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Original poster

Electric bill sounds too high?

50 replies

Lovinglifeand · 01/09/2021 19:58

Hi, we live in an ancient four bed cottage and our electric bill has always been really high so we swapped providers and now the bill has risen from £300 to £400 a month. Most of the time there is just myself and my husband there with adult children visiting regularly. Our heating is oil, our oven is electric with a gas hob. No tumble dryer. I just don't understand why it is so high.
We have a very antiquated system which needs renewing. Some parts of the electrics are original 1950s and as soon as we have the funds we are replacing and will get a smart meter at the same time.
I keep hearing of people having under a £200 a month so I wondered how?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 01/09/2021 20:15

Is that just for electric?
I'm in a 4 bed detached in Scotland and my electric usage is around £80 per month
I have gas Central heating so that can vary depending on time of year

Danikm151 · 01/09/2021 20:31

That is a ridiculous amount to pay! I’d get a survey done to check there are no surges happening

SillyBub · 01/09/2021 20:32

@Lovinglifeand You might want to report your post to get it moved from the Christmas section.

Tempusfudgeit · 01/09/2021 20:40

Three bed semi up North, family of 5, everything always on (despite my reminders) our electric is around £50 per month. Definitely look deeper into your situation. You can get a plug in gadget to see how much each appliance is using for starters.

CallmeIT · 01/09/2021 20:47

Something odd there! I pay £60 for a three bed detached and use a tumble dryer regularly.

Original poster
Lovinglifeand · 01/09/2021 20:50

@dementedpixie

Is that just for electric? I'm in a 4 bed detached in Scotland and my electric usage is around £80 per month I have gas Central heating so that can vary depending on time of year
Yes, just for electricity. I can't believe your bill is £80. That must mean there is something really wrong going on here. I wonder if a meter can be faulty. I'll be very miffed if it is as we've been paying these high electric bills for 20 years.
OP posts:
dementedpixie · 01/09/2021 20:52

I'm considered a high user at £80
Do you have underfloor heating or something else that uses electricity all the time?

Tempusfudgeit · 01/09/2021 20:55

But if it's proved wrong you're in line for a massive refund!

MissCruellaDeVil · 01/09/2021 20:58

My 4 bed detached house in which were considered high users (use hot tub, tumble dryer washing machine etc daily) I only pay £80 a month. I can only think you must be having a power surge or something like that!

dementedpixie · 01/09/2021 20:58

Do your bills show your usage in kWh?

dementedpixie · 01/09/2021 21:01

I use about 450-480 kWh per month

Original poster
Lovinglifeand · 01/09/2021 21:01

@dementedpixie

I'm considered a high user at £80 Do you have underfloor heating or something else that uses electricity all the time?
Nope. Just a dishwasher, two fridges, oven, lights and normal plug sockets.
OP posts:
gogohm · 01/09/2021 21:02

We have a 3/4 bed 4 adults currently and combined bill was £101 last month, ok no heating on but they use lots of electricity as live with 2 nocturnal computer addicts

Hellocatshome · 01/09/2021 21:05

The best thing to do is take a meter reading at say 8am on a Monday then take another one at 8am the folllwing monday. To wor out how many units you have used during that period. Then look at your bill and times the number of units by the price per unit. Then look for your standing charge and times that by the number of days in your period so for this example 7. Once you know how much your weekly cost is times it by 4. If that is £400 then your bill is right. If it isn't (which I cant imagine it is) something is wrong. Contact your electric company give them as many meter readings as possible. Take one every day if needs be. Either you are using loads of electric or there is a problem with your meter.

Mantlemoose · 01/09/2021 21:06

I have a sandstone 2 bed with Gas CH and I pay £208 per month for gas & electric. Doesn't matter what anyone is paying per month, it's the units you use, the cost per unit and any standing charge.

Invest in an energy monitor (I have an owl which i've used for years now). It clips onto your electric cable and monitors what you are using so you can e.g. have only the basics on then switch on your tv, kettle etc. You will soon see what you're using.

MyDcAreMarvel · 01/09/2021 21:07

Wow I thought ours was high £190 combined gas and electric. It’s a six bed house though with nine people , 2 wfh and heating on a lot due to disability plus three dryer loads a day.

MangoBiscuit · 01/09/2021 21:07

Ouch! We pay £130 per month, and we're fully electric here. Heating, cooker, hot water, all on electric. 4 people, 3 bedroom house. (but my DDs are very good at turning off lights, and used to tell me off for it) Average under 600kWh per month

Magicshoppingtrolley · 01/09/2021 21:10

Ours is high. £190 a month for both gas and electric. 3 of us, although we both work from home 50-75% of the time

SpeckledyHen · 01/09/2021 21:20

5 bed house, 2 adults, (gas central heating and water heating) , dishwasher, washing machine every day . Tumble dryer some days , more in the winter . Burglar alarm and PC on 24/7 . 2 big fridge freezers . Electric cooker used most days for 30 minutes . 2 TVs , kettle, coffee machine, assorted phones, iPads being charged daily. Yoghurt maker 8 hours a week. Rice cooker 1 hour a week . Vacuum 1 hour a week . Jet washer 1 hour a week . Hairdryer 15 minutes daily .

Electricity bill averages £95 per month over the year . British Gas provider .

Sausagis · 01/09/2021 21:22

Fridges and freezers can malfunction and use a lot of electric. Can you start taking your own meter readings, and try switching a few things off briefly to see what's using so much elec?

Original poster
Lovinglifeand · 01/09/2021 21:27

@Mantlemoose

I have a sandstone 2 bed with Gas CH and I pay £208 per month for gas & electric. Doesn't matter what anyone is paying per month, it's the units you use, the cost per unit and any standing charge.

Invest in an energy monitor (I have an owl which i've used for years now). It clips onto your electric cable and monitors what you are using so you can e.g. have only the basics on then switch on your tv, kettle etc. You will soon see what you're using.

Thank you. I've now ordered an energy monitor. Hopefully this will give some clarity. According to our meter, we use the correct amount of electricity to warrant the high bills. But we just don't. I think either our meter is faulty or one of our appliances is. The meter is very old.

We've just found and fixed the oil leak that was costing us a tank of oil every six weeks! I don't think I'll be buying a really old property again!

OP posts:
Original poster
Lovinglifeand · 01/09/2021 21:28

@Sausagis

Fridges and freezers can malfunction and use a lot of electric. Can you start taking your own meter readings, and try switching a few things off briefly to see what's using so much elec?
Yes. We will do this, Thank you
OP posts:
Funnyfive · 01/09/2021 21:32

Also a trick is to turn off the electricity at the fuse board and see if the little thing on the electricity meter continues to spin! If it does then that shows there is a problem!

MNHQ
ClaraMumsnet · 01/09/2021 21:58

Hi OP, we've moved this to Money Matters - not sure Christmas was quite the right place...

Original poster
Lovinglifeand · 01/09/2021 22:15

@ClaraMumsnet

Hi OP, we've moved this to Money Matters - not sure Christmas was quite the right place...
oops
OP posts: