overnight - and have had the settings on low for both input and output.

According to the instructions:

In cold weather set the right hand (INPUT) knob to maximum (fully clockwise). In milder weather set the control to a lower position.

Looking at the bill - it seems it's not running off economy 7 at all!!

No but you do seem to be using a lot of day units!

I've switched it off and am sitting in a coat for warmth and hiding under two duvets during the day and wearing wolly socks!!

Does anyone have any ideas on why the storage heater (I'm guessing it's that as I'm not here during the day - and don't run anything during the day) - is not using Economy 7.

The storage heater is a Dimplex XL-n.

Assuming that your storage heater is an XL24N it is rated at 3.4kWh i.e. if charged for 7 hours on night rate units it would consume a maximum of 24kWh each day.

Your bill works out that over approx 8 weeks you have used about 27 night units each day and approx 20 day units each day, which looks to be more of a problem to me! Is your shower electric?

....................

notgotaclue_2

Thank you for the reply Espresso.

Thank you for correcting the typo too.

The shower is electric. It has a pully - which I pull when I climb in the shower. Shower time - 5 mins maximum each day.

And the moment I'm out and wrapped - I pull the chord again to switch-off.

NPower have said that the storage heater is wrongly programmed (?) and told me to get in an electrician.

You seem to know about these things - can I ask you - if the storage heater is using Economy 7 overnight - what in it's "programming" would cause it to then use normal rates during the day? Is there something I should have done?

There is a Hager Vision Consumer unit in the studio - I've never touched it or played with it - but my understanding is it's some type of overload unit which kicks in as a protection breaker (my words). This couldn't be causing an impact with the storage heater during the day could it?

I don't have the immersion heater on - but I'm assuming that has nothing to do with the high day reading either.

Will get the management company to read the meter again since I switched off the storage heater.

Could the shower be using day time electricity although "off"?

Daytime - is just the fridge - I'm not here during the day most times. Weekends, it's tv on Sunday afternoon mostly.

NPower have also told me to switch everything off during the day and boil a kettle and take meter reading before and after to prove whether or not meter is faulty.

Thank you for any advice you have to offer!!

espresso

notgotaclue wrote: »

Thank you for the reply Espresso.

Thank you for correcting the typo too.

The shower is electric. It has a pully - which I pull when I climb in the shower. Shower time - 5 mins maximum each day.

And the moment I'm out and wrapped - I pull the chord again to switch-off.

Using a high wattage electric shower every day will obviously add to your electricity bill compared to heating hot water by other means e.g. gas or cheap rate electricity for an immersion heater.

NPower have said that the storage heater is wrongly programmed (?) and told me to get in an electrician.

You seem to know about these things - can I ask you - if the storage heater is using Economy 7 overnight - what in it's "programming" would cause it to then use normal rates during the day? Is there something I should have done?

I'm not sure that is the case, as you seem to be using the correct amount of night units. Normally the economy 7 period is switched by either a mechanical timeswitch next to your meter or automatically by a radio controlled teleswitch.

There is a Hager Vision Consumer unit in the studio - I've never touched it or played with it - but my understanding is it's some type of overload unit which kicks in as a protection breaker (my words). This couldn't be causing an impact with the storage heater during the day could it?

That sounds like a standard consumer unit e.g. here

I don't have the immersion heater on - but I'm assuming that has nothing to do with the high day reading either.

If it is switched off, it should not be adding to your day units.

Will get the management company to read the meter again since I switched off the storage heater.

Yes try to keep a regular check on your meter readings.

Could the shower be using day time electricity although "off"?

Very unlikely as the pull cord should totally isolate the electrical supply to the shower.

Daytime - is just the fridge - I'm not here during the day most times. Weekends, it's tv on Sunday afternoon mostly.

I suppose that you fridge could be faulty causing it to use more electricity than it should. Does it need defrosting? Is the motor on all of the time? Do you have any other electrical heating? e.g. under floor

NPower have also told me to switch everything off during the day and boil a kettle and take meter reading before and after to prove whether or not meter is faulty.

Yes as your night unit consumption seems to be about right, you need to find out what is using the day rate units as your day rate consumption is high. A standard 3kW kettle or heater would need to be on for 20 minutes to use one unit of electricity.

..................

mute_posting

is it a "guestimated" bill? (i.e. have you actually read the meter yourself?)

Also as it is twinrate a popular and (cough) profitable mistake for the leccy company to make is to transpose the two readings.... (had 5 years of hell with npower when they did the latter when switching was first allowed)

Taffyscot

Hi Couldn't help but notice your post and I feel in the same position myself. Help just had my first bill from Npower and it seems high. Billed from Feb 11 to Mar 11 £87.00 gas and £37.00 electricity. We took possession of the house on Feb 11th but still lived a few streets away in our old flat. It is a 2 bedroom terraced house, pretty small really. We moved into the house on Feb 28th had 2 showers on Feb 29th and then went away to Wales until Mar 15th. In between this time we had the heat on in the house a few hours a day whilst moving things and cleaning the house until Feb 28th. Didn't have any showers there or wash any clothes or use the cooker or the gas. Had all our meals at the flat and did all our washing at the flat. Used water for washing cups after cups of tea and used the kettle for tea several times a day.
Was gone completely from Feb 29th to March 15th but friend came in 2 or 3 times a week and painted for us. She only used the lights and had the heat on for about an hour each time.
Since yesterday we sit with 2 sweaters on, hot water turned off and only using lights when we have to. Does this seem as if there is something wrong? Looked at the meters and they are both accurate as of yesterday's date. IE that is how much we have used up as of April 1. Still seems a lot even taking that off. We are very frugal and always use the bath after one another or after the other one has showered. Never leave the heat on very much at all just an hour in the morning and maybe an hour or two in the night. I dread to think what the other bill will be like when we are actually using heating, cooking, washing clothes etc. I have tried doing comparisons with Uswitch etc and am coming up with Npower as the cheapest. Any advice out there please.
In our last flat we were paying £30 a month for electricity and £30 a month for gas both with British Gas and we are in credit by nearly £80.00 as we were always overpaying. As you can see we are not big consumers of energy and as we are seniors and on disabilities can hardly afford to pay utilities like Npower is charging us. Yikes cold beans and 2 warm sweaters plus a blankey from now on. HELP Taffy

sarah_lou22

notgotaclue wrote: »

Hi Guys

I'm in a studio flat with one storage heater supposed to be Economy 7.

Other than that I have a small fridge, have a computer and TV only used evenings and both totally switched off end of evening.

I don't use the emersion heater - but have a shower I use each day. Washing-up is done twice a week using 2 x boiled kettle.

I have an electric cooker used 4 x a week and a steamer used most evenings.

My bill has arrived for 21.01.08-14.03.08

Night - 1520 KWh first 1520 at 4.220p £ 64.14
Day - 11718 Kwh first 121 at 22.100p £ 28.74
next 1017 at 12.700p £129.16
TOTAL £220.04

I have had my storage heater on because I thought as it was on economy 7 - it would be cheap overnight - and have had the settings on low for both input and output.

Looking at the bill - it seems it's not running off economy 7 at all!!

I've switched it off and am sitting in a coat for warmth and hiding under two duvets during the day and wearing wolly socks!!

Does anyone have any ideas on why the storage heater (I'm guessing it's that as I'm not here during the day - and don't run anything during the day) - is not using Economy 7.

The storage heater is a Dimplex XL-n.

Thank you.

the night rate is between midnight and 7am where the heaters get their heat from to release during the day. so either you're leaving items on standby or using a lot during the day. ive got the energy efficiency number if you think this will help?? are the readings on the bill actual reads or estimates?

space_rider

Turn everything off and also unplug everything apart from your fridge freezer and take a meter reading when you leave in the morning. Check it when you get home and you should have only used a few units for your fridge freezer. If that is the case then there must be something that you are turning on that is using the electric. Also when you do use your storage heater make sure that the output is set to 1 or the lowest setting before you go to bed. By the way, has your daytime use gone down since you turned off the storage heater.

notgotaclue_2

Thanks to Espresso again!! Particularly for allaying some of my fears re the shower.

And thanks to all who've posted back - giving me food for thought.

Meters were not estimates - actual.
Fridge is tiny with an ice-box - and doesn't need defrosting - but is old - so could be running away with more than expected.

In a block of 100+ studios - and the person in charge of the meter boxes (all locked) is away until 18 April, so at the moment don't know if everything has decreased since switching off storage heater.

Plus can't do tests and monitor daily increases until 18th.

But agree with you all - there's something running away during the day with the electricity - but only the Fridge is on during the day now - and have cleared that out so that I can switch it off all next week.

Will follow the advice you have all given - and hopefully get back after 18th with more information.

Until then, thank you guys for your help and sympathy.

It's wolly jumpers and loads of coats over the bed at night - never thought I'd resort to socks in bed - but they're great!!!

Has made me realise how scarey huge bills for heating are - and why my Mum and Gran worry so much about them and why they too put on extra layers because of the fear.

I remember Edwin Currie when I was young suggesting that oldies shouldn't moan about bills but just wear extra layers.

It's not a way to live - something's gone very wrong - got a feeling there a lot of people out there worried about heating which until now I took forgranted I could afford.

space_rider

You know if it is your daytime use that is causing the bills to be so high then you can turn the storage heater back on. hasn`t the management company got another key. Is it the normal meter box key, if so you can get them from any DIY store. It`s going to be a cold weekend and being cold will only make you feel miserable.