�400 a quarter electric bills.......Help!

[Nelli]

I live in a 3 bed terraced house, we run a fridge (no freezer), the oven is used 3 times a week MAX! Our emertion heater is on for 40 mins at night. We only use 3 out of our 6 night storage heaters ( the others are switched off), my partner and I are at work during the day. The only other things we run are a kettle, microwave, TV and lightbulbs. We do not have a secret nightclub downstairs and yet I am billed for around �400 every quarter from my electricity supplier......surely this is too much! My next door neighbor was billed for �600 but her supplier admitted to a mistake and reimbursed her. But even though I have disputed this bill, the company still insist this is correct. I am not so sure. How is this possible!

[Bahbill]

First thing to do in all cases such as yours is to switch everything OFF and then see if your meter is still registering (disk rotating). If it is you will have to eliminate all everything by Switching OFF the main swotch on your Consumer unit. If it is still rotating, get the Council to remove all the streetlights from your circuits (Sorry could not resist that one AS IT HAS HAPPENED ) Follow previous advice.

[SMILL48]

Contact Energywatch - http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/customers/energywatch.htm - which was set up by Governement to resolve issue between gas and electricity companies and their customers.

[GeorgeR]

In order to proceed with any dispute with your supplier, you must check your meter readings. They will be quoted on your bill. They are most likely correct. It is more likely that your heaters are wrongly wired (using the daytime supply, instead of off peak) Also consider putting a time switch on your immersion (water) heater, so that it is only on at night, using the cheap tariff. It may also pay to adjust the thermostat on the heater - about 50 degrees C is quite adequate for domestic use. Night store heaters are notoriously expensive any way. Consider having gas central heating. Take out a loan to do it and the payments will be about same as saving on the old, out of date, ineffective heaters!

[lazyman4]

You will probably find that because you have storage heaters you get cheap nightime tarrif,but pay much more for electricity used during peak hours. the best advice i can give is to stop using storage heaters,notify your electric company,& replace with bottled gas heaters.

[ianess]

Even allowing for the time of year it`s difficult to accept such a high fuel bill.

You must get your meter checked but firstly keep an eye on the reading.........if everything is switched off the obviously the dial should stop.

You don`t leave doors and windows open while trying to heat the place up?  Even a strong draught would have an effect on your heating bills.....but even so there would appear to be something weird going on, even allowing for the fact that electricity is notoriously expensive.  Hope you get things sorted before Winter sets in.