ESB Bill jumped this month ?

W

Wexfordman

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415
Hi,

Got our ESB bill this morn, and its jupmed by almost 50%. We use the averaging of our bill, which means that they average out the cost over a 12 month period, and we pay a monthly dd based on this average. Every now and again the amount varies up or down. Cant remember what name the ESB give to this, but it saves us getting a bill every 2 months, and we get a more average one every month instead.

Anyway, the bill used to be about 114 euro pm, which in my opinion is high anyway. We live in a four bed detatched bungalow, never use the imersion, have electric showers and OFCH and Nightsaver electricity.. Have to admit, we have a bit of gadgetry in the house also, muiltiroom music system etc. My wife stays at home and minds kids, so the usage would be higher due to this also, as the house is rarely unoccupied.

Well today my bill jumped from 114 euro pm to 165 euro pm, and I cant understand why, especially when the bill also included the recent drop in price per unit.

Anyone know what I can do about this, I really dont believe this could be possible for it to increase by that amount, for us to be using 50% extra electricity than we normally do. My wife rang the esb to query it and they said the usual about leaving items on standby etc, and fair enough, but nothing to explain an increase in 50% usage. They said they would send out a booklet but that was about it.

Can I get them to investigate this further, as I dont beleive this could be my useage.
Wexfordman
 
Hi Wexfordman.
My latest ESB bill also took a big jump. I asked a few of my friends who also noticed a jump in their ESB bills,eventhough the price per unit is meant to have dropped. Just to say be careful about getting them to look into it further because if you get them to come out to read your metre as far as I know you will be charged an extra E60 on your next bill.
 
Problem is that my next three bills are going to also be 165 euro, as this is how the averaging works. What I cant understan, is how on earth my ESB bill has suddenly jumped by 50%. Has there ever been a case of a fault resulting in high meter readings etc that anyonw is aware of ?
Wexfordman
 
PatC said:
Hi Wexfordman.
My latest ESB bill also took a big jump. I asked a few of my friends who also noticed a jump in their ESB bills,eventhough the price per unit is meant to have dropped. Just to say be careful about getting them to look into it further because if you get them to come out to read your metre as far as I know you will be charged an extra E60 on your next bill.
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is that true?? i know there is an online service where you can input your own readings, and im fairly sure theres no charge for that so perhaps that would be a better option. [broken link removed]

maybe the OP is actually using 50% more electricity during these winter months...??
 
i take your point i would be using more electricity, but not 50% more. We have a combination of oil heating and a solid fuel stove for heating rads and water, and we never ever use the immersion, so none of my esb usage ip towards heating, except what ip required to fire angles up and run the pump etc.
 
Hi..just wondering what everyone thinks of an ESB bill for €320 (dec-feb) 2 bed apartment, one occupant!
I nearly dropped last night when i read how much it was,considering my last (and first bill..only living there 4 mths) was €192, which i thought was high but ok! I have been using the night rate storage heaters, which are a pain as the only come on at 11pm and all the heat is wasted by the time i come home the next day, but try not to use the convector as i know its more costlier! I bought an electric blanket instead of using the convector heater in my bedroom, was away for nearly a week over xmas and have been careful about the amount of lights left on etc so a jump of nearly 70% has amazed me! Its a brand new apartment by the way and heating,lights,water etc is all electricity driven!
 
swordshead said:
Hi..just wondering what everyone thinks of an ESB bill for €320 (dec-feb) 2 bed apartment, one occupant!
I nearly dropped last night when i read how much it was,considering my last (and first bill..only living there 4 mths) was €192, which i thought was high but ok! I have been using the night rate storage heaters, which are a pain as the only come on at 11pm and all the heat is wasted by the time i come home the next day, but try not to use the convector as i know its more costlier! I bought an electric blanket instead of using the convector heater in my bedroom, was away for nearly a week over xmas and have been careful about the amount of lights left on etc so a jump of nearly 70% has amazed me! Its a brand new apartment by the way and heating,lights,water etc is all electricity driven!
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wow, my 3 bed semi with 6 persons (4 kids) doesnt come anywhere near that...... and thats with lights and TV on nearly all the time.
If you are on nightsaver you need to realise that:
1. you pay to be on nightsaver
2. you are penalised extra at day rate
 
Was the bill estimated or based on a meter reading? Does it match up (more or less) with the meter readings now? What is your historical billing like? If you only come in at 11PM (when do you leave?) then storage heating might not be the best system for your needs.

Is this post of mine of any use for comparison purposes?
 
First thing, is it estimated? Secondly, if not, what did you change in your behaviour regadring use of electricity since last bill?

Oh, and when you went away for that week at Xmas, did you leave any appliances on by mistake? Like the new electric blanket?

I don't understand your night storage heater use. I thought that storage heaters stored the at at the cheaper night rate to releease that heat during the day?
 
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:) point taken, and all my lights are CFL as well..... they actually make a huge differece to ESB bills.....
 
Im in around 7 most evenings and get the dregs that are left from the previous nights stored heat, so tried not to put the convector on unless it was really cold! My water is on a timer (night rate too) so never turn it on during the day! The bill doesnt appear to be estimated (no E) and the storage heaters were in place with the day/night rate meters all ready to go so dont see why id "be paying" for the night saver rate, its half the day rate! Its only my second bill ever as ive only lived there 4 months! I just cant fathom it as i didnt think i was being anyway excessive with my use!
 
Welfarite said:
First thing, is it estimated? Secondly, if not, what did you change in your behaviour regadring use of electricity since last bill?

Oh, and when you went away for that week at Xmas, did you leave any appliances on by mistake? Like the new electric blanket?

I don't understand your night storage heater use. I thought that storage heaters stored the at at the cheaper night rate to releease that heat during the day?
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I cut down on the convector heater use...and have them switched to the night storage, thats really all i did.
When i went away absolutely everything was swithced off (except fridge of course)! It appears its the storage heating thats the problem by the looks of it, but the convector part is mad expensive during the day and the storage doesnt last enough till i get home so catch 22...
 
Welfarite said:
I don't understand your night storage heater use. I thought that storage heaters stored the at at the cheaper night rate to releease that heat during the day?
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They do but they are leaking heat all day so if somebody is out all day and only back at 11PM they have missed out on most of the benefit. In fact when they return they will actually be coming in when the heaters are starting the new overnight charge! You don't have a lot of control over storage heaters. The input and, more so in my experience, output controls are a bit hit and miss. And then if the weather changes suddenly they are not great (e.g. they charge up during a cold night but then the next day is warm leaving you roasting or vice versa).
 
swordshead said:
I cut down on the convector heater use...and have them switched to the night storage, thats really all i did.
When i went away absolutely everything was swithced off (except fridge of course)! It appears its the storage heating thats the problem by the looks of it, but the convector part is mad expensive during the day and the storage doesnt last enough till i get home so catch 22...
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Depending on your usage patterns with the convection heaters this could actually work out cheaper than storage heating! Especially if you would otherwise be using the convection heaters after 11PM (winter) since they would be using night rate units anyway. How long would you have been using the convection heater(s? - how many) previously? If it was just for an hour or two at night then it may well be more cost effective for you to do this.

Do you have the immersion on night rate every night too? Storage and water heating will usually be by far the highest costs in a night rate house.
 
ClubMan said:
If it was just for an hour or two at night then it may well be more cost effective for you to do this.
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Yeh i think you may be right on that one!

Clubman said:
Do you have the immersion on night rate every night too? Storage and water heating will usually be by far the highest costs in a night rate house.
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Ok, will rethink the night water heating, possibly just heating it for an hour before bed and see if that makes a difference! Goin to be one lean week till pay day...
 
I live in a one bed apartment and got the bill on Monday. Normally around E100 (bi-monthly) but was E197 this time around.
 
paulpd said:
I live in a one bed apartment and got the bill on Monday. Normally around E100 (bi-monthly) but was E197 this time around.
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There is "normal" bill in my experience with a home on night rate electricity for water and storage heating. Look at my graph linked from the thread mentioned above. The bills are cyclical (unfortunately with an upward trend :() and vary, in particular between seasons (especially if you switch storage heaters off altogether from late spring to autumn/early winter), quite a bit. Basically the graph is like an upward sine wave in our case. I presume that the general pattern would be similar in any similar home.
 
Swordshead, as its only your second bill it's hard for you to see what your average usage will be yet. Were both bills actual readings then? (You know the way teh ESB work, only read every 4 months).

Seems pointless to have storage on all day when your out. I'd switch them off and use convector for a few months to see any difference. Weather won't be as cold from now on either. And switch to manual water heating ...you have electric shower? ... boil a kettle for washing up or put on immersion for half hour. What about washing machine? Full loads always? Dryers are expensive but it's an apartment adn you've no real choice?

I was in apartment on my own last year for a while and ESB was 40 every 2 months. Gas heating (on timer), and gas water heating, including shower (bill 100 bi-monthly). Didn't use dryer much.
 
Do what I did (maybe not to the same extreme of c. 15 years! :)) and track your bills/usage so that you can see what the average/pattern is.
 
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