Electric bill (need help!)

[Psychoclops]

My girlfriend and I have just received our utility bill, and it's a big one! It's gas and electric combined, gas usage is normal, our electrical usage has gone through the roof for no apparent reason, why?!

Ok, so it's not because our bill has been hiked up, it's actual physical usage itself. I've already checked our electric hasn't been hacked. So here are some stats to put you guys in the frame:

Average usage per quarter: 1000 units (1kw) depends on season etc.
Usage this quarter: 2600.

Now, nothing has changed, no extra appliances, I've upgraded my PC but it should now be using less electric as it's more efficient. So what's causing us to almost triple our power usage every 3 months?!

I have some suspicions but I'm no expert in magic (electricity) so I'm hoping someone here can back me up or come up with something to explain it as it needs sorting out urgently.

Suspect 1: Refrigerator/freezer combo. Read up online it can use more power if it loses refrigerant or something. (my personal number 1 suspect)

Suspect 2: My old PSU, was faulty and now replaced.

Suspect 3: My 200ltr aquarium filter, which died about 30 minutes ago after I cut all power to the flat to check if the meter was faulty/hacked.

Suspect 4: Dehumidifier which is built into the flat and has been running constantly since my girlfriend moved in 4 years ago but appears to be running normally.

Or maybe a combination of the above, any ideas? Any help is greatly appreciated

(also any repairs to the fridge/dehumidifier are the landlords problem, we're renting )

[Timsup2nothin]

The fridge could do it if it is running constantly, but if it were running constantly I would think you would have noticed.

200L is a big aquarium, so I assume that is a pretty substantial pump and motor for the filter, but power drawn by the motor should not change dramatically...however...you say it died when you shut it down? As in it wouldn't start back up? It is possible that the starting capacitor on the motor failed and has been passing current (and creating waste heat) for the past however long. Odd failure, but maybe possible, and since the motor doesn't have to restart you wouldn't notice unless you noticed the heat.

[brucewarren]

At the risk of suggesting the obvious some things I might check -

Is it warm inside the fridge? If you'd lost all the refrigerant as opposed to some of it, it wouldn't stay cold but would reach room temperature.

Is there a "quick freeze" button and has it been accidentally pressed?

As Tim pointed out, the motor on a fridge or freezer has an audible hum. You'd have noticed if it was running continuously.

Is your bill read by an actual human being or is it one of those "estimates" the power companies have been trying to persuade people to accept?

[red assassin]

Get a power meter and start eliminating suspects. (You can do this by disconnecting things and monitoring the main meter, but it's easier to have something you can move around and attach to individual items.)

[Morkonan]

My girlfriend and I have just received our utility bill, and it's a big one! It's gas and electric combined, gas usage is normal, our electrical usage has gone through the roof for no apparent reason, why?!....

Average usage per quarter: 1000 units (1kw) depends on season etc.
Usage this quarter: 2600.... ago but appears to be running normally.

Or maybe a combination of the above, any ideas? Any help is greatly appreciated ..

Your first step should be to contest the bill. I don't know how it's done where you live, but "meter readings" can be spurious, sometimes. Typically, it's either done by radio or RFID and these methods can fail. When they do, the meter-reader is sometimes likely just to put in whatever they think would be normal instead of actually, physically, checking your meter.

Protest the bill and ask for help in figuring out what the problem is. In the US, most electric companies are happy to send a person out to your home to help you lower your bill or to check for possible faults. (They might charge in the latter case, though. But, that may be something your landlord is going to have to pay for. You won't know until you ask.)

Also, since this is a quarterly estimate, those "fudged" number a meter reader could have entered might knock your averages out of whack. My company once had a $100k electric bill due to a faulty meter and/or meter reading.

[Mopy]

A couple of things to check

1) If you're not sending regular readings, their estimates can be wildly off.

2) If you're not sending regular readings, then you send one, if they see they've been underestimating your usage, my energy company leaves the last low estimate on record, and just adds all the remaining kWh to the current bill. It looks like you've used a lot in a month, but in reality, you haven't.

3) Check your hot water. If I leave the hot water switch on in my flat, the bill multiplies by at least four (oops).

Is that 1000 kWh per quarter for combined gas and electricity, or just your electricity? Sounds a bit low for two people if it's the former.

Best thing to do imo is to take a reading every month, note it down (I have a special little notebook for this), and enter it online if they allow it. It really does a good job at eliminating nasty surprises.

Best of luck finding the culprit!

[fiksal]

not sure how to estimate this.... but you may have to compare it to your following bill, and watching what you use.

that being said,

Suspect 4: Dehumidifier which is built into the flat and has been running constantly since my girlfriend moved in 4 years ago but appears to be running normally.

the things that are constantly running is my suspect.
did it run for the previous period, did you notice?

also, heating / air conditioning? any big fans?

[RegisterMe]

Sorry, I think I'm being a pedant, but whilst you did use the phrase "actual physical usage", you didn't actually state clearly in your opening post whether the bill was an estimate, or based on a meter reading (similarly, whether your previous bills were estimates or readings).

[pjknibbs]

Have you been reading your own meter to confirm the estimates the electricity board has been sending you? If you have, then by all means check your usage, but you should also make 100% sure they haven't stuffed up the bill in some way. My mother, for instance, contested her bill and found out that she was actually paying for somebody else's electricity as well as her own because the electricity board had somehow confused the two meters!

[Rapier]

Get a power meter and start eliminating suspects. (You can do this by disconnecting things and monitoring the main meter, but it's easier to have something you can move around and attach to individual items.)

This. Plus, I discovered these can be borrowed from my local library for a couple of weeks, just like a book. It may be different where you are but it's worth checking your concil/library website to save forking out £40 for one.

Also, as Paul suggests, check they're sending you the bill for the correct meter (particularly if you live in a flat). The meter numbers should be on the bill and a plate or sticker on the meter. (see your company's 'your bill explained' leaflet)

Also, don't rule out a faulty meter, e.g. it records too much when running (but possibly nothing when everything is off). Is it mechanical (spinning disc), digital or smart? I'd also back up the suggestion of trying to get your 'supplier' to help. I don' know if it's the same for electric, but I know water companies have to refund you if you've had a leak.

[RegisterMe]

Have you been reading your own meter to confirm the estimates the electricity board has been sending you? If you have, then by all means check your usage, but you should also make 100% sure they haven't stuffed up the bill in some way. My mother, for instance, contested her bill and found out that she was actually paying for somebody else's electricity as well as her own because the electricity board had somehow confused the two meters!

Yeah, I paid next door's gas bill for years because the numpties (developers, Post Office, BG) got everything arse about face.

[Psychoclops]

Thanks for the replies guys! Meter readings are done by a meter reader and sometimes estimated, when we get our bill we always check the meter ourselves though. This bill came from a reading by ourselves, which is why we noticed so quickly, the bill doesn't actually come out until tomorrow so we noticed ahead of the bill.

The fridge could do it if it is running constantly, but if it were running constantly I would think you would have noticed.

I did notice the fridge freezer was on after I put the power back on, I then turned it off at the point and on again and the humming stopped. I have however noticed one of the seals comes loose on the fridge and needs reseating every now and then, maybe it's leaking through there?

200L is a big aquarium, so I assume that is a pretty substantial pump and motor for the filter, but power drawn by the motor should not change dramatically

I've had the filter for about a year and it runs constantly, the 200ltr aquarium is recent however but cant account for a £50 a month increase in power usage. The pump runs at one speed only so regardless of whether it's on a 70ltr aquarium or a 400ltr it would run at one speed. The capacitor theory sounds good though.

Get a power meter and start eliminating suspects.

We have already considered this and will most likely go ahead with that idea just to be sure we find the culprit.

Is that 1000 kWh per quarter for combined gas and electricity, or just your electricity?

Just electricity, it's sometimes higher but not much based on an average from meter readings over the last year and a half.

We're also going to be watching the meter closely to see if the consumption has slowed down now that the fridge seal is back in place properly, my pump is disconnected and my faulty PSU is replaced. If it's still going too fast then we get the utility company involved I think.

[silenced]

I can feel your pain. I had to pay additional ~1900€ once because of I have used a lot of electricity, according to my meter.

When I moved to Munich in 2007 it was like this: First year was 30€/month, I got ~40€ back after that, the 2nd was 45€/month (they raised it due to who knows what reasons), and I got ~120€ back at the end. The next year was 50€/month, and I had to pay additional ~1900€ at the end of the year. I was like: WTF?
I told them to doublecheck please, especially my meter, but they were like: Not our problem, all fine! Pay or be out of electricity. ... . . .

I paid and changed the delivery company after that. Keeping them busy with mails and letters about the actual status.


Well, 3 years later they paid me back ~2200€. Had been their mistake, as I always told them. Seems like someone finally did a deeper look into the case.


If you have the spare money it's somewhat fine, if not ... you're arsed deluxe since they can do whatever they want at first. Like kick you off the power grid.


I hope you find a good solution.

[RegisterMe]

Thanks for clarifying the estimate / reading question. Nothing you describe can, to my mind, account for a 260% increase in electricity consumption.

Have you talked to your utility?

[Psychoclops]

Thanks for clarifying the estimate / reading question. Nothing you describe can, to my mind, account for a 260% increase in electricity consumption.

Have you talked to your utility?

Not yet, but something is very wrong somewhere. When I shut off the power to the flat the meter stopped going up so I guess it's not faulty unless it's giving false readings whilst the power is on. I will also point out this though:

Block of flats, 6 flats per block, so 6 meter readers in the utility room downstairs. Ours has by far the highest reading. Flat one has been empty for a year but is now occupied so it's lower reading makes sense. Flat 2 has a young family of 3 in it. Flat 3 is ours. Flat 4 is social housing and the person living there is always home and also has a baby. Not sure about the upstairs occupants but one of them has his kids around at the weekends, but I'm fairly sure otherwise they both live alone (which also maybe explains their lower readings). Also I've only lived there for about a year and a half, before that my girlfriend lived alone, so how is her meter so high? Of course it will go up a little more since I moved in which is why we looked back at the previous 18 months of readings to get an average picture of power usage. This bill is a big anomaly.

[Psychoclops]

Also my girlfriend has been complimentary of the help/tips/advice you've all given thus far. Good job guys

I have however warned her that things can/will/usually get derailed quite easily around here

[Rapier]

Block of flats, 6 flats per block, so 6 meter readers in the utility room downstairs. Ours has by far the highest reading. Flat one has been empty for a year but is now occupied so it's lower reading makes sense.

It might also explain why your reading has suddenly increased. I've heard all sorts of stories from friends over the years about the mess when developers and the electricity companies don't record things properly. Definitely take it up with the company, and if they don't sort it out within 8 weeks, go to the Ombudsman: http://www.ombudsman-services.org/

[Rapier]

I have however warned her that things can/will/usually get derailed quite easily around here

Hitler used electricity!

[Golden_Gonads]

I moved house the end of last year, and my first heating bill was through the roof compared to what I expected. I soon narrowed down what I think was the cause though - Storage heaters instead of radiators. Because they are always on (Or always off as the case may be) they cost a small fortune to run (And take three days to get up to temperature). I'd already had them replaced by central heating by the time the bill came in, but the damage was done.

[silenced]

Hitler used electricity!

But Hitler committed suicide because of his GAS bill, not his ELECTRICITY bill.

Now stop derailing, not that the wrong cable get's railed and receives too much electricity, and Psychoclops has to pay even more.