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

[InTheNameOfAllThatIsHonest]

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.

Prices also depend on the area where you live.

@Doris86

Lots of people posting on here about how cheap their energy bills are at the moment. Yes of course they are. The new massively increased price cap doesn’t kick in until 1st April. Then you’ll all get a big shock.

Not if you've already worked out what you will be paying, I prefer to know.

@Svara That is exactly my point, many people don’t seem to have worked out what they will be paying. Lots of people here seem to be missing the point and quoting their current low prices, whilst being completely oblivious to the massive increases coming in April.

@BiscoffAnythingIsTheWayForward
I really like the way your usage is presented. I don't live in your area but who is your provider? I wish EDF had a decent website/app. Yours looks great.

Energy industry person here, If your readings are right then you've used an average of 27 units a day which is a lot for one person if you heat and cook with gas. Do you have an immersion heater for hot water that's been left on by accident or a tropical fish tank or a pond in the garden with a pump? They are the usual suspects (although hot tubs are sneaking into the top 10 these days). Sometimes an old fridge freezer can be using a lot more than it should too. I'd try taking daily reads , making a note each day and then if one day its significantly higher it might point the finger at the culprit.
On a happier note your unit price and standing charge are very cheap.

[quote Doris86]@Svara That is exactly my point, many people don’t seem to have worked out what they will be paying. Lots of people here seem to be missing the point and quoting their current low prices, whilst being completely oblivious to the massive increases coming in April.[/quote]
We are all in February though. It would be confusing if some of us were using our April prices.

The increases are twofol if your are/were on a fixed rate that ends before April, then you've already seen an increase as the current price cap is likely much higher than your fixed rate. Then in April the price cap increases and your bills will go up another 50%

Some people have recently gone on to fixed tariffs at higher rates, some people are on the standard rate, some people are still on older much cheaper fixed rates. It’s confusing if we all quote our current February bills without any context.

My main point though was the fact that so
many here seem to be oblivious to the big increases coming.

@BubblesNSnuggles

4 of us in a 4 bed house - we pay £70 a month for gas and electricity combined so that seems extortionate

That's very low.

How much do you use in KWH?

I'm sure some are oblivious, but just because someone is posting a lower cost I don't think that means they don't know how much it will increase. Mine is £63 so will go up to just under £100, then likely higher again in October. We will have to cut gas usage next winter if the October increase is high.

I live in a modern 3 bed (reasonably well-insulated) semi-detached house. OH and I are both retired so in all day, most days (especially just now). Our heating and some of the cooking is gas. We do use a microwave a lot and we tend to both have things like laptops and the TV on a great deal of the day. I also have a CPAP machine running all night and a fan. Your usage ( in KWh) is twice ours approx - and we use more than the 'average' amount of electricity. No matter the size of your house, if your heating and cooking are Gas I would say you are right that there is something not right with your electricity meter

Our annual usage for electricity is 3130 KWh per year. 4 bed house, family of 4. Both adults work from home all day. Washer and dryer on every day and cooking is electric. Current costs on our tarrif are 18.81 p per KWh and standing charge is 20.57p per day. Expecting this to increase to 28.34 P per Kwh and 45.340 per day standing charge when our tarriff ends in September.

Some people get the warm home discount and some get the winter fuel allowance. Some get both. Some households get an extra £25 if the temperature is -1° or lower for 5 days. Not sure if all those amounts are age dependent.
I do receive the £200 winter fuel allowance.

Yes, tumble drier is a big user, I’d advise hanging washing outside if possible, or on a clothes rack inside. My combined bill is about the same as yours, for two people in four bedroom house, one bedroom has radiator permanently off. Gas CH and electric oven. I fully expect it to get much higher soon.

When we’ve had big bills in the past it’s either been that our estimates were too low and we sent in a reading that brought it up, or a day reading and night reading have been muddled up. Are you sure your readings are right, you might need yo use a monitor to see if there’s a device that is using an abnormally high amount of energy?

[quote LoisLane66]@BiscoffAnythingIsTheWayForward
I really like the way your usage is presented. I don't live in your area but who is your provider? I wish EDF had a decent website/app. Yours looks great.[/quote]
It’s the British Gas app. We have a smart meter which was originally installed by Scottish power but it still worked once we switched over to British Gas. It gives up to date usage within the last 2 days.

I live in a 2 bed flat, with one teenager half the time. Our fuel bill combined is £180 per month.

If your heating and hot water is gas, then yes, your electric bill is very high, TV is not a big user, but tumble drier is very big. Are your light bulbs halogen, if so change them.

I live alone in a 2 bedroom house. My last quarterly bill was £170. I’m intrigued to see what my next one will be. It’s due at the end of next month.

I was paying £90 a month but I built up a load of credit so have only been paying £18 a month since about November. I think the next bill will clear the current credit in my account though.

@Doris86 I'm not oblivious to the price increases and sure others on her aren't it's very much on people's minds, just stating what we currently use, it won't go up much for us because will have to find ways to save on our usage otherwise when the credit runs out on the prepayment meter will end up without electric, can't spend what we don't have.

@Fatgalslim

Not really the point but why do you live alone in a 5 bed house, if the bills are too much could you downsize?

It's her choice, why should she downsize? Seems to me she is doing her best to make the right choices about fuel.

I’m just reading in the local news about a cannabis farm being discovered after an energy company checked what was going on with the neighbours supply. It made me think of this thread.

Is there a chance someone is nicking your electricity?

@Tilltheend99

I’m just reading in the local news about a cannabis farm being discovered after an energy company checked what was going on with the neighbours supply. It made me think of this thread.

Is there a chance someone is nicking your electricity?

Cannabis farm growers tend to bypass the meters.

My last bill was 213 for 31 days.

Yours may be reasonable depending on the sq feet and age of your house.

The electrician can test to see what appliance is drawing the most power.

I suspect your old fridge and using the tumble drier so much.

@BiscoffAnythingIsTheWayForward
Thanks. EDF needs a kick up the backside as far as their website, app and bills are presented. I'll be tweeting them about BG's app.