Gas bill for empty house

macman

Premier wrote: »

That report is 10 years old!

Well so it is!
I blame Google...

kjsmith7

It's likely that it's a bill for the last 4 years as you would have been responsible as the executor of his estate, lived in or otherwise. If you are on a 'tier 1' and 'tier 2' pricing system, you won't have had any bill to pay if you didn't use anything. It could be that the accounts were estimated during the time your father lived at the property, and so you'll be paying up to the meter reading now. You can have the meter accuracy tested, however you'll be charged if the meter is accurate.

Andraste

Hi guys,

Thanks for your replies. Just to clear up a few points:
i) as an executor I am (jointly) responsible for all utilities used
ii) the tariff does not have a standing charge
iii) council tax has been paid at the correct rate (50%)
iv) the house has been on the market since my father died, but has not attracted any interest at all; this is why we have decided to move into it and sell our house.
v) both readings are accurate - I took them myself and even had someone else check them. I just can't understand how so much can have been used with the house being empty.

Assuming I have the meter checked, has anyone any idea how much this would cost? I've been checking usage since we moved in, which is now about ten days, and it seems hellishly high to me.

spiro

What do you mean by "hellishly high to me" in terms of units per day/week?
What gas appliances do you have?
Do you gas or elec heating/hot water?
How long is it on per day?
Supplier will charge you the cost of the check if the meter is accurate, this could be around £60-£100.

Cardew

If the house was empty, but had a frost stat fitted, it would have fired up the boiler if power was left on(it should have done) and the house temperature dropped to whatever setting was on the Stat(normally 3C to 5C) £100 per year is not that high.

Andraste

Spiro, in terms of units of gas, I read the meter on Sunday evening and had used 168 since the last reading. That's not bad going to say we only moved in the Saturday before. The heating had been on for a couple of hours per day to air the house out a bit for the week before; having said that, we've just had a new boiler fitted, thermo rad valves, etc, and didn't think the cost would be excessive. The heating's been on very low, no use of gas fire, and it's a gas hob. Water's heated through the boiler. It's only on for an hour in the morning, just to take the chill off, and maybe an hour in the evening.

Cardew, the heating has been turned off, no frost stat. The boiler was old - around 20 yrs - and I was concerned that it might run up a big bill. If anything, I should probably have left it on over the winter to protect the pipes, but I didn't. And the bill is for two years, not four.

macman

If the heating was off over the winter (2 winters?) and no heating on, did you not turn the main gas supply off anyway?