Pilot Light gas usage

MattLG

I've just received a gas bill for £99 for 1 month for a 2 bedroom house (just heating and hot water, no cooking). It's our first month in the place and I called the gas board out to take a look and see if we had a leak. He couldn't find one so he just changed our meter.

I've just done a test using the new meter with nothing on except the pilot light and we're using 0.028 cubic metres per hour, which equates to 0.672 cubic metres per day. If my calculations are correct, this equates to £112 per year, which is much too much.

0.672 * 1.022640 (corrections factor) * 39.1 (calorific value) = 26.87
26.87/3.6 = 7.46kWh.
7.46 * 365 * 4.139p (price) = £112.76

Are my calculations correct?

The pilot light flame doesn't look particularly big, about normal I reckon (not that I know much). I'm gonna do a test with the pilot light off too to make sure the usage gets down to zero to satisfy my mind that there is no leak.

Cheers

MattLG

jd87

Your calculations are correct yes. How have you worked out that you are using 0.028 cubic metres per hour? Your meter won't be able to measure to that level of accuracy.

rsykes2000

New meters certainly can register that level of useage, my old house had one with 3 decimal places. eg http://img.alibaba.com/photo/11132871/Smart_Card_Intelligent_Household_Gas_Meter.jpg

gordikin

You need to tell us how many hours your heating is on and at what temp. Also how efficient is your boiler...is it an older type? I'm in a 2 bedroom house and have used way more than £99/month from Dec 09 - Feb 10, but that'll come down over the Summer and even itself out. Your pilot light is costing you ~1.28p/hour

MattLG

Yup, with the pilot light off, the gas usage goes down to zero. Phew!

Yeah, there's 3 decimal places on our new meter.

In our previous 2 bedroom house, we spent £155 from December to March, ie. ~£50 per month. Our new house is slightly bigger, but certainly not enough to justify a doubling of the heating bill.

I get the feeling it's time for a new boiler...

Cheers

MattLG

espresso

MattLG wrote: »

I get the feeling it's time for a new boiler...

Pilot lights can be adjusted and 7.46kWh seems way too much! The last time that I checked a boiler pilot light, it was using approx 2.7kWh per day.

iangooner

matt how do you run ur heating and hot water try this run system for 4 days at twice a day take meter reading first eg 00024 after 4 days take reading again eg 00044 20 units used then run for 4 days once a day but turn boiler stat and heating stat down to 68 boiler temp and 19 room stat temp take reading eg prob 00056 12 units used!!!!!! try this and let me know thanks it should help with ur bill

MattLG

jd87 wrote: »

Is there an "un-thanks" button?

No, but there is a "report post" button.

BTW, thanks to everybody else who actually ARE providing help.

MattLG

MattLG

iangooner wrote: »

matt how do you run ur heating and hot water try this run system for 4 days at twice a day take meter reading first eg 00024 after 4 days take reading again eg 00044 20 units used then run for 4 days once a day but turn boiler stat and heating stat down to 68 boiler temp and 19 room stat temp take reading eg prob 00056 12 units used!!!!!! try this and let me know thanks it should help with ur bill

I don't think my wife will let me turn the heating to once per day. She moans that it's too cold already :-)

I'll see what I can get away with.

MattLG

iangooner

MattLG wrote: »

I don't think my wife will let me turn the heating to once per day. She moans that it's too cold already :-)

I'll see what I can get away with.

MattLG

matt running once a day means 6.30am to when you go to bed clock says auto 2/3 times aday once means on in the morn off at night

Cardew

iangooner wrote: »

matt running once a day means 6.30am to when you go to bed clock says auto 2/3 times aday once means on in the morn off at night

The subject of this thread is the consumption of the pilot light.

Surely it doesnt take the brains of an Archbishop to work out that if you run your heating at a lower temperature and for shorter periods it will be cheaper?

OP there have been a number of threads on gas pilot light consumption and it can be very high.

It is possible to turn down the pilot flame on most boilers and as long as it covers the tip of the thermocouple it will be OK.

It is also worth pointing out that the heat from the flame is not wasted for much of the year.