Help with heating large house - massive gas bill

jordylass

Reading Date reading reading type total cons.* no. days av. daily cons.*
06/12/2006 7077 Customer read 87 22 003.95
14/11/2006 6990 Meter Reader 110 29 003.79
16/10/2006 6880 Estimated 105 59 001.78
18/08/2006 6775 Meter Reader 138 89 001.55
10/07/2006 6608 Estimated 5 59 000.08

The above has just been taken from the house website, my gas bill from May to November was £364.
This is a huge amount as from May to mid October I only used the gas hob and on a couple of ocassions the gas fire.
It is a huge Victorian house with 5 bedrooms and no double glazing and I expected it to be costly to heat, but I have to admit to shock at just how much it is costing.
I have gas central heating, the tank is lagged and I only have 8 of the 13 radiators turned on and have closed off the other rooms. I would like advice on the best way to cut the costs while maintaining some warmth in the house.

So far I have put cling film over the windows and hung lined curtains which I shut as soon as it is dark. I have turned the central heating off and use the coal fire in the study where I am most of the day. The gas fire and a quilt in the room where I sit at night and have the electric blanket timed for 30 minutes to take the chill off my bed before I go up. I have bought vests and am wearing a hat in the house and enjoying the gym to warm up and using their lovely warm showers, as well as visiting friends and family.

This is not too bad for me while my children are out but when they are home for the holidays I would like to have the house feeling a little more cozy and wondered if anyone had any suggestions.

Also a couple of quick queries I couldn't find answers to on the web, is it more efficient to use the open fire burning coke or wood, or would it be better for me to use a portable gas or electric oil filled radiator in that room?

I have spoken to the landlords agent to ask them to check the heating, they suggested i get a 'free' gas meter check and just reminded me that such a large house would not be economical to heat.

I contacted the gas about the meter check, they have said it costs £30 if there nothing is found to be wrong. I am sincerely hoping there is something wrong with the meter because if not, as much as I love the house, I will not be able to afford to stay here.

Woby_Tide

it's not very well formatted so hard to tell but only one of those readings is a customer, if the two estimated readings were out then it might make it appear that May to November were costlier than they were (but on the other hand all that will happen is it will make the winter bill higher as you still have used the gas at some point I assume.

Have you used the comparison sites to confirm that you can't move to a cheaper tarrif i.e. Ebico

jordylass

I have been on to the comparison sites but there was only about £10 difference per annum from BG and the cheapest. I have moved onto BG's cheapest tarrif.

Sorry about the formatting, it looked right when i hit post.

thriftyjo

It sounds like a lovely old house but is it really worth the chilly drafts - maybe you could ask your landlord if they would consider fitting double glazing at least in some of the rooms that you use the most. Or could you consider moving to a smaller better glazed and insulated house?

Sorry I don't seemed to have answered at all!

jordylass

The landlords have been very good with any other repairs, and their other properties are undergoing improvement with double glazing and combi heating being installed. unfortunatley this property is up for demolotion (no immediate plans) but not one they want to invest in either.

Cardew

You have an Imperial gas meter.

The first estimated reading is obviously an under-estimate. A better indication are the actual meter readings in August and December which indicates you have used about 9,000kWh in approx 16 weeks.

For a huge old badly insulated house, with probably an old inefficient boiler, plus cooking with gas and a gas fire, that is not particularly high IMO.

jordylass

Thank you for the response, if that is the case I canlt afford to live here and to heat the house.
For the last 12 weeks I have been in the house on my own and away most weekends. As only the hob is gas and I'm mostly cooking for one, and had the heating off a lot of that time, it is very worrying.