I live on my own in a small 2 bedroom flat. I only have electricity, no gas. I don't use the heating at all during the summer, use the washing machine twice a week, use the hob maybe three times a week and am very careful not to leave anything switched on when I'm not using it. According to BG I use 18kwh per day (6 during the day, 12 at night) which costs me £72 per month on their standard tariff. Does this sound about right?

EssexToffee:

How do you heat water for baths/showers or washing up?

If you use the hotwater tank immersion heater, this can be expensive. If you do use the immersion heater, how often do you heat the water ?

Huckster

This does sound high. (18 kWh per day), I use about 4-5 per day.

I have gas heating and hot water, but even considering cooking and hot showers / bath this does sound high.

Have you taken accurate readings, and checked your bill?

You need to check the meter readings, and conduct some yourself, first daily then weekly and monthly.

Sparky

I have an immersion hot water tank that automatically heats the water over night during the cheaper rate but never turn it on other than that - if the hot water runs out, I go without (I shower in the morning so don't smell, honest). I submit my own readings and check theirs so know they are correct but worry that the meter is faulty or I'm paying for someone else's electricity too. Please can you advise on the easiest way to check my meter?

Many thanks everyone.

EssexToffee:

I have an immersion hot water tank that automatically heats the water over night during the cheaper rate but never turn it on other than that - if the hot water runs out, I go without (I shower in the morning so don't smell, honest). I submit my own readings and check theirs so know they are correct but worry that the meter is faulty or I'm paying for someone else's electricity too. Please can you advise on the easiest way to check my meter?

Many thanks everyone.

Thats your answer. If the immersion heater is constantly on overnight for 7 hours plus, this will probably make up about £50 of your monthly bill. With an immersion heater is takes about 60-90 minutes to heat the full tank, then it will cut out, then keeping on switching on and off. If you have a timer control unit, you should only set this to be turned on for 90 minutes about 2 hours before you normally wake up. If you have no timer control on the immersion heater, you should invest in this, as it will save you a fair bit of money.

Quite a few years ago, I used an immersion heater for awhile and it added about £30 a month to the bill.

Huckster

A few things to check :

- that you are on an economy 7 tarriff so the night usage is at a much cheaper rate

- that the water heating system is on a timer and only on for an hour or so in the early morning ie. at the night time rate

- is your usage much lower now you've moved to summer usage (ie no heating)

- that the hot water tank has got some insulation and the rest of the falt is as insulated as possible (especially the windows)

For info I'm renting a 1 1/2 bed flat (one bed with bed deck) with no gas and used an average of 1 unit per day and about 4 night units over the period from mid April to end June. However, I'm not there at weekends and only three nights in the week and never use a washing machine. The only things on at night are the fridge, freezer (both not full so probably running inefficiently) and the water heating system but all of these are on 7 days a week. So your 12 night units seems high for summer usage but low for winter usage (ours averaged 18 units with the heating only being on 3 nights a week).

It might be worth checking you couldn't do better by changing suppliers based on your usage. The figure I've been quoted for two bed flats (based on normal full time occupancy) on more than one occassion is £50 - £60 a month average for the year.

At 18 KVA I would say that you are paying far 6too much based on the information which you have supplied. I would suggest that you use a comparison site to check that you are on the best tariff. If this doesn't come up with anything have your meter checked by your energy supplier, bearing in mind of course that if your meter is found to have nothing wrong with it it could cost you approx £70 or so for calling them out.

sparky76:

This does sound high. (18 kWh per day), I use about 4-5 per day.

Not necessarily. Depends on the time interval British Gas are measuring over. If over the year, it' only 6500kWhrs total household energy. Not high at all. And £72/month not surprising for an electrically heated house.

You're spoiled by your gas central heating.

Jalexa:

You're spoiled by your gas central heating.

So so, it did cost me quite a lot to have a new boiler just under two years ago.

:)