Electricity Bill Huge

[PJPJ]

I've just done a quick calculation for my tank. One 130l planted tropical.

My costs line up with the above examples too.

I am on a capped fixed price contract.

If I didn't have the tank I would still use apx. 1500kWh per quarter, this is more than the higher priced tariff £0.28 for the first 225kWh so this means my tank is running using the lower tariff of apx. £0.12235 (I think)

I've worked out I'm using apx. 0.105kWh

Multiplied by the tariff equals £0.01284675 per hour. £0.31 per day. £112.00 per year.

I've assumed my heater is on apx. one third of the time, I could be wrong here.

This is only for the everyday running of the tank. when a water change is performed the cost increases significantly as you either use the kettle etc. to pre-heat the water or the heater in the tank works continuously until the water is at the required temperature.

Regards

PJPJ

 

[coldcazzie]

do you know anyone with British gas for electric, ask to borrow thier energy monitor, it clips on your meter cable and gives you real time info on your pence per minuite etc, or can get them of ebay.

We have one of those and it's brilliant. I also take our meter readings every month to keep track of our usage.

then i sent them the true reading and they wacked me for £500. But an important lesson none the less, if you dont wanna get stung, phone through your readings regularly.

Indeed, legally they are only required to read your meter once every 2 years - it's up to the consumer to ring readings in if they think/know that the estimated bills are likely to be wrong.

well its certainly a learning curve just a tough one bearing in mind im paying two houses for now due to my split and the last thing i needed right now

You can reasonably ask for a payment plan, if you keep the supplier when you move they'll just have you on a higher direct debit, or if you change supplier then as long as you're paying it they have to be happy with that. Obviously you can't refuse to pay at all, as you could end up with CCJs etc which won't be good for your long term plans of buying yourself a house in a few years.

I'm sorry it's not a good situation to be in. I take it there's no leeway in terms of how much you're contributing to your old mortgage?

£112.00 per year.

Interesting. Time for some fishtank maths here too...

*goes off to do calculations*

EDIT: £183.38 for my 2 tanks, using the same assumption that my heaters are on for 1/3rd of the day. Haven't included our standing charge as we'd have to pay that regardless.

ANOTHER EDIT: from our old supplier we were paying £199.14 a year, so saved £16 a year on running the tanks by switching

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

We don't have gas, so the storage heaters use loads during the winter, but as an average we pay ~£115 per month. While I have six tanks on the go at the moment, at least nothing I own needs anything warmer than 23C, while I recall that you (simonas) had something like 4 300W heaters desperately trying to maintain high end tropical temps for Discus in winter 2011.

 

[PJPJ]

£127.00 per month direct debit paid here for both gas and electric for a two bed semi but the heating is on throughout the day for the winter months.

 

[paulyoung666]

I rented a 2 bed house last year after leaving my wife and got my final bill yesterday as Ive moved to a 3 bed. It was a 2 bed with 5 vivs and 7 fishtanks in the end but not that quantity for the full year. I worked full time all day and bar the tanks would not have used loads more

They estimated £22 a mth and did readings and last bill in feb 2012 said £11 owing yet the final bill from meter reading when I moved last week said £970 used from april 28 2011 to 31 March 2012 so I have a balance of £722 to pay. Im gutted and its clear that my electricity usage is high and mainly cos of pets I have

Is this unusually high or are some of you guys using much more? Im going to have to sell on a couple of fish tanks and a couple of vivs I think because I cant continue like this with momey being tight for me at the moment
__________________

are you electric only or gas as well , i feel for you but you should have been suspicious at £22 / month for electricity either way , the only way to keep yourself right is to take meter readings , its the only way to keep yourself right , also , do you have an immersion heater ? , if you do then then that can cost you an absoloute fortune

 

[Mikaila31]

It must be slightly different then what they do in the US. Our meter gets read every month and we just pay accordingly. Though they charge a fee for the meter reading which in our case is $7 every month. Your estimates seem low to me I really don't think its due to pets just a improper calculation of how much energy you would be consuming. My 2 bedroom apartment is 800 sq. ft and all electric heat. With 4 fish tanks our energy usage varies from about $50 a month in spring/fall to $150 in the middle of winter for the whole place. I veiw the tanks as almost negligible in those amounts. In winter they will draw quite a bit of power to heat but water retains heat better then air and any that does escape just helps heat the room. Only time I watch the tanks closely is in summer as we have minimal Air conditioning. The tank heaters are off but the 200+ watts of tank lights in my room will make a noticeable difference to tank and room temp which is not appreciated on hot days.

 

[Tolak]

No doubt that's a bad reading. Do they give usage in KWH? I'll dig up my last bill when I wander upstairs, but with 20some tanks, a couple of 150 gallon tubs (soon to be a third, outdoors. heated) TV boxes x 3 & a computer that stays on I know I'm way below that. I don't hit that in the middle of summer with the AC running!

 

[simonas]

the 4 300 watt heaters were in the old house where the ex lives the tanks are all indoors now. Bar the animals my actual usage will be low no immersion heater although electric shower

Im going to have to sell a couple of tanks and reptiles on I think because as much as I love them I got to be able to pay my bills

 

[Cazgar]

I'm thinking about cutting down my tanks too my leccy bill's shot up recently.
My 3 Betta tanks that used to have separate filters are now using sponge filters run off one air pump.
Think my 60 & 80 litre tanks are going to have to go, though might see if I can transfer some stock over to my other tanks.
This fish keeping lark isn't cheap!

 

[lilacamy931]

Ive not read through all the posts but sorry to say £22 per month for all those tanks and vivs would have been too good to be true Sorry you are left with a steep bill, I would get it looked at to ensure it is only your usage etc. Might be worth getting those handheld things that show outputtage so can work out accurate. Me and my partner got in this situation with electricity and this along with wedding funds and more importantly me not being well enough to maintian the tanks as they should meant we stopped fishkeeping for a while. really all the best and hope this gets sorted out in your favour

 

[KISSfn]

Sorry for your huge bill and having to pay for two houses. I hope you can get the bill lowered.

 

[Tolak]

1320kwh last month, not bad for me.

 

[andyg81]

ive monitored my usage for the past couple of days (since getting a meter that tells me what I use) and it looks like its costing approx 20p per day to run my tank,

with fluval 305, a 200w (i think, may be a 300 not sure need to check) heater and an airpump, plus juwel lights on 6-7 hours per day

since getting the meter ive been going round turning things on and off and checking what uses what - note to self get rid of the halogen heater in the living room !!!!!!

 

[minnnt]

Ours is about £90 a month for electric and the same for gas. I hate keeping fish... So expensive when you actually think about it...

 

[andyg81]

£100 a month total for gas and electric, but the radiators in our house are terrible so we need the electric fire on in the living room to get the room warm enough at times.

plus were terrible for leaving things turned on lol

noticed the internet modem and router which is on 24/7 uses a lot of electric so putting it on a timer plug to turn off at midnight and back on at 6, then off till 5 when we get home

saves having to remember to turn it off when were not in and having to mess about behind a wall unit to turn it off lol.