Gas AND Electricity usage tripled for no apparent reason

[LouiseSheffield]

Hey everybody,

This one has me puzzled - my gas and electricity usage has suddenly gone up by approx 2.5 times.
We've not changed anything.

A couple of things that happened around the same time:
A couple of weeks before our boiler guy fixed something minor on our water heater (I can't remember the parts name but our radiators were coming on when we turned the water on, so he replaced something and now they don't!)
4 days before one of our electric showers was leaking water, we have now replaced it
A socket in the kitchen kept tripping, we have since changed the fuse
When the other electric shower is on the lights in our bedroom dim, this has always happened since we moved in in June

We have turned the water heater off at the fuse box and our usage is still high.

I also noticed one night a sudden surge in our British Gas smart meter and nothing had been turned on and the fridge freezer wasn't making a noise.

I have phoned British Gas and they say there's nothing wrong with the smart meter.
We also live in a detached so would be difficult for someone to steal our gas and leccy I think.

Any suggestions? I'm going insane!
:banghead:

 

[uksparks]

Its not suddenly got cold outside has it?

 

[LouiseSheffield]

It is pretty cold for September, yes actually it did suddenly get cold this month actually, why? (we've not put the heating on, we've got the boiler and water heater off)

 

[Lucien Nunes]

'Usage' might be the wrong word. Do you mean the bills have increased? Can you give some figures e.g. last three readings, amounts charged etc. An increase from £1 to £2.50 is an increase of 2.5 times but could be caused by a light being left on for a few days. £1000 to £2500 is a much more difficult thing to account for electrically.

Energy does not disappear, so either something is getting very hot somewhere, heat or hot water is being wasted, or more likely the metering or billing is incorrect. As both services are affected, I would start out by thoroughly checking the billing - tarriff, period, calculations...

 

[Octopus]

What you need to do, and this is for several weeks, if not months, is to read the both of your meters - so you get an idea of your actual useage.

As for "smart meters" they are NOT smart.

 

[plugsandsparks]

another simple test which I do especially with water, is to turn off everything you think is on and see if the meters still "spin", flash or otherwise indicate consumption. That's the first start point

 

[UKMeterman]

Also check the physical numbers on the meters, are they the same as the ones on your bill.

 

[Octopus]

Have your suppliers been using estimated bills and you have recently had a "real" reading done?

 

[ruston]

Have your suppliers been using estimated bills and you have recently had a "real" reading done?

More like it.

 

[ipf]

Have your suppliers been using estimated bills and you have recently had a "real" reading done?

First thoughts, too...

 

[Clive P]

Hi,
Is it your usage that has increased or your bill? I am with EON and they change my Direct Debit with the prevailing wind. For three months it will be £50 then all of a sudden £150, then they'll change it again. My usage is the same but their demands can fluctuate depending on what they think my usage will be over the next 12 months.

Regards.

 

[ruston]

Hi,
Is it your usage that has increased or your bill? I am with EON and they change my Direct Debit with the prevailing wind. For three months it will be £50 then all of a sudden £150, then they'll change it again. My usage is the same but their demands can fluctuate depending on what they think my usage will be over the next 12 months.

Regards.

Same for me with N Power. And they still owe me money.

 

[Darkwood]

Speak with you supplier like mentioned above, and check you electric bills, you may have many estimated bills and then a real reading done- if you have used a lot more than they estimated then they may if you are on direct debit adjusted your monthly payments to catch up with the shortfall.

 

[ruston]

I was using an electric heater for back up while I was ill. They tripled my standing order in case I got into debt lol.

 

[Octopus]

As the OP hasn't been on here for over 6 hours we are speculating!

 

[assegayer]

this is why pay as you go meters are the way to go! never had any problems do it with gas aswell. that way no pesky idiots raking money out of my account. plus you will never 'owe' money in your life to any company.

 

[Octopus]

this is why pay as you go meters are the way to go! never had any problems do it with gas aswell. that way no pesky idiots raking money out of my account. plus you will never 'owe' money in your life to any company.

But you do pay a premium for that facility!

 

[assegayer]

But you do pay a premium for that facility!

Really?? i don't remember paying anything. or do you mean extra on the actual cost kwh. it seems cheaper in the long run to be honest. especially if your away just leave 0 on the meter and empty the fridge. no paying gas or electric for holidays

 

[Poptasticdave]

Wading in with my size 11's I'd say the dumb .. I mean "smart" meter is likely the problem. So far the only people I know who have had them in have either found that for years they have been having under-estimated bills and now have a huge debt to clear or that the meters are reading "fast" compared to the only ones. Three families I know are having major trouble with BG who are insisting that the smart meter is accurate and that the old meter "must have been reading slow, so you've been having cheap electricity but we won't retrospectively charge you, as a gesture of goodwill". If that theory is correct then most meters in the UK must be reading "slow" .... somehow I think the new meters reading "fast" seems more plausible to me ... would the utilities really have left meters reading slow for years and not checked or done anything?????? I can't believe that they would.