gas usage trebled? Help!

msw_2

Hi,
We just had our gas bill for the last 6 months and it is around £400!! Based on readings. This is 3 times what we have ever been in any 6 month period. We only use gas for heating (GCH - off since April) and hot water. We mostly have showers. So, it is just maybe 2 baths a week and dishes!! I have been onto SOuthern Electric and they ahve told me to take readings for one week. Does anyone have any idea what might have caused this? Worried in case there is some underlying problem with the boiler or something????

1carminestocky

I'm assuming this bill is based on an actual reading and not estimated? If so, there's your answer - you've been underpaying previously, ie. using more than the estimated reading, it's not that your gas usage has trebled suddenly. To avoid this scenario in future it really is preferable to monitor your usage by way of reading your own meter regularly and informing your supplier of the findings so the DD can be kept more in keeping with your actual usage, if you see what I mean.

msw_2

Hi, thanks for your reply. The bill is based on actual readings but so have all our prevoius billls. They read the metres every 6 months and bills are based on that.

lee12_2

Hi we are with Southern Electric too , and I must admit they are prob the best of the bunch, I know our bills are a lot less than yours ,but you say it was a 6mth one and we did have the cold weather well into late march so if you where like us instead of the heating not being on in March like past years this year we had it on .We pay ours every 1/4 and this bill was only £8 for the 3 months but the last one was nearer £50 and the only difference was the heating in March, and that was higher than last year but like I said the winter before was milder then.. This is properly not much help but its just an idea.
Mind you before we had the combi boiler put in 2 yrs ago our summer bills where nearer £60, last year it was £10.90 and this year we are one person less,as the last of our girl has left home, and it was £8 so changing the boiler has helped.

jb5

Make sure they are calculating the gas bill based on the correct volumetric unit for your meter.

If you have a metric gas meter, the volume is measured in m3.
If they think you have a imperial meter (cubic ft) - your reading is multiplied by a conversion factor of 2.83.
So in effect you are paying 2.83 times what you should be.

The volumetric unit for your meter will be displayed on the meter itself. Probably close to the dial.

If you have recently switched supplier this is DEFINITELY worth checking.

DVardysShadow

jb5 wrote: »

Make sure they are calculating the gas bill based on the correct volumetric unit for your meter.

If you have a metric gas meter, the volume is measured in m3.
If they think you have a imperial meter (cubic ft) - your reading is multiplied by a conversion factor of 2.83.
So in effect you are paying 2.83 times what you should be.

The volumetric unit for your meter will be displayed on the meter itself. Probably close to the dial.

If you have recently switched supplier this is DEFINITELY worth checking.

The factor of 2.83 is so close to the OP's claimed factor of 3, that this should definitely be followed up.

msw_2

Thanks for your replies - v interesting.
I have checked the metre and it is cubic feet so it doesn't look like it is the 2.83 factor (which would have been a good simple explanation). One of our hot taps (bathroom sink) has a slight drip if not turned off properly, we have a 3 yr old who has started to 'wash his own hands' and I am wondering if sometimes the tap hasn't been turned off properly and this drip has caused the boiler to kick in. Also, the boiler is in his room and often when I am putting him to bed, with no one else in the house and nothing relevant switched on, the boiler will kick in say 2 or 3 times over an hour. Is this normal?

PNPSUKNET

It shouldnt kick in unless something is demanding it. I would possibly get it checked to be on the safe side having a little one with a gas engineer. You should really get this done if owned every 10-15 years and everytime you get a new tennant if rented

Barneysmom

msw wrote: »

Thanks for your replies - v interesting.
I have checked the metre and it is cubic feet so it doesn't look like it is the 2.83 factor (which would have been a good simple explanation). One of our hot taps (bathroom sink) has a slight drip if not turned off properly, we have a 3 yr old who has started to 'wash his own hands' and I am wondering if sometimes the tap hasn't been turned off properly and this drip has caused the boiler to kick in. Also, the boiler is in his room and often when I am putting him to bed, with no one else in the house and nothing relevant switched on, the boiler will kick in say 2 or 3 times over an hour. Is this normal?

HI, I'm just wondering if you have you temperature setting a little bit too high. You might need it higher in the winter but when it gets to mid-March, turn it down a bit.
Have you got controls on your rads, you could have the bedroom ones set quite low.

robbocop33

When i went with Scottish gas i was promised a 15% discount and it was capped for a year.After about three months i was about £90 in arrears with my gas which shocked me as i've never been behind so much.Other odd thing that happened was my gas usuage shot up and was nearly double my electric use?Which has never happened to me in 23 of bill paying.My electric has always been a way higher than my gas bills,but this has completely reversed with Scottish gas so i know there's something wrong!

msw_2

Hi, It just seems really weird as we haven't changed supplier and are just using the same as always. I will turn the thermostat down, do you think this will make a difference when we are not using the heating? I am checking our metre and in the last 5 days it has only gone up by one unit. We have British Gas homecare and they just serviced the boiler a couple of months ago. WIll ring them and see if they have any ideas or could come out and have another look at the boiler.