My home keeps running out of power!!

[user1485518992]

Hi
I love Mumsnet and use it all the time, but I've never posted before. I'm not sure if this is the right question for this board, but I like the friendly atmosphere on here.

We pay our energy bills with a Pay as Go contract, a bit like you do on your phone. But because the top up is in kW I never know when it's going to run out and the light just go off!! I've seen there are some companies where you can buy days in stead of kW (which I don't understand). Has anyone used these and do they know if they're any good?

Thanks loads!

no, buying in days would mean unlimited electricity use.

you need to learn to understand kilowatt hours, which are the 'unit' of electricity. 1 kwh is the electricity used by an appliance using 1kw in one hour.

So a 3kw heater will use 3 units an hour.

the big users are things that generate heat; immersion heater, tumble dryer, heaters, kettle and so on. Everything will be labelled.

But I've seen that British Gas offer unlimited energy at the weekend?

I think I'd just set a limit, like 15kw, and not let it go below that, rather than using a wing and a prayer as to how long it'll last. You'll probably soon establish a routine and learn that if you e.g. put £50 a month in then that gets you through.

so they do - my mistake, although it is only for a few hours on one day.

But...you have to have smart meters, and not be on pre-pay. Also the unit rate is higher than normal, unsurprisingly, and so is the standing charge.

if you can get off pre-pay then your options widen. Run some comparisons to see.