Help please -UK Private Rented 1 bed flat - comfort/storage heaters - £634 bill for 3 months from Scottish Power

Sarah Giles · Oct 13, 2021

Hi. Please can someone offer me advise. I have a 1 bedroom flat with storage/comfort heaters (don't know which) that I don't turn on as I can't afford to run them. I have always had really high electricity bills and two metres which are supposed to cover day and night usage. Scottish Power have been charging me about £200 per month between February - March 2021 and I don't know why it is so high considering I don't have the storage heaters on.
I contacted the energy ombudsman and they've said that Scottish Power can charge what they like. I've asked my landlady if I am paying for other flats electricity and she has said no (I haven't seen any wiring plans though).
This morning, I checked with the lady who rents the flat downstairs and she pays about £150 per month. Is this normal and am I in a position to request a change to one meter? Will changing to one meter reduce my energy bill?

Please let me know what rights I have as a tenant and if there is some way I can find out if the metres are wired correctly? If anyone knows of someone near Basingstoke who can quote to look at this for me, please get in touch.

Thanks

Cold in Basingstoke.....

snowhead · Oct 13, 2021

Is what Scot-Power are charging based on meter readings or an estimate.?
If there was higher energy use in the past the charge would be based on that but should correct itself when Scot Power get meter readings.

What are you using for heating if not the Storage ones?

Scot Power can only charge what you use through the meter(s), not whatever they like.

Rockingit · Oct 13, 2021

If you tell us your unit charge for energy we can work the maths out, but initially that does sound high if you're not using any electric heating.

Sarah Giles · Oct 13, 2021

snowhead said:
Is what Scot-Power are charging based on meter readings or an estimate.?
If there was higher energy use in the past the charge would be based on that but should correct itself when Scot Power get meter readings.

What are you using for heating if not the Storage ones?

Scot Power can only charge what you use through the meter(s), not whatever they like.

Scottish Power are and have been receiving meter reads since they took over from Yorkshire Energy in December 2020. At the moment, we don't have any heating so I put on the cooker for 10 minutes when it gets really cold. We have the computer running and the fridge and immersion heater but that's it.

Sarah Giles · Oct 13, 2021

Rockingit said:
If you tell us your unit charge for energy we can work the maths out, but initially that does sound high if you're not using any electric heating.

18.89p/kwh on both accounts. One is supposed to be day rate and one night rate so I don't know why they are both the same.

Sarah Giles · Oct 13, 2021

Sarah Giles said:
18.89p/kwh on both accounts. One is supposed to be day rate and one night rate so I don't know why they are both the same.

snowhead · Oct 13, 2021

Can you take a reading of both meters, then another of both 24hrs later and post all the readings.?

Photos might be easier / best.

Dustydazzler · Oct 13, 2021

I had 3 storage heaters in my first house and they seemed to eat electric to the point I actually removed one of them

Avo Mk8 · Oct 14, 2021

Sarah Giles said:
18.89p/kwh on both accounts. One is supposed to be day rate and one night rate so I don't know why they are both the same.

They shouldn't both be the same rate If you have elected for a dual rate account.
When you say "both accounts", do you mean two separate bills with different account numbers?

As per Snowhead, taking readings from both meters, and then after a day taking them again, would be helpful.

Are the meters in your flat, or in another area of the house?

A test that might be worth conducting is to turn absolutely everything off in your flat, preferably pulling all the plugs out, turning off all the lights etc. and seeing if either of the meters continues to flash it's red light (indicating consumption). I appreciate that would not be convenient to do it for very long, but if an indicator was flashing it would point to the possibility of consumption going on that is not related to your use!

PEG · Oct 14, 2021

Hi,are your utility company charging on two different rates,for each meter? You may be paying more for the electricity the cooker uses,whilst using it as a heater.
As mad as it sounds,try turning everything you think uses power,in your flat,off for a day/night.

After which,there should be no change in the meter readings on both meters. Ensure the low rate meter is not on any timer.

Avo Mk8 · Oct 14, 2021

Who on this forum is a meter expert?
Those look like two single rate dumb meters to me?
Surely neither of those, on its own, is capable of knowing the time or logging off-peak only?
Unless there is a seperate time switch in the circuit - but that method hasn't been used for many years.
Or maybe I'm wrong?

Sarah - are you able to take a photo further back to show if there's any timer type device connected to either meter please?

snowhead · Oct 14, 2021

In connection with the above by Avo, can Sarah G also post photos taken further away from the meters showing where the cables that go into them originate, also possibly a photo showing the meters belonging to the other flats.

If there's any exact address details or names can you cover that over.

Zerax · Oct 14, 2021

I've been caught out with this type of thread before... can the OP confirm that her "1 bed flat" is not a 1 bedroom 2,000 sqft penthouse apartment with jacuzzi and/or swimming pool with outdoor space heaters ??

Zerax · Oct 14, 2021

For what it's worth... my 2 bed flat (no jacuzzi etc.) cost me £30.62 last month (September) for electricity. I have no gas.

johntheo · Nov 5, 2021

Zerax said:
For what it's worth... my 2 bed flat (no jacuzzi etc.) cost me £30.62 last month (September) for electricity. I have no gas.

30.62/30/0.1889=5.4kwh/day??, hardly excessive. (meter rental is probably also included?)

replied to wrong poster,
Sarah's usage, 634/90/0.1889=37.3kwh/day, allow 5kwh/day for normal use then 32.3kwh/day for storage heating,

Help please -UK Private Rented 1 bed flat - comfort/storage heaters - £634 bill for 3 months from Scottish Power

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