My last quarterly electricity bill was £404. Is that normal, and how can I get more energy smart ?

Question

I've just spent an hour properly sorting though my utility statments to find I've been charged £404 for electricity for January to March 2007.

It was around £350 for the quarter before and around £280 for Autumn quarter. Checking my bills £404 is like more than double what I was paying four years ago.

We live in a normalish semi-detatched in an area of the UK which is generally mild weather.

My estimated gas bill for the next 12 months is £710, and council tax £1800-ish pa. Don't have water bills to hand but its all getting painfully expensive.

Please don't tell me to use candles or something. I need one of those Government type checklists for getting smart with energy useage / lower consumption if possible. Any ideas where to find something like that please? Or any other ideas to start cutting these energy costs? Thanks.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Somewhere on the bill it should say what your consumption is (KWh) and then goto some of the comparison sites like http://www.moneysupermarket.com/utilitie… and enter what you're using. We did it and realised the British Gas were charging us nearly double after some error with their system!! Worth a try

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thank you all - very informative answers.

I am going to try energy saving + also check if I'm being overcharged as suggested.

Answer 2

you can go to your providers web site, they usualy have some good advice. The thing to remember is that energy prices have risen about 5 times recently and that they are coming down but how do people catch up when they have been plunged into debt. We still earn the same money so how do we find the extra cash needed?

Answer 3

Find a new place to live

Answer 4

turn off the TV and everything else... standby is as good as leaving everything on!

get economy 7 and run the dishwasher and washing machine at night...

buy eco bulbs bin the old filament type

get a gas kettle... and try not to leave the electric shower running... it gobbles up power... as does the electric kettle...the toaster, the microwave, teh hair care straighteners, the coffee percolator, etc etc...

every bit helps... if you can, turn it off or turn it down...

Answer 5

Welcome to my world! I was convinced that I was single-handedly paying for the National Grid until I spotted your question!

A lot of it is common sense really; only buy energy efficient appliances (expensive to replace if there's nothing physically wrong with your current ones though!) I always try and look for at least A- rated appliances, if not AAA if available.

Choose lower temperatures when running your dishwasher and washing machine and use dryer balls in your tumble dryer as they cut down the drying time. Energy saving light bulbs are an absolute must have, they are generally a lot smaller and less ugly these days and pay for themselves over time.

And, if it's not in use SWITCH IT OFF! My children seem to be labouring under the misapprehension that our house is a homage to the Blackpool illuminations and are terrible for leaving lights on during the day, it's a pain but I go round the house switching things off in their wake. Get the most out of the natural light sources available, choose window dressings that allow the most light into the house and perhaps people won't be so inclined to reach for the light switch! I'd also look to your garden, are there any plants/trees that are blocking your natural light? If so, give them a haircut!

Here's our Government's website on energy efficiency, worth a look if you have the time. You might also want to check whether there is any Government or other funding available to help you make your home more energy efficient.

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/

Good luck!

Answer 6

You could replace your light bulbs with energy saving ones. We have a few round our house and their the same brightness as normal ones. I think you need to get the 20 watt ones, which have the same amount of light as the 100 watt ones. Dunno how expensive it would be to have solar panels put on your roof but in the long run would save you money I think.

Answer 7

seems high to me, go to uswitch.com, enter your bill details and it will give you best energy provider. I changed from British gas to Southern and the savings were huge. Worth the effort of switching about, easy to do. Good luck

Answer 8

Start with looking at uswitch to find a cheaper supplier.
Loft insulation is next as it's really the only cost effecient spend.
Therafter it's just economising, turn tv's off instead of on standby, lower wattage bulbs, timer settings on your thermostat. and simpler still thing like putting on a jumper instead of turning up the heating.

Answer 9

well at last the prices are dropping theyve been ripping us off for the last two years

Answer 10

First off, compare your bill with the neighbors(especially if their house is similiar to yours.) and their family size and house size yada yada.
Secondly, being power-smart is just that. Ask yourself WHY is that light on, when nobody is in the room. No reason for the TV to be on(another big light bulb) if nobody is watching. Anything that uses electricity and is on is adding to the bill.
Common sense is all that you need.
My automatic lights is still set for winter and they turn on at 4(it is still daylight) Am going to readjust them right now(to 8 or 9) or not at all.

Answer 11

That's sounds really high. the only reason i can think of is that it had been estimated for a long time and you weren't paying for the full amount all along. you could ask some one from esb (if u live in Ireland) or the equivalent to the electricity board in your country to do a meter reading. as some times they only read them a couple of times a year. also there was a increase in the price of electricty this year. they should also have tip for saving energy. just check there web site for tips.

Answer 12

Here is a home energy checklist - hope it helps!

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/prox…