Electricity Bill

[ruthandsam]

Hi

Please would you let me know how much you pay for electricity per month?

We pay £82 / month and live in a 3 bedroomed terraced house. This seems extortionate to us so we are trying to find out what possibly in the house is upping the bill so much. Could it be using a 10 year old washing machine?

Any ideas, please?

[ubasses]

Depends on what you use electricity for. We pay £48 per month for 5 bed. Heating and Water all winter is oil. Water during summer is electric emersion heater. Then all year cooking, lighting and General electrical goods. Washing machine and dish washer are on every night on cheap rate.

[boxtops]

No, it couldn't, my washing machine is nearly that old. We are in a 4-storey mid terrace house and we pay £50 a month. We've got 2 fridges, 2 small freezers, gas CH, cook on electricity.

[boxtops]

^ PS and I use the tumble dryer 2-3 times a week

[ruthandsam]

Ok, thanks.

Washing machine, electric shower, fan oven, microwave, kettle, tv, computers x 3 and the usual lighting but with energy saving bulbs. Can't think of anything else. Oh yes, cold water fish tank with electric filter.

Mmmm, now I'm perplexed!

[vakayu]

Can I ask ruthandsam is that including heating or do you have gas as well?

[ruthandsam]

Oh and of course, fridge freezer.

[ruthandsam]

Sorry, forgot to say we have a combi boiler with gas central heating.

[boxtops]

You can always request to get your meter checked. EDF have just contacted us to change our meter - the new smart meters can check your usage every hour, I think that could be very useful if someone wants to check how much a particular appliance takes up.

[daffy654]

We are on a prepayment meter and would consider our household heavy electricity users (3 computers on for 18 hours a day). We live in a two up two down mid terrace and spend £20.00 a week on topping up the meter.

[ruthandsam]

That sounds interesting Boxtops. Our house is only 5 years old but it has been non-stop problems with just about everything. Good job we rent it!

[boxtops]

This is what they are proposing to put in http://www.edfenergy.com/products-services/for-your-home/smart-metering/

[Tilly2]

Is that just electricity? How much is your gas bill?

[factor-fiction]

It's often better to compare overall energy bills. How much is your gas bill?

Yours sounds a little high but if your total bill is less than say £120 a month in Oct- March and £70 in April- Sept your figures are about average for that sort of property.

Also it depends on what period your bill is based on. Electricity use will be a lot higher in winter than in summer

[Sycamore3House]

Could it be that you electric meter is set to the wrong tariff. We had a problem when we moved house in that we were on a prepay meter but a £20 top up was not lasting very long. It turned out that the previous tenant was in arrears and the electricity provider had set the meter higher to get some of the arrears back. We got the money back though eventually.

[boxtops]

Our £50 per month is flat throughout the year, as factor suggests, to allow for peaks and troughs. On top of that, we pay £55 p.m. for gas, for the combi boiler (heating and hot water)

[stewey]

One of the biggest gobblers of hydro is a fridge. I noticed a distinct reduction in my daily usage after cleaning the coils, and adjusting the temperature of it. A good rule of thumb is that if the ice-cream in your freezer is firm (but not frozen solid), and the liquids in the fridge are cold enough for your taste then you have the correct temperature. My control goes from 0 to 6: I have it set at 2.5.

[EcclesCake]

I pay £72 per month for Gas & Electric in a four bed detached with 1-2 people living here. I don't have a microwave and rarely use the tumbler.

[ruthandsam]

Wow, thanks everyone for your excellent answers. Alas, our gas bill is £72 / month. Hubby is livid and is going round like a possessed man trying to discover the culprit!!

Total bill, gas and electricity per month is: £154 and that is based on March-May.

[aelmpvw]

i'm amazed at some of these monthly figures, my quarterly electricity bills are around £100

[ruthandsam]

Oh and there are 4 people living in the house which includes a 21 year old!!!!