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My electricity bill has just tripled: how about yours? Alternative suppliers?

Yuwipi Woman said:
No chance to read the meter. We weren't informed as to when they'd show up. Their notice was a letter at the beginning of year saying they'd be changing them out over the course of the year.

... and don't call me "Shirley." :p
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I was in our local cash only barbershop having my hair cut yesterday when the meter reader (for the shop) turned up.
I was shocked - I haven't seen a meter reader in my home since about 2015.
 
I'm looking at the previous owners hive and if I'm reading this right they put foil behind the radiators and also kept the heating on from 7am till 9pm at 21 degrees.

This is just so far beyond how I use heating I have a little brain melt when I think about it.
 
Sadly it seems a bit c we
not a trot said:
Looks like something the Blue Peter team would have knocked up 50 odd years ago.
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It's actually quite sad ..
I'm signed up to quite a few DIY electronics channels so get shown these things a lot - and some of these people are very short on resources ...

These units have half a razor blade to do the chopping ...:eek:


maxresdefault (2).jpgdownload (5).jpeg

maxresdefault (3).jpg
 
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Anyway, I don't know about you lot, but even though it's dipped to 6 degrees outside it's a comfortable 14 indoors so I'm once again down to only using no more than 1kwh per day for targeted heating.
That's an average of 40 watts or maybe 2 teelights - but that's in addition to the 90 watts I emit and the 270 watts from my PC for the 12 hours it's running.
I changed the power settings on my ancient PC which means it's a bit sluggish sometimes but I think I've saved some electricity that way ...
 
I had a surprise Christmas e-mail from Bulb announcing that our usage for the month of December is 410kWh or £155.14 inc VAT

That's pretty much max usage with nothing switched off compared to summer, so oven used as and when needed, immersion heater to ensure we have "hot" hot water, the underfloor heating in the bathroom switched on by programme and a cats heat pad (she's getting on so we don't begrudge her this) - the "only" other thing that could use electricity is the dual fuel heated towel radiator in the bathroom, but that's not wired in yet so is only heating via the central heating

All things considered, I'll take that

And now that the Bulb / Octopus thing looks like it's been sorted out (I'm waiting until the web site is updated) I'll be looking to switch from variable DD to a DD, but the limit set by me, so that'll be £100 / month and if it starts to creep up I'll be looking for a refund, thangyewverymuchly
 
My third installment of Sunak Money was late, I didn't get it in December, since it's a paid a week after my DD is taken I would have expected it on the 29th Dec but it didn't come till today, Clearly British Gas's accounts dept shut down over the Xmas break
 
I've just had my bills from Bulb for the month to 7th January :(

Compared to the same period last year, the outside temperature was 2°C colder on average. Also, this year, it was below zero for 12% of the time compared to no temperatures recorded below zero last year.

The good news is that I used 14% less electricity than last year even with some quick boosts from the fan heater.

However, my gas use was only 1% less than last year. Still a reduction but even with the colder temperatures I was hoping for a bigger 'saving'.

Roll on spring!
 
Leafster said:
I've just had my bills from Bulb for the month to 7th January :(

Compared to the same period last year, the outside temperature was 2°C colder on average. Also, this year, it was below zero for 12% of the time compared to no temperatures recorded below zero last year.

The good news is that I used 14% less electricity than last year even with some quick boosts from the fan heater.

However, my gas use was only 1% less than last year. Still a reduction but even with the colder temperatures I was hoping for a bigger 'saving'.

Roll on spring!
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My last bill was 21st Dec., so included that cold snap, I used £100.28 of gas, so £3.34 per day, if I exclude those seriously cold 10 days I was averaging just over £2.50pd, but during those 10 days it went up to over £4.50pd, which is a hell of a jump!

In the month of December my gas use was down just over 500kWh/about 35% compared to the year before, but that was basically down to the new boiler, not me, despite that saving, the actual cost almost doubled, which is the depressing part.

Thanks to the mild January so far, I am currently averaging just £2.25pd, long may that continue!

The overall target for the 6 months of Oct - Mar is to use 50% less this year, the new boiler delivering 35% and 15% from my own efforts, so a saving of £385, in the first 3 months I saved £206.50, so as long as we don't have too many seriously cold days, I should hit my target.
 
MickiQ said:
My third installment of Sunak Money was late, I didn't get it in December, since it's a paid a week after my DD is taken I would have expected it on the 29th Dec but it didn't come till today, Clearly British Gas's accounts dept shut down over the Xmas break
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I think bank has to be told 2 working days in advance for bacs so with bank holidays that would be fri 23rd to pay on 29th. Guess they were in "christmas checkout" mode that day (i know i was to be fair :) )
 
cupid_stunt said:
My last bill was 21st Dec., so included that cold snap, I used £100.28 of gas, so £3.34 per day, if I exclude those seriously cold 10 days I was averaging just over £2.50pd, but during those 10 days it went up to over £4.50pd, which is a hell of a jump!

In the month of December my gas use was down just over 500kWh/about 35% compared to the year before, but that was basically down to the new boiler, not me, despite that saving, the actual cost almost doubled, which is the depressing part.

Thanks to the mild January so far, I am currently averaging just £2.25pd, long may that continue!

The overall target for the 6 months of Oct - Mar is to use 50% less this year, the new boiler delivering 35% and 15% from my own efforts, so a saving of £385, in the first 3 months I saved £206.50, so as long as we don't have too many seriously cold days, I should hit my target.
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I think our bungalows are roughly the same size (detached 2 bedrooms, 2 reception rooms, etc.?) but yours is much better insulated than mine. I think you're also happy with a lower ambient temperature than me. In the rooms where I sit (office - one of the bedrooms, dining room and lounge) I'm heating them to 20°C when I'm in them.

So, my daily cost for the month (takes deep breath) was £7.64!
 
Now that the Xmas Break is over I am back on the strict CH regime and after listening to Mrs Q repeating her warning about me not being allowed of the house wearing it I have got the Primark hoodie out of the wardrobe in case it is needed.
She has left for work with all the enthusiasm of a woman being dragged to the gallows. Youngest who will grace us with her presence for a futher week has emerged from her room in pyjamas, dressing gown and bedsocks to eat a bowl of cereal, drink a glass of orange juice and look out of the french doors muttering something unintelligble before disappearing back into her room, she hadn't even brushed her hair which is unusual to say the least. Like her mother she will moan but unlike her mother her opinion carries no weight.
According to ye smart meter, we've been ticking along at £10-11 per day over the Xmas break hitting up to £15 per day during the cold snap so that money now needs to be made up somewhere and I need to get back on the average of £6-7
 
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