Is this expensive for gas/electric?

[Ridingthegravytrain]

Just had a bill through for nearly £490 for 3 months October-Jan and I can't decide if we need to cut back (and if so how!). Works out about £3.50 a day for electricity and £2 a day for gas. We have gas central heating/water and hob. Everything else is electric

Does that sound ok? No tumble drier, not excessive washing (3 times a week or so) (clothes not me!!) 2 toddlers and 2 adults on a 4 bed 1930s semi

Thanks!

[lavendersun]

Not sure. I recently switched electricity companies (no gas here) and had to provide a meter reading exactly 14 days in to my new contract.

My bill was £28, so £2 a day. I do have an electric oven, but have an alternative solid fuel oven too, so lighting, computers, the central heating pump and the washing machine (7 loads a week I reckon) at £2 a day. I wasn't here much and DH wouldn't have used the electric oven.

I was surprised tbh, thought it was quite a lot per day for not much.

[Ridingthegravytrain]

That doesn't sound bad at all to me is it a big house? Ours is total over £5 a day

[honeysucklejasmine]

We pay £100 for gas and electric for three months. (My house was built in 2009 as a "green" development so lots of insulation etc.)

Are you on a meter?

[redhat]

Our electricity alone is £90 per month (although house is slightly larger). It doesn't sound bad to me.

[BackforGood]

That sounds high to me.
We live in a big, 6 bedroomed, high ceiling-ed Victorian house which is expensive to heat.
I tumble dry a lot.
I have 3 teens who are all on devices most of their time at home (and leave things on).
I've been paying £118 per month this year, but I have a lot of credit and am about to ask for that back and get the payment reduced.

I suppose if it balances out over the Summer months, then it's OK (I was just comparing the amount for the last 3 months - by paying monthly mine is the same all year round, but I suppose yours goes down in the Summer?

that said, it's been really, really mild during Autumn so I wouldn't have been expecting a big bill.

[Ridingthegravytrain]

Well the gas isn't bad for the time of year (60 a month) but the leccy is really high (over 100) and I don't know why. It's usually at least £50 lower than gas

The seal has gone on our oven (just noticed) could this cause a lot of lost energy? Clutching at straws!

[SweetAdeline]

I think it's high. We have a very similar sort of house and spend at most €450 over the same period. I'm pretty sure our prices are higher here too. We do at least a wash a day, use the tumble drier for almost everything, have an electric shower, leave a light on all night, I'm home all day etc etc. It's mostly electric in our case too.

Before this we lived in a 4 bed, newish build, mid terrace in the UK and spent £40 a month on gas and £250 a year at most on oil. So it'll partly be the house that's making it so expensive but definitely worth checking what's using so much/making sure you're getting the best deal.

[SweetAdeline]

Sorry we used to spend £40 a month on electric, we didn't have gas as too rural.

[latika]

I live in a 3 bedroomed house, Gas combi boiler and a teenager who constantly leaves things on. I pay £63 a month for both gas and electric and I'm not stingy with the heating!

[Floralnomad]

I think it's quite high I pay about £110 ( gas/elec combined) in a 4 bed , heating is on 24/7 thermostat controlled , tumble dryer used daily all year , numerous electric items going all day . The only thing I don't use is the oven as I use a halogen one .

[Ridingthegravytrain]

Damn I'm going to have to do some investigating. Maybe DH is up to no good in the garage!

Thanks for the replies

[specialsubject]

simpler to run a comparison - remember it is not just unit rates but also standing charges.

find out your annual usage of both and your actual tariff name (on your bill) and then feed into the websites. Ignore suggested savings (calculated to con) - look at actual costs.

electric bill here (same as you, not tumble drier, hot water, heating and hob from other fuels) is £32 a month. We are home a lot, do more washing than you and run a dishwasher every other day.

[cozietoesie]

Have you been in the same house for a bit? Any chance of comparing your actual consumption over - say - a couple of years?

[Ridingthegravytrain]

Thanks I'll do that I just dug out my 2014 and 2015 usage bill

[3sugarsplease]

I think that's extremely high, we have the same gas/electric system as you and we are averaging £12 a week in electric, I tumble dry about 3 times a week and do 4/5 loads of washing. I live in a 3 bed 16th century house.

[allwornout0]

Does sound high to me.

[allwornout0]

Give your current provider your new meter readings and see if the bill is adjusted.
Then go on the Energy Saving Club on the moneysavingexpert website. I have just saved my parents nearly £500 a year in their bills by switching.

[RoganJosh]

Have you looked at changing providers? You might find a cheaper provider of tariff with existing provider of you look at uswitch. Sorry if that's obvious.

[Ridingthegravytrain]

I have some more info in case anyone can offer any help. Looks like for some reason we have just used a hell of a lot more electric this quarter. Except we haven't changed anything!

And prices haven't changed. It's 14.7p per kWh and 26p per day standing charge and has been since the start of last year

Jan-Apr 15 we used 1459 kWh and cost £238 (and were running the tumble dryer!)

Apr-Jul 15 we used 1105 kWh and cost £185

Now oct 15 - Jan 16 we have used 1929 kWh and cost £307.

And if anything we are using less electric as our dryer broke

Can anyone think of anything that can be draining our electric as it's not a price issue looking at last bills it's a usage issue

We turn lights/telly off when we go out and use saving bulbs

I'm honestly baffled

All the readings are actual not estimated

[specialsubject]

doing a comparison (you'll need annual figures) will be worthwhile as prices have dropped - but I agree, where is the electricity going?

turn everything off and see what the meter is doing.

things that make heat are the energy guzzlers.

have you left an immersion heater on? (I did this)
fan heater somewhere?
is there a cannabis farm in the loft - suspect not ....
how much do you use the oven?

[Ridingthegravytrain]

We use the oven 3 or 4 times a week (but this is nothing new) however I cleaned it last week and noticed the door seal has broken so it is letting heat out. Could this be the culprit (is it having to work a lot harder to maintain temp?)

No fan heaters and I'm pretty sure no cannabis farm.. I'm certainly being kept out of any profits if so

[cozietoesie]

Ah well - accuse DH on general principle.

Seriously, turn everything off - or as near as makes no difference - and see what the meter is doing. Then put the potential guzzlers back on one by one. ( Rope DH in on it to make it easier.)

[cozietoesie]

PS - do you have any close neighbours or anyone nearby who might eg have had some building work done in the summer?

[Ridingthegravytrain]

Our attached neighbour had a conservatory put up June/July time why do you ask?

I'd know if I had an immersion right? I've never noticed a switch anywhere. I'm pretty sure we don't (plus we run out of hot water so that counts it out doesn't it. Am I being thick)

[Savagebeauty]

I have a big five bedroom house with underfloor heating ina huge kitchen. That's what costs money. Gas and electric together Nov 23nd to Dec 23rd £156.
In the summer its about £80
I use the washing machine at least once a day and tumble dryer 4-5 times a week