Engery costs

Posted 22nd Jan 2023 (Posted 5 h, 16 m ago)

Hi, I'm trying to find out the cost of how much a single working person uses in gas and electricity every month. I'm trying figure out how much I should pay as the other 2 people I live with constantly over use (and are horrible people) and are trying to say I don't pay enough. I try and shower only 2 or 3 times a week in the winter, and only use the washing machine once, or twice if I have towels and bedding. I do my pots every other night and turn things off at the sockets when not in use. Where they do laundry every day, put the heating on, have 2 dehumidifiers running, have showers everyday. Please can anyone help?

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5 h, 4 m ago
£83.17
3 h, 33 m ago
Think you forgot to carry the 1, it's £83.27
4 h, 21 m ago
If they have showers every day and you don’t but are still expected to pay equal then why don’t you just have a shower every day ?
4 h, 33 m ago
I live in a 1 bed bungalow, on my tod. My energy use for December 2021 (1 year ago) was approx £80.00. This December 2022 my energy use was approx £160.00.

I shower every day twice for [approx] 5 minutes each time. (I go out walking evening hence 2nd one). I do washing twice on the weekend. One for clothes and one for towels/bedding. I wash up my cooking utensils etc each and every day. I put the heating on when I want.

That might give you a [very] rough idea. (edited)
4 h, 25 m ago
Sounds like you want lower bills but they want to be comfortable. Time to move out.
Author
4 h, 22 m ago
No I just want to pay my share, against paying for people who I don't like.
2 h, 21 m ago
It's pretty simple just say you would prefer to pay less than them as you have less showers etc. However if they don't budge then just enjoy their lifestyle and enjoy a shower each day etc! Just let it be subtle and they will realise this will cost THEM more!

So, if we assume that the average person takes a 10-minute shower, you can expect to spend 48p per shower on electricity. This is based on the calculation: Power (8.5kW) x cost per kWh (0.34) / 60 = 0.048, the cost per minute.

So going from 12 showers a month to 30 would cost extra £8.64 on energy bill split three ways. If nowhere else is cheaper it's best just to live with your circumstances unfortunately.
Author
1 h, 16 m ago
Thank you for the more helpful, concise and informative reply than many of the others I have received today. I was beginning to think I'd posted on a site for wealthy people who don't need a deal, bargain or way to save money as they are all super rich and non smelly and don't need to think worry over spending or just the plain fact of wasting energy. (edited)
4 h, 51 m ago
You're saying that someone having showers every day is "constantly over use"?
Author
4 h, 38 m ago
Thanks for the smart and useful reply! Some people don't need to shower every day in the winter, against someone who I live with who chooses to go to the gym and sweat also then producing more laundry. My hand hygiene is beter than people who shower every day is! And as you can see from the post it was general idea of what they use in comparison to what I use, and wasn't even in the same sentence as the over use part!
5 h, 1 m ago
I imagine it is split three ways currently. The standing charge is a fairly large proportion of the bill anyway. I guess if it is that awful there time to look for somewhere else. You cutting back on showering and washing isn't good.
4 h, 37 m ago
Time to go, life is way to short, also completely agree with JB.
4 h, 11 m ago
Take up ARC welding and expect THEM to pay 2/3 of that. (edited)
4 h, 14 m ago
I would hate to be in your presence if you only shower 2 times a week!
Author
4 h, 8 m ago
I do not smell for the second time! Some people are more sweaty, have more bacteria and so smell more, it can even boil down to the type of food you eat, and even medical issues, luckily I don't have that problem. My post isn't about cleanliness or whether I smell or not it's about how much energy costs. (edited)
4 h, 30 m ago
Part of living with others sadly. Perhaps you doing your pots every other night annoys them? You are benefiting from dehumidifier (who paid for as expensive? (Sense perhaps not you)) and non smelly house mates. I'd advise you pay equal share or find elsewhere to live. Granted, its difficult and sometimes unfair.
4 h, 24 m ago
Its an impossible way to calculate things as there are so many variables. You could use smart plugs to look at the charge per hour for each appliance but you wouldn't be able to factor in the boiler as I'd assume it's wired to the mains, likewise for the shower etc.

I'm assuming that when the heating comes on you're benefiting from that so that's an unintentional usage.

I can't see how you could truly provide a percentage of the bill based on your usage. It would be an estimate at best and will only lead to resentment.

As frustrating as it is, I think this is the pitfall of shared living (edited)
Author
4 h, 23 m ago
Just to clarify I don't smell! I don't use the dehumidifier they use it for their clothes and their own bedrooms, as yes, I didn't buy it. When doing laundry I wait until its a dry day and put my clothes outside, ie like yesterday and then they just need airing off, but I don't want to bore people with what a huge list of what I do and don't do.
3 h, 45 m ago
Remember the dehumidifier will contribute to over house comfortability. They will help prevent damp. Damp tag could affect your health.
4 h, 13 m ago
If 3 people are sharing the property then the energy bill should be equally split 3 ways. Saying i use the shower less than you or you use the washing more is silly. If you are not happy with situation and you do not like the other 2 people why not just move out? (edited)
Author
4 h, 5 m ago
I can't afford to.
4 h, 4 m ago
Always a point of conflict. Even in a married couple, one can be comfortable in the lounge dressed in shorts and t shirt at 13 degrees, but the other wants the thermostat cranked up to 23, to the point where the person in shorts is dripping in sweat. WFH costs a fortune; our heating would be off all day normally, with maybe an hour's gas fire in the evening.
3 h, 54 m ago
when you share a property with other people, the utitlity bills will need to be split equally, irrespective of who has used what as it is not possible to measure energy use. no one is going to police how many times someone has used the shower or turned the radiator in their room up too high.

you just have to put up with it or move out if you think they use too much energy and move into a place where everyone freezes as no one wants to spend too much on bills.

you could always just rent a room where the bills are included in the rent.
Author
3 h, 46 m ago
It's not a case of wanting not to spend too much on bills, or living somewhere where I freeze to death I just want some form of fairness, why should I pay more and be mindful of usage if someone uses more. Hence why is was asking about how much a single person would spend, I'm trying to find an average or an idea of how much it costs so if I need to contribute more I'm gladly willing to do so. (edited)
2 h, 53 m ago
As @acb76 has very well explained, life is too short to be overly annoyed. If you are incredibly unhappy look for new lodgings, if that isn’t an option then to make things more bearable I would pay an extra £20 or £30 and in turn I would enjoy more showers and use the utilities more. Good luck in whatever you choose.
2 h, 52 m ago
It's irrelevant what others pay, you are responsible for a third of all bills if sharing. Either you move out which you say you can't afford to do or put up with it.
31 m ago
Best thing to you can do OP is look at moving out and there’s always a way. Reading your post you are clearly unhappy with the situation and it appears your housemates know this and are probably taking the pish about it just to wind you up even more
It’s a vicious circle’ I assume you’ve already tried talking to them about it and that point has passed ?

Stress is a silent killer so try not to let it bother you until you can find something that suits you better. Good luck with it.
Author
1 m ago
Thank you, for not making presumptions and trying to be more understanding. Yes I do feel like the person I share with are out to "wind me up more" and it's not a standard house share as everyone else has presumed. There's a bit more to it, which I would like to stay to stay private, I'm just trying to do the fair thing in a very bad situation.