Really confused, how to calc gas bill?

lisawatkin1302

Hi All , I hope someone can help as I going around in circles trying to calculate what my gas is costing me...I have only ever had oil and never had to work it out

When I moved in the reading was 4098 (not including the 2 red digits) it says ft3

Today (2/10/08) it reads 4174

So I have used 76 cubic feet in 64 days - is that right?

I am with British Gas who charge me 7.563pence for the first 670 kWh in a 1/4, and 3.814 pence after that.

SO is this how to get right amount of money this has cost me???

76 ft3 = 2.15 m3
2.15 x temperature and pressure of 1.02264 (est?) = 2.2
2.2 x calorift value of 40 (est?) = 88
88 divided by 3.6 to get kWh = 24.44
24.44 kWh x 7.563 pence = £1.85

This is surely WAY too little????? As the last couple of weeks we have had the heating on set to 21deg for about 10 hours a day, and it heats water two hours everyday.

Please tell me where I have gone wrong??

Thanks

brysiewysie

Try this;

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1184735&highlight=spreadsheet

lisawatkin1302

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh

not good then...that says the last 2 months of gas has cost £117 - which is loads.

Magentasue

You need to multiply your gas units by 31.3 to get approx kwh so 76 x 31.3 = 2379 kwh.

Magentasue

lisawatkin1302 wrote: »

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh

not good then...that says the last 2 months of gas has cost £117 - which is loads.

Heating for 10 hours a day even in this weather is going to cost a bit! Do you need the water on for 2 hours? We used to do less than that for six of us.

lisawatkin1302

Well its a really old house with rubbish windows etc, and my OH works at home, hopefully getting some double glazing and extra insulation soon...

One problem is the radiators don't adjust other than an on off knobby thing so it seems all or nothing, which we know is a waste - need to check what we can do about this

Water - hmm well maybe not needing 2 hours then, I dont know really as I used to have a combi boiler that i think worked differently? Now its a big thing in the airing cupboard- but there's only 2 of us - til March anyway!

Its all confusing as I used to pay about £600 a year for my oil, (I know prices have gone up though)

Oh well woolly jumpers all round for us........:( The joys of living in a big but old house!

Magentasue

I've moved from a big old house to a smaller old house and yes, they're probably more expensive to heat than newer houses. But I love my rattling sash windows and have no desire to replace them with double glazed. Thick curtains drawn early does it for me. I have a combi boiler but used to have a conventional one. Miss my airing cupboard - brilliant for drying damp clothes. Think I will be tumble drying more this winter.

Try cutting the water heating down by 15 minutes a time - we used to do about 45 mins first thing for showers and then about the same again for a bath or sometimes two and washing up in the evening. We used to top up when necessary but it's pointless heating more than you need every day.

greenbee

21 degrees is quite high to set the heating as well, particularly if its a draughty old house which is never really going to get up to temperature, as the boiler would be constantly on the go.