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Original poster

Gas and Electric Bills

47 replies

kitty1976 · 25/09/2019 18:42

I was wondering if I’m paying too much for gas and electric. I pay by DD monthly £225 for gas and £210 for electric. We are on a fixed tariff and it seems to be fairly competitive when I have looked at switching etc. What do others pay?

OP posts:
Lazypuppy · 25/09/2019 22:12

We pay £50 a month for both in a 4 bed detached house

silver1977 · 25/09/2019 22:13

Something is wrong there surely, that's like a mortgage payment!

zzzzzzzx · 25/09/2019 22:14

Quite large and old 4 bed house and we pay £220 pm for gas and electric together. I've never found anyone who pays more!

dementedpixie · 25/09/2019 22:14

My bill gives annual consumption as
GAS - 14904
ELECTRIC - 5560

What figures do you have?

Original poster
kitty1976 · 25/09/2019 22:19

Heating on as little as possible, not started putting it on yet. Hot water on 5 hours a day. Tank not combi. When heating is on in the winter it is just a couple of hours in the morning and from 3 to 10pm

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 25/09/2019 22:21

Have your bills always been that high?

dementedpixie · 25/09/2019 22:22

Gas central heating? Do you use a tumble dryer?

Need your usage figures

daffodilbrain · 25/09/2019 22:25

I live in a newish (9yr old) 5 bed detached 3300sq ft house well insulated. Lots of windows ((25!) and I pay c£160 per mth electric only (+Calor gas job there are 4 of us our most days . Hope that helps. I think you are paying too much

PhannyMcNee · 25/09/2019 22:26

We're in a similar sounding old 5 bed detached house - high ceilings, made of granite so no cavity wall etc. There are 6 of us, we have gas CH and a water tank for 1 shower and all sinks plus an electric shower (which is probably used more). Thermostat is set at 18-19C year round and left on so it comes on if the house is cold enough. Plenty of tech running (DC2 is a gamer) and 4DC who don't understand about switching off lights!

We've just changed supplier as I thought ours was dear but we were paying approx £250 pcm for a bundle that included gas, electricity, 1 mobile phone, landline and broadband.

MrsMoastyToasty · 25/09/2019 22:31

Have you carried forward a debt from a previous bill?

Original poster
kitty1976 · 25/09/2019 22:36

Electricity is 14,000 kWh per year, I will look up gas, not sure.

OP posts:
Damia · 25/09/2019 22:36

Wouldn't you have to be using around 6000 units of gas at 4p to make £240p/m? And around 1300kw for elec? Every month? You must be in credit with your supplier?

PigletJohn · 25/09/2019 22:36

still need the meter readings.

dementedpixie · 25/09/2019 22:40

Are you sure that's for electric? It is extremely high and we are a high usage household. What uses electricity in your house?

www.ukpower.co.uk/home_energy/average-household-gas-and-electricity-usage

PigletJohn · 25/09/2019 22:42

Electricity is 14,000 kWh per year, I will look up gas, not sure.

Thanks. Depending on your tariff, electricity is around 14p per kWh, so that would be 14,000 x 14p = £1960 p.a.
or £163 per month.

Plus standing charge, around 18p per day, £66/year or £5.50/month

Damia · 25/09/2019 22:42

Oh yes you could be paying off previous debt. Be careful you're not paying off debt that previous tenant owed if you didnt have debt!

dementedpixie · 25/09/2019 22:42

That electricity consumption is 3 times what the link says a high usage would be if not on an economy 7 tariff

PigletJohn · 25/09/2019 22:49

14,000 p.a. is around three times as much as a typical UK house would use, so I deduce that you are using electric heaters and/or air conditioners, or have a swimming pool.

How big is your house?

It would be extremely helpful if you would get an up-to-date reading. If you don't have a recent one, you can take it again in a few days time and we can get a view of your current daily use. If you have one a month or so old we can do that straight away. It is usual for winter usage to be higher than summer.

Have you got a hot-water cylinder? What colour?

Have you got electric showers? How many hours a day are they used?

PigletJohn · 25/09/2019 22:52

Just to check, is there a cannabis plantation in your loft or shed? Or does your neighbour have one, with a cable through the wall?

dementedpixie · 25/09/2019 22:53

Or have they cocked up the smart meter installation?

BackforGood · 25/09/2019 22:54

That is a HUMUNGOUS amount.
I live in a Victorian, 4 storey house - high ceilings etc.
I use a tumble drier a lot.
I have teens and young adults who are all always plugged into more than one device at a time.
I live with people who seem incapable of turning things off.

But I am paying £122 a month - and every time I switch the companies ask if I've got the consumption right as my electricity seems high.
Yet you are paying 3.5 x that amount Shock

If you aren't paying off a large debt, that just can't be right.

PigletJohn · 25/09/2019 23:20

14,000 is a curiously round number.

Did you round it? Or is it the actual difference between actual meter readings 12 months apart?

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