Electricity bill - Is it normal to pay that much?

Panline

Hello,

We recently moved in a appartment with a coin-operated electricity meter. We moved in 4 days ago, the 6th of September, and we noticed we already paid 10€ of electricity... more than 2€ a day. The appartment is heated by gas so our electricity bill doesn't even include the heating of the appartment.

We use the electricty for: light, computers (2), smartphones and cooking. Our appartment is 30 square meters. We only have 3 rooms: a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. We are a couple.

Is this it normal to pay that much?

I noticed that the meter is set up at 30cents/KWh.

If it is not normal, what can we do?

Many thanks to you all in advance,

Mickey H

Panline wrote: »

Hello,

We recently moved in a appartment with a coin-operated electricity meter. We moved in 4 days ago, the 6th of September, and we noticed we already paid 10€ of electricity... more than 2€ a day. The appartment is heated by gas so our electricity bill doesn't even include the heating of the appartment.

We use the electricty for: light, computers (2), smartphones and cooking. Our appartment is 30 square meters. We only have 3 rooms: a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. We are a couple.

Is this it normal to pay that much?

I noticed that the meter is set up at 30cents/KWh.

If it is not normal, what can we do?

Many thanks to you all in advance,

Seems a bit much tbh.

Pottler

€2 per day. Outrageous. I presume ye don't smoke, so.

AnonoBoy

Talk to your landlord.

galwayrush

Not sure how much a unit is, but there are various levies and VAT on top..

antodeco

€2 per day seems about right. Bills here Ste between €100 - €160 every 2 months.

SEPT 23 1989

You are paying for the arrears of the previous tenant

think its 20% every time you top up

Smidge

That's 112euro(before charges etc) for a two monthly bill.
I would quite possibly commit murder for an ESB bill as low as that.

galwayrush

antodeco wrote: »

€2 per day seems about right. Bills here Ste between €100 - €160 every 2 months.

Ours tops 200 euro every 2 months. I blame the clothes dryer.

Panline

there was already 1€ in the meter when we moved in. So we consumed 11€ of electricity in 4 days, which is 2,75€ a day... And we're not even using additional heater yet.

con1982

Hey,

I live in a modern one bedroom apartment with gas heating.

Our 2 monthly electricity bill costs between 100-120. So, I think 2e a day is probably OK. We pay about 17c/kwh , but we have standing charges on top of this.

Pottler

Panline wrote: »

there was already 1€ in the meter when we moved in. So we consumed 11€ of electricity in 4 days, which is 2,75€ a day... And we're not even using additional heater yet.

Turn everything off and stop eating. Your bills will drop dramatically, as will your weight and your level of alivedness. One cup of coffee cost the same, what do you expect, it's a crappy coin-operated meter, I'm amazed you are getting off so lightly tbh. What do you want? Free??

SEPT 23 1989

galwayrush wrote: »

Ours tops 200 euro every 2 months. I blame the clothes dryer.

I believe it costs €5 a session for the dryer

galwayrush

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I believe it costs €5 a session for the dryer

Medical bills would be higher if i try and tell that to mrs Galwayrush...:mad:

Duckworth_Luas

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Talk to your landlord.

Talk to Joe!

Duiske

Panline wrote: »

I noticed that the meter is set up at 30cents/KWh.

The actual cost should be around 18cents/KWh. (16.2cent KWh plus 13.5% VAT) I would get onto the landlord asap. Its not on that he is overcharging you to either clear arrears of a previous tenant, or maybe just line his own pockets.

leggit

If anyone you know ever goes to thailand get them to bring you back a pile of 10 baht coins, identical to 2 euro coins and should save you a few bob on the electricity

10 baht is around 20 cent iirc?

con1982

If your electric bill seems high. . . . this could be why

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/derailing-the-esb-gravy-train-2859520.html

Panline

Duiske wrote: »

The actual cost should be around 18cents/KWh. (16.2cent KWh plus 13.5% VAT) I would get onto the landlord asap. Its not on that he is overcharging you to either clear arrears of a previous tenant, or maybe just line his own pockets.

Thank you Duiske, but how do I do that? How can I tell the landlord that it is too much?

dvpower

Panline wrote: »

I noticed that the meter is set up at 30cents/KWh.

Standard rates are around 18c/KWh, but there would be a standing charge on top of that. Seems very expensive.

up for anything

You say you have two computers... PCs use a ferocious amount of electricity.

YFlyer

Check to see if the immersion is on.

Pottler

It's a coin operated meter. These were a rip off when they first came out, a rip off in the 80's and are a rip off now. I'm amazed €2 is doing anything for it. Anyone remember the 50p ones that used to be on the go? Sister had a kip bedsit with one fitted when she was a student and all I remember doing was feeding the fecker 50p pieces. It's like pay as you go mobiles, f-in dear. Generally.

token101

Panline wrote: »

Hello,

We recently moved in a appartment with a coin-operated electricity meter. We moved in 4 days ago, the 6th of September, and we noticed we already paid 10€ of electricity... more than 2€ a day. The appartment is heated by gas so our electricity bill doesn't even include the heating of the appartment.

We use the electricty for: light, computers (2), smartphones and cooking. Our appartment is 30 square meters. We only have 3 rooms: a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. We are a couple.

Is this it normal to pay that much?

I noticed that the meter is set up at 30cents/KWh.

If it is not normal, what can we do?

Many thanks to you all in advance,

It's high because you are either paying a proportion of the money you input into the meter towards the landlord's debt or a debt someone else has accrued, or if debt has been cleared it's building up a credit in landlord's ESB acc. That's what coin meters are for: clearing debt. Ring ESB and get them to remove the coin meter and install a normal meter ASAP, there is no charge for that service. If your landlord has a problem with this it's because he's either making money from your electricity bill or you're paying his debt. Try the Electric Ireland talk to forum if you want clarification.

Hooked

Duiske wrote: »

Panline wrote: »

I noticed that the meter is set up at 30cents/KWh.

The actual cost should be around 18cents/KWh. (16.2cent KWh plus 13.5% VAT) I would get onto the landlord asap. Its not on that he is overcharging you to either clear arrears of a previous tenant, or maybe just line his own pockets.

Just looking at my bill on the fridge door. Unit price is 16.19 cent with a standing charge of 28.93 cent a day. Total bill for 60 days. 89.70.

That's 1.50 a day. I live on my own. Cook with gas, shower every other day (feck off and take your slagging elsewhere, I'm at the gym a bit) and only watch a bit of tv and have no other real energy drain. 2 quid a day for a couple seems about right to me?

Duiske

dvpower wrote: »

Standard rates are around 18c/KWh, but there would be a standing charge on top of that. Seems very expensive.

Actually forgot about the standing charge, 29c per day for a regular meter. Perhaps the landlord is renting the coin meter from ESB networks at a higher rate ? Panline, maybe you should start a thread on the Electric Ireland forum here. They may be able to shed some light on why the rate seems to be set so high.

Panline

token101 wrote: »

It's high because you are either paying a proportion of the money you input into the meter towards the landlord's debt or a debt someone else has accrued, or if debt has been cleared it's building up a credit in landlord's ESB acc. That's what coin meters are for: clearing debt. Ring ESB and get them to remove the coin meter and install a normal meter ASAP, there is no charge for that service. If your landlord has a problem with this it's because he's either making money from your electricity bill or you're paying his debt. Try the Electric Ireland talk to forum if you want clarification.

Thank you. I will do that. I'm currently writting an email to my landlord first to ask her the question. Is there any link that could show her that the standard rate is 0,17/0,18cents/KWh?

con1982

https://www.electricireland.ie/switchchange/elecExisting.htm?execution=e2s1

just click on one of the price plans

Ficheall

2euro a day doesn't seem too much over the top.
When you start using that extra heater you mentioned, the price will easily double.

token101

Panline wrote: »

Thank you. I will do that. I'm currently writting an email to my landlord first to ask her the question. Is there any link that could show her that the standard rate is 0,17/0,18cents/KWh?

Elec Ireland website, and in case she trys to bluff you and say it's Bord Gais or Airtricity, as far as I know they don't accept coin meter customers (I could be wrong there) but their rates aren't hugely different, certainly not 30 cent a unit!

It's also possible it's done through a company called Pre Pay Power. They are new and are aiming for pre paid customers and people who feel they can't control the bills through the regular meter and the charges are a lot higher as such. It's possible their unit price is 30 cent I don't know, but I'd be telling them to take a hike asap if that's the case.

dvpower

token101 wrote: »

It's also possible it's done through a company called Pre Pay Power.

Even they are under 20c/KWh

http://www.prepaypower.ie/what-it-costs

ahnowbrowncow

up for anything wrote: »

You say you have two computers... PCs use a ferocious amount of electricity.

Not really, two laptops using on average 40 watts each for 4 hours every day @ €0.18 = €1.61 a month

Two pcs each consuming an average of 100 watts each for 4 hours every day @ €0.18 kw/h = €4.03 a month

Super-Rush

How old would you say the apartment is?

oppenheimer1

Super-Rush wrote: »

How old would you say the apartment is?

Why does that matter? Old apartments don't leak electricity.

Super-Rush

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Why does that matter? Old apartments don't leak electricity.

Old apartments have old cookers, emersions, central heating etc.


Up until Feburary i was living on my own in a three room apartment which was about 20 years old.

I was using a TV, playstation, Sky box, smart phone, laptop, emersion, oven & hob, microwave, kettle, oil central heating, fridge and chest freezer all on the electric. With sensible usage i was getting bills for €160 every two months.

Then i moved into a 5 year old, 8 room house with my girlfriend. We use the same stuff as i used in the apartment except the hob here is on gas and added an extra laptop, smart phone and tv and a pc. With the same sensible usage our 2 monthly bill is €120 give or take a couple of euro.

It has to have been the age of the emersion, hob & oven and the central heating.

kneemos

I live in a single flat and pay about 12 Euros a week into a meter,two Euros a day for two ain't bad.You also have to allow for standing charge,VAT and the service charge or whatever it is they call it.

BillyMitchel

Stop growing weed!

YFlyer

BillyMitchel wrote: »

Stop growing weed!

That would be the next door neighbours.

oppenheimer1

Super-Rush wrote: »

Old apartments have old cookers, emersions, central heating etc.


Up until Feburary i was living on my own in a three room apartment which was about 20 years old.

I was using a TV, playstation, Sky box, smart phone, laptop, emersion, oven & hob, microwave, kettle, oil central heating, fridge and chest freezer all on the electric. With sensible usage i was getting bills for €160 every two months.

Then i moved into a 5 year old, 8 room house with my girlfriend. We use the same stuff as i used in the apartment except the hob here is on gas and added an extra laptop, smart phone and tv and a pc. With the same sensible usage our 2 monthly bill is €120 give or take a couple of euro.

It has to have been the age of the emersion, hob & oven and the central heating.

An immersion heater and an electric cooker use a lot of electricity because they produce heat. Newer versions of these are not more efficient, though lagging the tank helps keep the heat energy in the tank.

The age of the apartment has no bearing on consumption of electricity unless it is heated by electricity.