How much is your ESB bill?

anamara86

Received my ESB bill today and nearly cried - over 200e for a one bedroom apartment, and this does not include heating. Don't feel like we've using more electricity than normal and for such a small place, it seems so high.

So it got me wondering, on average, how much is your ESB bill and how big is your home?

9959

Too much.

judgefudge

Sounds like too much. Ours used to be about 120 euro for a 3 bed apartment.

mike65

This sounds like a consumer issues thread!

If you don't have discipline with things like immersion heater and like to walk about the house dressed in Bermuda Shorts and a T shirt you will have massive bills.

poshea69

small 4 bed, around 100 , 110 per two months. 200 seems dear.

electrobanana

im in a 4 bed house and mines never over 200...Thank fu#k

anamara86

mike65 wrote: »

This sounds like a consumer issues thread!

If you don't have discipline with things like immersion heater and like to walk about the house dressed in Bermuda Shorts and a T shirt you will have massive bills.

Heating not included in the ESB bill.

Witchie

Have a 5 bed house with 2 teenage sons, smartphones, playstations, laptops etc and my airtricity bill averages out about €90 every 2 months.

SCOOP 64

last bill was €270 four bed house, not looking forward to next one with all my xmas lights!

Czarcasm

anamara86 wrote: »

Received my ESB bill today and nearly cried - over 200e for a one bedroom apartment, and this does not include heating. Don't feel like we've using more electricity than normal and for such a small place, it seems so high.

So it got me wondering, on average, how much is your ESB bill and how big is your home?

A year ago I would've suggested you switch to bord gais. Nowadays though there's no difference between them and Electric Ireland in terms of cost savings. I wouldn't touch Airtricity with a forty foot barge pole.

That does seem excessively high though even for a bill during the winter months and not including heating in a one bedroom apartment!

SCOOP 64

Witchie wrote: »

Have a 5 bed house with 2 teenage sons, smartphones, playstations, laptops etc and my airtricity bill averages out about €90 every 2 months.

how do you manage that?

AnonoBoy

That's definitely too much for a one bed.

Is it an estimate or was it a reading?

If it's an estimate it might be quite a bit over what you actually owe. I always ring in a reading to be sure.

Moghead

Is the bill an estimate?

anamara86

AnonoBoy wrote: »

That's definitely too much for a one bed.

Is it an estimate or was it a reading?

If it's an estimate it might be quite a bit over what you actually owe. I always ring in a reading to be sure.

It was a reading, that's what has me puzzled!

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

i was living on my own last year in a 1 bed place, usually 110-130 every 2 months and that was only so high because it was immmersion bastard heaters and the place refused to stay warm cos of how old it was.

well that and the computer, large tv, consoles, battery powered fleshlight, etc etc

Witchie

nig1 wrote: »

how do you manage that?

Not sure! That's just how it is. They range from 84 to 110 ish every 2 months. I thought that was high! I have all energy saving lightbulbs and dont use the immersion as have an electric shower and the central heating heats the water.

Difference Engine

€160 usually for a 4 bed house with Bord Gais.

AnonoBoy

anamara86 wrote: »

It was a reading, that's what has me puzzled!

It might be that the last few were estimates and they were under-estimating your usage so they're catching up now.

Or..... something is eating up your power.

Max Power

anamara86 wrote: »

Received my ESB bill today and nearly cried - over 200e for a one bedroom apartment, and this does not include heating. Don't feel like we've using more electricity than normal and for such a small place, it seems so high.

So it got me wondering, on average, how much is your ESB bill and how big is your home?

Get yourself a battery powered vibrator. Living alone is very lonely but also expensive. Also, save on heating bills by having more sex. Maybe even attach some sort of friction powered generator to your lover to keep the light on.

You're welcome. :cool:

johnolocher

We have a 3 bed house and last bill was €110 for gas, €140 for electric. I lived in a one bed apartment couple of years ago it was all electric (no gas) and one month I got €160 at the height of winter but that was for everything, cooking, electric heating etc

Best username ever

Mine is about €120 grand a minute, which is about average for a 3 bed semi............lol semi.

anamara86

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

i was living on my own last year in a 1 bed place, usually 110-130 every 2 months and that was only so high because it was immmersion bastard heaters and the place refused to stay warm cos of how old it was.

well that and the computer, large tv, consoles, battery powered fleshlight, etc etc

Yeh, I've been going through all of the appliances that might be eating up electricity, but we don't use the dishwasher or the dryer and the games console is rarely used.

This was the highest it has ever been in the three years we have been living here, but still most bills are always around the 150e mark!

PizzamanIRL

anamara86 wrote: »

Received my ESB bill today and nearly cried - over 200e for a one bedroom apartment, and this does not include heating. Don't feel like we've using more electricity than normal and for such a small place, it seems so high.

So it got me wondering, on average, how much is your ESB bill and how big is your home?

Did you just move in?

naughtysmurf

nig1 wrote: »

how do you manage that?

I'd like to know also, last one on Dec 28th was €214 for a 4 bed house, that was for 68 days so €3.14 per day

Best username ever

anamara86 wrote: »

Yeh, I've been going through all of the appliances that might be eating up electricity, but we don't use the dishwasher or the dryer and the games console is rarely used.

This was the highest it has ever been in the three years we have been living here, but still most bills are always around the 150e mark!

One of the ways I cut back on the electricity was changing the halogen spot lights for LED's. I have 12 in the kitchen which equals 600 watts of electricity @ 50 watts each.

The LED's I bought give out the same light as a 50 watt halogen but are 3 watts each. This means I can light the whole kitchen for 36 watts instead of 600. This has saved me a packet, I have noticed it.

Witchie

I use the dryer too. Maybe they just dont charge me enough! Shhush!

anamara86

Best username ever wrote: »

One of the ways I cut back on the electricity was changing the halogen spot lights for LED's. I have 12 in the kitchen which equals 600 watts of electricity @ 50 watts each.

The LED's I bought give out the same light as a 50 watt halogen but are 3 watts each. This means I can light the whole kitchen for 36 watts instead of 600. This has saved me a packet, I have noticed it.

We have 9 spotlights in the kitchen / sitting room, so I'll give this a go, thanks!

carpejugulum

Witchie wrote: »

Have a 5 bed house with 2 teenage sons, smartphones, playstations, laptops etc and my airtricity bill averages out about €90 every 2 months.

pic or it didn't happen

IM0

nig1 wrote: »

how do you manage that?

candles

Best username ever

anamara86 wrote: »

We have 9 spotlights in the kitchen / sitting room, so I'll give this a go, thanks!

Don't just go out and buy the first LED's you see now, you need the ones that equal 50 watts of halogen bulbs. There are crap ones on the market too.

wush06

Best username ever wrote: »

Don't just go out and buy the first LED's you see now, you need the ones that equal 50 watts of halogen bulbs. There are crap ones on the market too.

Can you give any links to the ones you use. Thanks

Heroditas

Czarcasm wrote: »

A year ago I would've suggested you switch to bord gais. Nowadays though there's no difference between them and Electric Ireland in terms of cost savings. I wouldn't touch Airtricity with a forty foot barge pole.

That does seem excessively high though even for a bill during the winter months and not including heating in a one bedroom apartment!

Always worth checking Bonkers.ie - they're very accurate at showing how much you can save on your electricity and gas.
You'll always save if you keep switching. Energy companies bank on a certain percentage of customers not switching, hence why they can offer new customers attractive rates for the first while.

Jet Black

€340
Last bill i received was September and this one was estimated.

IM0

Moghead wrote: »

Is the bill an estimate?

and more importantly does he know he has to submit meeter readings

anyway OP, watch the lights that are on in rooms no one is using, but dont get mental about it, be somewhere in the middle of not giving a **** and being anal about it.

watch the spot lights on the roof kind of lighting. 4 or 5 on in a room is 4 or 5 times the prices of a normal bulb!!

also there are energy saving bulbs, use them in rooms not in much but pop in often and just leave the light on all the time before bed when switch off again. also are you in alot? then bills will be higher obviously
and bills always much higher in winter for obvious reasons

SCOOP 64

Jet Black wrote: »

€340
Last bill i received was September and this one was estimated.

thank god for that , i feel better now:D

Best username ever

wush06 wrote: »

Can you give any links to the ones you use. Thanks

here you go.

NegativeCreep

anamara86 wrote: »

Received my ESB bill today and nearly cried - over 200e for a one bedroom apartment, and this does not include heating. Don't feel like we've using more electricity than normal and for such a small place, it seems so high.

So it got me wondering, on average, how much is your ESB bill and how big is your home?

The Bills are estimated OP. Ring can ring them and see how much it actually cost and you can pay that amount instead.

Czarcasm

Heroditas wrote: »

Always worth checking Bonkers.ie - they're very accurate at showing how much you can save on your electricity and gas.
You'll always save if you keep switching. Energy companies bank on a certain percentage of customers not switching, hence why they can offer new customers attractive rates for the first while.

Thanks for that link, would've saved me an awful lot of trouble there before Christmas when I was doing up my annual budget! I was going through reams of utility and electricity bills and paperwork to determine the best value providers for the coming year.

As it turned out I was still better off staying with Bord Gais for electricity, Smart Telecom for broadband and telephone, and Sky for television.

Witchie

carpejugulum wrote: »

pic or it didn't happen

Thats my last bill!

anamara86

NegativeCreep wrote: »

The Bills are estimated OP. Ring can ring them and see how much it actually cost and you can pay that amount instead.

Meter was read, not estimated

Hippies!

4 bed house. Average bill is €300

Hippies!

anamara86 wrote: »

Meter was read, not estimated

Was the last bill estimated? Maybe you didn't pay enough last time and it's added onto this one?

garbanzo

4 bedroom house: I pay Flogas a flat €63 per month for gas which covers central heating, cooking hob and hot water. ESB get the grand sum of €83 per month for lighting and electric shower. Spreading the bills out over the year on an even amount basis avoids the "billshock" that often occurs in winter when you can least afford it.

Have embraced LED lights in recent months and am awaiting seeing any payback. House is loaded with insulation (i.e. attic, walls etc) and have just installed a composite front door which also makes the place hold the heat better. Maybe that is helping us keep costs low-ish.

Hippies!

Lights cost f**k all lads.

naughtysmurf

Witchie wrote: »

Thats my last bill!

So, you are all huddled together for bodywarmth in one room in the dark then

anamara86

garbanzo wrote: »

4 bedroom house: I pay Flogas a flat €63 per month for gas which covers central heating, cooking hob and hot water.

With Flogas for gas too and must admit the bill is always moderate in comparison.

LoonyLovegood

It was €135 for a three bedroom apartment with four girls in it in the last bill. Have to admit, I was happy with that - the heaters here are the awful storage ones.

Hippies!

CTYIgirl wrote: »

...for a three bedroom apartment with four girls in it ....

Nice

cena

180 or so. It used to be about 300

Realtine

Best username ever wrote: »

Don't just go out and buy the first LED's you see now, you need the ones that equal 50 watts of halogen bulbs. There are crap ones on the market too.

thanks for this Im going to look into this also - my last ESB bill was over €300 for two months:eek: so actively seeking to lower it - no immersion, no drier, but washing machine and dishwasher is used at least once a day - gas heating. But we do have spot lights so I dunno maybe?? i'm going to give it a go just a bit confused about the different type of light bulbs tho

Witchie

naughtysmurf wrote: »

So, you are all huddled together for bodywarmth in one room in the dark then

Ha ha. I am in the sitting room with the tv on, main light on, on the laptop with my mobile phone plugged in while my youngest son is in the kitchen probably with all the lights on doing his homework and the house is toasty warm due to the oil fired central heating which has cost me €700 in oil already this winter.

Oldest son has only just gone back to college.