Another huge ESB bill!

C

Calico

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Oh, I'm not a happy cat right now. I have just got my esb bill for the last 2 months and it is 383 euros! It's estimated, so I read the meter and it actually should be about 483 euros which is even worse! Obviously I owe the money but is this a typical bill or am I somehow using a lot more electricity than normal people. The thing is I try to be conscious of not using too much electricity!

I'm single, live in a 2 bedroom apartment, use the emersion for about 2 hours a day to heat the water and then the washing machine/dishwasher/oven the same as what I would expect a normal person would use. Heating - wise I only heat one room with one of those creda storage heaters & I do the nightsaver thing and try and put washes etc. on at night.

Can anyone suggest where I am going wrong & things that I can do to not use so much power? Or is my electricity bill & bill amount just average???
 
Well, I share a 2 bedroom apartment and our last ESB bill was €84. Ok so heating isn't included in that. But why do you need the immersion on for 2 hours a day?
 
The emersion only has a switch (no timer) so I have to turn it on the night before for an hour or 2 ( I leave at 6am every morning). Maybe I should look into getting an electric shower when I can afford it?? Oh, I just gave the esb the meter reading, my bill should have been 433 euros....:eek:
 
Family home, electric shower, cooker, dishwasher (daily use), washing machine (daily use), dryer (2 a week) and the usual stuff - TVs, computers, DVD, etc. No immersion. Usual bi monthly bill €140.

Take out the immersion and install an electric shower to start with.
 
Try taking meter readings before and after the immersion is on for the two hours and do the maths from there.
 
Switch absolutely everything off and then check the little wheel in the meter,if it is turning,some one else is using your electric,if not u need to cut back,the immersion is like boiling the kettle for 2 hours,very expensive.
 
Check the thermostat in the tank. may not be working. Make sure you are reading the correct meter.
 
I came across a situation recently with a friend who lived in an apartment and whose ESB bills were unusually high.
After much investigating, it became clear that there was an error in the metering system itself. My friend was actually being charged for units which were being used by another apartment.
I'd also recommend you double check whether the night saver meter is actually working.
Be vigilant and check the meters regularly - every week or day while you try to figure out what's making the bill so high.
Also, if you must use the immersion, be frugal about how long you leave it switched on. Use a timer. Or set an alarm on your watch, clock or phone as a reminder to switch it off.
 
I would suggest you get an electrician in to fit a timer unit to the immersion.
 
Your bills are are very high for the property size and number of occupants; our average bill is less than €150 (4 bed house, washing machine, dishwasher, lots of cooking etc- space heating and water heating is by oil though). I don't think you'll find switching from immersion to electric shower will prove to be any more cost effective, possibly worse as you still need to heat your cylinder for hot in the washbasin, sink etc. Definitely get a timer fitted, they cost about €50 (for the actual timer) and see how long you really need to have it one for to meet your requirements. Also check the stat on the immersion itself, this may be set too high. Are you sure you have a nightsaver meter and that it is working correctly (time set etc). Just recently we've been trying to use the "eco" cycle on the dishwasher whenever possible. I find that many people do not know or understand how to use storage heaters effectively.
 
Sounds to me like you are paying for a lot of electricity. If I were you i would ask the ESB to call out and make sure no one else is using your power. They will soon find out why it is so high
 
You really can't use that much electricity in a two bed. When was the last time you had a meter reading. Was it more than six months ago?

You might find that you are paying now for underestimated bills going back the last three or four bills. So you’re paying now for these two months, 150, previous underestimated 100, previous underestimated 100, previous underestimated 100.
 
Calico said:
I'm single, live in a 2 bedroom apartment, use the emersion for about 2 hours a day to heat the water and then the washing machine/dishwasher/oven the same as what I would expect a normal person would use.
Click to expand...

Something is obviously very wrong here. 2 hours a day immersion should not be responsible for that bill. Have your meter checked out
 
There has to be a problem with your meter. I live in 2 bed apt with husband, we have storage heaters (2) on at highest all winter, we have the imersion on CONSTANTLY on sink, we work all day so only have some lights and tv on in evenings and weekends.

I put on about 5 washes a week (at 40 degrees), oven and at least one ring going at night for the dinner.

Our bills are about €100, got a bill for over €200 this month but it was a revised one which i expected as last bill was too low for all the usage over Christmas.

The tumble dryer uses a lot of power - do you use this a lot- i very rarely do as too expensive.

I was told that it is cheaper to leave the immersion on all the time as it will only heat the water to a certain temp and will only heat the amt of water you use - and our BSB bills prove that.
 
Thrifty1 said:
I was told that it is cheaper to leave the immersion on all the time as it will only heat the water to a certain temp and will only heat the amt of water you use - and our BSB bills prove that.
Click to expand...
This assumes the thermostat on the immersion works correctly, and is set correctly.
 
Thrifty1 said:
T....I was told that it is cheaper to leave the immersion on all the time as it will only heat the water to a certain temp and will only heat the amt of water you use - and our BSB bills prove that.
Click to expand...

Water cools and will have to be reheated. If all you use is a sink full why heat it all day when you are out?
 
Water cools and will have to be reheated. If all you use is a sink full why heat it all day when you are out?
Click to expand...

We would use more than a sink throughout the day. I shower in the morning, DH usually showers in the evening, washing up, washing hands, etc, with the immersion on all day we always have hot water when we want it.
The tank is lagged so water will stay warmer for longer.
 
Have to agree with a lot of the above.
4 bed house 2 young kids so loads of washing, oh home every day so some elctricity is constantly being used in the day, diswasher oven etc and bill is approx 150 per bill (bimonthly). Also use the immersion but not every day.

Get meter checked.
 
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