EDF bill- faulty meter or dodgy appliance?

[Hells Bells]

Our annual 'regularisation' bill arrived yesterday, with an extra amount to pay of 250€ give or take. Now we always owe a few, and have even had a refund, but I'm at a loss to explain the large increase. Guest numbers and bookings are pretty similar, but it is the increased use over the summer months that concerns me most. Normally if we have underpaid over the winter they alter the payment in April, and looking at the online stats summer use has increased. Laundry has been done off premises for most of it.
In winter we have communal geothermal heating. THis costs me a small sum each year. It is turned off in mid-May and switched back on around now.
We are using around 23kW per occupied day, which seems pretty excessive for a 33 sqm 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment. Winter and summer consumption are similar this year, but summer is usually less.
We have a cumulus water heater (uses overnight electricity) and two small electric wall heaters, which shouldn't be needed in winter, and a heated towel rail in the bathroom. Usual domestic appliances, but no tumble dryer. Energy efficient light bulbs in all light fittings.

[kevsboredagain]

Considering your heating is winter is not electric, it does sound fairly high. My place is 55m2 which all electric wall heaters. In winter I'm seeing 31kWh/day and in summer about 10kWh/day but with less occupancy.

Some guests can have a huge impact on bills though. In Spain my summer bill was exactly double that of last year. All it takes is one guest to run the AC/heaters full time for a week or two.

[Hells Bells]

M is trying to say it is pretty chilly in the evenings in summer, but not to the extent you would need to run the panel heaters 24/7. I think they are both just 500kW ones. We were there in July and didn't use them, it was mid 30's for most of the time, and above 15 every night.
Sister was there for 2 weeks in August and used the lounge one on a couple of evenings, when it had rained during the day, but not the bedroom one. M has agreed to read the meter at the beginning and end of each rental to try and see where it is going.

[Hells Bells]

We appear to have used the equivalent of a 3 bedroom house. I am not sure how much energy my water heater uses (150l cumulus). I am currently suspecting this is not being switched off when the place is empty. Neighbours have a dodgy heater, it needs to be on setting 1 to heat the water, and doesn't work on auto. Mine works on auto, but I'm beginning to wonder if it works on 'off'.

[Ben McNevis]

Like Kev, I'd put my money on dodgy guests rather than dodgy appliances. Possibly it's even heaters left on between guests. If you do your own changeovers, you probably always check the heater settings. If not, you never know.

Some guests take the view that they've paid for unlimited use of the property and they want to make sure they get good value. We had some Saudi guests recently who put the (digital) house thermostat up to 40C. Fortunately, it takes no notice of anything above 21 so it had no effect, but putting heating on full blast while you go out for the day so that it's warm when you come home seems to be second nature to some.

[kevsboredagain]

One thing I always do is flip all breakers for the water heater, wall heaters and oven when not occupied for a while. I learned my lesson leaving a heater on for a few weeks. All other electricity remains on as I have some network devices there I need 24/7.

[Hells Bells]

All the electricity is meant to be turned off when the place is empty, there is no need for anything to be still on.

[teapot]

I think they are both just 500kW ones.

Well they would do it

It's not one of the ERDF adjustments we have been hearing about? Friends got hit with an extra €1000 for the previous undercharging last year by ERDF's accountants

[Hells Bells]

Not that I can see from the bill, but I will investigate.

[RichardHenshall]

... I am not sure how much energy my water heater uses (150l cumulus). I am currently suspecting this is not being switched off when the place is empty. ...

Unless you have a seriously drippy hot tap or a very poorly insulated hot tank the energy required to keep it hot, when no water is being used by occupants, would be nowhere near 1 unit per hour.

[teapot]

... I am not sure how much energy my water heater uses (150l cumulus). I am currently suspecting this is not being switched off when the place is empty. ...

Unless you have a seriously drippy hot tap or a very poorly insulated hot tank the energy required to keep it hot, when no water is being used by occupants, would be nowhere near 1 unit per hour.

Only from memory......I seem to remember our 200ltr used about 12 units per day with normal usage 2 persons, showers, washing up etc if that is of any help.

[GillianF]

The guests could have been very wasteful with the hot water. Lots of people wash up under a running hot tap. Also, is there a washing machine, dishwasher? Guests could have used both several times a day with just a few things in rather than a full load.

We examined our own electricity bill and my husband determined that if we sat in the dark, didn't watch TV, didn't cook or use the washing machine or dishwasher and showered in cold water the bill would only have been halved because the standing charges, tax, subscription etc. made up half the bill - and you can't avoid those payments!

[teapot]

We examined our own electricity bill and my husband determined that if we sat in the dark, didn't watch TV, didn't cook or use the washing machine or dishwasher and showered in cold water the bill would only have been halved because the standing charges, tax, subscription etc. made up half the bill - and you can't avoid those payments!

You could if you go off grid but that's a whole new topic.

[RichardHenshall]

... We are using around 23kW per occupied day ...

If that's based on your annual consumption divided by the number of occupied days, then any 'unoccupied' consumption (fridge/freezer, water heater, router etc) will be amplified, depending on the ratio of unoccupied to occupied days, so could be misleading.

Have you verified that the meter reading upon which the bill is based is consistent with the current meter reading? Misreadings can occur but they will eventually autocorrect.

[Hells Bells]

Yes, we have confirmed it is correct. There should be no electricity consumption when we are unoccupied as everything is switched off at the mains (or it should be) if there is more than just a couple of days between changeovers.