To not understand how I'm "using" so much electricity?

[QuestionableMouse]

One bed flat. Gas heating. Live alone.

I wash clothing maybe twice a week. Have a small dishwasher that gets used once a day. Don't watch TV, do a couple of hours of Xbox or tablet time daily.

Only thing that runs constantly is my fridge and it's A rated.

I'm being charged more than my sister and she lives in a three bedroom house with two kids. I genuinely don't understand how it can be so high.

Try taking a photo of the meter then you can zoom in to read it. You need to read monthly to get an accurate idea of use. Tbh standing charge will be most of the cost and that is the same for all properties

Have you considered that your neighbours might be stealing your electricity?

I don't see how, genuinely. I only have a downstairs neighbour and theres no wires leaving my flat that I've noticed.

But thank you, will ask octopus about it when I ring tomorrow.

It is possible. I'd try no electricity for a day or two and see if your meter reading changes

Dishwashers are actually very efficient in water and energy usage compared to a typical by-hand-washer-upper. Unless your technique is extremely conservative with hot water, you're better off filling and running the dishwasher.

How would I do that?

The OP doesn't need to try anything to see if her electricity usage changes. She hasn't used anywhere near what Octopus claim she has. They have messed up reading her meter remotely, or they have the wrong meter number for her, or they have just misattributed a reading to her that is just plain wrong. Compounded by all the previous readings being estimates, so they haven't been able to spot the disparity.

All that @QuestionableMouse needs to do is contact Octopus and show them the meter reading photo and get them to correct their records and re-bill her with an accurate meter reading. They should also check that the meter number is the one they have on record, although the OP could do that herself by checking what's on her account with what's on the meter ID.

Switch off absolutely everything for a few hours and see if the meter reading changes.

I've found Octopus very helpful on the couple of times I've needed to ring them, so hopefully you'll find the same, OP. It might be worth explaining that it's difficult for you to check this stuff because you're partially sighted.

I've just checked a few of my recent bills and my electricity consumption varies between 1.5 and 2.5 kWh per day, depending on the time of year. I live alone, but in a 2-bed house, and I work from home as well, so there are appliances on all day.

I’m really surprised to hear that! Especially as mine is quite old, I assumed it was using way more power and water than I/the boiler would. I’m not particularly hot water conscious when washing up so maybe I’ll run the dishwasher more

One of my brothers had this issue in a converted flat. He stayed over one week. And yet, it still showed excessive usage. He complained and they agreed to send an engineer over to come and check his meter after the hundred complaint. Turned out, his and his neighbour meters were recorded wrongly. He was paying for his neighbour usage. The engineer sorted it out and my brother got a nice refund.
His neighbour got a nasty surprise and was angry. Not with my brother but with octopus. They tried to fight it. Because they were using extra energy as it they assumed it was very cheap. My brother moved out, while it was ongoing. So I don't know what happened next.

Compounded by all the previous readings being estimates, so they haven't been able to spot the disparity.

True. At the company I worked for, the system had "validity checks" built in, that would reject readings that were obviously wrong. This was fine in most cases, but where a historic incorrect reading had been accepted, subsequent accurate readings would sometimes be rejected as "wrong" and an estimated bill produced.

The estimate would be nonsense, because it was based on a historic incorrect reading and as more estimates were generated, the error would get bigger and bigger until someone realised what the fuck was going on.

When we lived in a new build flat our meter was connected to next door’s. We told
the electricity company on many occasions but they never sorted it. It was fine for us as next door was empty most of the time so we had very low bills - which is how we realised something was wrong. After a couple of years, we moved out. We contacted the electricity company on multiple occasions in the run up to the move but it was never resolved. I still wonder whether it’s been resolved now.

My DD had a similar issue and it turned out that her meter was attached to someone elses flat.
I'd advise you to turn your meter off completely and see if your electricity is still working. If it is the correct meter then start doing daily readings.
My DD's problem was with Octopus and it took months of arguing to sort it out.

If you look your estimated annual usage is 2173 which is about 6 kWh per day which sounds reasonable.

But in your estimated and latest readings you are using more like about 25 kWh per day.

It sounds like they are playing catchup on the meter.

The only way you can find out whether something is wrong is read the meter again now.

If the meter reading between now and the other actual reading suggests 25 kWh per day something is wrong.

If it is 6 kWh per day its more in line with what you would expect.

I live in a 2 bed flat with gas heating and hot water, and also with Octopus. My estimated annual usage is 1465kWh, so about 2/3s of yours. I am also on a different tariff, with a standing charge of 36.88 per day whereas yours is about 66p, but a unit rate of 24.50p to your 20-22p.

Look at the estimated annual usage to even out irregular meter readings.

I suggest :
Check the meter and make sure the serial number on the meter is the same as the one on your Octopus account where you submit the reading.

Submit regular meter readings, at least once a month. Take a photo if you can - then you can make it bigger if you can't see it easily
Check your tariff and consider fixing it. At lowish usage, a high standing charge can be a problem. You may get a better unit rate too.
Make sure you're being careful with your appliances - Using a dishwasher daily, even a small one, is a lot for one person, as is two clothes washes a week. Do you use the dryer? Consider a cold wash, or at least a low temperature one for clothes.

Is it possible one of your appliances is faulty - a fridge that isn't insulated properly (you may be able to hear it coming on a lot, if its an old one), a washing machine that's working to too high a temperature.

Take a picture same time tomorrow so it's clear what units you use on a normal day.

Use dishwasher etc as normal to not influence results.

Then see -is it 24 units? Or 6-7 units. Their annual estimate for you is 6-7 which seems about right for a 1bed without heating included.

I'll have to do one before bed tonight and tomorrow.

If it helps for comparison, I'm on Flexible Octopus too in a one bed flat. I don't have gas in my property though, electricity only with electric fan heaters and immersion heater (no combi boiler).,

My bill is currently approx £80 per month

This. OP the bills you've posted are both estimated and then you've got the most recent data collected reading which is far too high.

You need to look at the bills before these to see when you last had an accurate reading and make sure your bill is recalculated from then until the correct current reading.

Going forward take photos you can blow up to see and send in the reading regularly to hopefully mean your bill is accurate.

Actually I think that is a HUGE amount! Although as others have said it could be because you are paying for electricity underestimated in previous periods.

There are two of us in a 4 bedroomed house. We are all electric and we are careful with what we use, but not to the extent that we don't do things. We have A rated appliances, an air fryer, and Economy 7. We use the washing machine and tumble dryer about 4 times a week. We use the dishwasher every day. If I want a bath I have a bath, but otherwise we have showers. We also have an electric car which we charge at home, but only for the past 2 months. We have 2 freezers.

The main thing is that we have solar panels and a battery, which means that in the summer we draw very little electricity from the grid. I realise that you won't be able to do that. We pay £250 a month which puts us massively in credit in the summer but still gives us more than enough to cover all our winter bills, while having heating on when we want it.

Just taken this and it's barely moved while I've been out. So I don't think anyone is stealing electricity from me or something in my flat is gobbling it up!

And now they want to change me this. No way on earth I can afford it.

Did you submit the new readings? Because this would be bawd on the ridiculous 20+ a day kwh

@QuestionableMouse is that new amount based on the incorrect reading? If it is, then it's just not based on fact. You urgently need to speak to them and get them to correct the meter reading, and then continue to give them regularly meter readings so they don't have to estimate your usage.