Are you keeping track of usage to ensure you know your upcoming energy bills and predicted annual usage??

[cakeorwine]

Just thinking about the cold weather over the last week, people altering their usage and the increased cost in energy.

Are people keeping track of usage just to see what they are using, if their direct debits are on track etc. I know that I have used a lot this last week.

It's scary to see the usage. But OTOH, it's useful to me to know that I know the usage and if I am on track

Nope. Can't be arsed with all that faff.

Yep, I have a spreadsheet. I'm sad. But I don't want a shock when I get my bill.

I send in monthly readings ..due this weekend so I can work out roughly what it will be. Don't do it on a daily basis.....I'd go mad!!! No smart meter

No.

nope cant be arsed with all that
ill use what i use and will pay for it when the bill comes in, im not getting to the point im obsessing over it, same reason i dont have or want a smart meter

Nope

Yes. I'm checking the smart meter daily and more or less keeping inside my current DD spend so I won't end the winter with a big deficit.

I have a spreadsheet too.

It also works out the annual cost - I have predictions for use over the next year and adjust them as the actual data comes in.

Not at all.

Yes, I have a spreadsheet. I have a smart meter but not the little display thing so I note down the usage once it’s uploaded on Octopus.

I use an online calculator to convert m3 to kwh for gas. It’s helpful seeing the difference between having the heating on all day and only a few hours.

I only did gas last month, but I’ve started to track electric too as I use an oil heater (wfh night shift). I’m on e7 but I cba to track day/night usage so I’m basing the electric on day rates and hoping for a nice surprise at the end!

Yes, monthly meter readings & also have a spreadsheet. So far we are using less

Nope, my energy company does that for me when they set my dd. They have better spreadsheet skills than I do.

No, we are a having a cold snap now but then in the summer I hardly use any gas so it will even out.
I have OCD so have deliberately decided against having a smart meter as I know it would be something I continuously check and I won’t to be able to relax in my home.
Fortunately I am on a good fix until September 24 so I haven’t actually experienced higher fuel bills compared to my past ones.

No, we aren't to be honest, just trying to use the heating in a sensible and efficient way.

I just used the budget function on my providers App to keep track of where we are, I'm not really looking at daily use as it fluctuates quite a lot.

I send in my readings every month and the supplier automatically adjusts the direct debit accordingly so no because I don't have to.

I have been ill recently and have turned the heating on more so expecting it to rise.

For me, I’m not obsessing with it but because I got sick of Octopus upping the DD (so far I haven’t gone over their ‘recommendations’). I cancelled my DD so pay for what I use, and I like to know where I am with it.

I’d also built a few £100 of credit, which I lost just before the price rise in October. They told me this was due to incorrect readings given to them last year by Avro, despite them having accurate smart readings for the past year, my last bill from Avro matching the meter and I submitted accurate readings as soon as my account wemt live with Octopus. It’s a long frustrating story, but in the end I couldn’t prove otherwise, because the smart meter was ‘dumb’ with Avro.

I don’t trust Octopus with my money anymore and it’s easier tracking daily, than having to go through the last 12 months and comparing bills like I had to to figure out what had happened.

Not any more. I put the evil smart meter display away and my stress has reduced.
We are mindful of the gas and elec we use; always have been.
I am financially secure, and am regarding the price hike as one of those horrid expenses like a big car bill or broken boiler.
I keep an eye on usage; again I always have.
I wfh (have done for years) and need my garden office comfortable.

Normally I send meter readings monthly, but since the price increase I've been doing them roughly every 2 weeks instead just to help keep track. I've used the heating a fair bit the last 3 weeks because of being ill.

Yes I tried to work out what I'd use for the winter because edf wanted to increase my dd to £500 when actually I worked out it needed to be £160 (plus my summer credit and government money).
I only use the app and check every week, document my monthly usage and make sure I'm still on track to break even at the end of march (my bill date).
I sometimes feel I'm becoming obsessed but am a disabled single parent with no support and living on disability benefits. I can't afford any shock bills. However being ill and having dc with disabilities that need extra electric and gas to live means I can't reduce it more.
I have used the edf app to compare last years usage to this and month on month I have managed to reduce our usage.

I keep track because I pay my bills by variable direct debit. I don't trust the companies to set their direct debit correctly - having had 1 company wildly overestimate my predicted use.

So I need to know how much is going to come out each month.

I'm just currently trying to use it to figure out if it is cheaper to have the heating on all day at 16, or a few times a day. I have to admit, for a relatively intelligent person, I do not understand the energy bill at all..not helped by British gas moving me to a new system so I basically can't see any information now!

No. I overpaid all spring and summer where I could so I have a nice credit amount to see me through the winter. I'm so fed up of all the no heating threads. There's no way my kids are suffering with the cold. I appreciate I'm lucky I can be in this position though.

Yes I am doing monthly meter readings and I’ve been increasing my payment by whatever I spend. Not sure I’ll do that this month as I’ve been at home ill.

A few months ago I was about £1000 in credit. After last month that was £557 - I reckon I’ll have wiped it out this month.