40,640 KWH gas usage- help!!!!!!

longhauladdict

Hiya

I have just received my gas bill (I pay DD of £59 per month - recently increased to £152!!!). It says I owe £1049!!!!!!!!!:eek:
I am trying to work this out with N power but I have worked out that my gas usage comes out at 40,640 KWH from 09/03/09 to 21/03/10 (all actual readings!)
Now does this sound right- I searched and it said that an average usage was 16000 KWH per house. i live in a 2 bed apartment (new build) and am out of the house for 8-9 hours per day.
I have double checked my meter number etc, is it likely I am being charged for someone else also?

How can I be using more than doube the national average - any ideas???
Thanks for any help!

andyfuk

Seems a little high for an apartment, my gas usage is 3,800 kwh pa for a 2 bed house. I'd say you were a factor of 10 out, unless you do have abnormally high gas usage, say boiler on full, thermostat set to maximum (people do do it- they like to feel toasty and walk around in T-shirts and shorts in the winter. Personally I prefer a jumper and the temp set to 19 deg C and have a fatter wallet).

Can you post your meter readings in m3? We'll go from there and figure out what's going on. Am sure you will have lots of help and advice from other forum members.

macman

What do you use your gas for? Central heating, hot water, cooking?
What is your pattern of usage-when is the heating on?
The reason your bill is massive is that the DD of £59 was totally inadequate to cover your usage, you need to supply regular reading to ensure that your billing is based on actual usage, not estimates.
Your usage is very high for a 2 bed flat which is presumably well insulated and fitted with modern heating controls. As you sa,y around 15,000kWh is the average for a 2 bedroomed property. Are you sure you have converted from cu m correctly to kWh?

Cardew

It is virtually impossible to use 40,000+kWH pa in a new build(well insulated) 2 bed flat.

If it is new build it will(or should) have a Metric gas meter.

Is it possible that you are being charged as if you have an Imperial Gas meter.

If you are being charged correctly for 40,640kWh on a metric meter, you will have used approx 3,630 gas units.

If you are being charged for an Imperial gas meter, you will have used qpprox 1,270 gas units.

If the latter - check your meter and see what units are marked on the face. M3 or cu mtr is a metric meter. F3 or cubic ft is an Imperial meter.

longhauladdict

Hi
I do like it warm but I have always paid £59 (I used to live in a 2 bed large victorian terrace house) and I was always in credit!I only have central heating, of which heats my water. I do cook but I am out 3-4 nights per week. There is only me and my boyf.

I have the following meter readings:
09/03/09 -7921 actual
05/06/09 7493 actual
25/11/09 7772 estimated - i read this myself and it was 7845.
21/03/09 10920 actual
I will try to dig out my usage for my old house as my heating patterns etc haven't changed so it should be similar? I have heating on 04.30-08.00 and 16.30- 22.00 (average) - a little more in the cold snap but sometimes off completely.
Also my cubic meters usage is 3706 if this helps?
Thanks guys

kjsmith7

Please list every appliance that uses gas, including whether the cooker is a range cooker and if the boiler powers a swimming pool or the like. May sound silly, but it really isn't. How old is the new build appt that you live in?

andyfuk

Wow, that is a LOT of gas! Your meter should only move a few hundreds of meters cubed, not thousands!

I am wondering if you have a faulty meter?

Hang on... you are reading it correctly? You are ignoring any bits in red or after the decimal point are you?

macman

Your usage from 9/3/09 to 21/3/10 is 2999 units. Where do you get 3706 from?
You say you like it warm-what temp are you setting on your programmer?

Cardew

It is slightly unusual(but not unknown) for a meter on new build property to start with a reading at 7,921??

With a meter reading of 7921 on 09/03/09 and 10920 on 21/03/10(I assume you meant 2010) you haven't used 3706 gas units but 2,999 units

If you have used 2,999 gas units in 1 year and 12 days. Whilst that is still a huge amount of gas for a 2 bed apartment, it isn't 40,640kWh!

A gas unit can vary slightly, but is generally in the range 11kWh to 11.2kWh. so should be 33,000kWh to 33,600kWh.

If you have the meter readings incorrect then 40,640kWh for 3706 units is correct.

longhauladdict

Sorry I got my meter readind mixed up- I was so mad!!!
The first one on was 7291 not 7921.
This means my gas usage in cubic meters was 3629 - not 3706. Slightly out.
I had spent over an hour on the phone with N Power and even they couldn't get the bill right- they haven't taken all payments off the bill but I am more concerned about the gas usage!:eek:

IThe Kwh conversion comes from their bills so it is right! N power have said that they will recharge me manually and that they will get back to me by 27 May!:mad: However in the meantime can i do anything to check if the meter is faulty- ie an independent gas check etc? I had one done by my landlord about 2 months ago so I would have thought it would raise it then????
I don't have a thermostat on my heating at all, I have a dial in the hallway which I don't think works, it was always fixed on 10 degrees.

I have approx 8 rads in my two bed apartment (approx 4-5 years old- very modern and insulated) and have always had at least 3 of these turned off since I moved in last year (3 in my living room/kitchen) so only have 1 one!

thanks - I will go and check my type of meter- my apartment is in a block of 3 (looks like 3 houses) with all separate meters, I am wondering if any of those are routed to my meter??

longhauladdict

Also the appliances that use gas are:
Gas hob (electric oven)
radiators
water

I can't think of anything else???