£300 for 1 months gas and electric- are they for real?!

[redhappy]

Moved into rented house on 1st May, previous occupants left 31st March so house was empty for one month.

Have just received bill today from British Gas and is for both Gas and Electric. 1st -April - 12th May, they want £290.14

This breaks down as £160 Gas, £117 electricity.

Am totally and also totally skint so this is a massive blow! Do people really spend this much on fuel/ Is this a realistic estimate? I know the woman who lived here before liked to just wear a t-shirt all year round, but that only accounts for the high gas bill.

We were on pre-payment meter at our last house, which I was pretty stingy with, Used to spend about £50 a month on electric and £30 on gas, averaged over the year (more in winter obv.)
Both 3 bed semis....

Did you read the meter when you moved in?

You should obnly be paying from 1st May to 12th May unless you took over the tenancy on 1st April but didn't move in.

Theose figures sound very high, unless it's a big house with no insulation.

Am hoping dp took reading on the day as I totally forgot. Stupid I know.

Does say on the letter that it is only an estimate. I suppose will get it put right down and ask to look at it again after we've been here another month for a more accurate estimate.

It is quite a large house- victorian with high ceilings, but I've only had the heating on a few times for a couple of hours, only me and toddlers here as dp been working away most of the time we've been here, so I'm used to paying a lot less. There's no way we can afford £300 a month!