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Nosey question I suppose about gas/elect

27 replies

seb1 · 29/11/2012 10:28

It is cold here this morning and it got me thinking (dangerous I know)Grin, I quite often go on moneysavingexpert site, often discussions about people's spending result in people saying "oh you pay too much for gas/elect". I know house size etc impacts on this but I wondered if living in the cold barren north like me has a huge effect, so to satisfy my curiousity. Would anyone care to share, size, rough location and bill. Me - central Scotland, 4 bed, £150 per month, heating only on a few hours a days.

OP posts:
Notmadeofrib · 29/11/2012 10:41

well I've been shocked by the size of my bill. 4 bed (detached so all outside walls), £175 per month! Near London so supposed to be warmer. Mine is set to auto so it kicks in at 20, I tried 19 but I was cold and I'm here all day.

Notmadeofrib · 29/11/2012 10:42

cold with a jumper on I should add, but still I know, I know!

PersonalClown · 29/11/2012 10:49

Small 2/3 bed house. End terrace. Just had loft insulation done properly.

Year old combi Boiler on highest temp (75 I think) Thermostat set at 18 ish (dial so can't be accurate).

£45 a month for both.

Dp and DS don't feel the cold anywhere near as much as I do so I have slankets, fluffy slippers and a USB heated footwarmer to keep me warm than keep cranking the heat up.

Heating is left on constantly as DS has autism and like to take his clothes off and sit in PJ bottoms.

PersonalClown · 29/11/2012 10:49

Oh I'm in Herts so we should be warmer in theory (not seeing that today. It's fecking freezing out there!!)

Lonecatwithkitten · 29/11/2012 11:05

4 Bed Detached house in the South heating set at 18 on for 3 hours in the morning and 6 in the evening. Boiler so old I can't bring myself to write it down. Gas and electric on smart meters so only pay for what I use each month £80 in summer and £120 in winter.

Notmadeofrib · 29/11/2012 12:09

Oh. I see Blush

noisytoys · 29/11/2012 12:18

South East. 2 bed flat £92 per month for gas and electric. Heating on for an hour in the morning and evening and everyone has slankets. We just had a new roof, and new insulation so I'm hoping for a hefty credit when they next read the meter

ruddynorah · 29/11/2012 12:22

£70 a month gas and electric. 3 bed new build semi near Leeds. Heating on constant 18-20.

vodkaanddietirnbru · 29/11/2012 12:27

Scotland - dd just went up to £125 a month from £97. 4 bed detached, heating on a timer from 6-10am and 5-10pm - also have a thermostat set around 19/20 degrees so the heating will click on and off as required to maintain that temperature. Have just had cavity wall/loft insulation done so hope that helps

InMySpareTime · 29/11/2012 12:44

Manchester, 4 bed semi, £47 a month gas& electricity combined.

InMySpareTime · 29/11/2012 12:45

Heating on a timer and thermostat, 16.5C evenings and mornings, 12C during the day.

vodkaanddietirnbru · 29/11/2012 13:11

16.5 is freezing - I feel it cold when it drops below 18°C!

brighthair · 29/11/2012 13:12

North west. 2 bed new build, just me Smile gas and electric is usually £40 a month

DivineInspiration · 29/11/2012 13:20

Scottish Borders, 4-bedroom solid-walled historic conversion. Electricity DD = £85 per month. No idea what costs so much. We were spending an average of £350 a month on heating oil as well (off gas mains), although have recently converted to biomass. Heating is on constantly - if it isn't we just lose heat from the building and have to start from scratch again. 16.5 is our 'base' temp.

I think being in the frozen North makes a huge difference. We moved from London and rarely had the central heating on before November there. We've had it on since September here.

Mandy21 · 29/11/2012 13:21

NW - large 3 bed semi. £100 for both. Didn't have heating on at all until late October / November. Never have it on in a morning until the depths of winter, and then for 1-2 hours in the evening depending how cold it is. Use a gas fire in the lounge in the evenings after the heating goes off.

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/11/2012 14:40

4 bed detached heating on an hour in the morning and three at night.

£75 a month in the winter.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 29/11/2012 15:03

SE large semi with 2 people..... £100/month for gas/electric together. Work from home, heating is on from 7am until 10pm, all the usual appliances get used and the thermostat is set to 18C.

The outside temperature is not as big an issue as the ability of your house to retain the heat. Before I had things like loft-insulation and double-glazing installed, my bills for the same house were horrendous because it did not heat up quickly or retain heat for long.

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/11/2012 16:07

I dont think we have insulation in the loft, the landlord boarded the loft space up to store TV's. They had a TV in virtually every room.

Gingersstuff · 29/11/2012 22:45

We're in central Scotland too, right on the east coast. Detached, 4+1 beds. Really old house which we've spent 5 years trying to renovate despite it's best efforts, high ceilings, 6 chimneys, draughty floors (I always wondered why the lady before us covered up the beautiful old floorboards - now I know) basement which is bloody freezing (not usable for living), really, REALLY old boiler which we know is falling apart at the seams, leaks everywhere in the system and no thermostat. Heating's on a few hours a day and our direct debit today has gone up to £450 a MONTH for gas and electric. Yes, you read that right. I am fuming, and terrified. We actually cannot afford that but we also can't afford a new heating system :-( I would love to go and build an eco-house.

Gingersstuff · 29/11/2012 22:47

Oh and we have a woodburner which we also spend about £75-100 a month on wood for in the winter. This place never feels warm in the winter but then it's been a really shite year up here weather-wise.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 30/11/2012 09:14

@Gingerstuff.... have you inquired with the Energy Saving Trust about getting your home better insulated or if there are any grants available towards the new boiler? There's also a company called 'A Shade Greener' who are installing solar panels for free. Realise you're probably mortgaged to the hilt but an extra loan for a new boiler has to make sense if you're looking at £5,400 gas/electric bill.

MustStopOutingSelf · 30/11/2012 20:48

NE England - 3 bed semi det bungalow. We have cavity wall and loft insulation. Boiler is 6 years old but was a decent one when bought.

We pay £80 for both (about £40 for each)

I'm at home most of the day and refuse to do a cold house! Heating comes on for an hour and a half in the morning, and intermittently for half hour periods during the day. We don't use it in the evening however. We go to our bedroom at 7pm after DDs have gone to bed and watch TV/MN under the duvet because DH has to be up at 4am and I like to go to bed with him.

RyleDup · 30/11/2012 20:54

3 bed detached. S.E. Heating on all day and evening. Set at 21. £113 per month.

tittytittyhanghang · 30/11/2012 20:54

east scotland, 2 bed flat and £69 for gas/elec and we use ours indiscriminately, telly/lights/irons left on, washing machine and tumble drier used constantly, heating on full etc. Mum lives a few doors down in a 4 bed house, has same supplier and is about £150 a month for both, and her house is always freezing because she cant afford to put the heating on and uses her elec/gas really frugally.

FiveFlowers · 30/11/2012 20:58

Mine has just gone up to £129 a month for both.

3 bed semi, heating on from 6am to 10pm and dehumidifier running 24/7.

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