Utilities bill - does this seem high?

[Checkedstripes]

Since moving into our current one bed flat we've had ecotricity as our electricity supplier (not our choice). Since April, we've been charged around £1,000 for our elec. There are only two of us living in the flat and we're generally out for the majority of the day. Ecotricity have our estimated annual consumption at 7,907kWh (around £122 pm).

Does this seem a lot, considering everything above? I've googled annual consumption and most companies have estimated actual houses at around 3,000-4,000kWh. We don't have gas, but the current amount, about £120 pcm, just seems a lot and it's more then we've ever paid before. I'm intending to switch over the sainsbury's elec but am curious!

Does the flat have it's own meter and can you access it? If so, you can just use these figures to do your own online comparison and if not, whether or not you should/can make an issue about it would depend on other factors - eg if the rent/mortgage/service charge is lower than average for the flat, it might not be worth worrying about.

£100-120 pm for everything when on all electric isn't particularly expensive and having the heating on low all the time rather than heating up to temperature when you are actually at home, probably isn't the cheapest way to go about it.

The average you quote is for properties with other forms of heating. We use around 4500 in electric a year and have gas central heating on top, so the electric covers electric ovens and hob, electric shower, dishwasher and all lighting/appliances etc.

If you take a meter reading when you live and then when you return, you can see how much the air circulation and possible immersion are using. Do the other flats have similar boilers? If so, ask the other residents when it can be turned off. It might be worth asking them if they know their annual consumption or how much they pay. If it's around the same as you or more, then your usage is likely to be accurate.

£17 a month Gas
£43 a month Electric

I think its most definately the immersion.

Our fellow mumsnetter @pigletjohn is the expert on this!

the estimated usage, and the monthly direct debit based on it, are of no use.

We need to know the Actual meter readings.

Hopefully you made a note of the reading when you moved in, so you know you were not charged for the previous occupier's usage; and you can look at the figure today. If you took Actual readings quarterly or monthly, they will be useful as well. I expect you can input meter readings online to your supplier, so the bills are accurate.

p.s.

What colour is your hot-water cylinder?

£122 a month and no gas, that's pretty cheap tbh.

I would take a reading of your meter every day at the same time. Also you should not have the immersion heater on all the time. Don't you have an off/on switch for it.

Have you turned the immersion off?

I think your bill sounds right. What kind of heaters do you have? We are all electric too and ours are plugged into the sockets but mounted on the wall. My partner told me they're 2 kWh. Our electricity rate is 13p, so I think that means for every hour they're on, one heater is costing 26p per hour. They estimate our usage will be 1700 per year. Our last bill was for over 300, but I was on maternity leave so I was in a lot and the heaters were constantly on. Don't forget, it's getting warmer so you will probably use less electricity :)

Our 3 bed semi costs £70 a month for gas and electric.