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

[gentlegreen]

Cue new competitive thread "How low is your bill ?"
I will have to get a new fridge ordered this week.
I still haven't figured out what accounted for the rest of my wastage especially as I only started using my camping fridge last year and my consumption was the same before.

 

[MrCurry]

I can’t match @cupid_stunt’s low level of consumption for Oct, but nonetheless pretty happy with the year on year reductions we have achieved.

My top tip for reducing consumption would be to measure and record your use each month and even if you don‘t graph it in a spreadsheet like I’ve been doing, at least be aware of the previous year’s figure and try to beat your own record each month. That keeps you motivated to keep running around the house finding ways to switch off standby power hogs, turn down the thermostat or use appliances more efficiently, etc.

 

[Elpenor]

£47 for October, using the widget that tells my usage which I assume to be accurate

I think that’s the amount for both fuels but not sure if it’s standing charge included? Hopefully. I wasn’t in the house for about 10 days but didn’t unplug anything whilst I was away

 

[cupid_stunt]

I can’t match @cupid_stunt’s low level of consumption for Oct, but nonetheless pretty happy with the year on year reductions we have achieved.

My top tip for reducing consumption would be to measure and record your use each month and even if you don‘t graph it in a spreadsheet like I’ve been doing, at least be aware of the previous year’s figure and try to beat your own record each month. That keeps you motivated to keep running around the house finding ways to switch off standby power hogs, turn down the thermostat or use appliances more efficiently, etc.

View attachment 349765

That's some bloody impressive reductions over the years, and especially when compared to 2017, during Jun-Sept 2022 you actually used less than I did, before things started changing here.

Judging by the pattern there, I am assuming you use electric for heating, which would explain your use doubling in Oct. compared to Sept., which is still impressive as I assume it's been a lot colder where you are compared to here on the Sussex coast.

 

[quimcunx]

Anyone on prepayment meters?

UK government’s £400 energy bill support going unclaimed

Many households who use non-smart prepayment meters are failing to redeem vouchers, says PayPoint

www.theguardian.com

I was going to ask about this. It doesn't seem to say or link to how they can claim.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I was going to ask about this. It doesn't seem to say or link to how they can claim.

You shouldn't need to make a claim, the electric supplier should automaticity process it.

If they don't, people need to contact their electric supplier in the usual ways.

 

[MrCurry]

That's some bloody impressive reductions over the years, and especially when compared to 2017, during Jun-Sept 2022 you actually used less than I did, before things started changing here.

Judging by the pattern there, I am assuming you use electric for heating, which would explain your use doubling in Oct. compared to Sept., which is still impressive as I assume it's been a lot colder where you are compared to here on the Sussex coast.

Yeah, whatever we do to reduce the baseline consumption, the winter months are dominated by the electric heating (ground source heatpump via borehole), so we are at the mercy of the weather. Last Dec was especially vicious with two weeks of -20C nights, so this year there’s potential for a major reduction if we get more normal weather in that month.

Having already tried every trick I could think of between 2016-2021 I did cheat by installing a small 1.8kWp solar off grid system, which accounts for this year’s summer consumption taking a drop compared to the year before. But the solar doesn’t really contribute to the saving in Oct, as we’ve had no sunshine, so it’s really dropping the thermostat from 20 to 18 and a more efficient fridge freezer which takes the bulk of the credit for that.

What I’ve learned with all the effort I’ve put into beating the previous year is there‘s no silver bullet, it’s about making lots of small changes and measuring your consumption along the way (and then cheating by installing solar panels when you can’t improve your numbers any more )

 

[Boris Sprinkler]

Mine was double for the same period last year and I used alot less.
Today you can register with the tax authorities here to get the tax back on your fuel bills. What a common sense idea.

 

[MrCurry]

Mine was double for the same period last year and I used alot less.
Today you can register with the tax authorities here to get the tax back on your fuel bills. What a common sense idea.

Can you? How do you do that?

Edit: thought you were in Sweden, but looks like you’re perhaps in Copenhagen. Ignore question then.

 

[Boris Sprinkler]

ja. desværre mit svensk ven

 

[MrCurry]

ja. desværre mit svensk ven

We have a not very generous 0.5kr/kWh rebate scheme coming up. Bit pointless when everyone‘s paying different rates and some are probably on fixed contracts from 2 years ago and already paying less than the rebate amount.

 

[dessiato]

Finally got our contract sorted out for power. The estimate is based on my f-i-l usage because we’re taking over his account. £1000 for electricity, and £2500 for gas. I know it’s a big house, but, even so, this seems a lot of money. We’re not going to have DD because he had a credit of £1800 in the account, this is being transferred to us and we‘ll use it to pay with.

We want a smart meter fitting for gas and electricity. Apparently this isn’t possible for several weeks because they don’t have an engineer available.

 

[High Voltage]

We want a smart meter fitting for gas and electricity.

I've got to ask the question, Why?

 

[WouldBe]

I've got to ask the question, Why?

Because as others have said idiot power companies over estimate and hence over charge which they can't do with a smart meter.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I've got to ask the question, Why?

So you can cry slowly in the evenings when you want to put the heating on and you can see how much it costs you in real time.

 

[gentlegreen]

I've relented ... feeling a bit down and didn't want to go to bed super-early, so I have my feet resting on my heater on minimum - 80VA, 25 watt indicated.
The temperature sensor quickly turned it off once the space above it got to 18.
I've used a total of 5kwh of (bed) heat so far over the past few weeks ...

 

[MickiQ]

I've got to ask the question, Why?

Why not? OK the power companies are pushing them first and foremost for their own benefit but I've had one for years and it has benefitted me as well. It will even do even more so if I sign up for the "Doing Your Washing at Night and Get Money Off" deal.
The main downside that people seem to keep mentioning is that it enables the energy companies to switch you to pre-payment or cut you off remotely more easily. But if you're relying on that you're in trouble anyway. They have to go through the same process whether you have a smart or a dumb. Not having a smart meter might (at best) buy you a few weeks before they come kick the door in to install a (no doubt smart) pre-payment meter whether you want one or not.

 

[High Voltage]

Why not? OK the power companies are pushing them first and foremost for their own benefit but I've had one for years and it has benefitted me as well. It will even do even more so if I sign up for the "Doing Your Washing at Night and Get Money Off" deal.
The main downside that people seem to keep mentioning is that it enables the energy companies to switch you to pre-payment or cut you off remotely more easily. But if you're relying on that you're in trouble anyway. They have to go through the same process whether you have a smart or a dumb. Not having a smart meter might (at best) buy you a few weeks before they come kick the door in to install a (no doubt smart) pre-payment meter whether you want one or not.

It will also enable them to "surge price" charge you

 

[Sue]

I've relented ... feeling a bit down and didn't want to go to bed super-early, so I have my feet resting on my heater on minimum - 80VA, 25 watt indicated.
The temperature sensor quickly turned it off once the space above it got to 18.
I've used a total of 5kwh of (bed) heat so far over the past few weeks ...

How's your foot? Hope the gout's got better.

 

[rubbershoes]

My usage is normally around 60kwh in summer months but goes up to 85kwh per month in the winter.

Apologies for crappy screenshot

 

[gentlegreen]

How's your foot? Hope the gout's got better.

Thanks
All cleared up by Sunday and I walked 4 miles yesterday
Not sure what triggered it - possibly dehydration - it was mild enough that I still managed to limp to the park even if I had to make the walk shorter.

 

[cupid_stunt]

It will also enable them to "surge price" charge you

Far more likely to be used for discounts, than charging extra, at least until every home has been forced to have them.

I also expect that when the market settles down, energy suppliers will start offering a lower tariff for smart meters, as they are easier for them, using the same basis logic of having higher tariffs for pre-payment meters.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

It's also nice not to have to read the meter every month for those of us who don't pay by DD.

 

[strung out]

I'm surprised people haven't started calling them scab meters yet.

 

[MickiQ]

Far more likely to be used for discounts, than charging extra, at least until every home has been forced to have them.

I also expect that when the market settles down, energy suppliers will start offering a lower tariff for smart meters, as they are easier for them, using the same basis logic of having higher tariffs for pre-payment meters.

They already have, that's the reason I got one in the first place since all the cheaper tariffs at the time were conditional on having a smart meter

 

[cupid_stunt]

They already have, that's the reason I got one in the first place since all the cheaper tariffs at the time were conditional on having a smart meter

Oh, I didn't know that, although I had been transferred from SSE to OVO and had to deal with all the shit about over charging, before getting smart meters, by which time the market was fucked, and there doesn't seem to be any deals out there now.

 

[MickiQ]

Oh, I didn't know that, although I had been transferred from SSE to OVO and had to deal with all the shit about over charging, before getting smart meters, by which time the market was fucked, and there doesn't seem to be any deals out there now.

There aren't now but I've had a smart meter since April 2018 there were back then

 

[AnnaKarpik]

Because as others have said idiot power companies over estimate and hence over charge which they can't do with a smart meter.

If you're on monthly direct debits with EDF they can and do still overestimate and over charge when you have a smart meter. EDF estimates your usage and divides by six for the next half year payments, conveniently ignoring any credit on your account.

 

[gentlegreen]

I'm not opposed to smart meters - they seem like a good idea for a whole bunch of reasons - notably with the distributed (solar) power generation of the future - and in the near future I hope to move somewhere worth investing in solar .
In France, not only do EDF use smart meters, you get to decide your maximum power requirements for a cheaper tariff..

New fridge on the way for Friday, which hopefully will see me cooking my own beans for the week and organising my meals better generally - as well as saving me 1.5kwh per day
I have two days to clear a safe path upstairs for it.

It's just struck me that with solar I will feel inclined to do my cooking and possibly eating in the middle of the day like the locals... and perhaps have battery storage for breakfast - and bake my bread in the daytime too ...

 

[dessiato]

I'm not opposed to smart meters - they seem like a good idea for a whole bunch of reasons - notably with the distributed (solar) power generation of the future - and in the near future I hope to move somewhere worth investing in solar .
In France, not only do EDF use smart meters, you get to decide your maximum power requirements for a cheaper tariff..

New fridge on the way for Friday, which hopefully will see me cooking my own beans for the week and organising my meals better generally - as well as saving me 1.5kwh per day
I have two days to clear a safe path upstairs for it.

It's just struck me that with solar I will feel inclined to do my cooking and possibly eating in the middle of the day like the locals... and perhaps have battery storage for breakfast - and bake my bread in the daytime too ...

I’m not sure if it’s still the case, but Spain had a requirement for all new builds to have solar panels fitted. In the south, with three hundred days of sunshine, it makes a lot of sense.