MIL - Gas usage high....

[Deleted User]

MIL lives alone in an old house....

No central heating, gas cooker, gas fire (which she doesnt use much). Yet last quarter her gas bill was over £100.

Looked on BG website and it seems she way over average for area.

Any ideas what to do?

Contacted BG but they want £200 to check the meter!

McKneff

£100 for 3 months doesnt seem a lot to me.

You really need to look at her bills and get her to ring them to see if she can go on a low user/social tarrif (if not already on one.

Cardew

£100 is not high.

Could it be that the previous meter reading was estimated? or this current meter reading estimated?

[Deleted User]

Even for the summer months where she wouldnt have used the gas fire at all? I.e. Just the cooker.

HappyMJ

[quote=[Deleted User];47678727]Even for the summer months where she wouldnt have used the gas fire at all? I.e. Just the cooker.[/QUOTE]
It's either the standing charges or the higher primary rate that will get you confused in the summer. According to my calculator with British Gas you would get 1,730kWh for £100 over 3 months. It is a bit high if she never used the gas fire but you did say in your OP doesn't use it much maybe she used it a few times.

macman

Please post the actual kWh consumption from the bill. Not the bill amount, which does not tell us anything. That way proper advice can be given.
Was the bill based on actual reading or estimated readings? If the latter some of it could be a catch up.
But if not £1.11 per day is not much.

tanith

I know an elderly lady who says she doesn't have her heating on much but she actually does... she had it on on Monday of this week in the middle of the day and the house was so hot I had to go outside.. she said oh is it warm I really don't notice... so she may be using the fire more than she says..

[Deleted User]

tanith wrote: »

I know an elderly lady who says she doesn't have her heating on much but she actually does... she had it on on Monday of this week in the middle of the day and the house was so hot I had to go outside.. she said oh is it warm I really don't notice... so she may be using the fire more than she says..

No Really. She so bad that when you go there you have to take a coat with you. Get out of the car, go in house and put coat on.

[Deleted User]

macman wrote: »

Please post the actual kWh consumption from the bill. Not the bill amount, which does not tell us anything. That way proper advice can be given.
Was the bill based on actual reading or estimated readings? If the latter some of it could be a catch up.
But if not £1.11 per day is not much.

Last meter read was 31 Dec last year and then now end September 2011.

In that time, 5514Kwh of gas used.

Cardew

[quote=[Deleted User];47751417]Last meter read was 31 Dec last year and then now end September 2011.

In that time, 5514Kwh of gas used.[/QUOTE]

Gas cooker and gas fire.

Period covered the coldest winter for many years and for 9 months an expenditure of around £300?

Certainly not high.

HappyMJ

[quote=[Deleted User];47751149]No Really. She so bad that when you go there you have to take a coat with you. Get out of the car, go in house and put coat on.[/QUOTE]

[quote=[Deleted User];47751417]Last meter read was 31 Dec last year and then now end September 2011.

In that time, 5514Kwh of gas used.[/QUOTE]
That's low. Is she claiming everything she's entitled to? No elderly person should be living in the cold and when the government offers to pay part of the bill then she should be claiming and using that money for it's purpose. She'll kill herself or at least make herself sicker than she would have otherwise been if she keeps the house too cold. You'll have to help her out. Warm front grants will help put in central heating. They'll help out with insulation. Everything...and it's all very cheap or free.