Energy bills dated end of December 2022

[ian33a]

To put ours into context:

£527 per month (so far)

Property about 3,600 square feet with an EPC "D" and is detached.
Somewhat exposed to the elements but in a relatively maild part of Devon.
Oil fired CH with solar PV (non battery). Underfloor heating in all but two rooms - runs 24/7 but each room has a thermostat - many are programmable and run with night time set back. The two rooms have wood burners.
Cooking with electricity (no mains gas).
About 30% of the house is 1700's cob - some of the external walls are drylined and insulated (how much is unclear).
About 25% of the house is Victorian - some of the external walls are drylined and insulated (how much is unclear) - most are not.
Remainder is 20th century block cavity built (we believe) to applicable building regulations.
Some roof insulation has been applied in areas which are accessible.
Whole house has uPVC double glazing.

An infra red camera should arrive later today - then we can start working on sorting out some of the heat loss.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

On electricity and oil here, around 32p kWh and 46p daily charge

FWIW our electricity is about 15p kWh or £90 a month but if you factor in the minimum wage of about £8.47 it means that electricity is very expensive. Luckily as it’s the cold season so usage is going to be low for the next couple of months

in context it’s about 220 m2 (or 2,400 square feet for the Luddite inclined ) building area and about 450 m2 (4,800 square feet) for the roofed area

 

[Tris]

That doesn't seem too bad as a proportion of income when compared to a UK minimum wage of £9.50

 

[Cozzer]

I don’t dare ask.

With you, there!

 

[sometimewoodworker]

That doesn't seem too bad as a proportion of income when compared to a UK minimum wage of £9.50

well possibly but the minimum wage here is per day at £8.47 not the U.K. £9.50 per hour and there is nothing like a 7 hour day 10 to 12 hours is not uncommon with a reasonably large percentage 10 to 20 % with no jobs and No social security and the pension, unless you have a private pension is £20 if you are 80, £16.50 for 70 and for the youngsters £14.30, not per day or week but per month.

So a not bad proportion of income? Really.

There are a few benefits and that is if you use less than 50kWh per month you get free electricity, and medical treatment is £0.72p per visit, though few foreigners qualify .

 

[sammy.se]

Mine was 525 quid. 3 adults 2 late teens (3 in education). Dishwasher and laundry used everyday.
Mid terraced Victorian house

 

[Tris]

well possibly but the minimum wage here is per day at £8.47 not the U.K. £9.50 per hour and there is nothing like a 7 hour day 10 to 12 hours is not uncommon with a reasonably large percentage 10 to 20 % with no jobs and No social security and the pension, unless you have a private pension is £20 if you are 80, £16.50 for 70 and for the youngsters £14.30, not per day or week but per month.

So a not bad proportion of income? Really.

There are a few benefits and that is if you use less than 50kWh per month you get free electricity, and medical treatment is £0.72p per visit, though few foreigners qualify .

Wow, ok, completely misread that

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No, you didn't misread it, he didn't say it. I presumed it the same as you did although I thought it unlikely.

 

[Jacob]

We were paying £1200 a year all in gas/electric (Octopus) but now gone up to £1400. Monthly DD. Seems to be doing OK and always in credit. Got £100 back last week.
3000 sq ft but live mostly in about a third of it
New EPC;"C" which is above average and good for a chapel conversion, single glazed. It included an estimate of total bill at £1454 which was slightly higher than usage so far.
Recommended improvements could save us a further £237 which would not be worth the effort.
Use the wood stove a lot in the main room but it's free stuff recycled, and sawdust etc.
Have just fitted 10 draught brushes to door bottoms and you can feel the difference. Be interesting to see if it shows up on the bills. They were about £15 the lot at a sale price (slightly faulty fittings) so could be highly cost effective.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

No, you didn't misread it, he didn't say it. I presumed it the same as you did although I thought it unlikely.

I didn’t say. correct

The assumption was made that countries set the numbers using the same baseline.
The government in both countries uses the same phraseology of publishing and increasing the minimum wage.
So I talked using the government number then @Tris compared the numbers he is familiar with not understanding/knowing that there is no direct connection between the government issued statements and he was over estimating the Thai income by roughly a factor of 10.

FWIW the U.K. average income is about £29,000 the Thai income is in the region of ฿180,000, though in 2021 it dropped to about ฿8,000

 

[Dabop]

Well its middle of summer here in Australia, so the aircon is running during the peak heat of the day when its too hot, but my total electric bill (no gas here at all) is um...

$0.00 for the last month, and the same for the entire last year...

Total offgrid system...
;-)

 

[kinverkid]

Our electric bill was £190 for December. Two adults living in a decent sized three bedroom 100 year old semi which is difficult to insulate to modern standards. The multi fuel stove in the lounge heats the ground floor and the radiators on the first floor. We have an abundance of hot water during the winter months and could probably heat enough to supply our connected neighbours too. Our thermostat controller is the opening or closing of the lounge door. The wood is free from B.I.L. and nephew. We don't have gas and almost all cooking these days occurs in the new Ninja Foodi (thanks to suggestions here). We estimate that the bill is probably higher this year because I have had to put an electric heater on in the back room and in the workshop which is something I would rarely do even in the coldest months. I'm on medication until (hopefully) mid February that makes me feel the cold and can't touch anything cold without gloves on or it will feel like I'm holding a frozen chicken. When in the workshop, I now have a heated Gillet I can wear under my apron and padded work jacket. Neither one of us normally feel the cold much and we wouldn't usually keep the house much above 19C in the winter but at the moment, in the evenings, my wife often sits in the opposite, cooler room because I have to have it around 22C with several layers of clothes on.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Well its middle of summer here in Australia, so the aircon is running during the peak heat of the day when its too hot, but my total electric bill (no gas here at all) is um...

$0.00 for the last month, and the same for the entire last year...

Total offgrid system...
;-)

You should be a member of our government - they seem to believe that solar, wind etc. is "free".

 

[Stevekane]

Were cold at a cost of £350 p/month, gas and elect, and Ive now passed responsibility for being the “heating monitor” to my wife who was constantly complaining about the temp,,so goodness knows what the next bill will be!
Ive read several times in the Guardian that the cost of oil on the international markets is now below the price it was before war in Ukrain,,,so when is the price of our gas and elect going to return to more normal levels?

 

[ian33a]

Were cold at a cost of £350 p/month, gas and elect, and Ive now passed responsibility for being the “heating monitor” to my wife who was constantly complaining about the temp,,so goodness knows what the next bill will be!
Ive read several times in the Guardian that the cost of oil on the international markets is now below the price it was before war in Ukrain,,,so when is the price of our gas and elect going to return to more normal levels?

Somehow Steve, I suspect that gas and electricity won't return to the levels that we enjoyed in recent times. The market wasn't sustainable and many companies had to exit and those who are left will put a higher priority upon survival than gaining market share. What the new "normal" is, goodness knows. We will see some reduction, almost for sure, but so much of it will end up being window dressing so as to appease the general public.

 

[Fitzroy]

Oh lord, bills just landed £590 for gas and £374 for electric for a month and 6days. 240m2 granite semi detached house. Not managed to look regards usage vs last year but it has been lower all year as we dropped day time temperature set point from 20 to 18degC.

 

[bansobaby]

Electricity fairly constant through the year at approx £150 per month, biggest draw being electric showers. Other hot water and central heating oil fired approx £900 per annum at the current prices. Central heating on max 2 hours per day. All other heating from logs and solid fuel, approx £750 per annum at current prices.
Average per month through the year approx £290.
5500 sq ft early Victorian (parts much older) stone and brick water mill with its feet (and occasionally more) in the river. Low overall levels of insulation. Never been EPC rated.
We have no problem putting jumpers on and using a minimum of rooms when it's cold, to heat the whole place to 20C in mid winter would be astronomically expensive. The main living room is central, has a big fireplace with efficient stove and warms up fast as well as holding heat, temperature regulator being the doors.
Its bliss in summer, the living room mentioned above never got warmer than 22C this summer past even when it was 40 ish outside......

 

[croft36]

6 bedroom 1910 3 storey detached, in excess of 2000 sq ft, 3 adults.
For the period 13/11/22 to 12/12/22:
Gas £71.40p (one gas fire). Economy 7 Electric £283.70p (Immersion heater, 4 fan heaters, appliances). Total £355.10p.
We using fan heaters in lieu of central heating.
I have track suit bottoms under my trousers and 4 layers up top plus my faithful cap ( we lose 25% body heat through our heads).
Still feel cold at times!

 

[Flynnwood]

An infra red camera should arrive later today - then we can start working on sorting out some of the heat loss.

Did you have any success with that?
Was the camera worth the outlay - on reflection?

 

[Flynnwood]

Oh lord, bills just landed £590 for gas and £374 for electric for a month and 6days. 240m2 granite semi detached house. Not managed to look regards usage vs last year but it has been lower all year as we dropped day time temperature set point from 20 to 18degC.