Please help - how to calculate kWh used

Punky

Please help me. Am currently on energyhelpline.com entering my details to see if I should switch supplier.

Am currently with Powergen for elec and gas paying £103 monthly dd. As we are currently £285.66 in credit I want to enter current usage as kWh per year rather than monthly payment to be more accurate. Problem is I'm finding the bill too confusing.

Thought I'd just be able to find a simple kWh used figure for each quarter to add up for both elec and gas but instead each bill for each quarter seems to be different. For example Sept's bill has 2 kWh figures for both elec and gas while March's has 1 figure for each then split into primary and secondary units used. I don't know which figures to add up to get my total kWh usage for the year. Please can somone help me? I'm feeling very stupid and confused.

Am embarassed I've never scrutinised or tracked my bills in the past in order to better understand them - this will change.

Cardew

The primary units are those they charge a higher rate for - these are the first units you use - the secondary units are at a lower price. e.g. for electricity if you used 1000 kWh in a quarter, you might be charged at one rate for 225 kWh(the primary rate) and 775 at the secondary rate.

However if there was a price rise during the quarter they might show the pre and post price for each primary and secondary unit(kWh) so you could have 4 lots of units all at different prices. e.g for electricity again for 1000 kWh it could show:

100 primary units @ Wp per unit(kWh)
125 primary units @ Xp per unit
300 secondary units @ Yp per unit
475 secondary units @ Zp per unit

However for the purpose of using a comparison website it doesn't matter if they are primary units, secondary units, pre or post price rise. Simply add up all the electricity units you have used in a 12 month period and that is what you enter.

Ditto gas kWh.

djohn2002uk

But don't forget that the gas readings need to be converted to kWhs using:- Gas KWh = Units used x 39.4 x 1.02264 / 3.6 and if your meter is of the old Imperial type then multiply by 2.83 first to convert it to metric.

oldwiring

djohn2002uk wrote:

But don't forget that the gas readings need to be converted to kWhs using:- Gas KWh = Units used x 39.4 x 1.02264 / 3.4 and if your meter is of the old Imperial type then multiply by 2.83 first to convert it to metric.

I think it should be 3.6

djohn2002uk

oldwiring wrote:

I think it should be 3.6

You're right. Mine changed to 3.4 but is now 3.6 again.

MoJo

Your gas bill will tell you how to convert to kWh - it's usually on the back of the bill.

oldwiring

djohn2002uk wrote:

You're right. Mine changed to 3.4 but is now 3.6 again.

I'd guess that someone did not proof read the text or it was a printer's error.
Don't the ute cos male you :eek:

Wig

Perhaps someone with powergen can say what format they use in regards Actual, Estimate & Customer readings

OK OP.

First lets do Electricity as that is by far the easiest one to do. IN electricity "what you see is what you get" the numbers on the meter (the whole numbers (black & white) not the ones after the decimal point (red & white) Are kwh. If the meter reads 21500.34 one month and next month reads 21700.56 it means 200 kwh have been used in that month.

So now for the bills.........

Look on the bill for where it says something like "current reading" or "reading this time" "reading last time" You are only interested in "reading this time" or "current reading" or "latest reading" There will be an indication saying whether the number is actual reading estimated reading or customer supplied reading usually A E or C (however Swalec just use E & C and don't use an A you only know it is Actual because there is no letter).

Now you want to read your meter today, say it is 21500.34

now look through some older leccy bills for 2005 look for an actual reading taken around July August September, try to get as close to todays date last year. IF there isn't one look for any actual reading for last year...what date on the bill period? if say bill period is 26 Feb - 26 May 2005 that means the the reading was taken on 26th May 2005 Lets assume the actual reading on 26th May 2005 was 19,200

The overall period is 15 months the amount kwh is 21,500 - 19200 = 2,300kwh

2,300/15 = 153.33

for a year 153.33 x 12 = 1840kwh <--- that's your annual useage


Now for Gas

Do a similar thing but pay attention to the meter readings again. Find your last "actual" then go back a year from that bill and find an actual around a year previously. Your kwh are not the same as your meter readings, when you have found your last two actuals (which are at least a year apart) then you have to look for the no of kwh you have been charged for on each bill, you have two rates so two lots of kwh for each bill to count (or your bill may show a total for the No. of kwh for that bill if so just use this figure) the figures may be on the front of the bill or on the back of the bill. Count the kwh used for all the bills EXCEPT the oldest bill you are only using the oldest 'actual' bill as a start point and a "meter read on this day" reference ( you don't count the kwh on the oldest bill) ....so you know all subsequent gas use can be counted from that reading/date.

I'll do an example

Oldest bill with 'Actual' reading
for bill period 20th October 2004 - 22 Jan 2005
3056 A - total kwh used 5000
2000 kwh at 3.5p/kwh
3000 kwh at 1.8p/kwh

bill period 23Jan - 23 April
3854 E - total kwh used 4000
2000 kwh at 3.5p/kwh
2000 kwh at 1.8p/kwh

bill period 24 April - 21 July
4250 E - total kwh 3000
2000 kwh at 3.5p/kwh
1000 kwh at 1.8p/kwh

bill period 22 July - 21 Oct
4500 C - total kwh 2020
2000 kwh at 3.5p/kwh
20 kwh at 1.8p/kwh

Bill period 22 Oct - 21st Jan 2006
5300 A - total kwh 5200
2000 kwh at 3.5p/kwh
3200 kwh at 1.9p/kwh


Ignore the first bill green numbers
either count all the blue no.s = 14,220
OR
count all the red no.s = 14,220

Divide 14,220 by the number of months between the two orange dates and multiply by 12 in this example it equals 14,220 <--- Your annual usage.

dadrock

Useful thread, for any of us tryign to assess accurately if a supplier change is needed, Ta.