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.

I live on my own but only in a 2 bed flat, gas hob and heating, 1 shower electric, 1 runs off the boiler and elec oven. No tumble drier. Work from home 2 or 3 days a week and try to resist putting the heating on but usually fail by mid afternoon! I've started using the showers at the gym more after seeing how much that uses on the smart meter! I've just reduced my DD payments from £84 to £75 a month as I've made it through the winter nearly £200 in credit.

Something is definitely amiss

It might not be. Using 10,000kwh per year is definately within the realms of possibility, if not being very careful and having a fair amount of appliances etc. Very high usage, yes, but might not be 'something wrong' high iyswim.

@CornishTiger I checked and the immersion heater is not left on, no

@namechange30455 I will check but I don't think I'm on a fixed one, no. But thanks for the reminder - I will double check

@HomeHomeInTheRange I do in the evening for two hours but heating is, in any case, gas.

@Using4532 I WFH, yes. No electric shower

I forgot to say - I have a dishwasher and that goes on twice a week

I live in a 5 bed house too. I've just checked my last electricity bill which was 30/7 - 27/1 so 182 days. We used 2122 kwh so yours does seem excessive. For comparison there are 3 adults living here full time (DH is out of the house in the daytime). We have an electric and a power shower in daily use x 3 or 4. All bedding, towels and underwear is tumble dried. The dishwasher goes on every day. We have 2 freezers and 2 fridges. Heating is by oil, hob is LPG but oven is electric. Lights are not on unnecessarily but DS likes lights on in broad daylight! There's 3 tvs left on standby (I know!!).

That seems very high - I just checked our last bill, 27 Dec to 27 Jan and we used 103.4 kWh for two people and that’s with electric cooker and one person working from home! No tumble dryer though.

[quote InTheNameOfAllThatIsHonest]@CornishTiger I checked and the immersion heater is not left on, no

@namechange30455 I will check but I don't think I'm on a fixed one, no. But thanks for the reminder - I will double check

@HomeHomeInTheRange I do in the evening for two hours but heating is, in any case, gas.

@Using4532 I WFH, yes. No electric shower

I forgot to say - I have a dishwasher and that goes on twice a week[/quote]
You'll be on a fixed tariff - I've worked for energy companies - I never seen so low electricity unit rates and standing charges. Electricity kwh's are now over 20p kwh.

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.

Switch everything off and make a note of how much you use when an item is on. Your tumble dryer will be using a lot. Maybe hang stuff on the washing line outside. On a windy day it’s enough to soften the fibres.

Any item that produces heat is a high energy use item. So if you are using high temperature washing in your washing machine, your tumble drier, any electric heaters, the kettle etc. The kilowatt amount on the appliance is how much it would use in an hour of use. So a 2kw heater would use 2kw in an hour of use. Your lights etc generally use very little, especially if you are using modern bulbs. The enemy to your bills will definitely be the tumble drier. I never use mine. I have a ceiling airer and use that most of the winter or when it's raining and dry outside otherwise. You have room to dry your clothes as you have many spare rooms.

We (family of 3 plus DSC EOW) used 222 kwh over 25 days.

It's apparently cheaper to run a dishwasher than it is to hand wash. A bowl of hot water uses more energy that the dishwasher does. So I've read.

Theonly other reason it might be lower is do you have solar panels or any heat source pumps?

@Whattochoosenow

Switch everything off and make a note of how much you use when an item is on. Your tumble dryer will be using a lot. Maybe hang stuff on the washing line outside. On a windy day it’s enough to soften the fibres.

Good idea and one of the benefits of smart meter

Why do you use the washing machine every 2 days, rather than once a week if you live alone? And why do you use a tumble dryer at all - they're bad for the environment and expensive to run, and unnecessary. Those items will be costing you far more than keeping a light on. Do you keep any electric things switched on when not in use - eg tv or computer? Do you boil only the water you need in the kettle? Do you use a big oven unnecessarily? Etc. That is a high bill, imv. I think you are mistaken in thinking that you are careful with electricity - you're clearly not.

Does the horse use electricity? Heating?

How often do you vacuum?

Does the horse use electricity?

At that usage it is mining for bitcoins while sat in the hot tub

Price for usage seems fine.
Usage is high for someone living on their own.
Why use the washing machine and tumble dryer every other day?
You may live alone but you have the usage of a small family.

I have no idea why your bill is so high !

1246 kw in 46 days - we used 782 in 91 days.

We are in a 3 bed new house so well insulated etc. Luckily your rate is less than ours otherwise you would be paying even more.

I've been watching the smart meter and we never go above about 2.70 a day and that is when using dishwasher, a wash and a tumble dry. We have energy saving lightbulbs. Dishwasher costs about 50p.

@FourTeaFallOut

Does the horse use electricity?

At that usage it is mining for bitcoins while sat in the hot tub

Haha

Thats a point is there a hot tub left on?!

Our useage was about a quarter of that for a 3 bed with 4 people living in it!

Do you have dodgy neighbours who are siphoning some of your supply off?

That's an enormous amount of electricity. It's about 4-5 months average usage in 6 weeks. Especially as you have gas on top of that?

Sadly, that unit cost will double in April or whenever your fix ends.

You must be heating something by electricity to use that much? Or do you have lots of high wattage bulbs?

Second the recommendation to set up an airer in a a spare room.

Put your dishwasher and washing machine on the eco settings. Are you doing lots of short cycles, counterintuitively, these use a lot more electricity than the standard cycles that take hours.

If I were you, I'd seriously consider downsizing, but at the very least, take serious action to reduce your usage, which is massive. Turn everything off, and put things back on one at a time until your smart meter helps you identify the culprit.

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

Hang them up and then tumble dry them when they are just a bit damp. Same with sheets.

If you're going to use your washer and drier that much then yes, you're going to be paying a fair bit.

Personally I'd buy more towels so the washing and drying them is less.