I think I have worked the high electric bill problem out:
Our overall Energy use is low i.e. we have used a total of 2000 KW over a three month period from December 14 to February 15 (the coldest months traditionally). Whilst my parents who live in a 1950s 2 bed bungalow (which is reasonably efficient but not as efficient as a sealed as a Passive house) used 2000 KW of Energy just in Feb 15 alone, again one of the coldest months in UK Winter, so yes I can see how much more energy efficient we are overall.
However......all our water heating (which is one of the biggest culprits), and energy use is electric whilst my parents are Dual Fuel. This means whilst they used 2000 KW in February alone their cost for their 2000 KW was much cheaper with Gas 3.2 per unit and electricity almost three times higher at 11.7 per unit. This would account for why our bill is exceptionally high, even changing tariffs to a cheaper supplier would only save approx £15.00 a year. My Dad is a very logical, intelligent man, who likes things just right, and likes to understand the whys and wherefores, hence my interest and his in our Energy bills.
The expensive users which will be clocking up the meter again I suspect will be mainly heating of any sorts but, in our case water and minimal household heating. This overall works out to my parents paying over a three month period the same as we pay for one month. When I look back and compare my own energy bill from the same period in the old property in Great Yarmouth I find the similar figures, I am paying on the whole more now in my energy efficient house than I was because the Gas is so much cheaper, as is oil.
The houses are lovely and I wouldn't change mine for the world, (apart from having alternative cheaper way of heating water) my house may be very energy efficient and certainly does attain to the claims but it doesn't look like they do anything to tackle fuel poverty which was one of the aspects the government were hopeful of cracking down on. And its certainly not cheaper at the moment to run for me, which I believe is one of the famous quotes flying around on several web pages I have looked at recently. Admittedly we do not have gas but it does have oil which most residents appear to be on as obviously it would be far too expensive to run a household just on electricity. Although it is certainly cheaper than having night storage heating as pointed out to me - although I believe storage heating is mostly outdated now going out last century and actually I cant recall anyone I know still having them.
I can understand my other neighbours concerns, and both in Caister and Bradwell, over costs of heating, and dread to think what mine will be like if I am not extra careful. Thankfully our Winter this year was not bad - so far!
Now I just have to dig out all those quotes about our energy bills being lower......
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