[Help] Insanely high electricity bill!!

[Shropshire Seagull]

Get a smart meter installed [if you haven't already] - mine tells me by the second what my KWh draw is - I can watch it leap up when I pop the kettle on.

As others have said, it's heating / cooking stuff that has big KWh draw - iron, kettle, microwave, any electrical heater - but also check you fridge / freezer - chill-motor should cut in and out every so often, if it's on all the time that might be the issue.

 

[Wardy's twin]

That seems extraordinary high even for just electric. How much you should spend really is a simple equation; the amount of usage * the rating of the device used * the cost of a unit. TV's and laptops are low usage though are often left on when not used. As has been said turn everything off and confirm usage is zero , then bring devices on one at a time but first make a list of all your items and their rating to check they look like they are consuming the correct amount. I live in a detached, 4 bed house and my consumption for both gas and electric is a lot less than that.

 

[Jam The Man]

We’ve had extraordinarily high bills for years and have implored each electric supplier we’ve switched to, to investigate it. Pretty much all refused to do anything.
Moved to Octopus at Christmas and they found we were marked up on the wrong tariff on the national grid (we had challenged this several times) - so they corrected it and will also be coming to change our meter next week. They issued us with a £200 refund immediately, and contacted Scottish Power (previous supplier) about the issue- they also agreed, and sent us nearly £400 yesterday. We’re now going after the other 2 firms we were with previously...

 

[The Wookiee]

How do you heat your water ? Do you have the immersion heater on 24 hours ?

 

[mikeyjh]

a faulty washing machine

I know you've said you haven't used it but, and this may be silly but have you unplugged it to make sure it's not erroneously drawing some power?

So best to start by logging your usage at midnight one night then midnight the next. Check what has been on that day. If you go a day using the heating full and then another not using at all you will see a huge difference.

This, although I'm not sure you have to do it at midnight?!? I felt out bill was a little high as although we have quite a big house there are only 2 of us. Turns out that just leaving the underfloor heating in the bathrooms at a set temperature while very pleasant on the old plates can be quite expensive. Also recently worked out that the large UV filter we have costs about £6 a month to run, it all adds up.....

 

[Dick Swiveller]

I look after couple widows

 

[Blue3]

As said switch everything off make sure the meter stops clocking up, your culprits are likley to be either water heating or room heating, you say it's a basement which in old buildings are often cold and can be damp requiring more heat take a look at the heaters are they storage heaters if so are they on a separate meter on a night time tariff? Water heaters do you have an immersion heating a tank of storage water is the element being controlled by a timeclock is that working or just set to on 24 hours a day, if all these things appear ok then contact your supplier who can check your meters accuracy
Other things to check are types of lighting, I recall years ago Next door to me they had an 1000 watt halogen light on a faulty movement censor in the garden that was on 24/7 and alone was using more energy than my entire house

If all else fails put on an extra jumper and get yourself a hot water bottle as Spring is on its way with warmer weather

 

[Live by the sea]

Seems high - if hot air rises , is it more expensive to heat a basement flat ? I’m not sure. The only basement flats often referred to as garden flats by estate agents I looked at when I was younger had a faint smell of damp and not much natural sunlight , so that put me off ever considering buying one . However I’m sure there are plenty that don’t have that issue .

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

"The ad on this thread leads me to suspect that electrovolts of money are being earthed from your supply by the fiend that is bozza. "

And my post appeared twice (above). Without my consent or knowledge.

I rest my case

 

[Justice]

Any chance you can post a pic of your meter position I need to as much Cabling as possible can soon tell if your paying for someone else.

 

[Papak]

[MENTION=1557]maffew[/MENTION] any update on this issue?

 

[essbee1]

Any advice from our resident sparkies welcome!!

So I moved into this large 2 bed basement flat in January, and my electric bill is eye wateringly high. Almost impossibly high I am told my my bro who knows a bit about kwH and the like

I dont have any gas, all electric, EPC rating E with an estimated energy cost of £3534 every 3 years. Now this seems quite high in itself, about £100 a month, but kinda what I budgeted for

Problem is I am smashing that number. My electric bill for Feb alone was over £260!!!! Thats just me (and with a broken washing machine for the whole of Feb, so thats that ruled out). I'm with Igloo on a decent tariff (16p/kWH standing charge 22.6p per day)

9 Jan, meter reading = 11795 kWh
3 Feb, meter reading = 13361 kWh
13 Mar, meter reading = 15092 kWh (these are actuals)

So thats 3297 kWh.
52kwH per day. That's pretty nuts isnt it? £527 or there abouts + standing costs in 2 month. I have no high usage appliances, though all the heating is electric (a very modern boiler system runs the radiatiors/hot water etc) though I was turning this off entirely a lot in Feb.

Could a faulty appliance, or wiring or anything cause such a bill? I dunno.

We're having a similar issue with water. Faulty meter. Get on to the electricity people and ask them to come round
and check it.

 

[Mr Bridger]

How do you heat your water ? Do you have the immersion heater on 24 hours ?

Went to a leak detection job this week where they had extremely high water and electric bills.
Found the leak under the kitchen floor tiles on the hot supply, so It had been going for almost a year without them knowing.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

Direct line want 820 quid for this years van insurance! 32 and never had an accident? The AA wanted something similar last year. Do companies just openly take the piss out of their customers now?

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