Hello I have just moved into a one bedroom property (one open plan living area/kitchen downstairs) and one loft space bedroom upstairs. I am electricity only and am racking up useage of £90 a month. I am not using my heating (it's 9° inside!) I'm not using my washing machine or electric shower I can't understand how I'm using so much electricity. I have been away for work from Monday to Wednesday evening this week and used 29kwh. Is this normal usage for just a fridge, a router and 2 smoke alarms? I'm too scared to put my heating on. I have not lived in an electric only property before so don't really know what is normal monthly expenditure for a one bedroom property? Any help would be appreciated.
Answer
Electricity only feels quite costly
Best answer by Ben_OVO
Updated on 04/12/25 by Abby_OVO
Hi
Thanks
Just to add - I’ve spoken to hundreds of OVO customers who live in electric-only properties where high usage is an issue. Unfortunately, with electric-only this is a very common theme. Electricity is a great deal more expensive than gas, and sometimes these properties may use a lot of electricity for things like heating water via an immersion heater, as has been suggested above.
If you’ve not got the heating on at the moment check your immersion heater (if you have one). it might be that its been switched on the whole time, for example, whereas it should only be switched on for enough time to allow the water in the tank to heat up.
I’d also recommend going online and searching for ‘energy advice in (your local area)’. You should find that there’s organisations and charities, maybe even your local council, that are set up to provide bespoke energy advice. If you contact an organisation that gives this advice you should be able to tell them exactly which appliances you have, and they’ll tell you the most cost-efficient ways to run them.
+3- Carbon Catcher***
Where are you seeing the usage of £90 ? Is that what you’re paying eg on direct debit, or on pay as you go ? Are you seeing this usage info on the OVO app ?
How is your hot water heated ? Is it with an immersion heater in a hot water tank, or do you have an electric boiler ?
- Plan Zero Hero
Those are alarming consumption figures, so you should certainly be investigating.
- Are you getting your information the meter or the online account?
- Is the meter a smart one? If it is, do you have the IHD that came with it when it was installed (sadly, people often mistakenly take the IHD with them when they move out, not realizing that it won’t work anywhere else)?
If we have to look a bit more closely at this, it would help to have some photos:
- A close-up of the meter clear enough for the markings on it and the display to be legible;
- An overview of the backboard the meter’s mounted on or the cupboard it’s in, so we can see all the cables to and from the meter;
- A close-up of the consumer unit (‘fuse box’) with the lid propped open, again clear enough so the labels (if any) and the markings on the breakers are legible.
Since you say the heating isn’t on, what about hot water? We see too often that there’s an immersion heater in the water tank that is left on all the time. That is almost never necessary and can be very wasteful.
You should also check that the consumption figures and bills you’re seeing are linked to your meter and not somebody else’s. The Meter Serial Number (MSN) is always shown on bills and is usually easily found at the account website. It should be the same as the MSN printed on the front of the meter itself.
Last, I’d point out that having the indoor temperature at 9º may not be a very good idea. There is a danger of condensation promoting mould growth, which is never good. It’s quite possible to be comfortable in cold environment, so long as you take appropriate steps to insulate yourself and perhaps use something like a heated throw to make sure you’re warm enough - they cost pennies to run.
Noel | I have no official status; I'm just a volunteer who comes here to help other customers. My gear: Aclara SGM 1416-B Electricity-only E7 meter; Chameleon IHD3-PPMID-AAA | It may look as if I know what I’m talking about, but don’t let that fool you. |
Updated on 04/12/25 by Abby_OVO
Hi
Thanks
Just to add - I’ve spoken to hundreds of OVO customers who live in electric-only properties where high usage is an issue. Unfortunately, with electric-only this is a very common theme. Electricity is a great deal more expensive than gas, and sometimes these properties may use a lot of electricity for things like heating water via an immersion heater, as has been suggested above.
If you’ve not got the heating on at the moment check your immersion heater (if you have one). it might be that its been switched on the whole time, for example, whereas it should only be switched on for enough time to allow the water in the tank to heat up.
I’d also recommend going online and searching for ‘energy advice in (your local area)’. You should find that there’s organisations and charities, maybe even your local council, that are set up to provide bespoke energy advice. If you contact an organisation that gives this advice you should be able to tell them exactly which appliances you have, and they’ll tell you the most cost-efficient ways to run them.
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