Large Electricity Bill
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alexandrakisdimi
Posts: 18 Forumite
Hi all,
I've recently moved to a one bedroom flat from a house share and I just got my first electricity bill. The flat has only electricity, no gas. We are a couple, and most of the day we are both at work. Which is why I think a 300£ bill quarterly is huge.
I can't compare it to the past cause the bills were included in the rent before and we went through with the supplier the previous tenant had (E-ON).
Our consumption can be limited from 7:30-8:30 and 17:30-bed time (usually around 23:00-midnight) and that mostly includes the TV, half an hour cooking, maybe a blowdryer after a shower and some lights on for mostly 20 minutes. Only on weekends we might use the washing machine 3-4 times.
I did the math and the bill shows that on average we consume around 20kWh per day, but we are out most of the day and this does not make sense. How can we consume so much?
Only thing I can think of is that the water heater in our combi boiler is always on. I don't believe it uses so much power to justify that number, though. I know the cost is slightly more when always on. Also, we haven't turned on the heating at all the past 3 months. We don't have the lights on, except when eating, or having a small lamp no next to the couch when watching TV (LED bulbs). I am starting to think that either their readings are wrong or there is an electric leak somewhere. Unless I am wrong about the combi boiler and should turn it on, on demand.
Using 1700kWh in 3 months is too much, especially when you spend 1/3 of the time at home, and 15 days of holidays in the meantime where everything was turned off. So basically, I am being charged 3£ for less than 8 hours of being at home. I've seen that an average usage in a one flat bedroom is north of 4000kWh, but as it seems mine will be twice as that.
Can anyone point out how can I check what device is consuming so much power? Or anything that comes on your mind that could help us find a solution? Except from switching to LED light bulbs and power sockets off.
PS: The building management is responsible for the meter readings, but in our case E-on had already installed a smart meter so the management told me they don't know how to read it. Tenants are forbidden to access the meters, only authorised personnel.
EDIT: It is a combi boiler (electricity only) used for constant hot water on all taps and/or central heating controlled by the same panel. HW is on, CH is off.
I've recently moved to a one bedroom flat from a house share and I just got my first electricity bill. The flat has only electricity, no gas. We are a couple, and most of the day we are both at work. Which is why I think a 300£ bill quarterly is huge.
I can't compare it to the past cause the bills were included in the rent before and we went through with the supplier the previous tenant had (E-ON).
Our consumption can be limited from 7:30-8:30 and 17:30-bed time (usually around 23:00-midnight) and that mostly includes the TV, half an hour cooking, maybe a blowdryer after a shower and some lights on for mostly 20 minutes. Only on weekends we might use the washing machine 3-4 times.
I did the math and the bill shows that on average we consume around 20kWh per day, but we are out most of the day and this does not make sense. How can we consume so much?
Only thing I can think of is that the water heater in our combi boiler is always on. I don't believe it uses so much power to justify that number, though. I know the cost is slightly more when always on. Also, we haven't turned on the heating at all the past 3 months. We don't have the lights on, except when eating, or having a small lamp no next to the couch when watching TV (LED bulbs). I am starting to think that either their readings are wrong or there is an electric leak somewhere. Unless I am wrong about the combi boiler and should turn it on, on demand.
Using 1700kWh in 3 months is too much, especially when you spend 1/3 of the time at home, and 15 days of holidays in the meantime where everything was turned off. So basically, I am being charged 3£ for less than 8 hours of being at home. I've seen that an average usage in a one flat bedroom is north of 4000kWh, but as it seems mine will be twice as that.
Can anyone point out how can I check what device is consuming so much power? Or anything that comes on your mind that could help us find a solution? Except from switching to LED light bulbs and power sockets off.
PS: The building management is responsible for the meter readings, but in our case E-on had already installed a smart meter so the management told me they don't know how to read it. Tenants are forbidden to access the meters, only authorised personnel.
EDIT: It is a combi boiler (electricity only) used for constant hot water on all taps and/or central heating controlled by the same panel. HW is on, CH is off.
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Comments
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alexandrakisdimi wrote: »Can anyone point out how can I check what device is consuming so much power? Or anything that comes on your mind that could help us find a solution? Except from switching to LED light bulbs and power sockets off.
Only things you need to be concerned about is anything that heats.
In order of greatest use:
Electric Shower
Electric heating
Water Heating
Kettle
In my previous house the electric shower was half my daily cost.0 -
Only things you need to be concerned about is anything that heats.
In order of greatest use:
Electric Shower
Electric heating
Water Heating
Kettle
In my previous house the electric shower was half my daily cost.
Well, the combi heater is the one providing the hot water for the shower and the rest of the flat, which is always on.
As for the Electric heating it is turned off, I haven't even once turned the heating on.
Now for the Kettle it is used once every morning for hot coffee, so maybe 1 minute per day
I will try the next month whether turning off the water heater as well will reduce the sonsumption significantly. But I cannot imagine that it uses more than 10 kWh per day.
Thank you any way for your reply.0 -
Is it based on actual readings or an estimate? Are the readings correct? Are you on the correct tariff? Faulty meter maybe?0
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alexandrakisdimi wrote: »PS: The building management is responsible for the meter readings, but in our case E-on had already installed a smart meter so the management told me they don't know how to read it. Tenants are forbidden to access the meters, only authorised personnel.
I have a smart meter, it will display how much my energy is costing, per day. My gadget for the smart meter plugs into a 13amp socket and the display is always on.
You need to find your smart meter.0 -
alexandrakisdimi wrote: »PS: The building management is responsible for the meter readings, but in our case E-on had already installed a smart meter so the management told me they don't know how to read it. Tenants are forbidden to access the meters, only authorised personnel.
Sounds rather suspicious, you should control your own energy.0 -
sevenhills wrote: »Sounds rather suspicious, you should control your own energy.
I've god the gadget but it doesn't show any readings at all. As for the management, you make a request to them and they hand you the reading themselves the next day0 -
Was the bill that you received directly from the electricity supplier or is it one that your landlord sent you?
If it was from the LL, it's possible that they are illegally upping the charge to make a bit of profit.
Do you have your own electrical isolation switch for your flat?
If so, I would be tempted to turn it off for a couple of minutes one evening and seeing if any of the lights in the other flats go off as it might be that you are paying for more than just your electricity.0 -
shaun_from_Africa wrote: »Was the bill that you received directly from the electricity supplier or is it one that your landlord sent you?
If it was from the LL, it's possible that they are illegally upping the charge to make a bit of profit.
Do you have your own electrical isolation switch for your flat?
If so, I would be tempted to turn it off for a couple of minutes one evening and seeing if any of the lights in the other flats go off as it might be that you are paying for more than just your electricity.
The bill is directly from e-on. I turned all the switches off, except under the counter fridge and freezer when I was gone in August for 15 days and there was no issue. So I am assuming that no other flats are connected on the same line. The bill says that I used 1700kWh in 90 days (75 days if you count the holidays). I've been on the phone to contact them about 30 minutes to check whether it's an actual reading, but no luck yet. Their support is so slow0 -
alexandrakisdimi wrote: »I've god the gadget but it doesn't show any readings at all. As for the management, you make a request to them and they hand you the reading themselves the next day
Again, it sounds very dodgy.
The reading from a smart meter goes directly to your gadget and also to your supplier.
So were is "the management" getting the reading? If they have changed supplier, the smart meter may not work. So are these readings from an ordinary meter, and the management are making you pay for more than you should?
Its seems like "the management" are not telling you the full story.0 -
Is it based on actual readings or an estimate? Are the readings correct? Are you on the correct tariff? Faulty meter maybe?
Just got off the phone with them. There is a smart meter that it is supposed to be sending accurate readings. I filed a complaint and they are going to check for a faulty meter. I haven't thought of that possibility before you mentioned it. Thank you0
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