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AIBU?

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Original poster

If this is correct, how can a family afford to pay then?

570 replies

InTheNameOfAllThatIsHonest · 22/02/2022 10:13

This is my latest electricity bill. I live alone, in a big (five-bed) house. I am very careful with electricity and gas usage because that's how I was brought up. I don't leave lights on when I leave a room, I use the washing machine every other day and same with the tumble dryer. I use a hair dryer/styling tools once every couple of weeks. Heating is gas and so is cooking. I have checked the meter and it seems to be working just fine. Does this bill seem correct to you? If so, do you mind sharing how much you use/pay and how many people you live with? AIBU in saying that this is not normal for a person living alone? Thank you.

If this is correct, how can a family afford to pay then?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
19
AnneKipankitoo · 22/02/2022 14:45

I think that’s cheap. You can have mine . £1300 .

Gwenhwyfar · 22/02/2022 14:47

" don't like using towels if they haven't been tumble dried because they don't get fluffy if I air dry them."

This is very precious. You can live without fluffy towels all the time.

NewPapaGuinea · 22/02/2022 14:48

The cost is irrelevant as everyone is paying wildly different unit prices. The actual usage is the important metric and yours is very high for one person.

Madcats · 22/02/2022 14:49

What sort of lighting do you have OP? Installing spotlights was very popular a few years ago. If you have a dozen in a room they are going to be getting through a fair amount of electricity if they aren't the modern ones.

nordica · 22/02/2022 14:53

I live alone too (much smaller house than yours!) and mine was about half that last month although with the gas bill too it was over £200 in total. I don't even own a tumble dryer though.

To those questioning it, a lot of costs are fixed even if you live alone - you still need the lights, fridge, freezer, TV, internet etc. on. I probably do an average of 3 loads of laundry a week because I separate colours and different types of laundry go on at different temperatures. So in the past week I've done a load with bright colours, one load with dark colours and just have a load on right now for kitchen cloths and towels at 60 degrees. Will probably do at least more wash this week. Living alone is so expensive!

Lightning020 · 22/02/2022 14:54

I use low energy bulbs for as many of my rooms as possible. Though some lamps don't have low energy bulbs available for their type.

Gwenhwyfar · 22/02/2022 14:58

@emmathedilemma

Bedding and towels for one person can all be done together, and still probably won't fill the machine, unless it's a smaller than average drum. No chance, and it's the same amount of bedding for one person as it is for a couple! I have an average sized machine but have to split up the king sized bedding into 2 loads or it doesn't spin properly, although I add other bits to the 2nd load.
It's not necessarily the same amount of bedding for one person as for a couple. A single person can use a single bed so smaller bedding or even if they have a double, it's unlikely to be king size and would need changing less often.
Gwenhwyfar · 22/02/2022 14:59

"I would love to have mine out every day but since we have rain most days since the start of the year, simply not possible."

Then you put them on a clothes horse inside surely? Especially if you live in a massive house so you can have the window open in one of your unused rooms to deal with the humidity.

Nocutenamesleft · 22/02/2022 15:04

6 bedroom house was £200 odd a month. Work from home so electricity all the time

4 bedroom house is about the same

Electricity has doubled in recent months and set to get even higher.

NewbieDivergent · 22/02/2022 15:06

14p a unit is fantastic,mine is 20p and nowhere near the highest prices.

ivykaty44 · 22/02/2022 15:06

Here is my electric useage covering 29 december until 9th February

There are two of us with hairdryers, mine daily. About 4/5 laundry loads per week, tumble dryer, pc & phones charging, fridge freezer and a fridge

If this is correct, how can a family afford to pay then?
If this is correct, how can a family afford to pay then?
If this is correct, how can a family afford to pay then?
Ithinkimalonenow24 · 22/02/2022 15:08

Seems high to me my electric use for last month was 193 kWh (31 days) so about 6months to your one month. My usage is usually 140 - 160 kWh a month so this months was higher then usual.

I'm mainly on my own in 3 bed house, at home all day mostly. DP stays 2 days a week. Electric shower, Daily showers (and I moan how long he takes!) Tumble Dryer/Washing machine used about once or twice a week. Do have gas cooker and heating, mainly use my ninja foodi for cooking. If DP is here and we're in, Tv on all day.

So something of yours must be using a lot off electric?

Cherryblossoms85 · 22/02/2022 15:09

We are using nearly twice that amount, and it took us almost a year to isolate the cause - the fish pond filter pump in the garden. It runs 24/7 because the fish are very big and fussy, and it uses 50% of our total bill...
Keep looking at every single appliance inside or outside that can draw wattage, and check its watts or amps. Only takes one thing sometimes.

Nocutenamesleft · 22/02/2022 15:10

@mam0918

I know its not the point but...

How on earth does everyone find or afford to own 5-bed houses?

We really need a 4 bed (me and DH, teenager, disabled child and baby of opposite sex that by law cant share with teen) and as we both work from home so the 5th bedroom as an office would be great.

We live in a rented 3 bed, we have had a deposit ready for years but bar the 1 million+ houses (in a cheap area of the UK where average property prices run from 20k for a 1 bed do upper in a rough area to 300k for a 3 bed new build in a good area on average) then there are just no 4 or 5 bed houses around here.

There’s no law saying different sex people need desperate bedrooms. You’re thinking of the council when they go to house you

How do we afford our house? We’re in the south east. You can get a 4 bedroom here for 400k. There’s a brand new 5 bedroom near Bournemouth that’s 400.

It can be done. If you check lots. Keep an ear out daily.

Foxglovesandlilacs86 · 22/02/2022 15:10

6 bed house here and mine between 600-700 in the winter and 3-400 in the summer. I’m not particularly careful with lights left on and we have the heating on ALL the time so I know I could make it less if I need to.

ivykaty44 · 22/02/2022 15:12

AnneKipankitoo

I think that’s cheap. You can have mine . £1300 .

For just over a month 😲

Original poster
InTheNameOfAllThatIsHonest · 22/02/2022 15:13

@Madcats

What sort of lighting do you have OP? Installing spotlights was very popular a few years ago. If you have a dozen in a room they are going to be getting through a fair amount of electricity if they aren't the modern ones.
No spotlights. I tend to use side lamps as I don't like harsh overhead lighting.
OP posts:
Original poster
InTheNameOfAllThatIsHonest · 22/02/2022 15:18

@Gwenhwyfar @emmathedilemma I live alone and my bed is not a single or a double. Or even a kingsize. It's a superking size.

OP posts:
Madcats · 22/02/2022 15:20

I've just found our bill for 37 days to 1 Feb and it was 566kwh or 15-16kwh/day

Three of us were at home for school holidays and then two of us working from home. DH has 3 computers and multiple screens on the go. We have a lot of gadgets and live in an old 3 storey townhouse (so lots of lights on). It always seems to rain here so we often use a drier (or a dehumidifier if we've being hanging things over radiators too often)!
We use gas for central heating and hot water and cook on electric including baking a loaf of bread at least one a week.

Have a look at the energy ratings and door seals for your fridges and freezers OP. They might be part of your problem. If you live in a hard water area I suppose calcification might mean it takes longer for your (dish)washing machines to heat up? We tend to run eco washes for the dishwasher (saucepans etc get handwashed) and most washing is at 30-40 degrees. I make sure we clean the machines about once a month on a hot wash. Bright whites aside, I add one of those colour catcher sheets to mixed washes.

ShallWeTalkAboutBruno · 22/02/2022 15:21

@mam0918 there are loads of 4/5 beds where I am (midlands). We live in a 4 bed, looking to upsize to a 5 bed soon.

Powaqa · 22/02/2022 15:23

There are 6 of us in my house and I know we are are a high useage family
we used approx 39kwh per day for our last electric bill - fortunately I currently only pay 15.293p per kwh but I am dreading the deal finishing in Dec 22

AAAAAGHH · 22/02/2022 15:23

I
@InTheNameOfAllThatIsHonest has just started this thread to brag about her mahoosive house, her horse, her ginormous bed and obviously her MASSIVE bank balance Hmm

RandomMess · 22/02/2022 15:23

If your meter is faulty it's an issue with the electric supplier.

It may be worth you getting a smart meter, then you can turn things off one by own and see how much they are using - you could do that with just the meter tbh.

emmathedilemma · 22/02/2022 15:24

@Gwenhwyfar do you know many grown adults who sleep in a single bed?!?! Hmm

thewhatsit · 22/02/2022 15:26

@NewPapaGuinea

The cost is irrelevant as everyone is paying wildly different unit prices. The actual usage is the important metric and yours is very high for one person.
This!

And yes there are a lot of sunk costs from being one person (one kitchen etc) but it’s even a lot compared to most families.

Saying you spend more than the OP isn’t relevant unless you disclose your unit usage because the Op is on a low cost tariff.