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.

Just paid £260 in total for last month (heating barely on, we are not a particularly active household, no teenagers etc so just normal electricity of lights/tv etc)

Your useage is VERY high! We have a 4 bed house (10 years old so pretty well insulated, etc). 2 adults and 2 primary school age children, my husband works from home 4 days a week (1 day in office) and I work from home 2 days a week (3 days in office). Washing machine is on every other day, no tumble dryer but we do have 2 fridge freezers and a chest freezer which are big energy users.

Our useage for the whole of January was 350KWh and so far in February is 290KWh. You need to check your appliances!

@CaveMum

Your useage is VERY high! We have a 4 bed house (10 years old so pretty well insulated, etc). 2 adults and 2 primary school age children, my husband works from home 4 days a week (1 day in office) and I work from home 2 days a week (3 days in office). Washing machine is on every other day, no tumble dryer but we do have 2 fridge freezers and a chest freezer which are big energy users.

Our useage for the whole of January was 350KWh and so far in February is 290KWh. You need to check your appliances!

Scrolled back through our energy useage over the last few years and the highest our electricity ever got was 680KWh in October 2020.

@mam0918 There is no age at which it’s unlawful for siblings to share a bedroom, including siblings of opposite sexes in the UK. Children of same sex not sharing room after age 10 is just a guidance it's not law.

Just check January and we used 1456kwh electricity and 5509 gas. Cost was £533.

I didn't realise this was unusual..

You can't honestly think that the average family is spending over half a grand on gas and electric per month?

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. we have an average washing machine, I doubt we'd fit in a duvet cover, four pillow cases and case protectors, sheet and mattress protector plus say 3 bath sheets, 3 small bath towels and 2 hand towels in one wash. Not if I wanted water to actually permeate through and clean them.

I reckon I did two or three when I lived alone, no dirty hobbies. God knows now 😂😂

I knew that prices had gone up and our bills were about £350 before which I thought was a kind of normal price? It's not something I've ever monitored or thought about much before but this thread has been eye opening.

Well I live on my own, and it’s two loads washing max a week, so are you over washing? No tumble dryer, the clothes in winter dry on clothes racks in the spare room overnight, and I dont have a dishwasher, it takes minutes to wash up after myself

Does the bill cover a period when your step kids , or whoever are there? Have you LED bulbs in every light? Is everything unplugged that can be? What was your bill previous to this one to compare?

As an aside I thought the age opposite sex siblings can no longer share a room is when youngest child is 8. My sister had to put up a room divider even though room was not really large to begin with. I think council use age of 8 for you gest child. Same sex siblings can share forever though.

Currently on a fixed rate deal paying £190 a month for both gas and electricity but this will go up to about £400 a month when my deal expires.

4 of us in 4 bed house.

Do you change your bedding every other day ?!

Your electricity seems very high to me.
These are our most recent bills. Mid-terrace, 3-bed plus attic, normally just 2 pensioners (so in most days) but these cover Christmas when adult kids were here for several days.
We used 10kwh per day - you’re using close to 3 times that. That doesn’t make sense.
As you have a smart meter, have you tried switching everything off & back on one at a time to see if there’s something using far more than you realised?

@HeadingForHome

Just check January and we used 1456kwh electricity and 5509 gas. Cost was £533.

I didn't realise this was unusual...

So you've missed all the media about so many people stressing about their bills going up to a few hundred? You must be in something of a privileged bubble if your peers are regularly spending £500+ on power and this it's good. Has it recently gone up cos if not yo might be in for a shock.

@HeadingForHome

I knew that prices had gone up and our bills were about £350 before which I thought was a kind of normal price? It's not something I've ever monitored or thought about much before but this thread has been eye opening.

@HeadingForHome you should definitely get things checked out, your electricity usage for February is almost as much as our household usage for the whole of November, December AND January (4 bed detached house, 2 adults and 2 children).

@HeadingForHome

I knew that prices had gone up and our bills were about £350 before which I thought was a kind of normal price? It's not something I've ever monitored or thought about much before but this thread has been eye opening.

How the heck are you using that much gas though?

I'm in a 4 bed house with 3 other adult people. We pay £206 pm direct debit but atm are using £300 pm. I'm expecting it to go up very soon.

@caringcarer

As an aside I thought the age opposite sex siblings can no longer share a room is when youngest child is 8. My sister had to put up a room divider even though room was not really large to begin with. I think council use age of 8 for you gest child. Same sex siblings can share forever though.

For owner occupiers there's no law on it but the NSPCC recommend after age 10 separate rooms

www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/in-the-home/sharing-a-bedroom/

For rental purposes, including council, a property is regarded as being overcrowded if sharing a room over the age of 10

england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/repairs/check_if_your_home_is_overcrowded_by_law

I have 6 bedrooms but 2 bedrooms not used. I pay £300 pcm for gas and electricity and most of it goes on electricity. DH works from home so computer on all day. I have TV on some of day. Kettle goes on at least 6 times a day. Cooker on every day, washing machine on every day one load also dishwasher on every day too. DS and DFS use computer, TV, electric showers. I use laptop sometimes. We are guilty of using tumble dryer a lot. For everything in winter. I like fluffy towels too. I have gas heating on all day but not overnight. I am expecting much higher bills in April. I would rather give up something else than be cold.

@HeadingForHome

Just check January and we used 1456kwh electricity and 5509 gas. Cost was £533.

I didn't realise this was unusual...

That’s insane. We used 103.4 kWh electricity and 558.5 kWh gas so you literally used 10x what we did. We are in a 2 bed though.

I have just checked my bill.
It is kess tgan I thought - use 4100 kWH annually.
4 beds. 2 teens.
I cook on electric daily, and bake at weekends.
Washing machine on a few times a week but no tumble dryer.
Usual teen gadgets. I use a computer all day too.
We do have LED bulbs everywhere though- I don't know how much difference that makes?
I don't have sky box but do have free view. TV on few hours a day.
Nome of my appliances are that new so I doubt they are the most

@Cinnabomb

Our electricity went up by £100 a month when we installed it. We don't have gas though so it's all electric and oil.

Also we have a cold rural old house so the extra warmth was needed.

I do have it on more than we probably need.

@Whattochoosenow said it above but you need to look at each item when it's in and make a note of what it uses. Get an electricity monitor (about £40 from eBay) although maybe a smart meter does the same thing, I don't have one so no sure.

But switch everything off (there will probably still be a tiny trickle). Then methodically go round your house and put one item on and look at the monitor. Switch that item off and then try another. Repeat repeat. You will see what is using power. It's about usage, not cost as people are on different deals. Tumble dryer, oven, shower, kettle, washing machine on a hot wash etc are the high power items.

I did this and swapped light bulbs to energy savings ones which made a difference as I had lots of expensive spotlights. Don't leave things on standby. And stop washing and drying every other day as that uses huge amounts of electricity. I doubt you've got a problem, it's more about what you're using.

961 kwh of electricity @ £201
3482 kwh of gas @£145 (heating, hob and fireplace)

Your house is bigger than ours but in comparison, with 5 people, I'm SAHM so home lots etc
325kwh of electricity @ £88
945kwh of gas @£46 (heating, hob)
DD is £200

@HeadingForHome

Just check January and we used 1456kwh electricity and 5509 gas. Cost was £533.

I didn't realise this was unusual...

Our annual usage from last bill is 1269kwh electricity, 6393 gas. Just two of us though.

Sorry ... pressed too soon...

... the most efficient.

The only difference I can think is lightbulbs abd tumble dryer but surely not 700kWH difference???