Combined Gas & electric £170pm 3 bed semi.....

[banjo21]

OK perhaps my strangest ever post but since moving to my current house with missy I have felt I've been ripped off for gas and electric. Not by her mind you

Basically its a small 3 bed semi, 1930s style, gas central heating, gas water, gas cooking and we both work 5 dpw every week. No kids - no industrial equipment so basic usage is:-
Water heating - 20 mins a day for a shower each and 30 mins for dish washer
Electric - 2 hours a night for TV and main PC left on all day (this could be the culprit).

The punchline is our combined gas and electric bill is £141 a month and they just sent me a letter wanting £170 a month - thats £2000 a year for two peeps who are out all week!!!!

So is this a rip off? Have the previous owners sold my electric supply to the neighbours? The figure is right if you add up the meter reading and multiply by unit charge but I just cant believe such a small family in a small house with very little usage can in fact use £2K worth of fuel. I'm not looking for advice to change supplier as they would all be about same for this usage (10K kwh per year electric and 22K kwh py gas) - I just cant believe this gas and electric amount is really being used. I've averaged that over last 3 years. I am looking for someone to say "yep your neighbours have tapped in to your supply".

So whats your best estimate for the monthly combined dd for gas and electric for a 3 bed semi? What about fuel usage.

Understand if no one replies but I dont know where to go - this is my biggest expense after my mortgage!!

Many thanks

[Mr Incredible]

Geez! There's something seriously wrong somewhere. Do you actually have enough roof insulation? Do you have a roof even!!

FWIW I live in a large 4 bed detached dormer bungalow with gas central heating (new boiler 6 years ago), and the house is occupied every day with at least 2 pcs running all day with 5 monitors, plenty of cups of tea, 2 large live-at-home sons who use masses of hot water, and in winter our central heating is on from 7:00 am until 11:00 pm.

On average my gas consumption is 53,000 kWH and my electricity is about 15,000 kWh. I am on direct debit and my total annual bill budgets out at £170 pm, like yours. I'm with EDF dual fuel, perhaps you should change supplier?

[Matt_C]

Makes me think that my £21 pm bill isn't actually that bad

[bumper31]

I was in a similar situation, Single bloke, 3 bed Semi....Hot water on every day 5-8 am. AV stuff....never left TVs on standby.

I was paying 40 a month each for gas and electric (80 in total)...I moved out 1 year later and they sent me final bills for 300 for electric and 200 for gas....

So in my maths that makes 1460 for the year Over 120 a month....I thought that was ridiculous. And I ensured I told them so when I rang up to pay....I think I phrased it along the lines of I'll just bend over and they can carry on shafting me

Considering I was only paying about 10 a month for electric in the flat I used to live in...I couldn't work it out.

But there has been a lot of news about Wholesale cost of gas and electric

[Ultima]

That can't be right. Me and my better half live in a large 5 bedroom Victorian house are out all day working but the hot water is on maybe 6 hours a day and the heating on full time in winter. Computer is on all day.

Joint monthly bill is £85 but last year we overpaid by £175.

Martin

[zAndy1]

4 bed detached, paying £54pm electric and £34pm gas and averaged out over the year their about spot on. We're out all day but have 2 PCs on most evenings and weekends, TV on most of the evening/weekends as well, a lot of washing machine/tumble dryer/dishwasher use as well. Hot water 6 hours per day Martin, blimey, must be a lot of baths taken in your house!

[Kieron]

Last year £80pm. Then Powergen wanted £180 a month to catch up. Now they want £115 a month.

Who knows what's right or wrong these days. I just make sure things are turned off when they aren't being used....

[Woodywizz]

I posted something very similar to the op when I received a £600 Quarterly bill for Gas/Electric....live in 3 bed 1930s Semi, with no excessive usage.

The last bill was less - £400, but still feel I am paying over the odds.

Think I'll switch to EDF via Direct Debit - will compare my usage figures to Malice's first.

[johnscarlet]

3 bed detached , paying powergen £140 a month , constantly in credit and supplying my own reading on the first of every month .
I work 4 on 4 off ,so most of my kit is on , most of the time .

I think the biggest culprit is probably the numerous 50w GU10s everyone seems to have these days , Bring on the proper LEDS . If you have them , try dropping to 35w ones for an instant 30% saving . and try fitting dimmers where you can.
Kieron , I was in a similar situation .£80pm rising to £140pm to catch up , but with the price rises , its stayed there .
General Skanky works for Powergen . maybe if he looks in , we can all gang up on him . Only joking GS

John

[Jenn]

4 bed detached here, two adults living but out at work 5 days a week. We don't have central heating on all day in winter, just enough to keep the house warm. Computer on all evening and so is the TV.

We currently pay about £40-50 a month combined and are in credit for gas.

We did invest in insulation as soon as we moved in for the loft though, nice layer up there. Also we have double glazing and the previous owner got some cavity insulation put in for £250. Must help quite a lot.

[Ultima]

Originally Posted by zAndy1

Hot water 6 hours per day Martin, blimey, must be a lot of baths taken in your house!

Thinking about it, it's on too long

Changed now to come on at 6.30am off at 8am back on at 4.30pm off at 7pm.

[krish]

Originally Posted by woodywizz

I posted something very similar to the op when I received a £600 Quarterly bill for Gas/Electric....live in 3 bed 1930s Semi, with no excessive usage.

The last bill was less - £400, but still feel I am paying over the odds.

Yup this was the (closed) thread: www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=485470
... and I replied:

Originally Posted by krish

seems very wrong that

should be more like £50-60 shouldn't it (just basing that figure on my scot power gas and elec online account with monthly DD of around £38 for a 3 bed semi with gas cooker and GCH with just me) ...

am still paying that combined gas & electric DD, and slightly in credit at the moment

[ufitsy]

Have you been in the loft to see if next door are "borrowing" some leccy . You could turn off all electrical appliances & look to see if the dial is still turning.

[Jenn]

Could also be a faulty meter. At work our electricity bill was terrible, we complained, the meter was change dto a digital one and surprise surprise our bills have been just a third of what they used to be.

[banjo21]

Thanks everyone - I've done a USWITCH and THISISMONEY price comparison and Powergen comes out cheapest. So I'll switch to them (they estimate £111 a month versus £141 with SP). I'll also turn all appliances off and check nothing being used

Finally I'll ask for new meters - something has to be wrong.

Thanks again - great response.