The price of energy

[Mustang27]

We both work full time have two small children. Live in a 4 bedroom 15yr old house (boiler is about that age).

The heating is set to regulate at 17degrees and is occasionally boosted to 18 (3/4 times a week) to take the chill off the air. We have the hot water set to come on twice a day for half an hour and often run out of hot water by the end of the day so that's occasionally boosted for another 30 mins (2/3 times a week).

We are about 180 a month gas and electricity combined just seems really high. This amount is less in the summer as the heating isn't on but kept the same to make sure we aren't in debt to them after the winter.

What is everyone else paying? Especially similar families to ours?

It would be easier to make comparisons if you posted your usage rather than your costs as prices vary greatly between suppliers. How much gas and how much electricity, and what appliances do you run. What uses gas and what uses electricity (heating? hot water?). How many people are at home all day?

Nobody is at home all day.

Gas is heating, hot water and cooker everything else is electric. Probably do 1 load of washing and tumble dryer on for an hour a day. Dishwasher on once a day, oven and hob on for 30/60mins a day. Im not sure what my actual daily usage is for both il need to try find it I kind of just ignore that part (stupid I know).

Going to monitor it all a lot closer I just thought that people can't be paying this and more all the time i have to be doing something wrong.

We are also out at least 2 evenings a week for hobbies as a family.

Your bill should give you your annual usage for gas and electricity which is the best thing to use on comparison sites. I'm with edf for gas and electric on a fixed rate that is managed online and pay about £130 per month at the moment (4 bed detached with 2 adults, 2 kids and a nearly 20 year old boiler)

My usage is Electric 5594 and Gas 17460 bte

Large Victorian stone heat sink here, and we're paying less than you.

How long ago did you last change supplier? If it's more than a few years ago it's worth checking if you could save by switching.

But I think that's only part of the problem - I suspect you are also using a lot of fuel without full benefit. You should be able to find your usage on your bills.

Things you could think about doing - CH off when you're all out of the house in the day, and in the night when you're all in bed) (we reduced our bill by nearly a third when we did this)

Locate draughts around windows and skirting boards and seal (with kitchen paper of newspaper if nothing else) - easiest done on a cold windy day.

Make sure all your light bulbs are low energy - they're on for a long time each day

Reduce washing temperature to 30deg where possible (separate hot wash loads from cool wash) and see if you can line dry in good weather.

Make sure oven is full when you use it (eg cook two days food, and just re-heat next day rather than cooking just one potful two days running). And don't over-fill kettle.

I also have a 4 bed 15 year old house with a boiler that was installed at the same time. Recent usage has been ~£40/month for both. It will probably go up to £70/month over winter. We barely use the heating though until November as the house stays pretty warm on its own (decent insulation I guess).