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Original poster

Electricity gone from £18 to £70 - how??!

54 replies

Pengyquin · 26/12/2014 20:16

Moved into a new house in October.

First month, monitored gas/electric. Electric bill was £18. Quite happy with that!

Haven't done anything different this month, and just entered my meter readings and the bill is £70!!!

Racking my brains to think what has made the difference. We have had the Christmas lights on, DH installed an outside security light, possibly the dryer has been on a little bit more, we've probably had the kettle on more (visitors etc!) but will that make a difference of another £50?

Any ideas??!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Pengyquin · 26/12/2014 21:01

Anyone??

OP posts:
chanie44 · 26/12/2014 21:34

Could it be a problem from when you moved in eg the first month was a part month payment, the company under charged you, the security light is using more energy than you think?

BikeRunSki · 26/12/2014 21:38

Maybe £18 was undercharged.

Original poster
Pengyquin · 26/12/2014 21:41

£18 was accurate, in that I provided the initial meter reading when we moved in and then took another meter reading a month later.

I'm wondering if it is simply the security light? Comes on when it's dark, which is obviously 3.30pm ish now and is activated if it senses anything.

OP posts:
gamerchick · 26/12/2014 21:45

How big is your house?

I pay 99 quid a month electric for a 4 bed.

gamerchick · 26/12/2014 21:46

And yes security lights are not cheap to run. I keep my porch light off for that reason.

RandomMess · 26/12/2014 21:50

Does your heating have an electric pump? Also move the sensor on your security light so passing cats etc. don't trigger it.

Sounds like you need an electricity monitor to see what is using it up.

RandomMess · 26/12/2014 21:51

You can get security lights that use cheap to run halogen, anything else does eat electricity!

GraysAnalogy · 26/12/2014 21:51

£18 a month is ridiculously low IMO, that doesn't sound right.

SoonToBeSix · 26/12/2014 21:52

£18 a month cannot have been correct. £70 sounds normal.

bloodyteenagers · 26/12/2014 22:20

£18 would not have been correct. Yes
You entered in figures, but the could have still estimated.
Then add in all the extras - Christmas lights, sensor, extra cuppas, drier, boiler (even though
Mine is gas, if power cut we have no heating although that could be the Cowboys we had)

GraysAnalogy · 26/12/2014 22:24

When we moved in our apartment we gave them readings, they took readings themselves and we were told to pay £35 a month. Last month it went up to £75 because we hadn't been paying enough. This might be the same scenario? You could ring and check

Original poster
Pengyquin · 26/12/2014 22:33

I'll be honest, I thought £18 was fab! We had been fairly careful the first month we were here, just to get an idea of what it was going to cost.

Electric was £18..gas was £90.

This last month, electric £70 and gas £130.

£70 sounds normal? Really? I would have thought £40 would have been more normal, no?

OP posts:
Original poster
Pengyquin · 26/12/2014 22:34

Sorry, house is a 3 bed semi. 1 bathroom.

We've got 2 small children (as in baby/toddler)

OP posts:
BlackandGold · 26/12/2014 22:54

That gas sounds a lot for a 3 bed semi!

Fairylea · 26/12/2014 22:57

£18 sounds way too low. I think there's been a mistake with that price. We pay £91 a month, 3 bed semi, dryer on lots and lots of washing etc. Our gas is £41.

GraysAnalogy · 26/12/2014 22:58

My mum's is £40 a month and she lives on her own and is good about switching lights off and stuff. For a family in a home £70 is about right I think.

eurochick · 26/12/2014 22:59

£18 sounds ridiculously low. We have been paying 70ish for both gas and electric for a three bed semi.

NoArmaniNoPunani · 26/12/2014 23:01

We pay £70 per month for a 3 bed semi that's all electric, no gas. So yours seems high for both

GraysAnalogy · 26/12/2014 23:02

I just tried to calculate it but didn't have any luck. Did find this website though which is really interesting, made me realise I need to switch things off more! www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/electricity-calculator.htm

MerryMo · 26/12/2014 23:05

We live in a 3 bed semi and pay £75 a month for each Gas and Electric.

So £150 a month (although just found we have overpaid the gas a bit - but will keep paying it to ensure we get through the winter without owing too much).

I don't think £70 is way off at all for electric.

£18 - seems incredibly low. I think your first month must have a freak month a one off or something, it just does not sound right to me at all. I don't know anyone paying £18 a month for electric. Most people I know in 3 bed houses pay similarish a month to us. I don't think many people pay under £50 a month.

From my experience £70 for electric sounds about normal.

OldLadyKnows · 26/12/2014 23:11

Slightly off-topic, but to bloodyteenagers, your heating doesn't work during an electricity cut because although your boiler runs on gas, the system uses electrically-powered pumps to circulate the hot water through your radiators. Nothing to do with your cowboys. :)

Bakeoffcakes · 26/12/2014 23:16

£18 is so low, I'm sure you must have misread the meter.

Bunnyjo · 26/12/2014 23:17

We pay around £40 per month for electric in summer and £68 in winter. We have no gas. However, we have oil central heating and an open fire and pay £80 per month for oil and an average of £25 per month for coal/logs.

We live in a very large 3 bed detached farmhouse.

LizzieMint · 26/12/2014 23:20

We pay £140 a month for joint gas and electric - 4 bed house, and I'm a SAHM so home all day.
Don't forget you can always switch tariff to a cheaper one if you do find you're overpaying, it's really really easy to do.

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