Electricity Bill €5000!!!

Aurora. D

HELP! I need some advise, I have been paying my bill based on estimate readings for the past 28 months, I have been paying on average €150 every two months. ESB took a metre reading on the 10.01.17. The reading isn't far off the estimated reading.
*****3194 24Hr 1 11-Jan-2017 22-Jan-2017 68,807 Customer Reading 356 kWh
*****3194 24Hr 1 08-Nov-2016 10-Jan-2017 68,451 Networks Reading 2,717 kWh
*****3194 24Hr 1 08-Sep-2016 07-Nov-2016 65,734 Estimated Reading 2,238 kWh

Myself and my husband and two small children live in a two bedroom terraced house, we have been hit with a bill of nearly €5000!! Is this possible? Any advice please

Colser

Aurora. D wrote: »

HELP! I need some advise, I have been paying my bill based on estimate readings for the past 28 months, I have been paying on average €150 every two months. ESB took a metre reading on the 10.01.17. The reading isn't far off the estimated reading.
*****3194 24Hr 1 11-Jan-2017 22-Jan-2017 68,807 Customer Reading 356 kWh
*****3194 24Hr 1 08-Nov-2016 10-Jan-2017 68,451 Networks Reading 2,717 kWh
*****3194 24Hr 1 08-Sep-2016 07-Nov-2016 65,734 Estimated Reading 2,238 kWh

Myself and my husband and two small children live in a two bedroom terraced house, we have been hit with a bill of nearly €5000!! Is this possible? Any advice please

How many units are they billing you for since your last bill?

Mr E

Hi Aurora. D - I've moved your post to the Consumer Issues forum - a better place for your question.

Fuzzy Clam

Aurora. D wrote:

HELP! I need some advise, I have been paying my bill based on estimate readings for the past 28 months, I have been paying on average €150 every two months. ESB took a metre reading on the 10.01.17. The reading isn't far off the estimated reading. *****3194 24Hr 1 11-Jan-2017 22-Jan-2017 68,807 Customer Reading 356 kWh *****3194 24Hr 1 08-Nov-2016 10-Jan-2017 68,451 Networks Reading 2,717 kWh *****3194 24Hr 1 08-Sep-2016 07-Nov-2016 65,734 Estimated Reading 2,238 kWh

Aurora. D wrote:

Myself and my husband and two small children live in a two bedroom terraced house, we have been hit with a bill of nearly €5000!! Is this possible? Any advice please

This may seem like a stupid question but have you asked the ESB about it?

Aurora. D

Yes, they said that we can get a chap to look at the metre for €180. They really weren't very helpful.

Colser

Aurora. D wrote: »

Yes, they said that we can get a chap to look at the metre for €180. They really weren't very helpful.

That doesn't make sense....can you see where the calculation is on the bill...how many units are they billing you for and was there arrears on your bill?

Bazsutto

Aurora. D wrote: »

HELP! I need some advise, I have been paying my bill based on estimate readings for the past 28 months, I have been paying on average €150 every two months. ESB took a metre reading on the 10.01.17. The reading isn't far off the estimated reading.
*****3194 24Hr 1 11-Jan-2017 22-Jan-2017 68,807 Customer Reading 356 kWh
*****3194 24Hr 1 08-Nov-2016 10-Jan-2017 68,451 Networks Reading 2,717 kWh
*****3194 24Hr 1 08-Sep-2016 07-Nov-2016 65,734 Estimated Reading 2,238 kWh

Myself and my husband and two small children live in a two bedroom terraced house, we have been hit with a bill of nearly €5000!! Is this possible? Any advice please

Looks like you have being under paying the whole time. Even the estimated reading above is 2200 kWh, which would work out at just over €400 every 2 months. Your usage seems very high for a 2 bed terraced house.

As Fuzzy Clam said, contact the ESB. Or your electric supplier and they should work out a payment plan for you.

Bazsutto

You can try troubleshoot a fault by turning everything in the house off. The meter should stop turning if it functioning correctly. If it does then one of your appliances could be to blame.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Your readings given show only 5300 units which is about €900. How is the €5000 shown on the bill?

The readings also show about 32 units per day which while high is not exorbitant.

Aurora. D

We have contacted them, they just said it was an estimated reading and the outstanding amount is €4800, but I cannot get my head around this.

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Total electricity charges 411.08
Standard charges and other items
Correction of previous reading (s) 02/08/14 to 07/11/16 3768.22

€0.3514 / day 22.49
PSO Levy Nov/Dec 11.80
VAT 13.5% on
€4213.59 568.83

slovakchick

Aurora. D wrote: »

We have contacted them, they just said it was an estimated reading and the outstanding amount is €4800, but I cannot get my head around this.

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Total electricity charges 411.08
Standard charges and other items
Correction of previous reading (s) 02/08/14 to 07/11/16 3768.22

€0.3514 / day 22.49
PSO Levy Nov/Dec 11.80
VAT 13.5% on
€4213.59 568.83

That's a small mortgage ffs

Aurora. D

Hi Srameen, yes when I worked it out I got 35 units a day?? I am so confused and ESB are really unhelpful -just keep saying that we were paying based on estimate readings but we have been paying our bill each time

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Aurora. D wrote: »

We have contacted them, they just said it was an estimated reading and the outstanding amount is €4800, but I cannot get my head around this.

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Total electricity charges 411.08
Standard charges and other items
Correction of previous reading (s) 02/08/14 to 07/11/16 3768.22

€0.3514 / day 22.49
PSO Levy Nov/Dec 11.80
VAT 13.5% on
€4213.59 568.83

That makes no sense against the readings shown as there's an actual reading on 7th November that shows no disproportionate jumps from the previous estimated reading.

Ask then for the KWhs making up the €3768.

ED E

Aurora. D wrote: »

Hi Srameen, yes when I worked it out I got 35 units a day?? I am so confused and ESB are really unhelpful -just keep saying that we were paying based on estimate readings but we have been paying our bill each time

If you'd submitted your own readings then you'd have avoided this mess.

Aurora. D

Hi, that's what I can see, no huge difference from the estimate reading to the actual reading taken, I am so confused!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

ED E wrote: »

If you'd submitted your own readings then you'd have avoided this mess.

And can you explain the charges based on the readings??

Aurora. D

Thank you for your helpful advise, good citizen.

Cupatae

ED E wrote: »

If you'd submitted your own readings then you'd have avoided this mess.

Isnt that the esbs job to send someone around to read the meter?? i mean u are paying them after all!

Thats a fair mental bill, id ring em back and demand abit more detail... 5k is abit much to be casually throwing u aside!

Red Kev

Op, when did you move into this house?

When was the last time that you had a bill based on a meter reading?

gordongekko

Cupatae wrote: »

Isnt that the esbs job to send someone around to read the meter?? i mean u are paying them after all!

Thats a fair mental bill, id ring em back and demand abit more detail... 5k is abit much to be casually throwing u aside!

They call 3 times a year. If the meter isn't outside then how do you want them to read it?. It's noted on all bills they you can ring in with an actual reading if you want to.

brightspark

Laney Shallow Spark wrote: »

The readings also show about 32 units per day which while high is not exorbitant.

I'd consider 32 units per day very high, considering normal average usage is about 5,300 or just over 14 units per day for a 3 bedroom house.

A bit late now for pointing it out but 28 months is too long to rely on estimates, I thought they aimed to get an actual reading at least every four months, (I recently got a note from the reader that it had been over a year and he had to get a proper reading for a house I control)

There was a news article before Christmas about a small failure rate in a certain type of meter that caused high readings before they failed completely, it's unlikely but maybe you have that type of meter?

Do you have a lot of filament lamps on all day? Electric heaters? Immersion, esp if not insulated? Water pump? Electric heat pump?

As others have said, turn everything off and check the meter stops in case someone has illegally tapped into your supply.
Then turn on a known load such as a 2kW heater and see how many units accumulate (if it's an older meter you can tell quite quickly by how fast the wheel spins)

The Hurricane

Why did the ESB not read your meter for 2 years ? Allegedly they are meant to do it four times a year, but I know our guy does not. I complained to the Esb and they said he did. We got a big bill of 900 euro back from our honeymoon because of this.

Hope you get to the bottom of it.

PS I do remember seeing a story recently about the ESB discovering some meters were faulty - hopefully that's the case.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

What does strike me is that you seem to use about 35 units a day but were only paying €150 every two months. That would be about €275 short every two months x 14 billing periods is over €3800.

But the bill just doesn't look right. Are you with Electric Ireland? If so use the Talk to... forum here to get it investigated and explained further.

mcneil

Have you got teenage kids or is your husband a weed smoker. Go check the attic to see if you've lots of HPS lights and a jungle up there

beechwood55

Our electricity meter is inside the house. Which is why I send in actual readings when we get the estimated bill. OP - is the meter accessible to the meter reading person?

brightspark

Aurora. D wrote: »

HELP! I need some advise, I have been paying my bill based on estimate readings for the past 28 months, I have been paying on average €150 every two months. ESB took a metre reading on the 10.01.17. The reading isn't far off the estimated reading.
*****3194 24Hr 1 11-Jan-2017 22-Jan-2017 68,807 Customer Reading 356 kWh
*****3194 24Hr 1 08-Nov-2016 10-Jan-2017 68,451 Networks Reading 2,717 kWh
*****3194 24Hr 1 08-Sep-2016 07-Nov-2016 65,734 Estimated Reading 2,238 kWh

Myself and my husband and two small children live in a two bedroom terraced house, we have been hit with a bill of nearly €5000!! Is this possible? Any advice please

Had you fully paid in November based on the estimate reading of 65,734?

In that case you should be owing the difference between 65,734 and the current reading of 68,807 = 3,073 units ~ €553 (plus usual standing charges)

Samuel T. Cogley

mcneil wrote: »

Have you got teenage kids or is your husband a weed smoker. Go check the attic to see if you've lots of HPS lights and a jungle up there

Just about to ask if there were any funny smells coming fromupstairs/next door.

The_Valeyard

That does seem bizzarly high unitwise. Could be defective meter or appliance like a fridge freezer. My mate had a fridge freezer where the motor was taking in far more electricity than needed and overpowering itself. Eventually figured what was happening, by checking appliances and disconnecting various items to see which was sending the meter spinnin.

He still had to pay over 2700 owed. But worth out a deal of paid instalments with each bill.

Skid X

You should check the meter yourself to take a reading.

The ESB messed up my reading once (they recorded something like 32941 instead of 32491) which led to a huge bill until I rang them to correct it.

L1011

Have you got previous bills? There's a correction going back to 2014 shown there so presumably they were estimates or self-reads since then.

Its also not impossible that you were submitting self-reads on the wrong MPRN...

lucernarian

Even if some previous readings are incorrect, if the latest reading is accurate at the time of recording then there won't be much way around paying the difference from the last (estimated) meter reading the ESB have to hand.

What I'm wondering is what kind of deal they'd make for anyone in this situation? I know some folks who have had their meter blocked off by an old wardrobe for 3 years now and the meter man only calls during the daytime when no one's there.

They reckon the meter reading is behind by several thousand units...

Fuzzy Clam

Its the back dated reading that doesn't make sense to me.
The amount due though the underestimated bills shouldn't amount to more than 500/600 euro if I've done my sums correctly. Add that to the existing reading and it should still be no more than 1000 plus the fixed charges.

irishgeo

could this be causing it?

https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1220/840106-esb-networks-electricity/

XsApollo

If they have estimated you at 65,734kWh in Sep 16 and you have paid that bill and are up to date with payments
Then you are paid to that Estimated usage.

The difference between the estimated usage and the actual reading you took in Jan 17 is just over 3000kWh which is between 500 to 600euro?
Ask them where the rest of the bill is coming from?
If you are paid up to your estimated usage in september then ask them where is the 5000euro coming from?

TheRiverman

I never pay estimated bills.When I get my estimated bill which is every second one throughout the year,I go to my meter get the actual reading and either ring it in to Electric Ireland or submit it on line.Within a few days a new bill is issued with a new due date.My last bill was an estimated one and it was €50 less that my actual usage,so just bothering to take a meter reading and submitting it keeps payments on track.

aisling86

Would consider our house to have very high electric usage, we have the prepay for this very reason yet for 62days we used 923 units....Your units seem to be double mine a day & I use the tumbler dryer everyday 2/3 times and I'm at home all day too. I know we had a freezer plugged in the utility & removed it after two weeks as it ate into the electric....Check your appliances asap & get a prepay meter.

cormie

Prepay meters are generally far more expensive than other deals you can get.

Fuzzy Clam

aisling86 wrote:

Would consider our house to have very high electric usage, we have the prepay for this very reason yet for 62days we used 923 units....Your units seem to be double mine a day & I use the tumbler dryer everyday 2/3 times and I'm at home all day too. I know we had a freezer plugged in the utility & removed it after two weeks as it ate into the electric....Check your appliances asap & get a prepay meter.

Prepay is usually dearer.

Best option is always to monitor your usage and don't waste electricity.

ct5amr2ig1nfhp

What were your previous readings before NOV?

You say you've been paying 150 EUR every two months. Were you clearing the bill (each bill being fully paid), or did you just randomly pick a figure to pay ?

edit: what are the actual figures (estimates or actual reads) before the NOV estimate.

TheRiverman

Electric kettle,cooker,and heaters are very hard on units if used often,recently I have started to use a small gas cooker that I only previously used as backup during power outages and I know my next bill will be much lower as gas is more economic and it is faster to cook on etc.

Fuzzy Clam

TheRiverman wrote:

Electric kettle,cooker,and heaters are very hard on units if used often,recently I have started to use a small gas cooker that I only previously used as backup during power outages and I know my next bill will be much lower as gas is more economic and it is faster to cook on etc.

Its off topic but I agree. My hob is gas and I only use 2 cylinders a year. About 31.50 per cylinder.
Alas I use electric heating which chews electricity.

Fuzzy Clam

Harleigh Loud Widow wrote:

What were your previous readings before NOV?

If I understand it, previous readings were all estimated. So no actual readings.

loyatemu

The estimate from November was similar to the actual figure for January, so the estimate was not the issue. It looks like you haven't been paying the full amount due on each bill.

We'd need to see the reading, amount due, and amount paid from the last few bills.

Having said that, 1000kWh per month is a lot, our usage is closer to 350 units a month (averaged across the year).

TheRiverman

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

Its off topic but I agree. My hob is gas and I only use 2 cylinders a year. About 31.50 per cylinder.
Alas I use electric heating which chews electricity.

Off topic maybe,but if Aurora.D is using those electric appliances and others regularly and only paying estimated bills without bothering to check the meter,take actual readings and submit them then the a huge discrepancy can quickly accumulate.It does seem excessive,but I can still see that this could happen over a two year period.
€30 for a cylinder of gas where I get it.

exaisle

Unless you have electric heating, they're charging you about €246 per month which is ridiculously high. As an earlier poster says, switch off everything in the house and see if the meter stops. If it doesn't, you may be paying for somebody else's electricity too. You may have a neighbour tapping your supply.(It happens!)

goldenhoarde

Aurora. D wrote: »

HELP! I need some advise, I have been paying my bill based on estimate readings for the past 28 months, I have been paying on average €150 every two months. ESB took a metre reading on the 10.01.17. The reading isn't far off the estimated reading.
*****3194 24Hr 1 11-Jan-2017 22-Jan-2017 68,807 Customer Reading 356 kWh
*****3194 24Hr 1 08-Nov-2016 10-Jan-2017 68,451 Networks Reading 2,717 kWh
*****3194 24Hr 1 08-Sep-2016 07-Nov-2016 65,734 Estimated Reading 2,238 kWh

Myself and my husband and two small children live in a two bedroom terraced house, we have been hit with a bill of nearly €5000!! Is this possible? Any advice please

Okay so on the 10th Jan they were able to access the meter? How were they able to do this? Did they knock and gain entry or is the meter on the outside and freely accessible? If so then they should have been able to read it more than once in the two years ye have been there.

Are ye renting or owners? Did ye do a meter read when ye moved in.


Go through your records and see if ye can find any bills and check them out to see if any have an actual reading rather than an estimated one.

If you don't have them ask the ESB to reissue them for the past two years to see if you have been estimated for all bills over the past two years.

Also check the meter and see how fast it spins then turn off all things electric to see it stops spinning. Do you have storage heater s in the house (as per post above and previous posters)

Fuzzy Clam

loyatemu wrote:

We'd need to see the reading, amount due, and amount paid from the last few bills.

loyatemu wrote:

Having said that, 1000kWh per month is a lot, our usage is closer to 350 units a month (averaged across the year).

You can see the amended reading and the amount due in the first few posts.
They don't add up to me.

It does seem though that the op is a heavy user though.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

exaisle wrote: »

Unless you have electric heating, they're charging you about €246 per month which is ridiculously high. As an earlier poster says, switch off everything in the house and see if the meter stops. If it doesn't, you may be paying for somebody else's electricity too. You may have a neighbour tapping your supply.(It happens!)

While their usage is high and should be looked at, this does not address the kernel of the issue. The readings, be they estimates or actual, or the meter defective or not, do not explain the adjustment of €3800 if all previous bills were paid.

Fuzzy Clam

goldenhoarde wrote:

If you don't have them ask the ESB to reissue them for the past two years to see if you have been estimated for all bills over the past two years.

Read the opening post. Many of your questions are answered there.

Fuzzy Clam

Fuzzy Clam wrote:

Its off topic but I agree. My hob is gas and I only use 2 cylinders a year. About 31.50 per cylinder. Alas I use electric heating which chews electricity.

TheRiverman wrote:

Off topic maybe,but if Aurora.D is using those electric appliances and others regularly and only paying estimated bills without bothering to check the meter,take actual readings and submit them then the a huge discrepancy can quickly accumulate.It does seem excessive,but I can still see that this could happen over a two year period. €30 for a cylinder of gas where I get it.

No argument from me:-)
I've seen gas at 25 euros near me so will be investigating this next time I need a refill. Probably in July.

iarann

Hi,

You need some hard facts and clear tests here to get to the bottom of this.

1) Look at the meter and double check your MPRN and your current meter reading. Make sure they match the current bill.

2) Find the last actual meter reading. Simple, ask ESB for the last date the meter was read by the ESB and the reading on that date.

3) The difference between this previous actual ESB reading and your current can be calculated and the 28 monthly charges added. Find out if they are the same as your payments over this period or if the difference is equal to the ESB new bill.

4) Check if the bill is actually all yours! (a previous tenant may have "misread" the meter or in the time between last tenancy and yours there may have been high usage eg builders renovating/heaters left on etc)

If you are renting then when you moved in you and your landlordshould have taken a meter reading and recorded this on your lease.
Otherwise there would have been a meter reading when the bill was put in your name (when you rented or bought the premises) again this reading should have been done or checked by you. Any usage before you took over the bill is for the landlord or the ESB to sort.



If still nothing obvious then it is beginning to look like high usage recorded and you may need to start debugging.

a) Turn everything off. The meter should stop turning. Best way to be sure everything is off is to turn off the main fuse/trip switch. If the meter keeps recording there is something fishy going on between the meter and the main fuse. To check that out would be a job for an electrician (landlord issue if renting).

b) If meter stops, then using the trip switches bring back one fuse/trip switch at the time and switch on one bit of equipment at the time to see if any item of equipment is causing a lot of electricity to be used. (remember to turn off the equipment before moving to next bit of equipment)

If you want to know what a lot of electricity looks like on the meter turn on the oven the kettle and that should get it spinning. I would not expect any single item in the house to use more electricity than the Cooker on full blast.

c) Be honest with yourselves, is somebody in the house having 20 minute showers every day or frequent hot baths off the immersion. Are you up all night on Boards.ie with an oil radiator heater on?


If after all that you still haven't located the answer you need to (or the landlord needs to if renting) get in help from a person with proper test equipment to test the meter. The ESBs responsibility ends with the meter, but a friendly engineer may do a bit extra testing on the day. I suspect the €180 charge is refundable if there is a fault found on the meter.

If you are getting an electrician make sure they have proper test equipment, that they hold a qualification that the ESB will recognise and that they will provide a written report that you can supply to the ESB if they find an ESB problem.

BTW, if there is evidence of tampering on the meter, then the ESB may start asking questions.

Happy hunting and, in fairness to those who have posted suggestions, keep us all posted.