How is my gas and electric bill so expensive?

We live in a three bedroom student house, which has a smaller spare room in Manchester. From July 2013 up until now we had paid around £350 for our gas and electric, however recently we had our gas meter read and have received a letter from EDF Energy telling us we owe them a further £1300 between the three of us.

Electricity worked out to be 700 and gas 900 for the year but as we have already paid around 300 we owe 1300. I am completely baffled by how this has happened.

We never actually chosen to be with EDF, the people living in the house before us were with them and we just carried on. What I think it might have something to do with is, in the bathroom there is a switch which is responsible for heating the water and I think this have been left on.

We're students and can't really afford to pay this. Surely there must be a mistake.

Reply 1

balotelli12

9

I doubt it!
I pay £135 a month for gas and electricity for 2 people.
You've probably had estimated bills, not sent in a reading and once the meter has been read EDFhave caught up with your consumption.
On the other hand if you did not notify EDF the day you moved in with a meter reading on that day you may well have paid for previous tenants' consumption.
As you suspect leaving an immersion heater permanently switched on is throwing money away!

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 2

Knalchemist

14

Original post by justiceisjust

We live in a three bedroom student house, which has a smaller spare room in Manchester. From July 2013 up until now we had paid around £350 for our gas and electric, however recently we had our gas meter read and have received a letter from EDF Energy telling us we owe them a further £1300 between the three of us.

Electricity worked out to be 700 and gas 900 for the year but as we have already paid around 300 we owe 1300. I am completely baffled by how this has happened.

We never actually chosen to be with EDF, the people living in the house before us were with them and we just carried on. What I think it might have something to do with is, in the bathroom there is a switch which is responsible for heating the water and I think this have been left on.

We're students and can't really afford to pay this. Surely there must be a mistake.

Doesn't sound like a mistake to me.

Sounds like your hot water is heated via electric (as it was in my old flat) and you've had it on constantly.

I left it on for one month and the bill came out to £128 for electric, and that was in a one bed flat with just two of us. The figure sounds right.

Have you been giving them regular actual meter readings? If so, it's DEFINITELY NOT a mistake.

Reply 3

Alfissti

20

Sounds about right for a house in UK.

Reply 4

Reue

20

Our gas + elec is £60 a month and we are extremely careful to keep the costs down.

Thats £720 a year.. so £1300 a year for a household that havnt been careful at all is not beyond the realms of possibility.

The fact that you didnt change supplier is your own fault. Similarly; the fact that you are students makes no difference either.

Reply 5

tehFrance

17

In my student house gas and electric were something like £400, £600, £350 and £300, £1,650/yr, between the three of us, big house with plenty of parties and people staying mind. Your bill seems normal to myself, especially as you left on a water heater that's heated by electricity... I mean come on, what stupidity.

Reply 6

advent2

8

Original post by justiceisjust

We live in a three bedroom student house, which has a smaller spare room in Manchester. From July 2013 up until now we had paid around £350 for our gas and electric, however recently we had our gas meter read and have received a letter from EDF Energy telling us we owe them a further £1300 between the three of us.

Electricity worked out to be 700 and gas 900 for the year but as we have already paid around 300 we owe 1300. I am completely baffled by how this has happened.

We never actually chosen to be with EDF, the people living in the house before us were with them and we just carried on. What I think it might have something to do with is, in the bathroom there is a switch which is responsible for heating the water and I think this have been left on.

We're students and can't really afford to pay this. Surely there must be a mistake.

If you genuinely cannot afford to repay it, there is an EDF Energy Trust which gives free grants to clear gas and electric arrears: http://www.edfenergytrust.org.uk

Reply 7

Limpopo

17

I live in a two bedroomed house with gas central heating and hot water,also i cook by gas. My monthly direct debt for both of them i.e not each is around £56. It covers it.

Reply 8

username158373

18

Original post by justiceisjust

We live in a three bedroom student house, which has a smaller spare room in Manchester. From July 2013 up until now we had paid around £350 for our gas and electric, however recently we had our gas meter read and have received a letter from EDF Energy telling us we owe them a further £1300 between the three of us.

Electricity worked out to be 700 and gas 900 for the year but as we have already paid around 300 we owe 1300. I am completely baffled by how this has happened.

We never actually chosen to be with EDF, the people living in the house before us were with them and we just carried on. What I think it might have something to do with is, in the bathroom there is a switch which is responsible for heating the water and I think this have been left on.

We're students and can't really afford to pay this. Surely there must be a mistake.