Just got first energy bill and there must be something wrong with the meter!

[misscph1973]

I just got my first energy bill from E.ON, for new house, been here a month. Apparently I used 900 Kwh electricity in a month! In the old house I used 1200 Kwh in 2 months. Now the only difference I can see from the old house, is that we now have an electric cooker, where as int he old house we had an electric oven but gas rings. Can that really make such a difference? or can electricity leak? What do I do?

I am definitely switchins provider anyway, as the price per KW is far to high anyway, but it's the 900 Kwh in a month that worries me. I have tried to call E:ON but there is so long waiting time that they just tell you to phone back.

PS I am quite sure the meter reading is accurate as I was there when the meter was read.

Did you note the meter read when you moved into the property? It could be you are being charged for old tenants/owners use?

Was your opening and closing read definitely actual and not estimate? If you check now how much have you used between meter reading and now?

Electricity can't leak but you could have a faulty meter or someone tapping off your supply.. Are you in a flat?

What kind of heating do you have?how often do you cook?

Ukpower website is the best one to compare energy prices as it's independent and the one that energy providers use to get estimates.

was your opening meter reading correct on the bill too? Check no figures have been transposed. Do you have gas as well or is your heating electric?

Thanks for your answers!

Yes, opening meter reading was correct on the bill, I am quite sure I am not being charged for previous tennants use.

No, it's not a flat, it's a detached house.

Gas heating (not on at the moment), I lots cook and all the time, I work from home and kids are home on school holiday.

It's just the huge difference from old house that worries me.

I wil check UK power website, thanks, I used Uswitch earlier just to make sure it was worth switching (it was).

How much was it in £ for a month?

We used tk have a gas hob then went to electric upon a house move, i hate it! But yes Huge hike in elec bill :(

Take daily meter readings for the next 7 days, then when you speak to EON it's easier for them to work out whether it's a faulty meter or appliance use.

In the industry 7-10,000 is classed as "high use" so based on your 900 a month this would put you at the very top end of this..

£140 for a month's electricity, Redtartanshoes. £14 for gas (just hot water).

PancakesAndMapleSyrup, it's only the hob rings that are now electric, not the oven. Can it really make such a difference?

I just don't get it. I thought the electricity bill in the old house was high because we had used the immersion heater for years without knowing. I was hoping it would be less now.

That is a huge amount!

I have just checked our usage. Large detached house, all adults/teens, three of us here pretty much full-time, two part-time, all using computers, TVs, etc, all electric for cooking and I use a fan heater once or twice a week if it's chilly. Our usage over the last three months was 600kw per month.

According to EON's website, we are using twice as much electricity as similar homes in the area. (Amazed it isn't more really, given that no one apart appears to know the secret that light switches actually turn off as well as on!)

If you have an immersion heater, have you checked that it is turned off? They eat electricity.

Otherwise, read your meter before and after cooking and see how much the hob is eating up in an hour.

X-post about the immersion heater.

Should also have mentioned that we are absolutely scandalous in how often we use the tumble dryer. At least 10 times a week, sometimes even more.

Regular meter readings are the way to go, as "Red" says.

... no one apart from me* appears ...

Waltons, glad to hear it's not just me!

I am trying to find the switch for the immersion heater... In my old house it was a switch in the airing cupboard, but I cna't find one now ;) Will ask letting agent.

And will defintely do meter readings before and after cooking, good idea!

It could be next to the electricity meter.

Suggest that you turn everything apart from the fridge and freezer (and anything else essential) off and read the meter. Leave for an hour, and read again.

If you want me to do roughly the same, I probably can (apart from a couple of computers), and we can compare notes.

Oh if you have immersion heater then you really are going to use a lot.

Ukpower is the way to go to find cheapest provider/tarriff.

Have you checked there's not a light on in the loft or under the stairs which has been on constantly since you moved in?

I am not sure that I even have an immersion heater ;) On the fuse box there is a switch for the hot water. Just worried I will have no hot water if I disable it!

Quite sure no light has been on constantly.

we have an electric oven and gas hob and it gets used a lot. We have stuff on chargers, and use laptops, computers, tv, consoles, etc. I do 1 or 2 washing loads a day on average and use the dishwasher about once a day. I do not have a tumble dryer.

My usage last month was 506kwh with a projected annual usage of 4908kwh. Live in a 4 bed detached, 2 adults, 2 children. We are with EDF.

have you checked your hot water tank to see if there is a switch near it?

ilovepowerhoop, sounds like my usage. There must be a problem!

Must look for the hot water tank, good point!

(found online)

If you’ve got a hot water cylinder, then there is probably an electric immersion heater too. Even if the boiler has stopped working you can still use the immersion for hot water, though it won’t do anything for your radiators. Take a look at your cylinder – if there is a thick electrical cable leading to the top of the cylinder (or one going to the top and one going to the bottom) then you can heat your water electrically.

There will be a switch or two, usually in or next to the cupboard with the cylinder in it and usually with a red light on the switch. Turn it (or them) on, wait half an hour and see if the water has got hot. If so, problem solved, but don’t forget to turn the switches off again once the water is hot, or to set the timer to do this for you if there is one. And don’t forget to turn it all off once the boiler is fixed – immersion heaters are more expensive to run than a modern gas or oil boiler, no matter what tariff you are on.

Thanks, ilovepowerhoop. It's an old house, and although the boiler is new, it's hard to work out where the tank is. I am thinking it's in the loft, the boiler is on the ground floor, and there is no easy access to the loft. But surely an immersion switch would not be in the loft ;) The airing cupboard with the boiler in has 2 switches, one for the light and one for the boiler. Waiting for agent's reply, but not too hopeful, as she is a bit useless.

do you know what sort of boiler it is ie. is it a combi one that heats the water as you use it or do you have a separate hot water cylinder? If it is a combi you wouldnt have a water cylinder.

you need PigletJohn as he knows about cylinders/boilers/all sorts of heating related things.

Turn off the boiler. Leave it off all day. Is the hot water still hot?

You say there is a boiler in the airing cupboard. what name is in it? What settings does the timer have? It should have separate settings for heating and for hot water.

Have you found a hot water cylinder? What colour is it?

Post some pics if you can.

It's a combi. So I guess no water tank/cylinder. Which again means no immersion switch presumably?

I reckon PigletJohn has learned to Apparate ...