# Gas electric question / smart meter



## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

Morning everyone
I had a letter from eon yesterday comparing my energy usage compared to "similar" homes and they reckon I use 85% more electricity than those homes.
How I don't know, it seems to spike over the summer periods which is strange because we're not in a lot over the summer.
The letter is about saving money so can't see it being to wrong as they would be making more money from me but would like to reduce it either way.
So for this I'm looking at getting a energy monitor/smart meter so I can find out what's using the most and possibly replace with something more energy efficient.

Any recommendations?
or is it worth looking at switching suppliers?
After this month we will be in credit until October time

Thanks guys


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## 182_Blue (Oct 25, 2005)

Don't EON provide a energy meter ?, my supplier (SSE) give them out for free.


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

85% more seems a heck of a lot. Could be a marketing ploy to get you to fix onto one of their other tariffs! Any neighbours you could speak to and ask what their bills are like?
If you're in credit now you're paying too much a month as we're coming out of winter so ideally you should be about even. Going into winter is when you should be in credit. I don't think a smart meter would help as surely you know when something is on or not, smart meters imho only open peoples eyes to how much boiling a kettle or leaving all the lights on around the house will cost you(if you're doing this stop now!!). 
When was last time you switched? Get on a comparison site and check out other providers, have details of tariff you're on now and how much you've used over last year too it'll be more accurate then. 

Out if interest how much you pay a month and what size house?


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## TonyH38 (Apr 7, 2013)

They would not contact you unless there was some more profit in it for them.


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

Shaun said:


> Don't EON provide a energy meter ?, my supplier (SSE) give them out for free.


Il ring them and see if I can get one


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

Were paying £118 Pcm for both by direct debit.
Its a three bed, end terrace, concrete walled house, insulated loft, brand new windows and doors.
Just had external wall insulation so have to wait till its really cold to feel the difference now!
Not to fussed with the price as it it does even iut as winter turns up but the figure seems to high, if I could reduce it then id do it, only said smart meter as I could check everything I use thats all, see if anything is taking that figure that high.

Cant see nothing in the letter to suggest money for them, it has ways of reducing bills actually, energy efficient bulbs, shower heads, reducing boiler temps etc


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

TonyH38 said:


> They would not contact you unless there was some more profit in it for them.


Long gone are those days fella.
I work in Smart Metering and customers are dumbstruck that an energy provider actually looks into how they, the customer, could save money by using less of their, the utility companies, products i:e gas / electric.

Utility companies have energy targets to meet as per Gov't instructions, the less energy they use, the lesser the fines.


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

Now you've put £118pcm up there OP, you'll find some will say that's high, some av'g and quite a few will say 'how low' ha ha.

We pay £100 per mth in a 4 bed detached but we watch what we use, only have 1 teenager at home now, all 3 of us are out for a min of 8 hours a day so anywhere near the £100 - £140 mth mark is probably an avg amount.


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## Will_G (Jan 23, 2012)

Are you taking regular meter readings every month? If not it may just be the way the estimated and actual usage is averaged out on your bill


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

Not saying its to high, just our electricity usage seems high compared to other, they compare against other homes in our area, how accurate is another question but im a tight git, if I cab save some money I will.
My other half only works Monday and Fridays so is in 3 days in the week. Which will add to it anyway!


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

Attachments


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

Thats the letter. Im the orange line, obviously the other two are what they should look like so nitbtaking thosre as gospul.
Also noticed that thats 85% more than efficient homes but im still higher than similar homes anyway


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

TonyH38 said:


> They would not contact you unless there was some more profit in it for them.


In a way this is true but remember with Government targets that can mean that you pay less. I'm buying a new (old) house and my Gas & leccy will be with Scottish Power. British Gas are coming to provide free cavity wall insulation to help them hit their Government targets.

So I get free home insulation and pay less in gas & leccy even though I'm not even a British Gas customer so they can hit their targets. Usually this is only for people on certain benefits or pensioners but for some reason BG are doing it for anyone.


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## nbray67 (Mar 22, 2012)

Nanoman said:


> In a way this is true but remember with Government targets that can mean that you pay less. I'm buying a new (old) house and my Gas & leccy will be with Scottish Power. British Gas are coming to provide free cavity wall insulation to help them hit their Government targets.
> 
> So I get free home insulation and pay less in gas & leccy even though I'm not even a British Gas customer so they can hit their targets. Usually this is only for people on certain benefits or pensioners but for some reason BG are doing it for anyone.


Utility comp's were given the green light by the Gov't to fit free insulation again as of 1st April.


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

Thats exactly what our external insulation was, funded by BG as a government grant. Nice to get something back


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## Captain Pugwash (Mar 23, 2011)

got a sort of smart monitor think from our supplier (Hydro Iplan) and when it worked (on our 5th now and that's broke again) It does open your eyes to how much things do use 

You say it spiked in the summer months....perhaps washing the car, patio or other things, A pressure washer does show it going up a fair bit on mine...electric lawn mower hedge trimmer, and other electric garden stuff also use a fair bit. My point is that even when your not in and mostly outside during the longer summer days, if your doing stuff it can use a lot of electricity 

I now have a petrol lawn mower and trimmer which also does the hedge, just because I seen how much the electric stuff used


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