Just got my ESB bill and Jaysus!!!

Saruman

Anyone else get theirs yet and have a heart attack?
I mean i knew it was going up but this seems crazy.
My last bill was €115, before that €89 and €88 the month before.
This bi-monthly period... was €179 :eek: I mean come on!!

Rb

Jesus came with your bill?

Irjudge1

Yeah same here ffn nuts and a gas bill thats over €300 for two bloody months. I'm gonna buy four duffle coats for me the missus and the kids.;)

Saruman

I wish!!
What makes it worse is... i was going to ring up and give out but i do not think there is much point! I just worked out the unit usage etc and it would seem i used almost twice as much electricity in this period than any other period.
I can only assume it was to do with Christmas. Its odd, with the exception of some indoor tree lights that were only on for a few hours each night, and not even every night.... i cant think of what else could have used so much more than usual.

But i checked the meter and it seems to add up... damnit!!

InFront

The ESB bills are nothing compared to gas. Our last one was over five hundred euro So glad I live with my parents. Sad but cheap.

cooperguy

Ya I got a gas bill for €314 last week. Luckily its split between 5

electric blankets aren't expensive are they ?

InFront

Depends on how long you leave them on for, but appliances designed to generate heat energy don't tend to be cheap. But anyway there's the safety issue of leaving some of them on for too long as well.

Save energy = cheaper Bills

Saruman

In retrospect... it was damn cold in December. So i have 2 electric heaters. One is a panel heater which according to argos it costs 1p an hour, obviously different here. The other is an oil filled heater. 1000kw. Usually have that on a few hours before we go to bed until after midnight. So the heating may have added on to it. I hope it comes down.

I use pretty much nothing but CFL bulbs. Make sure all lights are off when leaving a room etc. The only thing thats on a lot are the computers

Also used the oven a lot more too... and the oven is probably very expensive to run.

Basq

This doesn't fill me with confidence.. girlfriend and I moved into a new flat near the start of December and are yet to recieve a ESB bill.

** waits in dread **

Ruu_Old

Our gas (central air and oven) was $80 and electric (whatever else) was $45 for January. Hard enough to keep the place warm, first winter in the house and I've been doing some work around so I expect it to be lower. It is a biggish house though, 4 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths. Electric prices are going up though because of some freeze yokey they are..unfreezing (in Illinois, I don't understand it ).

brianthebard

I don't pay bills, I paid a €400 deposit at the start of the college year that will be refunded to me minus electricity, heat, light,etc. It's nice to only have to worry about paying rent once a semester and maybe get a few quid back at the end of the year.

Terry

I live on my own and use €4 per day.
I remember when i lived with my cousins and it was £1 per day with 4 people in the house.
didn't the rate go up by 10 or 20% at the start of the year?

Saruman

It did yes.

gandalf

rb_ie wrote:

Jesus came with your bill?

Hmmm I thought they were sending lube out with the ESB and Gas bills now, as they are riding us all up the arse.

Just remember on whose watch the prices went bezerk when you vote in the summer.....

Faith

Saruman wrote:

So i have 2 electric heaters.

FYI, these are like heating your house with a hairdryer. They take a lot of energy and work out quite expensively.

Basq

Funny you brought that up Faith.

Which is more expensive? Fan heaters or oil heaters? I've always been told oil but am unsure.

mloc

Two girls living in a house in town, friends of mine, got landed with a bill for €900 yesterday. Mind you that includes €400 in arrears, but still, for a bi-monthly thats just nuts.

projectmayhem

basquille wrote:

Which is more expensive? Fan heaters or oil heaters? I've always been told oil but am unsure.

i would imagine oil since you turn 'em on, let 'em rip, then turn 'em off and let it continue to warm up the room...

Faith

basquille wrote:

Funny you brought that up Faith.

Which is more expensive? Fan heaters or oil heaters? I've always been told oil but am unsure.

I'm not sure to be honest. I've gas CH in my flat, and there's an electric fan heater in the living room. The fan heater is FAR more expensive than the central heating. I'm not sure about oil, though.

crosstownk

I'm dreading the gas bill - due any day now I reckon. The Mrs has been at home on maternity leave for the last 8 weeks and then add in Christmas!!! I used to read the meter to calculate, but these days I'm too afraid to check.............

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

InFront

Good luck!

Some guys in my year moved out of home and rented a house this year, didn't take the fuel/ size of house into account and are now getting stung pretty badly on gas! I imagine old people are having a really hard time paying this, how much of a fuel exemption is there on gas bills?

Saruman

Faith wrote:

FYI, these are like heating your house with a hairdryer. They take a lot of energy and work out quite expensively.

I know the oil heater does yes. The Ceramic panel heater, like i said is supposed to be very cheap. 1p/hour according to argos catalog for panel heaters.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Hobbes

Our gas bill for 2 months was 400 euros, and we only have gas central heating (which we don't use all that often).

Government have a lot to answer for tbh. Just pure gouging.

wiredmacker

I know the feeling my last ESB bill was 165 euro :mad: . My last gas bill was 200 euro ffs . It' s getting crazy that's for sure

Saruman

I have oil myself so the bright side is i do not get lumped with a bill.. downside.. until my last fill up in December, i kept running out of oil So then had to bleed air out of the system. Pain in the ass. Anyway i got an oil watchman so now i know how much is in the tank.
I think oil is cheaper than Gas because less is used.
Next time i need oil im going with Emo. They have a pay monthly service to spread the cost rather than a lump sum.

crosstownk

Saruman wrote:

I think oil is cheaper than Gas because less is used.
Next time i need oil im going with Emo. They have a pay monthly service to spread the cost rather than a lump sum.

Oil is cheaper than gas because there is no standing charge. You pay Bord Gais about €1 a day for the privelige of being connected to the gas network - and thats before you use a cubic meter of gas.

My parents are on that scheme with Emo and they are quite happy with the set up.

netwhizkid

These bills are pretty bad, these prices are at post hurricane Katrina Oil prices yet Oil is down around the $55 to $60 a mark this season. My personal Electricity was €150 with about €20 owing to the ESB from the previously underestimating my bill until they read it. Impending Privatisation is to blame.

This is a typical example of what the Fianna Fail/Progressive Demcorats government are doing and are currently trying to annihilate the ESB and Privatise it. The Price will keep soaring to make the market attractive for Foreign Multi-National Electricity companies to come in and cherry pick the market offering "cheaper" electricty by knocking off say a tenner a month.

It is like how Directory Enquiries used to be free (before Privatisation) and now there are several operators costing nearly €1 per call.

Then Fianna Fail & the Progressive Democrats will praise the free market and hail Privatisation a success. In Reality these bills could be much much lower by having strict state controls on Price Rises and re-invest all profits into Green Renewable Energy which is so badly needed if we are not to destroy our beautiful planet with Global Warming.

This is exactly what happened with our Neighbours in Great Britain and they have the situation over there now where the elderly and sick < (the most vulnerable of society) are freezing to Death because they cannot to afford the Utilities over Privatisation.

Finally I would like to remind everyone of ye that there will be a General Election between April and June of this Year and please don't forget these bills when Fianna Fail & the Progressive Democrats comes a knocking.

Saruman

Political talk in after hours... its just wrong.. oh wait.. i joined in on the bleeding eyes one

Off topic on FF/PD's Myself i have decided to vote the greens #1... i usually give them #2 but this time its #1. However the problem is i cant see any reason to pick say FG over FF. Enda kenny is a pratt and the parties might as well be the same for all i can see.

crosstownk

netwhizkid wrote:

These bills are pretty bad, these prices are at post hurricane Katrina Oil prices yet Oil is down around the $55 to $60 a mark this season. My personal Electricity was €150 with about €20 owing to the ESB from the previously underestimating my bill until they read it. Impending Privatisation is to blame.

Political bullsh1t aside, you do have of the option of ringing or emailing them (bot ESB and Bord Gais) with the correct reading rather than the estimated reading. This will ensure that you paying only for what you used.

Alkers

Saruman wrote:

The other is an oil filled heater. 1000kw.

:eek: :eek: :eek:

DaSilva

Guys guys guys, how is your electricity and heating costing so much? Is your house that badly insulated?

Go do a bit of DIY, put in some some draft stoppers, get better duvets and watch the electricity use.

I live with two people from a hot country who are constantly complaining about the cold. Every weekend when I come back to the house, the heating is on constant-on, it's such a waste of money, and energy. I use central heating to stop my house being cold, not to make it hot.

I find whenever I visit other peoples houses, it's hotter in the winter in their house than it is in the summer.

Hobbes wrote:

Government have a lot to answer for tbh. Just pure gouging.

netwhizkid wrote:

... some waffle with political agenda thrown in ...

Seriously guys, the hidden agenda isn't very hidden. I'm sick of partisan politics. Fact is, none of the candidates are capable politicians. It's a cliché but they all lie to get votes. I vote for party's based on their previous record, of what they promised and what they actually done, and if I agree with what they have done. This means, I don't vote for anybody, because they are all shít. Democratic politics was never meant to be the career choice it is, it's all a business now.

junkyard

netwhizkid wrote:

Finally I would like to remind everyone of ye that there will be a General Election between April and June of this Year and please don't forget these bills when Fianna Fail & the Progressive Democrats comes a knocking.

I know I'll have my Rothweilers primed and ready.:) They have some f**king cheek calling to our doors looking for votes while they squander billions.:mad:

RoundyMooney

netwhizkid wrote:

Finally I would like to remind everyone of ye that there will be a General Election between April and June of this Year and please don't forget these bills when Fianna Fail & the Progressive Democrats comes a knocking.

With you batting for the opposition, Bertie can sleep soundly in his leafy Drumcondra residence. :rolleyes:

Another poster alluded to it there, but utility bills aside (and the alternating estimated readings are a major negative factor in this kind of situation with ESB Customer Supply-in other words, your friendly meter reader no longer visits every two months, but every four), my biggest beef with this government is the unbelievable waste of public revenue that we have witnessed over the last few years.

I have yet to see what the boom has brought us in real terms aside from a superficial increase in the standard of living (not forgetting a consequent rise in the cost of same).

We still have pot-holed roads, an inadequate health service, and disenfranchised voters who will go out and vote for the double f'ers, just like their dads.

Anyway, how did we get from there to here?

Terry

DaSilva wrote:

Guys guys guys, how is your electricity and heating costing so much? Is your house that badly insulated?

Go do a bit of DIY, put in some some draft stoppers, get better duvets and watch the electricity use.

Or just stop being such a pussy.
I have no central heating.
The only time i use heating is when I have a shower.
People have been spoiled by central heating and it has turned us into a nation of whining bitches (except me, because I'm a hard bastard).
The slightest chill and everyone is complaining about how cold it is and then they turn the heating on full blast.
I've worked in houses durin the summer and some people still have the heating on if there is as much as a cloud in the sky.
you are all screwed when the gas and oil reserves run out.
I'm sitting here in a pair of boxers as I type this. I'm a little chilly, but not uncomfortable. Most of the rest of you are wimps.
I wish it was like this all year round.

InFront

DaSilva wrote:

Guys guys guys, how is your electricity and heating costing so much? Is your house that badly insulated?

Go do a bit of DIY, put in some some draft stoppers, get better duvets and watch the electricity use.

You sound like this guy!:)

RoundyMooney

>"OK! OK! Now, here's Timmy the plumbing contractor. Timmy, what are you up to?"

>"Well Duncan, I'm about to connect this superinsulatedimmersionboiler up, and then the customer is going to be guaranteed hot water 24/7"

>"OK! Super!"

Oh yes, riveting TV.

InFront

His hair AMAZES me.
It's so fluffy.

RoundyMooney

He has a hot wife.

At least, she *was* hot.

/me googles...

Civilian_Target

Saruman wrote:

it would seem i used almost twice as much electricity in this period than any other period.
I can only assume it was to do with Christmas. Its odd, with the exception of some indoor tree lights that were only on for a few hours each night, and not even every night.... i cant think of what else could have used so much more than usual.

But i checked the meter and it seems to add up... damnit!!

You'll probably find your previous bill was estimated and that they came out and read the meter this time and charged you the difference that should have gone on your last bill. Happened to us once to the tune of over £100...

junkyard

RoundyMooney wrote:

>"OK! OK! Now, here's Timmy the plumbing contractor. Timmy, what are you up to?"

>"Well Duncan, I'm about to connect this superinsulatedimmersionboiler up, and then the customer is going to be guaranteed hot water 24/7"

>"OK! Super!"

Oh yes, riveting TV.

Surely you mean:
>"OK! OK! Now, here's Timmy the plumbing contractor. Timmy, what are you up to?"

>"Well Duncan, I'm just about to finish off this botched job using sub standard materials and when the customer starts using it on a regular basis it will blow up in his face and I won't be contactable."

>OK! Super!":)

ejmaztec

It's strange that every year about this time, the ESB bills get later and later. I think that their accounts department cannot believe that bills are correct because they're so f****** huge and have to check the calculations about 20 times before they eventually put them in the post.
I followed their helpful advice, replacing all of the lightbulbs with energy efficient ones and threatening death to anyone in the house who so much as looks at an on/off switch, but we still get crucified when the bill craps it's way through the letterbox. We're all getting stitched up! Where's the competition that the rest of the EU is getting?

TequilaMockingBird

Do NOT make fun of The Duncan.



P.S. Halogen heaters the lowest for electricity consumption. But ya gotta insulate, or its heating up your street too!

Victor

basquille wrote:

Funny you brought that up Faith. Which is more expensive? Fan heaters or oil heaters? I've always been told oil but am unsure.

If they are both powered by electricity..... then they both use the same amount of electricity.

pred racer

julep wrote:

Or just stop being such a pussy.
I have no central heating.
The only time i use heating is when I have a shower.
People have been spoiled by central heating and it has turned us into a nation of whining bitches (except me, because I'm a hard bastard).
The slightest chill and everyone is complaining about how cold it is and then they turn the heating on full blast.
I've worked in houses durin the summer and some people still have the heating on if there is as much as a cloud in the sky.
you are all screwed when the gas and oil reserves run out.
I'm sitting here in a pair of boxers as I type this. I'm a little chilly, but not uncomfortable. Most of the rest of you are wimps.
I wish it was like this all year round.

^^
like he said

oh yeah, and while im at it, I presume that people who are voicing their political opinions, cant remember the last time the "opposition" were in government? well I can and it was f'kin awful

Capt'n Midnight

Victor wrote:

If they are both powered by electricity..... then they both use the same amount of electricity.

Depends on how it heats up the room which affects the number of times the thermostat turns on/off.

Actually a hair drier might be the cheapest if you wear a silky tracksuit and stick it up a leg.

And lets not forget that the more people in a room/bed the warmer it is.

kaimera

Saruman wrote:

Anyone else get theirs yet and have a heart attack?
I mean i knew it was going up but this seems crazy.
My last bill was €115, before that €89 and €88 the month before.
This bi-monthly period... was €179 :eek: I mean come on!!

Didn't the price of ESB go up like 12% or summet in Jan?

Our last bill, due Jan 4th, was €220 I do believe, between 6 students. Hence, it's still unpaid. fs

6 laptops, a wee *nix server and a tumble dryer over 2 months? Bah.

Dreading the next bill.

nesf

julep wrote:

Or just stop being such a pussy.
I have no central heating.
The only time i use heating is when I have a shower.
People have been spoiled by central heating and it has turned us into a nation of whining bitches (except me, because I'm a hard bastard).
The slightest chill and everyone is complaining about how cold it is and then they turn the heating on full blast.
I've worked in houses durin the summer and some people still have the heating on if there is as much as a cloud in the sky.
you are all screwed when the gas and oil reserves run out.
I'm sitting here in a pair of boxers as I type this. I'm a little chilly, but not uncomfortable. Most of the rest of you are wimps.
I wish it was like this all year round.

See, with a young baby in winter you don't get away with that. I don't really feel that cold but you really don't want to be putting a baby down to sleep in a cold room. Extra blankets might be grand for us but it's not that simple when they are very young.

irlirishkev

My bill for the last two months was just under €80. However, I have been very strict with myself for the last two months..

- Turning lights off when I leave the room, no matter how long I leave for.
- unplugging everything when I go to bed
- using the heating only when I need it (which in fairness was a lot)
- availing of late night saving when possible (washing machine, heating water etc)

I also take a reading myself every month so there's none of this repayment crap you have to put up with when ESB 'estimate' your bills..

I thought my bill would be at least twice what it was. I was pleasantly surprised..
It was because my bills were so high previously, that I became so anal with the electricity usage.

K.