Electricity bill - Is this OTT?

[TonyWarrington]

Not sure if this topic should be here or would fit better in the General Discussion area

I have been trying to make sense of my daughters seemingly huge electricity bill - cannot get through to nPower as yet to query. To try and prepare a bit before speaking to them I would appreciate your views and comments.

Property acquired in July 07. Not occupied until just before Xmas. Therefore approx 5 months occupied.

Electric statement shows 5181 kWh for units used

Property Details
1 bed (quasi semi)
GCH combi
No washer, dryer, or electric heating. Elec Oven not used yet. Elec hob probably only 1 ring used for cooking and microwave.
Economy 7 plan - thought this was designed for electric night storage type?

I have seen some information on the web suggesting that average elec. consumption for a family 3 bed property 2,500kWh p.a.

Bearing in mind that the 5181kwh is for a period of 5months actual occupancy of a very small property I think someone has got something wrong.

Obviously need to speak to them directly, unfortunately past experiences lead me to expect a potential fobbing off.

So any comments and advice much appreciated

 

[JohnD]

how often did you daughter take meter readings, apart from the day she took possession?

Are there any estimated figures on this or the previous bills?

Does the meter appear to move when as far as she is aware all loads are switched off (at the plug, not the CU)

Does she have any neighbours who are fond of indoor horticulture? Heated fishpond? Anti-frost heater in loft? Shed or garage supply?

p.s. the figure you show is about 200 average days usage in my house (I buy my electricity from BG, and can input my meter readings on line as often as I like, and they generate a graph of usage and average kWh per day used
They show me I used 7618 in exactly 12 months since having a new meter fitted 15/5/07 so I hope the figure you quote is not typical

 

[TonyWarrington]

how often did you daughter take meter readings, apart from the day she took possession?
She hasn't taken any since the day she moved which I recorded and has been accepted as correct by npower
Are there any estimated figures on this or the previous bills?
Yes about 4 although the most recent was shown as Actual. This last reading differs from mine by +966
The start reading was 4248 end reading 4577 read by me today
Does the meter appear to move when as far as she is aware all loads are switched off (at the plug, not CU)
Not checked this, but can see that it is a very good idea. The meter is digital readout (Ampy I think). Where should I look for movement on this type
Does she have any neighbours who are fond of indoor horticulture? Heated fishpond? Anti-frost heater in loft? Shed or garage supply?
Think I will have a good check around the loft area
p.s. the figure you show is about 200 average days usage in my house (I buy my electricity from BG, and can input my meter readings on line as often as I like, and they generate a graph of usage and average kWh per day used
They show me I used 7618 in exactly 12 months since having a new meter fitted 15/5/07 so I hope the figure you quote is not typical
Me too. I have been trying to get through to npower all day and have them on call back for the last 2 hours - perhaps there are more like me

 

[Roo]

Economy 7 plan - thought this was designed for electric night storage type?

So why only 1 reading?

 

[JohnD]

Where should I look for movement on this type

don't know about yours but it may have a flashing light that goes faster the more current is drawn.

The display probably shows decimals of kWh

It might have a "display" button that will cycle round various option (this is usually on dual-tariff meters). However if she has a dual-tariff meter but is on a single-price tariff they will just add the night and day usages together and charge the same price for all of them.

p.s. if you have a look at the Npower site it may have a "how to read your meter" page, possibly within the "send a meter reading" section
http://www.npower.com/web/At_home/index.htm

p.p.s. It is not unknown for utility companies to send an excessive bill if they have not been able to get in and look at the meter for a long time.
It is very difficult for utility companies to deal with customers who do not check their meters against their bills for long periods, and then complain. their starting position is bound to be that the meter is correct and that the power has been used and the bill is due.


p.p.p.s look at http://www.npower.com/web/At_home/customer_service/important_information/WCMS_003398

 

[TonyWarrington]

Economy 7 plan - thought this was designed for electric night storage type?

So why only 1 reading?

Sorry should have made it clearer the statement does show night and day readings for each of 2 periods 10/07/07 - 04/01/08 and 04/01/08 - 08/05/08. I have added the totals kWh rather than showing as on statement

John, Thanks for the info and link will investigate further.
Meter reading should not be a problem as it is in a cupboard on the outside of property

 

[JohnD]

It hasn't got electrical underfloor heating has it? Must be some reason it had a dual-tariff meter.

 

[big-all]

am i missing something here 5181[£310ish] is 14 a day[£1] or 100 a week or around £7 not a lot in my books

i would also suggest the average 3 bed with storage heating is going to be even more at probably 7500kwh for a year

i use 4165units a year with full low energy bulbs
oven about twice a week and no other big draw appliances except a 2.6kw fan that would account for around 50 or 60kw over the coldest winter months to take the chill off the shed for wood working

by big draw i mean appliance that averages more than 2 units a day

 

[sparkybird]

I also understood (but stand to be corrected) that if you have off peak leccy, you pay slightly more for on peak than those of us without (off peak)

SB

 

[TonyWarrington]

No underfloor heating. The previous owner had GFCH installed approx 2 years before we purchased prior to that it did have night storage heaters.

Now you have got me thinking. I got a qualified electrician to do some work new CU in kitchen and disconnect a box which served the old immersion heater upstairs which had been left live after removal of the boiler. I asked about a fused connection downstairs that did not seem to serve any purpose but was live, It was assumed that this was probably original connection for night storage heater. After checking it was ok I did install a single socket which is occasionally used for lighting. I mention this now in the hope I have not done anything silly here.

 

[JohnD]

If you want, you can get a clamp meter which, if you put it round ONE of the cables between the meter and the CU, or the fuse and the meter, can detect the current flowing in amps or decimals thereof.

Proper ones are quite expensive but I have used a cheap one and it seemed quite accurate but very flimsy.

The claws on the end open with a trigger, and you put them round the cable. I don't know why they make the jaws so big as you are unlikely to be using a £10 DIY tool on big industrial equipment.

£10 on Fleabay

rather more

they are insulated and you do not touch any live parts, so pretty safe and easy to use. They only work if you put them on a single conductor (either Line or Neutral, but not both) so they do not work on T&E unless you have a really bad problem.

 

[jono_h]

Is it definately a combi boiler? If you had a hot water tank and the immersion had been left on that could eat up a few Kw.

 

[empip]

Usage - monthly - Past 30 months.
339 kWh
435
391
337
377
310
346
351
386
368
308
292
282
==== All inhouse lighting to low energy except Kitchen.
232
374
325
277
346
269
279
298
284
294
251
269
273
368
285
275
300
271 May '08

1st 12 month Av 353 kWh pm. Final 12 months 287 kWh Av.

 

[TonyWarrington]

Erm ....
Seems I do not know how to read a meter !! There is a button that I missed that cycles through rates.
Read it today cycled through and got:
Rate 1 = 04577
Rate 8 = 88.8.8.8.8 (not a clue what this means)
Rate 2 = 00981
t = 5559
There is a flashing light (not seen on my first check!). This flashing approx every 35-40 seconds, no load other than fridge, Cooker/Microwave clock and wireless heating controller. Applied load by turning on one ring hob flashes as expected more frequent. Thanks JohnD for pointing me in right direction

Regardless of my lack of understanding in reading this meter the fact remains why so high a consumption with very little in the way of appliances and time spent in the property? Economy 7 is very expensive by the look of things and as there is no night storage heating facility she should not be on this

Still impossible to reach nPower - quoting 20 minutes wait time on phone waited twice now for much longer and ring back does not seem to operate!

John, Thanks will consider the need for clamp meter. Had a quick look on Fleabay seems some choice from between £8 -£15 assume all very similar at this price point.

jono_h. It is a combi boiler (that is if my terminology is correct). The boiler fires only on demand for hot water and when heating called for. I had to install a wireless heating control as previous owner had no means of controlling it. There is no longer a hot water tank or immersion heater in the property.

empip, thank you very much for the trouble taken to list your usage. I cannot imagine a smaller property than my daughters 1up 1down and the fact that she has not got some of the appliances yet that consume elec. in the average household leads me to being suspicious. From Jan to beginning of May this year average of 693 kWh!! - must be something wrong IMO

 

[JohnD]

I use an average of about 22Wh/day. More in winter than summer. includes tumble drier which gobbles it up.

p.s. you will have to check the bill, but a two-tariff meter does not mean you have to be charge two tariffs. they can put you on the general tariff and just add night and day rates at the same price. this saves having to exchange the meter.