Is this excessive? High gas bill from nPower

Crazy_Jamie

Hi guys,

Bit of background. I live in a rented three bedroom semi, with a bathroom upstairs and two reception rooms and kitchen downstairs. Thanks to the landlord, the house has literally no insulation (which after this episode I may be taking up with him). The boiler is a combi boiler, which nonetheless is old and probably not the height of efficiency.

Nonetheless, I like to think that we are pretty efficient with our gas use. We only heat the rooms that we use regularly, which generally means the lounge and both bedrooms. Other radiators tend to be off, and even the ones we use are not on full. The heating is only on for perhaps two hours in the morning and six hours at night. When we're sleeping or not at home it is off. We have a combi boiler so we only heat the water we use when the heating is off.

So between 3rd September 2008 and 6th February 2009 our gas bill is £580. I do have limited experience with gas bills, but that really seems excessive to me. As I said, we are efficient with our use if the house isn't, and I was really taken aback by the bill.

By way of further information, I have checked and the readings are correct. However, for some reason the first 3,000 or so kwh consumption is being charged at four times the rate of the other 10,000. Is this normal? If it was all being charged at the same rate it would be about £300, which I would consider reasonable in all the circumstances.

Any and all help, suggestions, and opinions are appreciated. I'm somewhat lucky in that I generally manage my money well and can afford to pay this, but it is still a real shock and would be a bit of a financial blow.

Magentasue

I think it's probably correct.

With gas and electricity, there is a choice of paying a daily standing charge and a flat rate for all kwh used or you pay a higher rate for the first x kwh. By the time you've paid for those first kwh, you've effectively paid a standing charge.

Edit: There are a couple of things to check but you say you've checked the readings. For anyone else, though, first make sure both start and finish readings are actual (A) or, at least, reasonable estimates. Secondly, in the case of gas, make sure if you have an imperial meter, the number of kwh charged is roughly 31 x meter units. If you have a metric meter, the number of kwh charged should be roughly x11.

Vestra

Tier 1 prices 4 x the tier 2 price sounds quite high, and the initial 3000kwh. Can you post your bill details, how many units charged at what price etc.

But £580 could be quite possible for a very poorly insulated home and the bill covers 6 months.

Fire_Fox

Crazy_Jamie wrote: »

Nonetheless, I like to think that we are pretty efficient with our gas use. We only heat the rooms that we use regularly, which generally means the lounge and both bedrooms. Other radiators tend to be off, and even the ones we use are not on full. The heating is only on for perhaps two hours in the morning and six hours at night. When we're sleeping or not at home it is off. We have a combi boiler so we only heat the water we use when the heating is off.

What temperature is the house when you get home from work? What temperature are you trying to keep your living area and bedrooms at? Have you tried heated underblankets instead of heating the bedrooms? They cost as little to run as a lightbulb.

You have your heating on for eight hours a day, which is quite a lot! Not surprising is the house is leaking as badly as you suggest. With poor insulation it's irrelevant how many rooms you are or are not heating, as your poor boiler is trying to heat half of the street as well. In a well-insulated house the boiler might be switching on and off intermittently to keep the house to temperature, in yours it may be running full pelt for much of your eight hours.

KimYeovil

Your pattern of usage is only normal. If anything, six hours in the evening is a couple more than many. £115 per month is not particularly expensive. Remember you will pay a lot less once it's warmer. For an uninsulated property, I think you are fairing quite well.

Do you need to heat both bedrooms? Do you need the whole six hours?

But as others have said (oops, I appear to have caught the E.on-itis disease) your Tier 1 allowance and price seem unusual.

1carminestocky

To be fair, September & October were *relatively* mild months IIRC, so the figures are a little high, even taking into account the fact you have your heating on 8 hours per day (we have ours on maybe 16 hours a day but set at a much lower temp than in previous years and we have averaged £95 per month on gas since the really cold snap started). I would wager your thermostat would be set to maybe 23c?


PS Are npower still &^%^&%$ about with their Tier 1 charges?

KimYeovil

Oh - just noticed the 'nPower' in the headline - that'll explain the 3000 Tier 1 units. Note that you should catch up by being charged fewer units over summer.

Crazy_Jamie

Thank you all for your replies. I really appreciate it, especially since I have potential uncovered the problem. I'll post all the information here to make sure I haven't gotten my hopes up without merit.

Secondly, in the case of gas, make sure if you have an imperial meter, the number of kwh charged is roughly 31 x meter units. If you have a metric meter, the number of kwh charged should be roughly x11.

I didn't know how to tell the difference between a metric and imperial meter, so googled it. One site said that metric meters have 'M' on them, whereas Imperial have 'KM'. I couldn't find either on mine. Finally found a site that essentially says that metric meters have a row of digits, whereas imperial meters have a row of dials. Is this always the case? Because my meter has numbers, not dials (suggesting metric), and the units on my bill have been multiplied by 31, not 11. Does this mean that they've calculated for the wrong type of meter?

Quick replies appreciated, because I have now convinced myself that I've been overcharged (my calculation on the x11 calculation brings my bill out at £303.08, which whilst still a tad high is something that I can believe), and if I'm wrong about this I'd prefer to have my hopes crushed earlier rather than later.

Crazy_Jamie

If the above post solves this issue, then great. In case it doesn't, I'll respond to the other general queries.

Can you post your bill details, how many units charged at what price etc.

The customer reading on 03.09.08 was 568 (I took this so know it is right), and on 06/02/09 it was 1013 (again, I know this is right or very close).

Gas used is 445 (100s cubic feet) = 14,095 kWh

Cost is first 3117 at 8.304p, next 10978 at 2.488p
Which is £258.84 first and then £273.13 for the remainder, plus £26.59 VAT brings us to £558.56.

What temperature is the house when you get home from work? What temperature are you trying to keep your living area and bedrooms at? Have you tried heated underblankets instead of heating the bedrooms? They cost as little to run as a lightbulb.

Handy tip about the heated underblankets. The temperature in the house is generally only a few degrees above the temperature outside. I'm unsure of the temperature we heat the rooms to, but I'm going to go for 20-23 degrees or thereabouts.

Do you need to heat both bedrooms? Do you need the whole six hours?

We do because I live with my girlfriend and a friend, so he has the second bedroom (seems unfair to make him sit in the cold whilst we are toastie warm). We might well not need the whole six hours, though on reflection it is more like five. My girlfriend gets in at about 5, I get in at about 6. Generally we'll turn the heating off at 10, and she'll turn it on when she gets in. That's something that can be looked at though.

To be fair, September & October were *relatively* mild months IIRC, so the figures are a little high, even taking into account the fact you have your heating on 8 hours per day (we have ours on maybe 16 hours a day but set at a much lower temp than in previous years and we have averaged £95 per month on gas since the really cold snap started). I would wager your thermostat would be set to maybe 23c?

You're right, which is what made me wildly suspicious of this bill. Though the house is not insulated, we didn't use any heating at all until the winter temperatures kicked in, and I genuinely think that we're quite good with how we use it.

Note that you should catch up by being charged fewer units over summer.

This is a good point, and I do realise that, though in its own right this bill packed a surprise punch.

billycasper_2

just to mention that "imperial" meters are measured in cubic feet and as you mentioned the above unit i am guessing your meter is imperial. Usually metric meters have 5 dials rather than 4 so with the readings given it looks again like an imperial meter.
have you and npower discount for dual fuel ? has this been taken off ?
is it a standard tariff?

Crazy_Jamie

billycasper wrote: »

just to mention that "imperial" meters are measured in cubic feet and as you mentioned the above unit i am guessing your meter is imperial.

Usually metric meters have 5 dials rather than 4 so with the readings given it looks again like an imperial meter.
have you and npower discount for dual fuel ? has this been taken off ?
is it a standard tariff?

I've just had another search and it does indeed appear to be a 'digital' imperial meter, which dashes those hopes quite firmly across the ground.

I do have dual fuel with them but was under the impression that the £100 discount (I'm paying by monthly direct debit too) is applied after one full year, which would make it apply on July 1st for me?