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

[elbows]

On a fixed tariff here till next August so still paying 17p per until then. But am interested in saving energy anyway so got some measuring plugs and tried them so far with a couple of kitchen appliances:

Large upright freezer, purchased this year. 0.39 kWh/day. But I do need to repeat this test as it was the first time Id used the measuring plug and for an unknown reason it misreported the number of hours it had been plugged in.

Large fridge freezer, quite a few years old now but not decades old. 1.38kWh/day.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

I still need at least four freezer drawers, five would be even better, and no less fridge space than I have now. And frost-free, as mine has never had any ice build up, unlike both my daughters’ freezers which constantly jam up with ice. Two of the fridge door compartments cracked and are duct-taped, and I’ve replaced the bulb twice, but really it’s a great testimony to the longevity of Zanussi appliances (or at least, their ‘80s and ‘90s build - the new replacement I bought for a 34 year old electric oven is rubbish in comparison). I might look at pre-owned.

I guess the size of the freezer makes a big difference to the power consumption. I’ll research it thoroughly but I really appreciate the heads-up that it’s a significant consideration!

If you have the space for it get a chest freezer + a fridge.

 

[20Bees]

If you have the space for it get a chest freezer + a fridge.

That could work with a bit of creative rearrangement I have an empty fridge that I was using until August, but it’s 21 years old and I can’t find anything about its energy rating. Two new appliances sounds terribly extravagant.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

That could work with a bit of creative rearrangement I have an empty fridge that I was using until August, but it’s 21 years old and I can’t find anything about its energy rating. Two new appliances sounds terribly extravagant.

I can't do the math for you but hot air in cold air out is why chest freezers are great, and any modern fridge would beat a 21 year old one in efficiency I think, then it's working out how long the savings will even out to time wise.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I still need at least four freezer drawers, five would be even better, and no less fridge space than I have now. And frost-free, as mine has never had any ice build up, unlike both my daughters’ freezers which constantly jam up with ice. Two of the fridge door compartments cracked and are duct-taped, and I’ve replaced the bulb twice, but really it’s a great testimony to the longevity of Zanussi appliances (or at least, their ‘80s and ‘90s build - the new replacement I bought for a 34 year old electric oven is rubbish in comparison). I might look at pre-owned.

I guess the size of the freezer makes a big difference to the power consumption. I’ll research it thoroughly but I really appreciate the heads-up that it’s a significant consideration!

I've not seen five freezer draw ones, but these examples are 4 draws, and annual energy consumption for this one is 271kwh/0.74kwh per day - F rated, so only a little more than mine, and would save you around 2kwh per day, or this one where annual energy consumption is just 226 Kwh/0.62kwh per day - E rated, but costs almost £150 more, it's just a question of shopping around.

* The annual energy consumption can be found when you click 'full spec', then expand 'how does it perform'.

 

[High Voltage]

Underfloor heating in the bathroom successfully re-programmed to be on less and at a lower temperature - watch this space

 

[Leafster]

I've just been looking at my latest Bulb statement (month to 8th October).

I have used 16% less electricity than the same period last year but I've used 55% more gas!

I know I'm a soft southerner living in the sticks and the heating has been 'on' since the end of September but I'm still a little surprised.

I know it's only a short period but I'm trying to get my head around why I've used more. Looking at the stats from my weather station it would seem that the end of September was considerably colder here than last year. (That's why the heating went on)

In the last few days of September the average temperature was more than 3°C lower and at some points nearly 7°C lower so I'm guessing it was the tipping point between no heating required and it being on. We've already had at least one night of light frost when normally we don't get them until November.

I just hope the rest of the winter is closer to our 'normal' weather.

 

[gentlegreen]

Presumably lack of moisture in the air to act as a blanket ?
I don't know when I will feel the need for heating - I suppose I was more aware of the seasons when I was cycling to work and back...
From now on I fully intend to use no more than 5.5kwh per day averaged over the whole year.

 

[gentlegreen]

It turns out my greenhouse tube heater doesn't like running at the full 166 watts wrapped in a towel and it has a self-resetting cutout.
So I will mostly be using it on the lowest setting...

 

[Leafster]

Presumably lack of moisture in the air to act as a blanket ?
I don't know when I will feel the need for heating - I suppose I was more aware of the seasons when I was cycling to work and back...
From now on I fully intend to use no more than 5.5kwh per day averaged over the whole year.

The relative humidity average was down about 3% over the corresponding period but I'm not sure how that might impact on things.

All I can hope is I get a few more sunny days like yesterday and today. I'm in the office at home at the moment and it's 22.2°C and the heating hasn't been on in here all weekend.

 

[CH1]

This important message seems a bit odd. Surely this is a gas hob whistling kettle complete with flame capturing flange. Is it an intelligent electric hob which can ignore air-space between the kettle "bottom" and the heating element?

 

[gentlegreen]

Par for the course in terms of the lack of understanding demonstrated by government - and in this case artistic licence from the graphics company ...

Yandex Images

Image search for clothes and similar products, text recognition and translation, unique image check, image copy search, identification for items in images. Image and photo search. #yandexvision

yandex.com

 

[gentlegreen]

I remembered the other day that my ostensibly well-educated boss (as long ago as 2013 according to my post on Urban) passed-on some bollocks that was circulating at the time about a DIY "IKEA loss-leader tee lites under a flowerpot" 200 watt heater and after a bit of cringe-indulgence, Youtube has been deluging me with those videos ...

There was one guy with a teeny super-insulated shelter which he acknowledged was warm enough with just body heat and he not surprisingly measured significant warming and said that the 10ppm of carbon monoxide was about as much as he would accept - but he still left it up to others to decide (rationalising it by recalling some dreadful accommodation of his youth) ...

People are going to DIE doing that type of shit this winter.

 

[WouldBe]

It turns out my greenhouse tube heater doesn't like running at the full 166 watts wrapped in a towel and it has a self-resetting cutout.
So I will mostly be using it on the lowest setting...

Your not supposed to cover electric heaters or they can overheat. Setting fire to the place would certainly warm it up.

 

[gentlegreen]

Your not supposed to cover electric heaters or they can overheat. Setting fire to the place would certainly warm it up.

It's a 3 foot long metal tube, only 166 watts and as I say clearly has built-in protection.
I suppose I ought to measure the temperature...

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

checked my friend's energy bill for this month today, her (maximum amount) DD has been reduced by £50, and with the £66 gov top-up her account is now £23.xx in credit.
No heating has been used so far though and she has a tendency to like it (very) warm in the winter.

 

[20Bees]

I've not seen five freezer draw ones, but these examples are 4 draws, and annual energy consumption for this one is 271kwh/0.74kwh per day - F rated, so only a little more than mine, and would save you around 2kwh per day, or this one where annual energy consumption is just 226 Kwh/0.62kwh per day - E rated, but costs almost £150 more, it's just a question of shopping around.

* The annual energy consumption can be found when you click 'full spec', then expand 'how does it perform'.

Thank you so much for this, I’m now drawing up a comparison table!

 

[cupid_stunt]

OVO is fucking around again, on the website it says I would be receiving the government grant as a refund to my bank account a week after my DD is paid on the 12th, so I increased my DD from £1 to £67.

This morning I see they have credited the £66 to my bill, I've tried to change my DD back to £1, but it will not let me, so I've ended-up cancelling it again, once that shows up on the website, I'll set a new one up for £1 again, what a bloody game.

sojourner, I know you had OVO credit it to your bill AND refund to you bank account, have they been in contact about that cock-up?

I am half expecting that to happen to me as well, if it does, it would suggest they are doing that with millions of customers, which will be a proper fucking mess for them to sort out, and will piss off loads of customers.

 

[moochedit]

OVO is fucking around again, on the website it says I would be receiving the government grant as a refund to my bank account a week after my DD is paid on the 12th, so I increased my DD from £1 to £67.

This morning I see they have credited the £66 to my bill, I've tried to change my DD back to £1, but it will not let me, so I've ended-up cancelling it again, once that shows up on the website, I'll set a new one up for £1 again, what a bloody game.

sojourner, I know you had OVO credit it to your bill AND refund to you bank account, have they been in contact about that cock-up?

I am half expecting that to happen to me as well, if it does, it would suggest they are doing that with millions of customers, which will be a proper fucking mess for them to sort out, and will piss off loads of customers.

I received my £66 into to my bank account a few days after my £270 DD was taken (going down to £140 from next month)

Once you get the DD back again, I'd just leave your DD at £1 and then let them pay you the £66 making you £65 up! (Assumming you have a credit balance and/or you are confident you can catch up later)

 

[cupid_stunt]

I received my £66 into to my bank account a few days after my £270 DD was taken (going down to £140 from next month)

Once you get the DD back again, I'd just leave your DD at £1 and then let them pay you the £66 making you £65 up! (Assumming you have a credit balance and/or you are confident you can catch up later)

I started this billing period £570 in credit, and because of all my electric savings, I am on target to come in at under £56 in total this month, so that credit will go up by over £10 just with the grant payment.

 

[20Bees]

My direct debit to EDF is £52/month, the £66 is irrespective of the direct debit amount. It was credited to my electricity account three days after the direct debit was taken and then refunded to my bank account, though it took a few days to land in the bank.

 

[cesare]

It's so confusing!

 

[cupid_stunt]

My direct debit to EDF is £52/month, the £66 is irrespective of the direct debit amount. It was credited to my electricity account three days after the direct debit was taken and then refunded to my bank account, though it took a few days to land in the bank.

Did they credit it to the bill, and then take it off again when they refunded you, or have you basically received it twice?

 

[20Bees]

Did they credit it to the bill, and then take it off again when they refunded you, or have you basically received it twice?

Here’s a photo of the payments page on my EDF account. The credit shown as “+£66” and the refund which sent £66 to my bank account were processed the same day, 6 October, but it didn’t show in the bank account until 11 October. I haven’t received it twice, it just took the scenic route!

I think I read that British Gas are crediting £66 to the energy account and just refunding the amount of the direct debit into the customer’s bank, if that’s lower, but this table from MSE doesn’t say that.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2022/08/how-energy-suppliers-will-pay-the-p400-cost-of-living-support-pa/

 

[cupid_stunt]

Here’s a photo of the payments page on my EDF account. The credit shown as “+£66” and the refund which sent £66 to my bank account were processed the same day, 6 October, but it didn’t show in the bank account until 11 October. I haven’t received it twice, it just took the scenic route!

This is so weird, I guess OVO are doing the same, credit it to the bill, then deduct it when they refund it to your bank account, it's just bonkers.

It wouldn't be so bad if they actually e-mailed customers explaining that's how they are dealing with it.

 

[moochedit]

This is so weird, I guess OVO are doing the same, credit it to the bill, then deduct it when they refund it to your bank account, it's just bonkers.

It wouldn't be so bad if they actually e-mailed customers explaining that's how they are dealing with it.

I just checked the "current billing period" on ovo online. At first i thought they had credited me £66 twice as they paid it to my bank account but the statement only showed one £66 figure. But when i looked at the breakdown of the charges figure the other £66 was in there so i think it is "correct" but it is very confusing how they have shown it.

 

[RubyToogood]

My direct debit has gone down to less than it was two years ago, due to (1) the grant (2) having built up a decent amount of credit over the summer and (3) using less energy than they expected this month. It's just under £50 a month now for electricity and gas combined.

And they've just rebated £15 to my bank account.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Just checked the state of my account, my DD is down to £0 and I am £103 in credit after the first £66 payment. All electric, hot water and heating are billed separately.

 

[MickiQ]

Just checked my balances since it's time for the biannual charges to be debited to my account. Electricity they haven't done yet but my gas charges for the last 6 months have been £255 leaving me £107 in credit, there was a button to click to claim my refund. Fuck yeah Dude give me my dosh.
My electric account is £664 in credit pre the actual bill being charged to me, The bill back in April was £514 so hopefully could be a second refund sometime next week.

 

[MrCurry]

Our fridge died (hadn’t been cooling properly for a while), and as it was 19 years old I didn’t try to investigate whether it could be repaired, as I maybe should have done. But anyway, it was a chance to update to a newer, more energy efficient one and because there was a cashback offer making them affordable, we’ve ended up with an LG ”linear inverter“ model which claims to be low energy and is certainly very quiet by comparison.

I’ve been measuring it with my meter and it runs at different power levels according to how much cooling is needed, but it’s often using only 20W in contrast to the old one which was 100W+ when the compressor was running. The LG does run longer at a lower power, so direct comparison is not easy unless you measure the watt hours in a fixed period. I’m pretty sure it’s saving us a useful amount though.