Huge electricity bill

howyenow95

Hey everyone hope this is an ok place to post this

I just got an electricity bill from airtricity for 240 euro. I recently renewed my contract with them and availed of the 24% discount and also recently moved into a new granny flat type accommodation which is considerably smaller than my last rental (3 bed semi). This bill is more than I ever paid in my last house that had a lot more electricity usage. My new place just has a bedroom, small kitchen and bathroom. I use the washing machine about once a week, rarely use the dryer, and in general don't use much else above boiling the kettle, taking showers and other small things. However I do have ATC electric radiators that I have on often enough, but have heard good things about their cost to run so I had hoped it wouldn't cause a surge in the bills but it seems likely they're the culprits. It still seems excessive as I only have 2 of them but usually only have one on for a few hours in the evening.

I'm just wondering if anyone here has any insight, tips, experience etc with airtricity etc so I can get my head around this.

whelan2

Is it an estimated bill

Odelay

I suspect you could be paying the bill for the main house? Some evening turn everything off, fridge included and see if the meter is still turning when the main house is occupied.

meercat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058240101/huge-electricity-bill

€240 total

€120 per month

€30 per week

€4.50 per day

for heat/light/hot water and general electrical usage

seems right to me.

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875845#Comment_118875845

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875845#Comment_118875845

When you break it down like that it sounds reasonable-ish but I never paid that kind of money in the last house that was bigger and had a lot more on.

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875831#Comment_118875831

Oh god, I hope not! I know for sure I have my own separate eircode to the main house and this flat use to have prepay in it which I got rid of so that makes me think the electricity is separate to the main house if you get me. But I might still look into it.

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875830#Comment_118875830

I actually don't know. I got the bill in an email but when I logged into my account there's nothing there...

CramCycle

Take a meter reading and submit it and see what that does or check it against the bill to see is it close in its estimate.

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875885#Comment_118875885

Will do thank you!

phormium

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875845#Comment_118875845

Doesn't sound right to me, I have a much bigger house, use normal sort of electricity similar to OP, electric shower/2 freezers/permanent 24/7 radon fan/washing machine etc and have one electric oil filled radiator that I have been using a few hours a day over last couple of months up to this warm spell and my bill isn't even that!

OP check if estimated or not, check number of days in case it's extra long, my recent bill is actually very short as in 48 days for some reason which probably accounts for why it was so much less than I was expecting! When did you move in? Assume there is no remnants of previous tenant's usage on it!

macvin

If you are using electric heating, then that is about what I would expect.

Check the wattage of each heater. My guess is 2,000 or 2,400. Or 50-60c per hour. It has also been quite a cold January and February.

A certain amount, probably over €70, is probably standing charges.

At current rates, this seems quite ok for a 2 month bill.

colm_mcm

These magic electric heaters are a cod. Electricity goes in, heat comes out. All electric heaters are close to 100% efficient

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875880#Comment_118875880

Bills don’t usually come via email. Usually just a notification asking you to log into your account.

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876067#Comment_118876067

SSE email you your bill amount.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876084#Comment_118876084

Ok. All utility bills I receive, electricity, phone, email a notification. Not an actual bill.

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876099#Comment_118876099

Just to be clear, they email you something like this rather than the actual bill, but it has the total in it

phormium

I just got my Electric Ireland bill few days ago, email came with link to log in to look at bill but it does give the amount of the bill, the issue date, period covered and whether read or estimated so while it's not the actual bill all the necessary info is there unless I actually want to look at the units used/price/vat

HeidiHeidi

Is the bill in your name?

Did you give an opening reading when you moved in?

If the bill for an actual or an estimated reading?

What period does the bill cover?

Is it possible there was a charge for leaving pre-pay and going back on bill-pay? (Or is it a different company).

I have a small bungalow, and the bill I received this week was €155. I always heard that electric heaters were very expensive.

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876172#Comment_118876172

The pre-pay was with Prepaypower so I don't think that's it.

I hear electric rads are expensive too and I hate to think that's what's put the bill up because they are the only source of heat I have. I didn't even have them on that much because the weather is slightly warmer, I dread to think what my bill will look like in the winter months.

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876146#Comment_118876146

Yes, bill in my name.

I honestly can't remember if I did or not.

I don't know if it's estimated or not, where would it say that?

It covers almost two months.

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876121#Comment_118876121

In the past I have always gotten the link with the details and an actual bill on my online account so...I will check again

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876121#Comment_118876121

In the past I have always gotten the link with the details and an actual bill on my online account so...I will check again

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876121#Comment_118876121

In the past I have always gotten the link with the details and an actual bill on my online account so...I will check again

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876054#Comment_118876054

Sorry I'm confused, if they are a cod how are they efficient?

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875953#Comment_118875953

Where does it say if it's estimated? I moved in on Feb 14th. Last tenant was using pre-pay power which I cancelled.

howyenow95

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118875993#Comment_118875993

Even for such a small space? I just don't understand how a bigger house cost less.

macvin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876287#Comment_118876287

Electric heating is the biggest user of electricity.

Insulation also comes into it.

Poor insulation and cold nights would easily see 4+ hours of electric heating.

That's about €2 per evening. €120 a bill.

Warmer evenings will see that plummet.

The 3 bed house probably had gas or oil.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876287#Comment_118876287

Were you paying the last bill for the 3- bed house on your own?

Was that electric heating only?

You really need to get the numbers and dates from the bills in order to be able to compare like with like.

I'm not well up on electric heating, but I'm sure some appliances are more efficient than others, and the insulation in the property will have a bearing also.

But your first port of call should be to make sure that the bill is for two actual readings, not estimates.

macvin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876282#Comment_118876282

'e' after reading or it will state"estimated"

Or simply check reading on bill versus actual meter.

I presume you got and witnessed the reading from when you took over.

ewiz9

what is the BER rating of the house? if low, your electric heaters might be always on (i.e no thermostat cutoff)

colm_mcm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876274#Comment_118876274

Because they’re being marketed as being more efficient to run than other electric heaters. People are throwing storage heaters that run on night rate electricity and putting these in, when in reality a €50 oil filled radiator or convector heater is going to eat through electricity at the same rate.

When I say efficient, I mean there are no losses, not that they’re cheap to run.

2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118877125#Comment_118877125

Exactly.

Efficiency is the ratio of input energy (electricity) devided by output energy (heat). For electric heaters the efficiency is very high (almost 100%). However the cost of electricity very high per unit (around 3 times that of gas).

My advice:

1) Do not use pre pay electricity meters. Unit rates are far, far higher.

2) Avoid any form of electric heating as much as possible. This includes the immersion, tumble dryer and electric heaters.

3) Install a device (such as an Owl) so that you can monitor the electricity usage.

4) Change supplier every year.

Sleeper12

Just to add to the two posts above. The only electrical heating that can be more efficient than regular electric heating are heat pumps. Regular electric heating is 100% efficient. Heat pumps can be up to 400% efficient

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058240101/huge-electricity-bill

My last bill is 380 euro.

Thats just the world we are in at the moment though.

2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118896941#Comment_118896941

I don’t mean to be pedantic but what you are describing is the coefficient of performance or COP.

Sleeper12

Well yes. A heat pump can put out up to 4kw for 1kw required to run it

Pistachio19

@howyenow95 has your discount been applied? Did you give a meter reading when you moved in to the apartment? Chances are your bill is based on their estimated unit use so it should balance out if you submit a reading.

2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118897253#Comment_118897253

Agreed but I guess what we are really saying is that 1 kW of electrical power can be used to generate more than 1 kW of heat.

I think it is important to differentiate between electrical heating that is generated by a current flowing through a resistive element and heating generated by a refrigeration cycle.

I would not consider a heat pump to be “electric heating”. sure it uses electricity but so does a gas boiler.

Sleeper12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118897652#Comment_118897652

I'm happy to go with that 👍

crossman47

The way prices have gone, this discussion should be about comparing usage in terms of units, not cost.