October Energy Bills, how did you do?

[WahineToa]

Well I ran around doing all sorts to try and reduce our consumption but only saved 40kwh over the whole month! However, I see looking back over this year we have slowly reduced it by closer to maybe 100-120kwh a month. I got a clothes heated airer and cut the dishwasher use by 2 cycles a week, 4 min showers etc We rent and I think the fridge is using more than usual because it’s got a taped up seal and iced up a bit in summer… Can’t get to the plug to attach our gadget to check the energy usage. There’s only 3 of us in the house.

Our bill with Eon after govt help is £115, it’s been around £130-140 a month for awhile. So I feel that because we saved that 40kwh we have reduced our bill from the £200 expected and now make a profit from what the govt gave us? I would normally donate it but if we don’t get help next year, I should probably save it.

How did everyone else do?

Our combined gas and electric bill was £66.50 so with the government payment we paid a grand total of 50p! That’s for 2 adults working from home in a 3 bed semi. We haven’t had the heating on yet though (just lit the fire a couple of times) and have become very fastidious about turning off lights, unplugging everything not in use, using a flask for leftover boiling water etc. Just checked last years bill and it was very similar, just under £60, so not much change yet.

I made this - I’m rather smug and obsessed pleased with it - both aesthetically and what it shows 🙄

769kw electricity (we have two fully electric cars)
725kwh gas

4 bed end townhouse, house is about 18 years old.

New windows being fitted next month as current ones in two rooms, including living room, have gaps and cause draughts. Hoping this will help with heating.

Now including October's usage. I've managed to reduce my use with dogged stubbornness mindfulness (ie not just flinging the heating on whenever I feel a little nippy but flinging on more layers instead - using a dressing gown for the first time in years!) and new combination microwave (after extended air fryer etc research!) It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it!

Well I’m happy. This is roughly 30m am and 30/60m in evening and would say for most of the month. Was. A few days when nothing as was a few warm days so say this is 3w worth rather then a month

would mean £25 a week or £8 a day to keep warm

so if do the same next bill will be £100 a month for heating

last year same month was 57 units and this month 21 so have reduced big time but price the bloody same as 3 times more costly

£102 for us - we’ve had the heating on for an hour on a morning and then a few hours on an evening but only set to 18.5 so not on all the time during those few hours. I use the tumble dryer at least once a day but sometimes 2/3 if I’ve got loads of washing!

Electricity usage Same as most months, but that was with 2 teens home at half term so I'll take that.

On oil for heating/hot water. Really trying to save that, hearing on most mornings abd dvenings for 1 hour at a time, mainly to dry washing and prevent the house getting damp. Cannot afford to top that up until end of January.

@comfortablyfrumpy oh we are in the same boat for oil! Trying to only put heating on just to prevent damp, maybe 1-2 hours a day at most. We have an open fire so that will be good for the evenings.

@Dontfuckingsaycheese please could you share your microwave oven combi brand / product you found? I'm umming and ahhing so much about an airfryer but not 100% convinced it is right for me? Is it making a difference so far?

@flflflf Hi. Gladly! Not the most expensive but I am over the moon with it. Was £100. Now £110. I’m getting a link. Hang on!

Here!

First year in this house so wasn't sure what to expect. But I'm happy with that. We've had the heating on sometimes and use the tumble dryers as we have a young baby

Altogether 176. Heating barely on. Really feeling the cold. Will need to use heating more. With edf so only billed twice a year, no idea what will happen.

Wow. Only twice a year. That’s hard

I like monthly so know where I am

maybe do own metre check like I do as not on smart meter and work out rough monthly cost

@Dontfuckingsaycheese thanks so much! Can I ask a couple of questions please

• do you find it makes a difference to the bills so far? (I have electric oven which isn't cheap!)
• what's the quality of the cooking like (for the convection oven). Does the fan thingy make a difference e.g. crispy / more like airfryer?

Many thanks

Can we put the size of the household and type of house please? We are arguing with british gas atm as their monitor failed and they are saying we need a whole new unit so trying to manually calculate costs. We think ours are around 230 a month but dd of 330 a month which we think puts us in a good place? 500 in credit and no heating on yet. Does this sound about right front person (2 adult, 3 teens) in a detached semi?

Can you submit regular manual meter readings so that your consumption rates are accurate?

2 adults, 2 bed semi. Our October usuage was £57.90 for gas and electricity.

I work from home 4 days a week but charge my laptop and phone at work the day i go in which means im only using the electricity to work 3 days a week.

I decided in august to only shower 3 days a week when i wash my hair. Another day a week i shower at the gym. The other 3 i fill our small sink with hot water and just wash with a flannel and soap at the sink. Seems fine.

We dont have a tumble dryer, we do have an open fire so spending £5 a week on smokless coal. Wood so far has been free due to DH work.

Adult and teen, semi detached. £60 for October, dd £90 (-£67=£23).

Three bed mid terrace, two adults & two DC. GCH and water, electric shower, no cooker.
(also running two vivaria for pets)

£146, 3 new semi, 2 adults and a dog.
Heating has been on morning and evening since mid October. Although we've just turned it down so it's only an hour in the morning and 2 hours in the evening.

I don’t mind at all! I bought it end of August when the new October pricing was looming. I considered an AF with everyone raving about them. I don’t have one so I can’t compare. But I am so happy with mine. I have used my oven once since buying it. I’ve averaged a reduction of around 30 kWh per month since buying it and I’d say it’s been a major contributing factor 🤗 I needed a new microwave anyway (it’s very beautiful!) so opted for it. I use it as a grill and an oven and a micro too. I’m on my own so it does me. If you’re a larger family you may struggle. I bought a non-stick round 20cm diameter cake tin to use with mine as it comes with one of those wire lofty up shelfy things but you can’t put chips etc straight on that! So that’s not huge. I would say things are the same crispness as oven. No more. Of course you’d have to turn and shake things up a bit to cook all over. I mainly do oven chips, roast veg and cheese on toast in mine! HTH x

£10.68 bill (£76.78 minus the £66 gov)
£88 in credit
3 bed mid terrace, no heating on so far
2 adults wfh
filling thermos from kettle boiled twice a day
2 loads of washing each week, short showers
thermos used for washing up, no dishwasher
am with Octopus, where you do monthly readings to increase accuracy of bills
trying to push through to 15th Nov without heating and will review then if hoodies, throws and cat on lap still adequate!

@flflflf

Garlic bread?