Debster:

As I said at the beginning there is not an easy answer. Electricity is an expensive form of heating and storage heating is very inflexible particularly for anybody out during the day. A previous poster mentioned the settings. Yes, as you are out all day make sure the output control is set to minimum. This delays the heat as much as possible.

This is not a trick question - I am trying to save you money - but when you say "the only storage heater that is ever on full is the lounge. I try to keep the others as low as I can bear." are you saying you have the spare bedroom and hall heaters on at all? Personally I would not even put on your bedroom storage heater but get a cheap convector heater and timer set for bedtime and morning. The living room heat should be enough to keep the chill off the hall.

One of the many problems with night storage tariffs is they penalise day use. Your day use is not hugely excessive (although there is some scope for saving) but the tariff is extremely high - about double what would be paid on a standard tariff. You could save by using your dryer overnight for example.

You are using a fair amount of energy and a well insulated house should not be cold but I think if you concentrated your energy use where and when needed - living room and bedroom morning and evening - you will notice the savings.

One other thought. Its possible but I'm not certain that there might be a special circuit for directly connected panel heaters or convector heaters available all day at the night rate. Possibly something to ask Southern Electric about and your landlord of its possible but not installed.

Thank you!! I don't profess to understand the bill or how it operates but there are three readings, which I have listed below. This bill covers the period December - May.

Day Units - 1777 units used at 16.09p per unit

Night Units - 384 units used at 7.52p each

Stored heat energy Units - 6314 units used at 5.54p each

Hopefully this will make sense to someone who understands a little better than me!!

Thanks again,
Debbie

Debster:

As I said would be a reaonable spend for a warm and toasty gas heated flat but not for a badly heated flat.

You should not be paying that amount for (mainly) 1 storage heater. A cavity wall insulated, and well insulated loft with double glazing should NOT be as difficult to keep warm as you are finding. Something is not right .

It might be helpful if you posted the unit prices for the Superdeal tariff and also gave an indication of your consumption on full price and cheap rate.

Thanks everyone for your input. Sorry about the long posting this morning - I was just SOOOOO cross after speaking to the Electricity Board.

Points to clarify - the bill has been prepared from an ACTUAL reading, not an estimated one. I have checked the bill with the meter and it's correct. I am being charged for what I appear to be using.

Insulation - the flat Council accommodation - loft insulation is over and above what is required - the cavity walls have been insulated - double glazing and everything else that should be done.

Temperature has been checked on the immersion heater by the Council. It is apparently set just below "normal" as I am a single occupant. During the winter, the only storage heater that is ever on full is the lounge. I try to keep the others as low as I can bear.

I've contacted the Council today and have asked for someone to come out and check the storage heaters - I guess I really just wanted to know if the general consensus was that this energy consumption was HIGH for a two-bedroom flat where no-one was home all day.

Thanks again,
Debbie

Hi your reason for high bills are, storage heaters and hour hot water heater. Both these if set incorrectly use huge amounts of energy.

Ensure that your input is set at around 3, output around 1 in the day / over night and in the evening 2 otherwise you are waisting energy.

Debster:

I'm afraid there is not a simple answer to this very difficult problem. The first thing to establish is whether the bill is based on actual meter readings or estimates. Sorry if you said but it was a loooong post. Then since its an unusual tariff you need to be confident that the full and cheap rate readings aren't being mixed up. You haven't provided enough information to advise.

Although the worst of the winter is over its still worth getting a handle on your consumption. Read you meter(s) daily for a week, weekly for a month and then monthly. Get familiar with which reading is which.

Given the high bill and the ineffective heating its likely that insulation levels are poor. You mentioned rental. Is the landlord aware how poor the insulation is?

I don't know the unit prices for Superdeal though I know roughly how it works. Given the lack of competition for this type of tariff it may be that conversion to standard Economy 7 could be worthwhile. Needs an electrician and possibly a meter change, but not impossible. Something for your landlord to consider.

The amount you are paying for energy wouldn't necessary be out of place in a warm gas heated house but I understand your feelings about paying that to freeze.

Start by comparing the unit prices on Superdeal with Economy 7 to see if modifying the system to Economy 7 would be an option for the landlord. Think insulation. There are grants available for the owner.

I suffered a similar problem in my old flat. I was being charged horrendous amount for my water bill and their were only two of us but we were paying more than some friends were and they have 2 children. i rang southern water and they weren't helpful at all.. i found the meter reading from when we moved in and checked what it currently was. i rang them and asked them how much water i had used and it was considerably less than the 6 months they charged us for...

My advice would be to check your own meter readings. Ring them and ask how much it is... if theres a difference ask why your paying so much more...

Hi, I'm at the end of my tether and really hope that someone can offer me some advice.

I live in a two-bedroom flat and I have night storage heaters fitted in the two bedrooms, the lounge and the hall. Four in total. I have no other form of heating. The system operates with Superdeal and my electricity is supplied by Southern Electric. I have no gas to the property and therefore the only utility bill I receive is the electric, which I pay for monthly by direct debit.