Huge Gas Bills and I have only one gas appliance

KitKat77

Hi

Wondered if anyone can help at all. Have been with Npower for a few years. My housemate and I moved house last year. We moved to a property of the same size (Mid terrace with 2 bedrooms and box room) with a combi boiler. We only have the gas heating on from Mid Oct - April and for only 6 hours a day at 18c (sometimes a little higher but not often). Radiators are thermostaticlllay controlled. There are no other gas appliances in the home.

When we moved here in August 2008 we were aware that the gas was going to increase in price so popped our DD on £35 instead of £25. However, a bill came in in April and they increased our payments to £49 as the reading was estimate. Since then they have been provided with readings but say that our charges will go up again in the next billing period. We hardly use any gas at all. My housemate is rarely here.

However, our electricty significantly decreased from £35 to £16 in the same period. We use thus much more with ovens, hob, and lights etc.

I am sure we are being overcharged and they claim that between April and now we have used approc £190 pounds of gas compared to a paltry £50 between 25th July and Oct 29th last year.From October to 6th April they say we have consumed over £450 gas. A friend lives in a same sized house with the same boiler, number of people and has gas appliances. Her bills are much less per month and she has the heating on more.

I have racked my brains and spent a long time on the phone trying to fathom out why our consumption seems so high when nothing in the house runs on gas.

Does anyone have any suggestions? My housemate has kept a record of our useage over the last year but we rarely hit the three units a day that Npower said is about average.

The meter is Imperial and they are billing on imperial measurements.

Does anyone have any ideas at all please?

Cardew

There isn't much point in giving what you paid over various dates, we need to know your gas consumption in kWh over the past year.

If you post them here we might be able to help.

shaymenRup

Gas boilers still remain on pilot through the summer and therefore use gas.

The amount of use will depend on your houses insulation as well. The temperature will drop quicker in badly insulated houses - firing the boiler up more often to maintain the temperature.

Also need to bear in mind the price increases.