Has your electricity bill gone through the roof like mine? [shock]

[smallgoon]

My monthly electricity bill has gone from £14 to £71 in recent months!

Granted, I'm now permanently working from home and appreciate cooking etc from home is adding to this cost, but I don't have a home office as such, it's simply me and a laptop.

Any tips on what I can do to lower my bills? I read that I shouldn't keep my appliances on standby mode as this continues to draw electricity. Does anybody else switch off their washing machines/dishwasher when they're not in use? Is switching off enough or does the appliance need to be unplugged too?

For context, I'm in a smallish 1 bed flat. Fairly new build so retains heat pretty well. My gas bill on the other hand hasn't increased from £14 a month since I moved in over a year ago.

Have a smart meter you can see how and how much each activity is costing. My stand by rate is about 3p hour without boil kettle washing machine, charging anything, lights or TV on so you’re previous 54p a day would seem very low.

£2.10 a day for me be two loads washing, electric oven on for hour, lots of things being on and off, running fans in hot weather. If your meter readings are true then you must be using electric somewhere for the jump

I've heard that smart meters are not particularly reliable... It's why I've been reluctant to get one.

standby costs are negligible. LED lighting costs are negligible. Fridge costs are negligible.

The things that use substantial amounts of electricity are those that generate significant heat.

Tumble driers
Electric showers
(and air con)
Fan heaters

halogen lighting, especially if you have large numbers of downlighters or spots.

You need to look at your meter readings, not the amount of your direct debit, to see how much you are using.

You can see old meter readings (including estimates) on old bills, and probably online on your electricity account.

@PigletJohn Thank you Sir, this is very helpful!

For the record, I don't have any of the things you've mentioned that drain the most electricity; no tumble dryer, fan heaters or electric shower etc. My flat is incredibly warm so I can dry clothes indoors and haven't needed a heater. I do have a fan, but again, have only really used this during a heatwave.

I do however have LED downlights throughout my flat. That being said, I only ever have the lights on in a single room, and even then they're generally dimmed, and only come on when it starts to get dark.

I provide the meter readings, not that I can ever make sense of them. Will look harder and try to make sense of them.

"My flat is incredibly warm"

How is it heated?

Not storage heaters or UFH, I hope?

OP says she has gas so I assumed gas central heating

@PigletJohn

"My flat is incredibly warm"

How is it heated?

Not storage heaters or UFH, I hope?

Central heating which hasn't been switched on in months... It's a new build.

@dementedpixie

OP says she has gas so I assumed gas central heating

Correct!

Here are my meter readings for what it's worth...

Didn't Adam the electrician do some jobs for you...can he pop over to check them for you...??

I'm in a 2 bed flat, GCH and hob, electric oven, no tumble dryer
Electric is £36pm, gas is £10pm and I WFH if that helps

@earsup

Didn't Adam the electrician do some jobs for you...can he pop over to check them for you...??

Well remembered! Unfortunately after promising me he'd provide a cert for all the works he carried out, I never heard from him again, despite chasing several times! He was good otherwise, and I'm grateful for the rec - just never got my cert sadly, so doubt he'll return if I contact him.

Both myself and DH WFH pretty much all week. Have done since before lockdown. But I’m expecting a big increase in our bill eventually as I keep hearing about prices going up and I think the energy companies are going to increase the unit prices and try to justify it because so many people are wfh now. Funny how the prices never go back down though 😒 I will always shop around for the cheapest deal though because I’ve found I can save a lot that way.

@smallgoon

Here are my meter readings for what it's worth...

looking at your meter readings, between november and august you used (30674-29317 =) 1357 kWh

I don't know your tariff, but lets suppose your price is about 15p/kWh

That would be £203.55 for electricity

Plus a standing charge of maybe about 20p per day.

maybe £60

so roughly £260 for 10 months.

how does that compare with the bills (not the amount of the direct debit, which may be different due to estimated, brought-forward balances etc)?

Smallgoon....
thats unlike adam....he is still posting on local fb pages about jobs etc and people using him...i never contacted him for my landlord cert as he dont do those....sorry to hear that...usually so reliable etc.

Well SSE I don't no what to say they tricked me as I was on credit meter for electric under contract . Because they kept putting my direct debit . I ask them back in march 2022 to change meter to prepayment type which was easy they just send it over WiFi and the meter was changed from credit to prepayment. At point of change over I rang to chase it all . At this point on the phone I told SSE I had a fixed term 2 year contract. I was told o no no that will be fine I was told it will be all ok .... They have mislead me as it's been costing me double for unit rate per kilowatt nearly 34 pence and nearly 50 pence a day standing charge I have been conned .and ripped off .
I have just looked on what the electric meter says I have used . Since the 5 October till 17 November it has taken £100 pounds what a joke . I have tried to ring them can't get through. Also it's the 17 November and I have had no £66 credit placed into my bank account or placed onto my meter . The public are getting conned by the big energy firms . I am on UC in the limited capabilities to work group . Ment to be a priority customer don't feel like it . Ps my home is as one bed flat not a mansion. Not a happy bunny....... I am now going to the ombudsman because SSE/ovo they don't want to know . And it's started to affect my health and anxiety.
I am trying now not to use electric or gas what a way to live as we go into winter .