Hi, I need some help please

lucylou

Hi, how do I know if my heaters are electric or gas?
Also I am spending way to much for my electricity but nearly nothing for gas, how do I know what is making me spend so much?coudl someone help please?
thanks

Premier_2

Perhaps the most appropriate thread title ever! :cool:

aelitaman

Do your heaters have a switch on the wall with a white cable going to them?
Do they have lights on them that shine bright when the heaters are hot?

If yes they might just be electric.

or

Are they long thin white things stuck to the wall?
If yes they just might be gas (to be technically correct hot water heated by gas)

macman

If you are using your heaters, and you are spending 'way too much' on electricity and 'nearly nothing' on gas, then you don't have to be called Sherlock to deduce that your heating is probably electric.
But aelitaman's tips should help you to be 100% certain.
If you want advice on reducing consumption then you need to give proper info: firstly what your unit consumption is, and what you are using the electricity for. The big cost items are: heating, hot water, tumble drier, electric shower etc.

lucylou

thanks for your answers even though some of them are not very helpful so why answer?
the question about the heater is because they are long thin and white and yes they have water in them but I was puzzled as why I don't pay much for gas.but there is a switch on the wall which says do not switch off heating but I think it's for the thermostat and timer?
i don't have a tumble dryer or a dishwasher.
thanks

macman

It sounds like you have gas central heating, which is a puzzle if your gas bills are low.
Are you sure no wires from the radiators-I assume that what you are describing is a radiator?
Do you have a gas boiler-possibly near the timer?

lucylou

hi yes there is a boiler.but gas cost per month 22£
electricty
£66!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was wondering if one of neighbours maybe has done something and attached to our electricity?
it is very weird

macman

You may be on a direct debit of £66, but that doesn't necessarily reflect your actual electricity consumption. I'm assuming you have recently moved into this property, so what was your starting meter reading and what is your current reading? Work out the units used, divide by days elapsed and that will give you your approx daily usage and approx actual cost. It may be that previous occupiers were using far more and that your DD is based on their consumption-have you changed suppliers?
What supplier and tariff are you on? Not an Economy 7 tariff by any chance?
What other heavy duty electrical items do you use? Electric shower, electric cooker?
Is there an immersion heater and has this been left on continuously?

Mankysteve

How big a house is it ?
Have you got the heating turned on?
What energy supplier have you got?

lucylou

thanks for your replies.here is the info I have
Electricity supplier: Scottish Hydro Electric
tariff : domestic standard
from 22 oct 2008 to 22 april 2009 I spent £497.02 and used 3691 units(not estimated)
from 23 april to 23 oct 2009 I spent £ 344.82 and used 2695 units (not estimated)

Gas supplier:scottish hydro electric
tariff: energyplus airmiles dual fuel general domestic
from 22 oct to 22 april 2009 I spent £ 166.17 and used 379 units (not estimated)
from 23 april to 23 oct 2009 I spent £65.71 and used 56 units (not estimated)
the answers to the questions I was asked:
Do your heaters have a switch on the wall with a white cable going to them?no
Do they have lights on them that shine bright when the heaters are hot?
no
the house is three bedroom semidetached but the rooms are quite small
yes we have a boiler but I don't know if it's only for hot water ,I presume not.Near the timer there is also a switch with a light above it which says hot water and seems to be always on.
then there is another switch which says heating and once we switched it off by mistake and the house was freezing.
the radiators are not that thin and they have a brass thing that goes into the floor but no switches or lights.
I'm not stupid i was just wondering if anyone would help as my gas is so low
we do not have a dryer or dishwasher.
there are only two adults and a baby in the house.We use the shower for 10 minutes each every day.we use the washing machine twice a week.we have kettle, toaster, kitchen chef, grill and electric cooker with fan.computer, tv,dvd player , amplifier and normal appliances.
If someone could help I would be really grateful

macman

OK, you have radiators running off a gas boiler (the 'brass' pipes are actually copper). I'm not clear if this is a combi boiler (hot water on demand) or a conventional boiler (stored hot water). Do you have a hot water storage tank or immersion heater somewhere in the property?
Are the radiators on (warm) 24/7 or are they controlled by the timer?
Could you give us a make/model for the boiler?
And similarly for the timer?

Edit your DD's seem about right for the consumption you are indicating on both gas and electricity, but if it's gas CH then I can't understand why it is so low.
What else is gas powered in your house-gas cooker, gas fires?
I'm beginning to doubt if you actually have full gas CH after all, which is why more info about the boiler will help.
You leccy is on a standard tariff which is usually one of the most expensive. Try putting your annual consumption figure into one of the comparison sites (uswitch, energyhelpline) to see if you can get a better deal. Use your annual consumption figures, not your DD amounts to do this.
PS: your annual electricity consumption (6836Kwh) is very high (assuming you are not heating with electricity). How large is the property-flat/house, how many bedrooms?