Gas meter readings / charges too high?

GaryG

I'm having trouble rationalising my gas meter readings and bill as it all seems far too high.

I am a single occupant of a one bedroom bungalow. My gas is only used for hot water when washing the dishes and central heating in the colder months. Everything else is electric, even my shower is electric, so no need to gas heat water for washing.

I have 4 radiators on very low during the hours of 6pm-11pm and then again 5am-7am, this controlled by a timer and there is no heating used outside of these times.

Prior to October, I was only using gas for hot water when washing the dishes and my monthly bill was only £4 which seemed fine.

During October, I had 3 days where I used the heating via the timer and the rest of the month there was no heating used at all, but yet, my gas bill came to £20. My gas meter is imperial and my readings suggest I am using around 1.5 units per day, when I use the central heating with the timer.

Now with all that said, if it cost me £20 for 3 days in October, what on earth will the bill be if I use heating everyday for a whole month - £200???

I am on a fixed dual-fuel tariff with a fixed monthly direct-debit of £60 for both gas and electric.

Do you think my calculations are wrong or do you think my gas meter is faulty and running too fast or is something else going on?

Thanks for any advice.

jalexa

GaryG wrote: »

Do you think my calculations are wrong or do you think my gas meter is faulty and running too fast or is something else going on?

You seem to have quite a good grasp of things except for one thing. You need to get a handle on your consumption by taking daily meter readings for a week. Your post doesn't really say where the "1.5 units per day" comes from. Estimated readings on the bill?

1.5 units is nearly 50 kWhrs which, on the face it, is certainly excessive for the usage described.

penrhyn

1.5 gas units(imperial) is around 45 kwh, costs about £2.15.

macman

So if you used 4.5 imperial units (140kWh) over 3 days, the cost is no more than about a fiver. Where do you get £20 from?

jalexa

GaryG wrote: »

I have 4 radiators on very low during the hours of 6pm-11pm and then again 5am-7am, this controlled by a timer and there is no heating used outside of these times.

One other thing, when you say you have "4 radiators on very low", how do you achieve and measure "very low"?

GaryG

jalexa wrote: »

One other thing, when you say you have "4 radiators on very low", how do you achieve and measure "very low"?

I'm no expert on radiators, however, each radiator has a setting of 1 to 5, 5 being the hottest and all of them are currently on 2.

I just took another gas meter reading for the past period of heating - 6pm-11pm last night plus 5am to 7am this morning, and the meter states I've used 0.66 units which seems much better and I am quite happy with that.

I shall need to keep reading it over the next week or so and see if it stays like that.

penrhyn

Remember to multiply the reading by 30 to roughly convert imperial units to Kwh.

jalexa

GaryG wrote: »

I'm no expert on radiators, however, each radiator has a setting of 1 to 5, 5 being the hottest and all of them are currently on 2.

Even at setting 2, at 05:00, certainly for the first hour, at typical morning temperatures, that could easily be fully on. Ditto the first hour in the evening. That is quite compatible with your 0.66/day (or 21 kWhrs). The best test is the daily readings you are going to do, but also get a feel for the radiator temperatures after an hour, "hot" = a fair bit of gas being consumed.