High Cost of Central Heating - please help

macman

Gasuser wrote: »

British Gas have sent the last 2 bills with all costs at tier 1 prices. will check the meter though to see whether it is m3 or HCF as not sure. Decimal point is definitely in the right place though!

If you don't know if your meter is metric or imperial, then how did you arrive at your figure of £6 per hour? Your meter reads in units of either cu m or 100's cu ft. Without knowing which, you cannot apply the correct formula to arrive at kWh usage-which is the billing unit.
A gas meter unit is not a kWh-it's simply a measure of volume-not energy.

Gasuser

Thanks to all those who gave me positive helpful feedback. Rechecked the meter and now understood where went wrong with calculations etc. I have another question though that I'm hoping someone will help me with.

We have to stay with British Gas due to the contract the landlord has with them however we are currently on the standard tariff. Need to change this as it seems quite expensive but not sure which of the others is the best for us. Just received the dual fuel bill 5 Sep - 08 Nov and the cost is £172 however we have not had the heating on more than a couple of hours a day due to the cost. Can someone please give me some advice as to the best British Gas tariff as it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I think the online 5 looks best but not sure.

many thanks

giraffe69

Have to stay with British Gas as the landlord has a separate contract with them for the boiler repair/pipes etc.

We have a contract with them for boiler repair but don't get gas or electricity with them and I don't see why you have to either.

Cardew

The landlord has no right to tie you to British Gas, unless he is paying the bill!

There is also no advantage for him to specify BG. You could change to a supplier of your choice and the landlord change back to BG when you vacated.

BG Standard tariff is their most expensive, there are a host of cheaper tariffs - including with BG - and the cheapest are internet tariffs. These normally are for a 1 year term with a small penalty if you end the tariff early; althogh many will waive that penalty if you are moving.

You need to use any of the comparison websites to see which is best - enter in annual kWh consumption(not payments) if you don't know the consumption, enter in 16,500kWh gas and 3,300kWh electricity.

macman

If the utility account is in your name, then the LL doesn't have any contract with them!
If your STA says that you cannot change supplier, then that is an unfair term and is not enforceable.
As Cardew states, Standard tariff is their most expensive variable tariff.

chris1973

then that is an unfair term and is not enforceable.

I asked you on a previous thread of mine if you could point out exactly where this aspect is written and ideally, covered by law.

So far, my enquiries with Shelter, Citizens Advice and even posts on 'Landlord Zone' have failed to fully clarify this aspect of some tenancy agreements, in the form of the rights in relation to a tenant in this situation so perhaps you can share your source.

Not only am I also in this exact situation and locked into a stupidly high (18.85p / KWH) tariff by the LL, but I read here almost every day of other tenants who are locked into this type of agreement with their LL's, but have yet the see a resolution or a 'test case' being brought. Indeed an agent told me that this aspect was now a 'growing trend' in rental properties, and certainly the rising number of posts recently referencing it here would go someway to comfirming this, so I'm sure that information, or even a dedicated thread on the subject would be of great use to many, both now and in the future.

bengasman

Gasuser wrote: »

Took the meter reading, ran the heating for one hour and took the meter reading again. Gas consumption worked out at £6 for the hour the heating was used.

No it didn't, it is physically impossible to use that much gas in one hour.

bengasman

Gasuser wrote: »

... Have to stay with British Gas as the landlord has a separate contract with them for the boiler repair/pipes etc...

Landlord contract has nothing to do with your gasbill. BG do their best to give the impression that it is all "the gasboard", but the breakdown cover and the gasbill come from two entirely different companies.
On top of that, tenants are by law allowed to change their energy supplier whether the LL likes it or not. Any clauses in the tenancy that state you can not change supplier are meaningless, even though you signed for it.